A morning walk incorporating the mosses and the common. Warm and dry, no sun.

A drake Goosander was on Nunsmere again. There were 6(1drk) Goldeneye on Big Pool, a surprising ratio.

In the distance 2 Sparrowhawks and 3 Buzzards displayed high up in the sky. A group of 7 Redwings flew over Big Pool. The best birds today were 2(1m) Bramblings in a Silver Birch on Shemmy Moss, I'd written this species off for this winter so this was a major find! Another good find today was the first male Blackcap singing in Big Pool east meadow. On patch in total were 12 Chiffchaffs. a group of 6 Linnets were on Shemmy Moss.

Another afternoon in the sun, from Shemmy Moss to the fishing pools, but despite forecasts it didn't feel as warm as yesterday.

There were 4(2drk) Goldeneye, but spread one pair on each pool! A Coot was building a nest by Small Pool, the first I've seen this year. A Kingfisher was on Small Pool.

A Kestrel was over Shemmy Moss.

A very short walk on my Newchurch Patch, dull, colder, uninspiring!

There were still 8(3drk) Goldeneye, but split with a drake on Small Pool and the rest on Big Pool. New today on Big Pool 2 Greylag Geese, just missing my WeBS count!

A Long-tailed Tit was seen carrying a feather in Big Pool east meadow, a sign of a nest nearby. Interesting behaviour was observed with 2 Long-tailed Tits, 2 Great Tits and 2 Blue Tits all feeding happily together in an alder but then a Chiffchaff appeared and they actively chased it off!!

Got down am, frost on the ground and a nip in the air even though the sunshine was pretty warm.

On Big Pool no Wigeon but 5(2drk) Goldeneye. Teal were heard here too but no idea how many!

A Sparrowhawk thermalled in the far distance. On the former leek field a huge winter thrush flock comprised c.100 Fieldfares, c.100 Redwings and c.5 Mistle Thrushes.

A quick 3mls on the mosses produced very little. Sunny intervals but cool.

The only thing of note was a Raven mobbing 2 Buzzards over South Moss viewed from Shemmy Moss. This isn't far from the Ravens nesting area so I'm not surprised, with an incubation period of 21 days and nesting as early as February this bird may have chicks by now. I have seen two birds up together, for quite a long period, recently so either they have chicks or it was a prolonged changeover!

A morning walk again, all in the mosslands area, warmer and sunnier than expected from the forecast!

A drake Goosander was seen from the west boundary on Nunsmere Lake. A pair of Greylag Geese flew over Abbot's Moss. A Little Grebe was back on its breeding pool, Gull Pool.

The best passerines were 2 Skylarks, a pair, in display over the nursery fields by Shemmy Moss, the first of that species on patch for 2025. Last year they were rarely seen and I can't remember any records of 2 birds so a very good sign.

A Buzzard was watched in full 'big dipper' flight display over Gull Pool Wood and 2 Ravens were also in very vocal display flight nearby over Shemmy Moss. A large flock of around 40 Redwings were in Gull Pool Wood feeding on the floor. A female Reed Bunting was seen on Shemmy Moss where a pair of Linnets were also noted. In addition a feeding flock of 20 Linnets were in the nursery fields. At least 5 Chiffchaffs were on the mosslands, so a slight increase today. A group of 3(2m) Bullfinches were also by Shemmy Moss.

Delayed my walk until 12.30pm to take advantage of the highest temperatures today, hot and sunny.

A brilliant day when a Common Shelduck flew into Big Pool and landed in the middle, the first for 2025 here. This patch rarity actively washed and stayed in the middle for a very short time but left around 15mins later. Also on Big Pool were 8(3drk) Goldeneye, again in display, and a drake Wigeon, the first of this species since late February.

A Fieldfare was in the fields by Common Farm as well as a Grey Wagtail and a lone Pied Wagtail. A Coal Tit, not common on patch, was by the Pine Belt. Just a few Chiffchaffs still.

A morning walk after a rainy night, overcast but quite mild.

On Big Pool 2(1drk) Goosanders were seen with a total of 4(1drk) Goldeneye made up of 3(1drk) on Big Pool and a female on Small Pool. A surprise was a drake Gadwall on Big Pool after not seeing one here for ages! The harvested potato field east of the Pine Belt held 8 Lapwings, two pairs of which were in active display.

This morning saw 4 Chiffchaffs present, three in the Big Pool meadows and one near the main track at the Finch Hedge end.

A morning on the mossland section of my Newchurch Patch. Sunny and warmish, getting warmer as the day progressed.

