41 Goosander this morning and four Little Egrets.

Info thanks to Bill Harrison

Today, 

Water rail 2 on the edge of the reeds in Ramsdales 

Goosander 16

Pochard 5 off the car park

This morning 8am - 11:45am

Bittern 1 sunbathing in Ramsdales

Pochard 15, 9 off the car park, 6 in Ramsdales

From Sunday 26th PM - nothing particularly unusual seen but...

• 8 duck species; Mallard, Gadwall, Teal, Shoveler, Tufted, Pochard, Goldeneye, Goosander
• The Goosanders (2) were both male green headed; one seen from Teal hide (asleep on the "island", at a quick glance you'd assume just another Shoveler - sneaky), the other from Ramsdale hide; no females seen
• Little Grebe - a couple visible from Teal hide
• 1 Little Egret at the car park end of the spit quite near the hide
• A few (<15) Redwings flying across and one sharing a tree by the canal with a solitary Fieldfare
• Quite a few Great Black-backed gull; didn't actually count them but I'd say between 10-15 in adult or near adult plumage
• Plenty of Lapwing, Cormorants and Great Crested Grebe
• Sparrowhawk - 2 both female although could have been the same one because they were over an hour apart
• Long-tailed Tits - little flocks all over the place, with one flock going off into loads of alarm calls when a Sparrowhawk blasted through - don't think it got one

Snipe on the spit - none - but was that none there or me missing them, easily done.

Three Little Egrets present this morning.

Info thanks to Barry Hulme

This late afternoon up to dusk:

Comparatively small gull roost tonight, 358 Herring Gulls which isn't bad but smaller number of everything else, even the Jackdaw roost was significantly smaller than it has been.

12 Pochard (2 females)

27 Goldeneye

4 Goosander

1 Raven flew west at 3pm

Cetti's Warbler singing from the shore by Sorrow Cow Farm

This morning, 8:15am - 11:15am,

Whooper swan 2 at the west end at 8:15, then another 4 flew over east and the two on the water flew off.

Scaup 1 still at west end

Pochard 14 off the car park, 12 males and 2 females

Goosander 2 immatures 

Pink-footed geese 40+ flew west

Lesser redpoll 1 in alders behind Ramsdales hide

Siskin 5 in alders behind Ramsdales hide

Little egret 2

This morning, 

Common scoter 3 including 1 drake

Scaup 1 still west end

This afternoon to 15:15,

Scaup 1 still at western end (photos)

Redwing 30 Mossley Hall farm

Pochard 7 off the car park

Goldeneye 20+

Goosander 1 male

Late afternoon today up to dark:

Adult female Scaup (unsurprisingly) still present at the western end

30 Goldeneye at dusk

9 Pochard off the western end of the car park, including one female

7 Goosanders at dusk

514 Herring Gulls

203 Lesser Black-backed Gulls

27 Great Black-backed Gulls

5820 Black-headed Gulls

2200 Jackdaw in the roost

c40 Lapwing settling on a relatively small submerged weed patch out in the middle of the flash at dusk was a surprising sight!

14 Redwing going to roost in the trees around Sorrow Cow Pond

3 Kingfishers, with two around the shore at Sorrow Cow Farm and one in Ramsdales

Adult female Scaup still present at the western end late morning today.

Just a quick visit this morning, 8am - 9.30am

Scaup 2, 1st winters at west end still

Wigeon 4, male & female at west end, 2 females in middle

Goldeneye 18+ including 4 adult males & 1st winter male

Pochard 7, including 6 males, still off the car park 

Late afternoon today up to dusk:

266 Herring Gulls

74 Lesser Black-backed Gulls

14 Great Black-backed Gulls

340 Lapwings

350+ Starling circling around Sorrow Cow Farm Pond just before dusk, then settling into the tall conifers there before eventually heading off west

29 Goldeneye at dusk split in three flocks at the Western End, Ramsdales and off the East Bay Reedbed

Jackdaw roost near Sorrowcow Farm building nicely

Additional highlights this morning included:

