Another morning visit in sunshine but bitterly cold, hoar frost on vegetation.

In the harvested potato field east of the Pine Belt 8 Pink-footed Geese had returned. On an unfrozen Big pool were good numbers of wildfowl including 34 Wigeon, 42 Gadwall, a drake Shoveler and Teal heard only. Also a high count of 6 Cormorants on the willow spit and still 2 Little Grebes on Small Pool. A Herring Gull was also on Small Pool, a scarcity down on the water rather than flying over. Just 6 Lapwings were in the field east of the Pine Belt.

A small group of 6 Redwings were near the parking area. A number of passerines were feeding at the south end of the Pine Belt, in close proximity but not in one flock, these included 2 Treecreepers, a male Bullfinch, 4 Long-tailed Tits, 2 Great Tits and 6 Blue Tits. A Pied Wagtail was in the field east of the Pine Belt.

A morning visit, much milder and no snow, overcast, light drizzle at first.

Best wildfowl were 10 Pink-footed Geese on the harvested potato field east of the Pine Belt, with also12 Lapwings in here. The pools were quiet with more fishermen at weekends causing more disturbance. A group of 3 Little Grebes together on Small Pool was nice. Also on Small Pool a Kingfisher perched up.

Also in the field east of the Pine Belt were 2 Pied Wagtails. By Big Pool Island Cut a feeding flock of passerines contained 20 Long-tailed Tits, a Coal Tit, 4 Goldcrests, a Lesser Redpoll, 6 Siskins, a Goldfinch, 4 Blue Tits and 2 Great Tits.

A short morning visit after an absence due to a family bereavement. Weather was not great, thick mist but not freezing cold.

On Big Pool the highlight was a drake Pochard just visible through the murk. A total of 20 Gadwall was estimated on the two main pools. A Little Grebe was on Small Pool. An adult Lesser Black-backed Gull was down on Big Pool.

A total of 65 Redwings was made up of 60 in Gull Pool Wood and 5 by Big Pool. A loose winter feeding group moving through the scrub by Small Pool contained a Goldcrest, a Great Spotted Woodpecker, Great Tits and Blue Tits.

A return to have a more complete walk than yesterday, still very dull and murky with poor visibility still, one consolation was no wind and it was mild!

A cracking day on the pools with two really scarce species here dropping in briefly today. The first that I picked up were 3(1drake) Pintail, in west bay from the main spit. These were quite wary and kept close order together, and I discovered later it was my second sighting of Pintail this year here, for a species that is not always annual! The previous sighting was on January 16th and coincidentally was a drake with two females too. Moving round to 'Tony's Peg' I scanned the rest of Big Pool and was amazed to see 2 Shelducks on the far side.This was only my third sighting of Shelduck in nine years here so even rarer ducks than the Pintails. On returning later with digiscoping equipment only the Pintail remained and then they flew off as more fishermen appeared with bait boats off the spit where the Pintail favoured. Also seen on Big Pool were 12 Wigeon, with at least 16 Gadwall on the two main pools. As I arrived I heard geese and within the next 15mins two skeins totalling 200 Pink-footed Geese passed over heading south. one of 155 at 9.15am and one of 45 at 9.30am. There were 5 Cormorants still present and a more accurate count of 25 Lapwings due to them taking to the air as one flock.

A Stock Dove was noted in the field east of the Pine Belt and 6 Starlings flew over west of Big Pool.

The discovery of the ducks curtailed my walk again as I had to go back to my car to get digiscoping kit and then go round to various vantage points searching for the ducks after they had gone missing! Record shots of the Pintail were all that I managed!

Very quick nip onto patch to check Big Pool. The Black Tern was reported as present yesterday but I had really bad stomach cramps and had to stay in. Today however there was no sign at all. The Kingfisher showed really well on Big Pool twice and a flock of 4 Bullfinches flew over quite high, an unusual sight.

