Goldeneye on the Mersey above the weir

Highlight of this morning was Kieran Fosters sighting of two Hawfinches, which landed in trees near the Ringing Station before flying off in the direction of the Morgan Hide.

Cheers David

Photo of the No.3 bed Footbridge in the snow

Cheers David

Photo of a Mute Swan from Woolston Weir

Cheers David

Photo of a Angelica in the snow on No.3 bed

Cheers David

Photo of a Hogweed in the snow from No.3 bed

Cheers David

Photo of a Blue Tit from Woolston Weir

Cheers David

Photo of a Greylag Goose from Woolston Weir

Cheers David

Photo of a Black-headed Gull from Woolston Weir

Cheers David

Photo of a drake Mallard from Woolston Weir

Cheers David

WeBS Count for whole of the Eyes including the Ship Canal and River. Little Grebe 5, Great crested Grebe 12, Cormorant 15, Grey Heron 4, Mute Swan 31, Greylag Goose 1, Canada Goose 36, Shelduck 7, Wigeon 2, Gadwall 40, Teal 760, Mallard 113, Shoveler 33, Pochard 2, Tufted Duck 615, Goldeneye 2, Moorhen 28, Coot 32, Jack Snipe 1, Woodcock 1, Black headed Gull 78, Lesser Black backed Gull 1

A beautiful winter morning for the monthly Wildfowl Count today. We arrived before dawn and after breakfast in the Morgan Hide wandered, through regular flurries of snow, to Bollin Point, Rixton Paddocks and the farmland beyond. Although the lagoon on No.3 bed was largely frozen, 550 Teal were working hard at keeping some small pools open, along with a few Shelducks, Mallards and Shovelers.. On No.1 bed a Jack Snipe, always a scarcity on the Reserve, was flushed from the side of the path. Most of the wildfowl were gathered on the Ship Canal beyond Bollin Point, with totals of: 350 Tufted Duck, 2 Wigeon, 2 Pochard, 24 Mallards, 20 Gadwall, 5 Shoveler, 1 Little Grebe, 9 Great Crested Grebes, 11 Mute Swans, 5 Cormorants, 15 Coot and 3 Moorhens. Other sightings of note included: 1 Siskin, 4 Lesser Redpolls, 2 Willow Tits, 2 Yellowhammers, 11 Bullfinches, 40 Fieldfares and 9 Redwings. After the three mile trudge back to No.3 bed we were rewarded with a flushed Woodcock, while 2 Bramblings, 140 Greenfinches and 60 Chaffinches were around the feeding stations.

Photo of the view south over the Ship Canal near Bollin Point Cheers David Bowman (with David Spencer, Alan Warford and Sue Haddock)

Although I did not have time to walk the whole reserve there were some good counts, notably 128 mallard and 385 Tufted Duck. About a hundred Herring Gulls moved west in several groups (this total includes those reported by John Blundell and Dave Riley) A female Goosander was on the river at Bollin Point while on No.3 bed there were two Wigeon and a single Brambling under the feeders. A low flying helicopter flushed all the wildfowl including a minimum of 600 Teal.

Record shot of today’s Common Scoter

We started this morning’s monthly Migration Watch with a hike in the pitch dark to our vantage point on top of Butchersfield Tip, with a Tawny Owl calling as accompaniment. It soon became apparent that the combination of mist and drizzle would suppress any late migratory movements, with just the odd Redwing, Lesser Redpoll and Siskin passing over. Most notable, though, was the number of Woodpigeons leaving the roost on the wooded sides of the Tip, totalling maybe 1,500 birds. By mid-morning we’d decided to stretch our legs by walking past Bollin Point and through Rixton Paddocks to the arable land beyond. Around the Paddocks, thrushes were feeding voraciously, with an estimated 600 Fieldfares and 250 Redwings noted. With so many Woodpigeons and thrushes around we shouldn’t have been surprised when a large female Goshawk came slalomming through the canal-side trees, scattering hundreds of thrushes as she went. More surprises were in store, too, with a female Common Scoter on the Ship Canal along with a drake Wigeon, 2 drake Goldeneyes, a passing Redshank and a Kingfisher, plus 4 Yellowhammers on open farmland. Cheers David Bowman (with Dave Steel, Alan Warford and Helen Wynn)