First heard and then seen were 2 Greylag Geese over the mosses, these were the first seen in several visits and were a pair on breeding territory. On the extreme west of the patch I saw 2 Great Crested Grebes in a superb full display on Nunsmere, rearing up out of the water facing each other with only their back ends touching the water. A new patch bird was seen when 3 Oystercatchers flew over Shemmy Moss in display flight, calling as they went.

* A Woodpecker was drumming in Gull Pool Wood, but up in the camp area, a definite no go zone at any time. A stunning male Sparrowhawk sat low in conifers out in the centre of Shemmy Moss for ages, glowing in the sunlight and looking magnificent. A total of 2 Ravens was made up of one on territory in Gull Pool Wood and one over south of the mosses towards the Cheshire Polo Club ground. I could hear chainsaws at the latter site and the Raven was flying up and down constantly cronking. Knowing that they are early breeders I hope that this bird wasn't being disturbed at a nest site as I know that they nest in that area. A pair of Long-tailed Tits was watched gathering nest material and dropping into a dense bramble bank by Shemmy Moss.

Sunny so morning on Newchurch, afternoon on the mosslands. But still quiet for birds.

On Big Pool just 3(1drk) Goldeneye, Small Pool not checked cos rammed with anglers! A pair of Gadwall were on Redesmere, a species not seen on the main pools in several visits. At least 8 Great Crested Grebes were on Big Pool with two doing as full courtship dance. There were 7 Cormorants on Nunsmere viewed from the extreme west end of my patch. The 2cy Lesser Black-backed Gull was back on Big Pool.

Two Rooks flew over north of the Pine Belt and a Raven was vocal in a tree on the mosses. A lone Redwing was near Big Pool Island Cut where the latest bird lingered last winter. A Great Spotted Woodpecker was drumming again. The flock of 40 Chaffinches was again in the harvested potato fields but with just 2 Linnets in with them. A Coal Tit was in a Pine by Shemmy Moss.

A warm morning in the sunshine again.

A new patch bird for the year were 2(1drk) Mandarins on Gull Pool. These flew from high up in a tree, female first followed by the male and laded at the extreme east end of the pool. On the two main pools were 7(3drk) Goldeneyes, made up of 4(2drk) on Small Pool and 3(1drk) on Big Pool. Also on Small Pool were 2(1drk) Shoveler, not common on this pool at all. Difficult to see but around 7 Teal were still on Gull Pool.

A Treecreeper was seen again in Gull Pool Wood.

A morning walk in warm sunshine and no wind, very spring-like.

There were still 5(1drk) Goldeneye on Big Pool where a few Wigeon were also hanging around near the middle of the pool. A skein of 60 Pink-footed Geese flew over south at 11.15am. A small flock of 26 Lapwings circled over Big Pool whilst in the distance over the mosses a huge group, estimated at 200 Lapwings, were also seen, making 226 Lapwings in total!

A male Goldcrest, flaring his crest, was seen in the Pine Belt. A largish flock of Chaffinches was in the field by the Pine Belt but again no Bramblings.

A pretty short walk, very cold but dry.

On Small Pool there were 3(1drk) Goldeneye and 2(1drk) Goosander but generally fewer wildfowl on both pools, maybe yesterdays management work disturbed the pools more than normal. A skein of Pink-footed Geese was heard passing overhead but not seen.

A male Great Spotted Woodpecker was again heard and seen drumming, this time near the SE corner of Small Pool. A total of 8 Bullfinches feeding in Finch Hedge was impressive.

A short morning walk, very cold but dry and overcast. Just to check the two main pools re WeBS count this Sunday!

The headline bird was a new species for anywhere in the UK this year, so a definite patch yeartick, a female Pochard. This was on Big Pool with a small group of 5 Tufted Ducks, so maybe this was its carrier flock and it was new in. Also on Big Pool were 4(1drk) Goldeneye and 4 Teal which flew out of cover. At least 32 Wigeon were seen with perhaps more under the bankside vegetation. A huge flock of 365 Lapwings were in the harvested potato field east of the Pine Belt. These got up in smaller groups and flew off from what looked like a roost.

There were 2m Bullfinch up near the west end of Small Pool by the main track.

A morning stroll, still and mild, but light drizzle at times.

A record for the site of 9(4drk) Goldeneye in total, consisting of 5(2drK) on Small Pool and 4(2drk) on Big Pool. I popped back and forth between the pools to check that I hadn't double counted, in case they had flown across, but I hadn't and it was a true total! Also seen were 2(1drk) Goosander on Small Pool and 15 Wigeon on Big Pool, so there are still some Wigeon here! In the margins of Gull Pool 3(1drk) Teal lurked, viewed from the Whitegate Way. A group of 50 Lapwings flew over near the Pine Belt.

