Of note today 

120 Stock Dove flew west 

Linnet - c100

Mixed flock of Greenfinch, Chaffinch , Skylark and Reed Bunting 

Little Grebe - 14

Mute Swan -2

Fieldfare - 45

Lapwing -120

Chiffchaff -1 

Kestrel -3 Buzzard -4 

A Black headed Gull with Black Colour ring 2224 was ringed at Shotton Steelworks on the 24th June 2024

plus the usuals 

A good week overall with massive numbers of pink foored geese expecially this morning when over 2000 in about 25 groups headed nw over me. The Dozen stonechat a week ago are down to 1 1st winter bird the rest obviously headed for the coast a pass through a few days ago of 200 greenfinch, possibly heading for Woolston eyes,and a few Brambling all gone today.

 The pools very quiet, 2 Mute Swan,  12 little grebe, 4-8 Gadwall , 4 pochard and a few Teal about it daily.

400+ fieldfare and similar Redwing moving about over the site this morning in all directions.A few siskin and Redpoll about in different spot.

The usual crufts display every day from the pro dog walkers, who seem to think this is appropriate JUST 50 yards from thier cars . They must have some sort of psychological condition that now makes them tie bags full of crap to trees ,fences or just lob em on the floor. I'd rather they didn't pick it up at all.  Its become big business dog walking, for me if you dont have time to walk your dog don't get one at all . 

-- Edited by JOHN TYMON on Friday 24th of October 2025 07:13:11 AM

This morning 

Late Juv whinchat , stonechats , 8 brambling high south and lot of Linnet moving through, chaffinch landed and passing through south,  all gone on return visit heading back to car. 35 Redwing down then off south .

Whole place felt birdless this morning with only a few

Things of note

pools apart from Mallard, little grebes, a few gadwall and coot ,

And a pair of Mute swans ,seemed shocking for such

Great habitat that 10 years ago were full of birds

Landfill birdless apart from kestrel due the continued 

Cutting and strimming right across the landfill 

A few small flocks of siskin, redpoll and plenty long

Tailed Tits.

2 or 3 small flocks of Pink footed Geese circling the area.

60 Redwing left south from the junction 11 lower path as I arrived. 

Despite the packs of dogs and grass cutting disturbance today of note

Siskin -10

Redpoll- 12

Goldfinch - c200

Ping footed Geese - many groups over all heading NW

Redwing - 16 > s at 1.15 pm

Wigeon - 2

Stonechat  - 8 (4+2+2) spread across site

Buzzard-4

Kestrel-2

Chiffchaff- 1

Today of note 

Stock Dove -120+ on eastern arable 

4 Pochard - 4

6 Skiens of Pink footed Geese mainly going NW (not countted)

Linnet-30

Lapwing -70

Meadow Pipit - 80

Today up to 12 in Rain- viewing difficult - Farmer shooting over set asside,  ironic as im sure he gets a grant to attract and feed the birds onto it in winter .

Swallow - 2 > S

Green Sandpiper - 1 flew across west pool 

Pochard -2 

Teal - 2

Stonechat -4

Kestrel -3

Goldfinch - 200+

Little Grebe -15

Cormorant -2 

Last Few Days 

Today was pretty Quiet with just 4 Stonchat of note , 45 Siskin over North and 80 Meadow Pipit initially down , but most flew of SE

Yesterday 

8 Crossbill over South 

19 Wigeon originally down on the west pool but headed off South about 10am 

Pochard -4

Buzzard - 12 up at once

Swallow - 8 > s

29.09.2025 of note 

4 Wheatear ( Greenland type ) no sign later

Stonechat -8

Swallow -20 

Nuthatch -2

Pools were Quiet today only things of note 

4 Mute Swan 

1 Raven

5 Chiffchaff

100 Goldfinch 

40 Lapwing

12 Little Grebe 

Cormorant - 3 . 1 the returning red ringed bird from last winter ring number 271  ringed Hale  Decoy in nest on 24th June 2023 pic attached 

Meadow Pipit 40 

Kestrel 3 

Buzzard -4

Last week Hobby Wed/Thurs , 4 Whinchat- Wed  and 6 Stonechat  Wed/ Thursday /  were seen  None of those present to

A heavily Moulting Female Mash Harrier through SE was the best of note this morning, along with a group of 40 Swift heading south high . Also 2 Pochard , 5 Teal , 5 Gadwall showing the season is on the change a bit . Still a lot of Warblers with the Tit Flocks , a few Kestrel and Buzzard and good numbers of Swallow still over the Eastern Arable , and mixed in a few House Martin. 

Only thing of note 1 lesser whitethroat. A few swift, apart from the breeding warblers which seem to be having a good year.

Its amazing how 2 mile x 2 mile of perfect habitat can seem almost birdless these days .It's amazingly different after covid as the pro dogwalkers found the place and apart from disturbance by the mss which seems to gave halted again for a short while it's the constant dog disturbance that seems to have altered the dynamics of the place. 

Only thing of note really last few visits was a pair of Marsh Tit  this morning  in whats potentially a breeding habitat but we will see had odd ones before but first time male was in good song and chasing the female round . Rest as was for the last week .

2 Common Tern and 1 White Wagtail, plus a pair of Shelduck and Pair of Oystercatcher about the best today   everything else been similar as last week . 

Of note for me Thurs 

 Sedge warbler -2.

Whitethroat- 5

Reed warbler -1,

sand martin- 500+ through

House Martin- 50+

Swallow - 50+

Linnet 6,

Plenty Willow warbler and Chiffchaff

Blackcap- 3

rest pretty much as normal

Yellow Wagtail over landfill heading NE yesterday towards LWM .