A brief morning visit after a tough week or so, a family funeral tomorrow, so getting there. Very cold, frost and ice, but bright and clear.

The main interest on the pools was on Small Pool where there were 7(3drk) Goosanders and 4 Teal. The Teal were out in the centre of the pool, probably as a result of the margins being frozen. On Big Pool there were at least 50 Wigeon and 12 Gadwall. A total of 5(4ad) Mute Swans were seen across the two pools. A Cormorant was on Big Pool too and at least 5 Moorhens were out on the water, again forced out from the frozen margins. A Grey Heron flew from Small Pool.

Away from the pools the headline bird was a male Brambling, feeding with Chaffinches in the field east of the Pine Belt. I didn't have time to check but it is almost certain that there were more Bramblings in this flock. Unseen Redwings were calling near the main entrance barrier. A Raven flew over too.

A very brief first November Patch Walk this afternoon, to blow away a few cobwebs as I've been dealing with a family bereavement this last few days. Bright, dry, cold and windy!

A patch yeartick was my reward in the shape of 120 Pink-footed Geese flying north over Shemmy Moss at 2.50pm. A Cormorant flew over too. Whilst looking for late dragonflies I flushed 8 Common Snipe but immediately that they went up I turned and left that area so as not to flush any more unnecessarily. Nothing else of note was seen or heard.

Went for an afternoon walk when the weather improved to dry and wispy sunshine!

The star bird was a Jack Snipe flushed from a private area and seen really well, close by a Common Snipe was also seen. Teal were heard on Gull Pool but no count could be made. On Big Pool 18 Wigeon were seen but no other significant duck numbers. A total of 41 Greylag Geese was noteworthy, all on Big Pool with the Canada Geese. A lone Cormorant flew over Big Pool.

At least 4 Stock Doves were in a harvested Maize field near Small Pool (the former Leek Field). A Bullfinch was seen near Finch Hedge where Chaffinch numbers seem to be building up too.

Popped onto my patch this morning intending to head over to the mosses but a sighting on Big Pool scuppered that! Very cold but warming up in the sun.

The sighting in question was an adult Common Shelduck which is a patch rarity, being only the second that I have recorded here in my 9 years patching. The previous one was a flyover so this is the first down on the water too. I headed home immediately to grab my digiscoping gear but only record shots were obtained because it stayed out dead centre of Big Pool all the time I was there. Also on Big Pool were 3(2 eclipse drakes & 1 female) Goosanders and a drake Teal, all new in. Of the more common wildfowl species there were 3 Wigeon and c.12 Gadwall. Also on Big Pool 2 Comorants and 3 Common Gulls were present.

Jays were much in evidence collecting acorns from under the oaks all across my patch. Other than that just 5 Goldfinches flying high over the main track of note.

 

-- Edited by Doc Brewster on Tuesday 17th of October 2023 05:59:59 PM

A morning walk again, dry and still but not warm, even misty at first.

Hardly any birds of note. A count of 260 Canada Geese and a single Greylag Goose on Big Pool was noted. Also on Big Pool 3 Cormorants were seen. A total of 4 Mute Swans included 2 adults with a well-grown cygnet and another lone adult male.

A small flock of 12 Redwings flew over near the entrance barrier.

 

First trip out for a while, dry and warm pm.

Very little, a Cormorant was on Big Pool as well as at least 10 Gadwall.

A Raven flew over the Big Pool area. A Chiffchaff called and was watched feeding in the ivy covered trees near the entrance Barriers.

First time back after holiday! Short walk am, dry and warm and sunny.

On Big Pool there were several Gadwall and lots of Tufted Ducks. Two Mute Swans may have been a new resident pair. A new arrival were 2(1ad) Common Gulls with the Black-headed Gulls. A lone Cormorant was on here too and 3 Sand Martins dropped in to drink.

Two Ravens were calling in the Pine Belt as well as a Chiffchaff. Nuthatches were heard in two locations too. The final sighting was a kettle of 8 Buzzards circling over Daleford Farm.