A big group of winter thrushes near the track to Totties Hall Farm included 110 Redwings and 15 Fieldfares. A Treecreeper was seen again by the Whitregate Way.

A short morning walk, dry, not cold and no wind, even a glimmer of sun occasionally, pleasant.

A very quiet walk, the only thing I noticed on scanning to pools was a total of at least 60 Tufted Ducks. On Big Pool the 2cy Lesser Black-backed Gull was back but the single best sighting of the day was an adult Herring Gull over Novia Scotia Lane, my first of 2025 for patch.

Over near Common Farm a Grey Wagtail was again feeding with at least 20 Pied Wagtails and 60 Redwings were in the treetops here.

A cold morning on patch, the main pools remain unfrozen as of the previous visit but smaller pools like Gull Pool are fully frozen over. Bright sun at times though made for a pleasant 3ml walk.

On Big Pool the headline birds were 3(1drk) Goldeneye and a female Goosander. A reasonable count of 50 Wigeon were also on here, OK given that anglers were back. A Teal was heard on Gull Pool in the sallow/willow carr. Also on here were 4 Cormorants. A Kingfisher flew close past me on Small Pool.

There were 2 Collared Doves at Common Farm and 2 Stock Doves flew over Big Pool. A lone Fieldfare was in the field by the parking area whilst 30 Redwings remained in the horse paddocks off Novia Scotia Lane. Two male Bullfinches were nice to see, one back in Finch Hedge the usual spring location and one north of Big Pool. By Big Pool Island Cut a small flock of 5 Siskins and a Goldfinch fed on alder cones. A Goldcrest fed low down in gorse by Big Pool.

A few days away but back this morning, freezing cold but dry & still. My estimate now is that the pools are 60% frozen, so a bit more water, especially on Small Pool.

The drake Goldeneye was on Small Pool still. On Big Pool counts of 39 Wigeon and 6 Shoveler were down on recent visits.

A total of 36 Redwings were seen, the biggest flock being 20 by Sandy Lane. Just 3 Fieldfares were present, in a mixed thrush flock by the Whitegate Way which included a couple of nice Song Thrushes. Not a common bird recently it was nice to see 3(1m) Bullfinches in the horse paddocks by Novia Scotia Lane. A Treecreeper showed well by the Whitegate Way near the Gull Pool bench.

Another morning on patch and even milder, no gloves required! Dry, mild and no wind.

The pools were still mainly frozen, probably still 95% to be honest. A drake Goldeneye on Small Pool was the best wildfowl species. A good count of 98 Wigeon were on Big Pool with 16 Shoveler, 10 Gadwall, 10 Tufted Ducks and 1 Teal. Two Greylag Geese landed on Big Pool whilst I was there. A Little Grebe was still on Small Pool. A total of 57 Lapwings were seen in 3 groups. The 2cy Lesser Black-backed Gull was back on Big Pool and the only one of its species on there!  A Grey Heron flushed off a fishing peg on Big Pool.

Two Buzzards were near Lymm Vale and nearby 4 Collared Doves were around Common Farm. A new bird for the year anywhere were 28 Fieldfares, also near Common Farm, and a total of 100 Redwings were also seen with at least 70 near Common Farm too where 2 Mistle Thrushes and a Song Thrush were also in the thrush flock. Three other bird species new for the year anywhere were 3 Yellowhammers in a hedge north of Big Pool and 2 Meadow Pipits in muckspread fields with 30 Pied Wagtails. Three Goldcrests were nice to seen in the Pine Belt as were 4 Linnets north of Big Pool.

Back to my Patch to do my first BTO WeBS Count as the designated counter for the Pools now. January's Core Count Priority Date was today (12/01/2025), so despite the weather looking better tomorrow I headed down to brave the ice, snow and freezing fog!

A summary of the WeBS is as follows: Both pools were 99% frozen over so all the birds were concentrated into a small patch on both, making for a very easy first count. The best birds were a drake Goldeneye, 4(drk, imm drk, female) Goosander, all on Big Pool, and a very showy male Kingfisher on Small Pool. Other nice counts were 27(16drk) Shoveler, 48(28drk) Wigeon, all on Big Pool, and an impressive 113 Coot in total. Big Pool held 5(2drk) Teal, 2(1drk) Gadwall, 2 Cormorants, 6 Common Gulls, an adult Lesser Black-backed Gull, and a Grey Heron. Small Pool held 2 Mute Swans, 2 Canada Geese, a Great Crested Grebe, and 4 Moorhen. Totals summed across the two pools were 102(60drk) Mallards, 9(8drk) Tufted Ducks, 111 Black-headed Gulls, and 3 Little Grebes.