A  morning visit to Newchurch Common with dank overcast weather not looking great but ........ a fab day

The headline bird was a patch lifer a juvenile Black Tern on Big Pool found around 11.30am by fellow patcher Dave. It was a lifer for him and as a less experienced birder he didn't really have any idea what he had seen, only that it was not anything he'd encountered before. He phoned me and I hot-footed it to 'spit peg' with the news that he'd lost his mystery bird and hadn't seen it for a few minutes. I scanned and then pretty high in the sky picked up an obvious marsh tern. I checked features such as saddle and rump colour and wing pattern and knew that it was a juvenile Black Tern. I rang Dave to tell him and then joined him to enjoy watching a Patch Lifer for me and a Lifer for him. We moved around the pool but with no buoys or posts the bird was airborn all the time, mostly high up above the pool and seen to be catching flies, I had seen lots of caddisflies earlier so these may have been its quarry! I did the best I could with record phone pictures and then left to hopefully return with better photo equipment later but about 15mins after leaving Dave texted to say it had flown off high around 1.15pm. I did still return in the afternoon but there was no sign of it, the tern had moved through.

Other than the tern the bird news was pretty average with around 6 Gadwall on Small Pool and a Cormorant was on Big Pool. At least 100 Lapwings were in potato fields being harvested east of the Pine Belt along with over 160 Black-headed Gulls.

A nice winter feeding flock was found by Small Pool which included Long-tailed Tits, Blue Tits, Great Tits, Goldfinch, Chaffinch and best of all a female Siskin. Nearby a Great Spotted Woodpecker was in the bankside trees calling.

A brief walk on patch am, mild and overcast.

There was a join up today with all 9(3drk) Goosanders on Small Pool. On Big Pool a group of 6 Wigeon were seen. A new record count of 240 Greylag Geese on Big Pool, including a leucistic bird. The Greylags easily outnumbered the Canada Geese today.

A quiet morning on my patch again, sunny and warm!

A Grey Heron flew up from Lymm Vale.

At Common Farm 2 Collared Doves were in a dead tree and 2 Pied Wagtails on a barn roof. A Goldcrest was in the Pine Belt.

A morning walk on patch, mild and overcast with sunny intervals.

On Big Pool 3 Goosander included 2 eclipse drakes and a female. There were also 8 Wigeon in a distant flock and at least 8 Gadwall. A huge number of geese were on the pool and surprisingly these were made up of 140 Greylag Geese and 140 Canada Geese. This could be an all time high Greylag count.

There were 12 Redwings on rowans in Gull Pool Wood with 2 Nutchatches in the same area.

Cold and sunny, frost on the ground and all morning on Shemmy Moss.

Overhead a skein of 105 Pink-footed Geese flew west at 10.45am and 2 Cormorants flew through.

A constant backdrop was the sound of cronking and 2 Ravens eventually flew low over me circling each other and calling affirming their pair-bond.

A female Stonechat was a welcome sight out on Shemmy Moss and a Goldcrest was on the edge of the moss in pines.

Late News for YESTERDAY 4th October 2024 am:

On Big Pool a slight increase in wildfowl with 4(2drk) Wigeon, 2(1drk) Shoveler and 7(5drk) Gadwall as well as good numbers of Tufted Ducks.  Three skeins totalling 320 Pink-footed Geese flew over, all heading east and all over the mosslands area. Also over Shemmy Moss were 60 Canada Geese and a single Greylag Goose. I accidentally flushed 9 Snipe from Shemmy Moss in one group.

A total of 9 Jays were seen, most collecting acorns. A Raven cronked over Abbot's Moss with 2 Stock Doves over too.

A morning walk, sunny and warm when sheltered but a cold wind when not!

On Big Pool the headine birds were a pair of Wigeon, the first of this autumn/ winter.

There were 2 Sparrowhawks thermalling distantly over Abbot's Moss and a Buzzard flew through.

An absolutely cracking afternoon on Patch, sunny and still.

On the pools there were 3(1drk) Shoveler and 4(2drk) Gadwall on Big Pool. Also on Big Pool were 2(1ad, 1juv) Little Grebes and 4(2ad, 2juv) Great Crested Grebes. Amongst 24 Black-headed Gulls were 4 Common Gulls.