 

An afternoon walk on my patch in fine, dry weather.

A pair of Gadwall were new in on Big Pool. A Kingfisher flew down Island Cut here too.

The best sighting of the day was a large group of feeding passerines in the first field east of the Pine Belt. The best birds in this were 2 Spotted Flycatchers, a patch mega and seen in the same field as the only other sighting this year, back on 18th June. Also in this group were 2 Chiffchaffs and a Nuthatch as well as mixed Blue and Great Tits.

An afternoon walk and to be honest it was just too hot!

On Big Pool a Kingfisher was a nice surprise. At least 3 Great Crested Grebe young were seen, getting quite big now.

A morning walk with mate Paul Hill produced few birds again.

Best of all was a family of at least 3 Green Woodpeckers calling to each other near Big Pool. A family of at least 5 Common Whitethroats was on Shemmy Moss. Also on Shemmy Moss 2(1y) Yellowhammers were seen.

A lone Swift and 2 Swallows were over Shemmy Moss.

A morning walk with another guest, now a firm friend! Overcast mainly but warm, drizzle at the end.

It was brilliant to see proof of breeding north of Big Pool with 3(m,f,y) Yellowhammers on the wires over their field. A Grey Heron cruised around overhead here too.

Headed out early hoping the weather would hold. Stayed fine for a bit but then torrential rain stopped play! For the second day running I had a Patch Lifer, this time it was a Common Sandpiper, on Beach Peg, Big Pool. Unfortunately it flushed but I saw it really well. Also on Big Pool was a Great Crested Grebe with 3 young. A total of 44 Tufted Ducks were also seen.

A morning walk pre-rain, cloudy but warm.

A lone Wigeon was a surprise on Big Pool. A Cormorant circled in the distance and then flew over us, totally unlike a Cormorant and had hoped for something rarer!!

A male Sparrowhawk flew through and was constantly mobbed by 6 House Martins. Two Swifts were also seen. A male Yellowhammer was on the wires north of Big Pool.

An unusual walk on Newchurch coz there were three of us! Myself and fellow patcher Dave were joined by mate Paul Hill and we mainly did the mosslands area. Very warm & sunny mostly.

The best bird was a Hobby hunting over Abbot's Moss where 2 Kestrels and 2 Buzzards were also seen. A really nice surprise was a newly hatched brood of 12 Tufted Duck Ducklings following their mum on Gull Pool. Yellowhammer, Skylark and Reed Bunting were all recorded as well as the usual warblers.

A morning visit, sunny intervals, warm.

Just as I started walking onto patch I had a phonecall asking for help as nearby a Mute Swan was on a fast main road walking towards the town of Winsford! I headed there as fast as possible and was amazed to find a police car and a police van in attendance as they had received 2 calls from the public. I checked the swan over and it was uninjured, so I carried it about 1/4ml to where I knew I could access the R.Weaver, as the road had 12 foot fencing all along it elsewhere. I released it onto the river and it swam away none the worse for its experience! I think the police were glad someone attended  who knew what they were doing and they were really friendly. I doused my hands in copious hand sanitiser afterwards of course! Then good deed for the day done I returned to Newchurch.

Not a lot bird-wise but several young birds seen as proof of breeding, in the company of adults. These included Nuthatch, Blackcap, Willow Warbler, Chiffchaff, Great Tit, Moorhen, Little Grebe, Great Crested Grebe and Mallard. But from a distance it looked like zero Mute Swan Cygnets now with the male swan on Big Pool. A mate told me that he'd only had one a few days ago so this could mean the whole brood has been lost.

On Newchurch am, overcast and warm.

On Small Pool a Great Crested Grebe fed a well grown chick and on Gull Pool a Little Grebe fed a chick. An Oystercatcher was heard over Shemmy Moss whilst an adult Water Rail showed well on South Moss.

A Peregrine was seen flying over the nursery fields with a bird in its talons. Distantly over the mosses 2 Buzzards were soaring with one having central tail feathers missing and looking to have a forked tail!!

