A short wander early afternoon. Most of Little Wayoh frozen with no sign of the usual ducks, only Goosanders. 4m + 9f including Goosanders on the main reservoir.
Main reservoir :- 1 Great Crested Grebe 12 Canada Geese 30+ Mallards Teal heard only 1 female Tufted Duck 1 Moorhen 7 Black-headed Gulls
1 Grey Heron 7 Canada Geese 6 Mallards 3m + 1f Teal 2m Pochards 11m + 8f Tufted Ducks 2m + 3f Goldeneyes 7m + 11f Goosanders 1 Sparrowhawk 1 Moorhen 20 Black-headed Gulls 8 Feral Pigeons 1 Stock Dove 4 Woodpigeons 3 Collared Doves 1 Green Woodpecker 2 Wrens 4 Dunnocks 7 Robins 1 Blackbird Numerous Long-tailed Tits, Coal Tits, Blue Tits, Great Tits, & Goldcrests 2 Nuthatches 2 Jays 6 Magpies 15 Carrion Crows, including an almost all white one. My first brief view through the trees suggested a Barn Owl as I only picked out the colour. When it appeared flying through an open patch it seemed all white apart from some black on the head. 4 Starlings 6 House Sparrows 5 Chaffinches 7 Greenfinches 7 Goldfinches A few Siskins in the tree tops
11.15 to 13.30. There were probably more ducks from the list below hidden away at the top end of Little Wayoh.
1 Great Crested Grebe 3 Canada Geese Teal heard only 1 male Wigeon wistling very loudly from the middle of the reservoir, but no others to take notice 20+ Mallards 2m Pochards 7m + 3f Tufted Ducks 2m + 5f Goosanders 1 Pheasant 3 Moorhens 12 Black-headed Gulls 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull 5 Woodpigeons 1 Meadow Pipit 2 Wrens 2 Dunnocks 2 Robins Goldcrests, Long-tailed Tits, Coal Tits, Blue Tits, & Great Tits in good numbers 2 Nuthatches 2 Treecreepers 1 Jay 3 Magpies 60+ Jackdaws 6 Carrion Crows 5 House Sparrows 3 Chaffinches 1 Greenfinch 4 Goldfinches Numerous Siskins, again mostly hidden in the tree tops 2 Bullfinches
10.50 to 13.30. Little Wayoh 75% ice so birds now spread across the main reservoir as well for a change.
1 Grey Heron 17 Wigeon. Unusual here, especially in numbers this high Pair of Teal under the viaduct 25 Mallards 2m Pochards still on Little Wayoh 7 Tufted Ducks, 5 of which were flying off the reservoir Pair of Goldeneye under the viaduct as usual + a female on the main reservoir 8m + 8f Goosanders 1 Buzzard 1 Moorhen 2 Coots 30 Black-headed Gulls 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull 2 Feral Pigeons 3 Woodpigeons 2 Collared Doves 6 Meadow Pipits on the embankment. As unusual as Wigeon here. 2 Wrens 3 Dunnocks 4 Robins 12 Blackbirds 4 Redwings 1 Mistle Thrush Usual good numbers of Goldcrests, Long-tailed Tits, Coal Tits, Blue Tits, & Great Tits 7 Nuthatches 1 Treecreeper 1 Dipper on Broadhead Brook 2 Jays 8 Magpies 9 Carrion Crows 2 Starlings 12 House Sparrows 7 Chaffinches 12 Greenfinches 2 Goldfinches Numerous Siskins. Most of them high in conifers hidden from view 1 Bullfinch
30+ Mallards 3 Teal 9m + 8f Tufted Ducks. One female had a large white patch, but was definitely not a Scaup. 3m Pochards 2m + 1f Goldeneyes 5m + 3f Goosanders 8 Black-headed Gulls 1 Pied Wagtail
Numerous Mallards Numerous Teal. A few in the open, with others hidden away 26 Tufted Ducks, double my previous best count this year, in January 2 Pochards, still no females this winter 6 Goosanders Only 1 Moorhen seen, others would be hidden somewhere 20+ Black-headed Gulls 2 Great Black-backed Gulls 8 Herring Gulls passing over 60+ Siskins 1 Willow Tit calling from the conifers at the top end of the reservoir. May be the bird seen at the waterman's cottage recently, which was only identified as Willow or Marsh Tit. It is a very long time since I saw one in this area.
9am to 12.55pm to cover Wayoh & Entwistle WeBs counts.
1 Cormorant 1 Whooper Swan. Good of it to drop in for the count. It was there when I arrived and was still there at lunchtime. 38 Mallards 18 Teal 8 Tufted Ducks 3 Pochards 5 Goosanders 8 Moorhens 14 Black-headed Gulls 1 Green Woodpecker 1 Pied Wagtail
10.55 to 13.15. Started off well with a Sparrowhawk flying out of a tree in front of me at the top of Embankment Road, with a couple of Mistle Thrushes. Further down the road a Roe Deer strolled across, in front of two women chatting at the bottom of the road. One of them lives at the Waterman's Cottage, and she told me that the 5 Whooper Swans I saw at Entwistle last week had been on Wayoh in the morning. I don't know if the wintering ducks had left, or if they were hidden in the flooded bushes. No sign of them on the other reservoirs or nearby lodges. Only a Cormorant at Old Russia.
1 Great Crested Grebe 4 Goosanders. Seen earlier flying to Jumbles. 1 Sparrowhawk 1 Pheasant 8 Moorhens 12 Black-headed Gulls 2 Herring Gulls. Flew around without landing. 10 Woodpigeons 1 Pied Wagtail 8 Wrens 15 Robins 9 Blackbirds 2 Mistle Thrushes Numerous Goldcrests 2 flocks of Long-tailed Tits Coal Tits, Blue Tits, & Great Tits 3 Nuthatches 2 Jays 8 Magpies 6 Carrion Crows 60+ Starlings 4 Chaffinches 4 Greenfinches 1 Goldfinch 4 Siskins 2 Bullfinches
13.15 to 14.00. Excellent ideas do not work on a Sunday up here. Being a one horse town there are no Sunday buses. Only an excellent idea from Monday to Saturday, when if pre-booked the bus will divert through the pub ! No Hen Harrier today either. Cheers Mike, I tried a Blond Witch instead. No further comments needed.
2 young Great Crested Grebes. Size, markings, and squeaky noises matched the Jumbles birds. Will check tomorrow morning to see if they have finally moved on. 20 Mallards 1 male Tufted Duck 16 Black-headed Gulls