Was there about 11:30 am yesterday..saw a quite a large flock of mainly HG and GBB gull, few LBB, which I only scanned quickly with bins so...did not see the Iceland gull

However, there was a brambling on the feeders & a couple in with a finch flock in the garden adjacent to bottom res. Also on feeders: 5 reed buntings, 2 house sparrows, approx 10 greenfinch, 2-3 goldfinch, dunnock, great tit, blue tit, chaffinch.

No sign of Iceland Gull this morning at 09:45 but large flock had gone. 4 goosander present though (3 F; 1 M)

A quick visit today to stock up the feeders.(1400hrs)

Bottom res 100% frozen still, but open water appearing on the top res.

c100 Black headed Gull, c 20 Common Gull. 5 Herring Gull, 19 LBB, 12 GBB

At the well stocked feeders

3 Reed Bunting

as well as the usual stuff.

I wont be able to visit until Tuesday 26th, so if anybody is going up there, could they take some seed etc.

Thanks for the table cage, (whoever you are?) the seed seems to be lasting a lot longer. A nice home made feeder has also appeared. Thanks again.

Short visit this afternoon to re-stock the feeders.

Access road is very deep with snow (4 feet deep in places) but is still drivable to the car park entrance. May be better tomorrow as it was being dug out by a tractor when I visited.

2 Dunnock's were waiting on the empty seed tray. As I was about to put seed on the tray, one Dunnock flew into a bush next to me. I held some seed out on my hand and both birds landed on my arm and started to feed. One bird thanked me by crapping on my shirt cuff

All the water was still frozen, but it was quite mild so may thaw in the next couple of days

As I was walking back to the car, several small flocks of Greenfinch and Goldfinch flew towards the feeders.

1 Jan

1500 - walked over via Dobcross and Diggle
1 Snipe flushed on noddle
2 Cormorant
2 Goosander
3 Stock Dove - plantation top res - similar time as previously so perhaps it is evening roost site?
Female Brambling at feeding station, 2 Reed Bunting and 1 Pheasant and usual suspects of Greenfinch, Dunnock, Robin, Chaffinch, Great Tit, Blue Tit

3 teal & 2 goosander on top res.
2 more goosander on bottom res + usual mallard, cormorant LBB, GBB, HG & BH gull

Feeders full so didn't top up

Must have just missed you Kath.

Just before I left at about 1430hrs, I had 2 Snipe fly over the feeding station.

Also

4 Reed Bunting
5 Greenfinch
5 House Sparrow
2 Dunnock
5 Great Tit
3 Chaffinch
3 Blue Tit

I put down about 2 litres of seed yesterday and it had all gone when I got there today.

Think it may be time to invest in a cage to go over the seed tray-there are some fat looking Pheasants around the car park

Mr.Warfy had a look for it on Monday with no joy

just as well

Belated news from Sun 20th December
Twas I and Phil who saw the Rock Pipt and Stonechat on lower Castleshaw.
I was certain when i called it and hence the call to the pager. Self doubt has now set in.
Seen down to 12 yard through binos although lighting wasnt brilliant. Jizz, size, call and flight all pointed at Rock Pipit.
Pipit had black legs , very dark plumage overall - smudgy on flanks and belly. Very dark head, no obvious supercilium, no white in tail when it flew. There was no " white on the flank, under tail or belly".

Aborted an attempt to relook yesterday , but will try today on foot.

Goosander - 8
Teal - 2
Lesser Black backed Gull -1
Mallard -8
Snipe
Grey Wagtail
Dipper

Not much on res this morning (about 10 am) : couple of common gulls, 10-15 GBB, a few lessers & herring gulls, the odd BH gull.

One lapwing flying over.

Filled up one of feeders - birds couldn't wait to get on! 4 dunnock, 4-5 house sparrow, blue tits & great tits, robin & magpie (no finches around).

12/12/09 1430-1530

55 Mallard
3 Fieldfare
21 Starling
Stonechat
13 Goldfinch
5 Greenfinch
Linnet
68 Canada Geese
10 House Sparrow
Robin
Dunnock
Blue Tit
Great Tit

Back from 2 weeks in Devon & 1st visit to Castleshaw!
10 am Saturday 5th Dec:

On bottom res:
100 Canada geese (with one Pinkfoot)
c. 200 BH gull
27 LBB gull
5 Cormorant
6 Mallard
2 Common gull
1 goosander + 2 flying over

on feeders:
5 House sparrow
1 dunnock
1 Jay
2 blue tit
4 great tit
1 goldfinch

On top res:
a single GC grebe & not much else!