On South Moss 2m Bullfinches bathed in one of the shallow pools. The 5 common warbler species were all recorded.

 

-- Edited by Doc Brewster on Friday 23rd of June 2023 11:26:41 PM

A late report due to being very very busy and at work since!

A Spotted Flycatcher was seen on my patch near the main track between the pools on Thursday 15th June in the afternoon, by myself and Carys my wife. Today I received a report that it (or another) had been picked up approx 1.5km to the west of here. Not a patch lifer or a UK yeartick but a good bird for 2023 on patch.

Back on patch am in hot sun.

The single best sighting was an adult Garden Warbler feeding a well grown chick that was begging for food. I watched this for about 10mins, a privilege when just seeing a Garden Warbler can be hard sometimes! An Oystercatcher flew over Big Pool calling and a Little Grebe called on the pool, not a usual location for this species in the summer months. There are still 3 Mute Swan cygnets but only the male adult seen, worryingly no sign of the female.

Down on my patch am and pm today, am to do management (as I'm the only one doing it!!) and pm for a mooch. Still hot and sunny.

The Cuckoo was still calling am N.of Big Pool in its new area, heard but not seen. A Kingfisher was a nice surprise fishing on Small Pool pm, the first that I've ever seen on my patch in summer. A Great Crested Grebe was seen with a stripey youngster on its back on Small Pool. A tatty male Yellowhammer was on wires above the field N.of Big Pool. The 3 Mute Swan cygnets still survive! Again Sand Martins were feeding over Big Pool pm.

An afternoon visit after 2 days in work. Sunny and warm.

From a great distance it now looks like it's just 3 Mute Swan cygnets with the 2 adults. The family has depleted very swiftly and this isn't good news at all.

Over Big Pool a huge flock of 150 Sand Martins were feeding, could this mean that the nearby Crown Farm Quarry colony now has young to feed? Also with these hirundines were at least 6 Swifts. A Chiffchaff that was one of the first to arrive has resumed singing after a long silent period north of Big Pool, second brood time possibly?

The (or a new) Cuckoo was calling north of Big Pool, the first heard over in this area this year.

A morning on patch in the heat!

Very little as I was concentrating on invertebrates. A Water Rail showed superbly well on Shemmy Moss as Buzzards flew overhead. A Cuckoo was still calling in the distance but didn't show itself today.

Just a brief visit to my patch today to photograph moths in particular.

Whilst I was there it was nice to see both the Cuckoo and the Hobby on Shemmy Moss, both showing really well. Also over were a Sparrowhawk, a Kestrel and a Buzzard as well as 2 House Martins. A Raven was also seen distantly over South Moss.

YESTERDAY 25th MAY 2023 :

Two walks taking all day! Morning around Big Pool area and afternoon on the mosslands, sunny and hot throughout and less breezy than the day before.

The Mute Swan pair on Big Pool have a brood of 7 cygnets, just hatched. Also over Big Pool 2 Swifts and 2 House Martins flew high over. Over on the mosses a Hobby showed very well as it hunted dragonflies over Shemmy Moss. More distant but showing well, calling on top of a tree was a male Cuckoo, in the direction of Nunsmere from Abbot's Moss. Also of note were a Long-tailed Tit near Big Pool and a Great Spotted Woodpecker and 2 Stock Doves over Shemmy Moss. 

On patch all day today, am leading a walk for mates to get pics of Downy Emerald and pm for myself!!

This morning we had superb views of the Cuckoo over Shemmy Moss when I called it in after we heard it calling distantly. I always do this little trick for visitors and it never fails to amuse when I do my cuckoo whistle and the bird responds and flies in. I believe that it provides environmental enrichment for what is possibly a lone male on my patch.

This afternoon I watched the Hobby come into Shemmy Moss a couple of times but even better was a distant Red Kite over the pines at the far side of Abbot's Moss Nursery fields. This was a  patch tick for 2023. Also up in the sunny weather were Buzzard and Sparrowhawk.