Walk along the Rochdale Canal this morning - Slattocks roundabout to
Higher Boarshaw. Usually plenty of birds here - as there was today!

c25 House Sparrow,
11 Rook,
60+ Mallard,
6 Long-tailed Tit,
2 Mistle Thrush,
7 Moorhen,
2 Teal,

An absolute minimum of 25 Snipe - didn't quite realise how good a count this was
for this area until I later looked through some old county reports! Looked for
Jack Snipe - no luck but they must visit here surely?

Flocks of c18 and later c50 Redwing - first Redwings I have seen for weeks!

A mixed flock of c80 birds - mostly Starlings but a few Fieldfares in with them.

There were 36 Goosanders (18 males) on Ogden Reservoir @ Piethorne on
6th - the second highest count I have ever had of this species in the
valley.


Cheers,


Bill.