3/12/09 0800-1030

Very quiet

7 Mallard
Goldeneye
13 Gbb Gull
3 Lbb Gull
250 Bh Gull

Reed Bunting at the feeding station.

No sign of the lone Whooper at 1030am. Looks like it has joined its mates in Norfolk

No need for the boat after all Judith

9 whooper swans (6ad, 3juv) on top res at 0910 hrs.

Lone pinkfoot with canada geese at 1030hrs.

On Saturday at approx. 11am:

One pinkfoot still, among approx 70 Canada geese (grazing in field adjacent to lower res).

5 cormorants
approx 50 BH Gull & 10 LBB

not much on top res except 2 gc grebes & 5 BH gulls.

v. windy!

4 Pochard(2m) still present on top res at dusk

Also

2 Great-crested Grebe
Goosander

otherwise a bird free zone!

On bottom res today at 10:00

4 Pochard (2 male; 2 female)
70 Canada Geese (+ 2 feral geese)
3 cormorants
2 GBB gulls
15 LBB gulls
c. 100 BH gulls
1 HG

Top res:
4 pochards moved onto top res
2 great crested grebe
15 mallard
4 BH gull
1 male goosander

+ more LBB, GBB & BH gulls flew onto bottom res as I was leaving.

c120 Pinkfeet over at 0940. Circled the res for 10 minutes until the mist cleared and flew off SE.

07.15 - 09.45 very wet and windy

mistle thrush 2
magpie 5
jackdaw 10
bullfinch m
blackbird
chaffinch 10
greenfinch 2
dunnock
cormorant
canada geese 70
feral doves
grey heron
mallard 10
meadow pipit4
pied wagtail
kestral
black headed gulls 100
lesser black backed gulls 15
common gull
wood pigeon 2
blue tit robin house sparrow 4
great crested grebe 3

Ad yellow-legged gull at 1100hrs on lower res with 250 lbb gull.

Saturday 08.30 - 10.30

Fieldfare 50 +
redwing 20
great spotted woodpecker
jackdaw
goldfinch
magpie
blackbird
blue tit
dunnock
coal tit
green finch
chaffinch
starling
rook
canada geese 80+
BH gulls
stonechat m + F
carrion crow
reed bunting
robin
mallard
cormorant 3
g c grebe 4
long tail tits 9
great tit
house sparrow
sparrowhawk

Sunday 08.15 - 10.30
all above plus
bullfinch f
meadow pipits 2
goldeneye m
pied wagtails
mistle thrush
moorhen
coot
pheasant
wren
heron
snipe 4
lapwing 5
no fieldfare or redwing today but large number of thrushes in distance heading east

0930-1445hrs Foggy till 1145hrs then lifted.

On the res.

6 Teal
2 Wigeon
27 Mallard
123 Canada Goose
4 Great Crested Grebe
Grey Heron
27 Black Headed Gull
17 LBB Gull

Feeder Station (Thanks to Tony for replenishing the nut feeders)

21 Greenfinch
56 Chaffinch
20 Blackbird
3 House Sparrow
Pheasant
2 Dunnock
4 Blue Tit
5 Great Tit
15 Robin

Vis Mig all in S/SE direction.

3000+ Redwing and 250+ Fieldfare (a conservative estimate as many could not be seen early on due to the fog but a massive passage between 1030-1145 a flock of 300, 400 and 500 but mostly in 40-50. Passage stopped when the fog lifted.

50 Blackbird
12 Greenfinch
2 Great spotted Woodpecker
30 Meadow Pipit
5 Pied Wagtail
2 Reed Bunting
10 Chaffinch
6 Mistle Thrush
4 Song Thrush

0700hrs-1620hrs(with a quick trip to Buxton for 3 sacks of seed)

3 Teal
5 Cormorants
1 Mallard
165 Canada Goose
2 Great crested grebe


Feeding Station

20+ Greenfinch
3 Blue Tit
14 Chaffinch
2 House Sparrow
80+ Starling
Blackbird
Dunnock
3 Magpie
2 Pheasant
Great Tit

The feeding station now has a proper seed tray to the right of the picnic area. If you are going up there, please feel free to take some seed/nuts to replenish the feeders. It is costing me a bleeding fortune

But at least you are guaranteed of seeing some birds