Jan 24th

Pit Tip: 1 Reed Bunting [Male feeding on path at Millers End Conservation Area]
Woodland: 3 Great Spotted Woodpecker, 3 Nuthatch

Jan 17th

Mill Lakes: 1 WIGEON [Male off Willow Point], 1 Little Grebe, 1+ Willow Tit [Leen Pastures Feeding Station], 300+ Siskin [Peninsula, Dipping Ponds and Leen Pastures]
Broad Valley: 5+ Yellowhammer [Spinney Field], 2 LITTLE OWL
Woodland: 1+ Herring Gull [flew over calling over near Ferny Wood]

Record Numbers

Another great morning with a single male Wigeon on the ice at the southern end of the lake and two Shelduck on the north part. Gull numbers are at an all-time high with 500 Black-headed Gull and 50 Common Gull at the north end of the lake - at least fifty were moving low north over the Pit Tip at dawn with other gulls. Also at Mill Lakes was a large mobile flock of 120 Lesser Redpoll commuting between alders on islands, and around Willow Pools.

Starting 2010 on a High

A nice start to the year with around 30 Lesser Redpoll feeding in alder by the gate of the Pit Tip Plantation, and four Herring Gull south over the Pit Tip at sunrise. At the Mill Lakes four Pink-footed Goose flew high over the lake heading SSW at 10:01am, just before the first snow came in from the north. On the ice of the lake were 300 Black-headed Gull and around fifteen Common Gull.

Winter Passage

A north-west passage of Lesser Black-backed Gull was evident this morning with small numbers over the Pit Tip throughout the morning, including groups of eight and four birds, and several singles. At Leen Pastures two Willow Tit were at the Feeding Station, a large Goldfinch flock of around 200 birds was at the north pasture with at least 40 Siskin. A male Yellowhammer was on a hedgerow in Broad Valley.

Return of the Golden Plover

Thirteen Common Pheasant in Woodside Liveries - ten of the eleven males were the melanistic type. A small flock of Fieldfare with a single Redwing flew south down Lamin's Lane towards the Woodland. The main highlight of the morning was a flock of 57 Golden Plover. Several Lapwing were also around Top Woods Ground.

Chasing the Winter

A small flock of 40 Siskin were around the east side of lake being chased by a Sparrowhawk, with a few Redwing and six Common Snipe also present. A Kingfisher flew south past the end of the Peninsula, and three Common Gull were in Broad Valley Paddocks.