For someone who was busy with his guttering all day (on the house you understand!) and didn't manage to get out birding, reading your post almost takes me straight there- infact I'm almost sure I saw that Buzzard! Keep 'em coming.
At approx. 10.30 a.m. 120+ Redwings at low altitude moving west. Also at this time 170+ Fieldfares flying around aimlessly at low altitude in the valley. At 11.35 a.m. a large flock of 400+ Fieldfares passed over the valley at medium altitude moving west. With the best berry crop in the valley for years it was disappointing to find a just a single lonely Fieldfare in a hawthorn tree in the valley and watch all these other thrushes flying over!
Also present were exactly 20 Teal on Ogden Reservoir - there has now been a good series of counts at Piethorne for this species since mid-October. No doubt the low water level on Ogden is helping this species showing here and presumably when water levels return to normal they will cease to come here in such numbers.
A Buzzard was twice heard calling around the lower valley but I could not locate it in the sky. Also seen 3 Jays, 3 Goosanders, a Grey Wagtail, a Little Owl and the first Goldeneyes of this winter - 2 female/immatures were on Kitcliffe Reservoir.
This afternoon went up to Akzo pool, Littleborough and caught up with the White-fronted Goose.