As I skirted the northern edge of Big Pool I checked the arable fields to the north as usual and that's where all the action was. First I spotted a male Stonechat on the telegraph wires. Previously this species had only been seen on the mosslands so this was a huge surprise. I quickly headed round the hedge to get better views and entered the field with permission previously granted by the farmers brother, otherwise it is strictly private. In here I discovered a female Greenfinch in a flock of 15 House Sparrows feeding in the brambles along the edge running from Newchurch Common to Daleford Lane. Greenfinch is a patch rarity so this was an excellent find. Also in this hedge was a Meadow Pipit, a patch scarcity! Even better was a patch first but lack of access means I had to keep this quiet until I can see if I can see it from a public footpath later. Watch this space!

A morning and afternoon visit today, fine and bright.

Just a few noteworthy sightings. First a female Teal was on Gull Pool and we unknowingly got within aroun5m of her and she never flushed just swam around in and out of the reeds at the edge of the pool in front of us. This could only signify that she had young there so we backed off in double quick time to leave her undisturbed. On Big Pool a count of 160 Canada Geese was a significant increase.

A flock of at least 6 Long-tailed Tits in Gull Pool Wood also contained a Chiffchaff.

On Shemmy Moss am, warm but overcast.

Just 2 young Blackcaps to report, but nice proof of breeding on this part of patch!

An afternoon walk on Newchurch Common, warm with sunny intervals.

There were 2 drake Gadwall on Big Pool plus 8 Mute Swans.

A Green Woodpecker called near the paddock by the entrance barrier on Novia Scotia Lane.

Shortish walks am and pm on Patch, all on Shemmy Moss today.

A Kestrel was in the dead tree which falcons favour and a Buzzard was overhead. There were 20 Stock Doves in a cut field in the Abbot's Moss Nurseries with Wood Pigeons and a single Feral Pigeon. Also on these fields were 2(m+f) Yellowhammers.

A sort afternoon walk on Shemmy Moss, fine and dry and warm.

On arrival an adult Hobby was feeding over Shemmy Moss, it then headed over to Gull Pool where it circled for a while before heading off east following the Whitegate Way.

Hot and sunny pm.

A surprise was 5(3drk) Gadwall on Big Pool. Also here were 7 Mute Swans and a Grey Heron again.

Spent separate visits am & pm on my patch. Sunny & hot.

There were 43 Tufted Ducks on Big Pool, an increase over recent days. A marked increase in Coot was noted too with over 30 birds on Big Pool. There were 9 Mute Swans on Big Pool too, many more than the norm. A dead Canada Goose to add to the dead Mute Swan, both out on Big Pool wasn't good news, a mystery as to what is happening.

A Kestrel was on a dead tree on Abbot's Moss and a Raven flew over.

Went back to Shemmy Moss today to release a moth that I potted up for ID yesterday! I always release alive back where I caught stuff!

Had the Hobby sitting in a dead tree again on the mosslands at 10am.

At last a bird to be chuffed with, all day on patch so deserved it! Sunny and hot.

Picked up a mega patch bird, a Common Sandpiper on Gorse Point fishing peg on Big Pool and then relocated it on Beach Peg when patch mate Dave came down to try to see it. With out complete lack of wader habitat this is only the second patch record ever! Always nice though when every 'patcher' connects! Whilst digi-binning the sandpiper I picked up a female Tufted Duck with 2 young, the first breeding of this species on patch this year and a rare patch breeder to boot! A total of 5 Mute Swans were on Big Pool, 2 pairs and the resident male. There were 3 Great Crested Grebe chicks on Big Pool, 1 new small one and 2 larger older ones. A larger one was also on Nunsmere. A flock of 14 Lapwings flew over Big Pool to make it a rare two-wader day! A Cormorant flew over Shemmy Moss in the afternoon. A Grey Heron was on willow spit on Big Pool.

Afternoon on Shemmy Moss with overcast mild conditions.

A patch mega was seen in the shape of a Green Woodpecker, heard first then seen and digi-binned atop the tall trees on the west side of the moss. This was once a common breeding species on patch but has declined dramatically now. A Hobby was seen perched on a dead tree and then hunting over South Moss watched form the nursery approach road, also on here was a Buzzard on another tree. A Sparrowhawk was thermalling over Shemmy Moss too.

A morning visit in hot sun.

The only record of note was a brood of c.3 Blackcaps seen near 'Beach Peg' on Big Pool.