A nice Sparrowhawk headed east top west distantly over Big Pool in the mist. A female Bullfinch was seen on the west side of Big Pool, the first for the year on patch.

-- Edited by Doc Brewster on Sunday 12th of January 2025 04:38:38 PM

Just a short morning visit to check the pools, cold icy rain most of the time.

No sign of yesterday's Pintail but a drake Goosander on Small Pool and 7(4drk) Shoveler on Big Pool. There were at least 46 Wigeon on Big Pool too. The 2cy Lesser Black-backed Gull dropped in on Big Pool whilst I was there.

The only new species added were both passerines in the shape of 12 Long-tailed Tits east of Big Pool and a Dunnock by the main track near Finch Hedge. Given the weather and short visit I was glad to add any species for the year

First day for a new list on my local patch & some OK birds with nowt spectacular. Dry all the time I was out amazingly, mild too!

On Big Pool 3(2drk) Goldeneye were diving continuously. A total of 2 drake Goosander consisted of one on each of the two main pools. A lone drake Shoveler was hugging the west shore of Big Pool whilst 2 Teal were seen here in flight. A smattering of Tufted Ducks, Gadwall, Wigeon and Mallard completed the ducks! Both Greylag Geese and Canada Geese fed in the harvested fields. A nice selection of waders included a single Woodcock, 3 Jack Snipe and an amazing 152 Snipe, but probably over twice this number of Snipe were actually on patch. The only other waders were 2 Lapwings east of the Pine Belt. A Grey Heron was at Common Farm. A female Kingfisher showed extremely well on Small Pool.

A female Sparrowhawk flew over Shemmy Moss in the afternoon whilst a Buzzard was at Common Farm in the morning, and of note was that it had a full crop. A Raven was very vocal on the edge of Gull Pool Wood. A Jay was seen pm only as were 2 Rooks, a localised patch species. Collared Doves were seen on Sandy Lane and at Common Farm, the two hotspots for this species and 4 Stock Doves were also in fields at Common Farm. Just 4 Redwings were seen, flying over the Pine Belt. A surprise were 3 male Reed Buntings in the hedge bisecting the arable fields north of Big Pool. A Nuthatch was heard whilst a Treecreeper showed well in Gull Pool Wood. A flock of 16 Siskins flew along Big Pool Island Cut where lots of alders are 'in cone'.

I was happy with a total of 47 species, seen on a day when the forecast was poor, the rain being avoided as it happened over lunchtime and when travelling!

A quite long morning walk starting relatively early, dry, calm (after the storm) and getting a bit milder as the day went on! A real patch walk, thoroughly enjoyable!

On Big Pool new in was a drake Goldeneye which was showing very well and displaying like mad, proper full display too, but not a female in sight! A drake Goosander was a surprise flyover when I was on Shemmy Moss and then probably the same bird was found on my return walk on Big Pool. Two skeins of Pink-footed Geese flew over but I was in tree cover so they heard and not seen. This added to at least 16 Greylag Geese and 24 Canada Geese in the harvested arable field by the parking area. A flock of 55 Lapwings was in the air over fields by Shemmy Moss. A Grey Heron flew up from Beach Peg, Big Pool. The 2nd cal yr Lesser Black-backed Gull was again on Big Pool. A male Kingfisher showed well on Small Pool.

A female Sparrowhawk circling and drifting slowly over the main track just inside the blocks caused the Greylag Geese to vocalise giving away the raptors presence. On Shemmy Moss 2 Ravens languidly flapped across, cronking as they went, 2 Jays were also seen today. A Redwing was heard in Gull Pool Wood where 2 Great Spotted Woodpeckers were noted. At the edge of Shemmy Moss a nice array of birds were noted including 4(1m) Yellowhammers, 8 Siskins in the alders and a mobile flock of 15 Linnets. There was a total count of 6 Goldcrests which included 2 in the Finch Hedge area and 4 in Gull Pool Wood. The four in Gull Pool Wood were part of a big winter-feeding flock of passerines which also included 5 Treecreepers, a Nuthatch, 2 Coal Tits, 12 Long-tailed Tits, 16 Blue Tits, and 4 Great Tits. A few Chaffinches were also in the same general area but numbers this winter are still low.

As I said very enjoyable and I'd be happy with a walk like that as part of my New Years Day out on Newchurch in a week or so's time!

A very short walk pm today, fine and mild.

Just a drake Goosander on Big Pool as the wildfowl highlight. There were 110 Lapwings on the ex-potato field east of the Pine Belt.