A single Jack Snipe, presumably the same bird seen twice amongst Snipe about half way along the spit

48 Snipe on the spit but undoubtably many more

1 Rook over north

6 Greylag Geese (4 at the western end joined later by a further two from the east)

This morning 8:30am - 11am,

Greater scaup 2 1st winter males still at the western end

Wigeon 3 (2 males, 1 female) at the western end

Lesser redpoll at least 12 still on the ruck

Meadow pipit 10 on the ruck

Goldeneye 11 (3 adult males, 1st winter male & 7 females / immatures)

Pochard 7 (6 males, 1 female) off the car park

This morning, 7.45am - 10.30am,

Wigeon 2 male and female on flooded horse field at Mossley Hall farm

Goldeneye 10 including 1 male

Pochard 6 including 5 males

Tufted duck 170+ including bird with nasal saddle

Pink-footed goose 80 flew east

Goosander 2 flew over the canal

Redwing 50

Fieldfare 1

Meadow pipit 12 on the ruck

An interesting morning, 8:30am - 11:15am,

Cattle egret 2 flew low over Sandy Lane at 8:30. They didn't appear to have come from or be going to the flash and judging by their flight it appeared to be a local movement rather than just passing over, almost as if they were just jumping the road. I walked the fields between Sorrowcow farm and Liptrot farm but could find no further sign of them during the duration of my visit.

Dunlin 2 flew over the flooded horse field at Mossley Hall farm and appeared to be heading for the boat club shore but there was disturbance there from dogs and people so presumably they just carried on since there is currently no other shoreline anywhere at the flash.

Chiffchaff 1 singing male in the woods behind East Bay reedbed. Quite a strong song, not just a feeble effort as is sometimes the case at this time of year.

Egyptian geese family party of 4 still on flooded field at Mossley Hall farm.

Wigeon 1 female from Tom Edmondson hide.

Five Little Egrets roosted tonight.

Info thanks to Phil Rhodes

Two visits today, 8am - 11am & 2pm - 4:30pm:

Adult yellow-legged gull came in presumably to roost at about 4:15pm

Goosander 3 females

Goldeneye 7 inc. 2 males

Pochard 2 males off the car park

Egyptian goose family party of 4 still at Mossley Hall farm

Willow tit 2 at Mossley Hall farm

Treecreeper at Mossley Hall farm

For those who don't know, Mossley Hall farm is at the west end of the flash, accessed off Byrom Lane. 

This morning, 8am - 10:45, partly with Bill Harrison,

295 pink-footed geese all heading north west in 7 flocks

8 goldeneye all females / immatures

3 pochard, 2 drakes 1 female

3 lesser redpoll on the canal bank at Ramsdales

This morning's highlights from first light:

5340 Pink-footed Geese were seen from Ramsdales Ruck from 07:25 up to 09:44 in a total of 41 skeins, with the usual two flight lines, west/east from/to the Mersey which fly just south of the flash and NW/SE from/to the Ribble which fly just to the north or directly over the flash, continuing to be patently visible. 2237 birds flew east in seven skeins; 1918 west in 20 skeins; 963 flew NW in 10 skeins; 222 SE in four skeins.

2264 Fieldfares over W/SW in 13 flocks, with a largest flock of 680 west at 08:18 and another 120 which flew in from the west and dropped into trees along Byrom Lane.

385 Redwings over W/SW in 12 flocks.

8060 Woodpigeons flew S/SE in 89 flocks, three of which just exceeded 500 strong.

34 Whooper Swans low SE at 07:47. 

46 Chaffinches over south mainly as singles.

26 Meadow Pipits actually down on Ramsdales Ruck, along with four Skylarks.

5 Raven over, with one east at 07:10 and four together north at 07:57.

A flock of 9 female/immature Goldeneyes in Ramsdales.

174 Tufted Ducks

9 Goosanders, with two drakes north at first light, flooded later by another two drakes north, two females in from the NE dropping in around the Ramsdales/nature reserve area and three (one drake) at the very western end (inflow area).

Male Cetti's Warbler singing on his usual territory at the very western end.

2 Kingfishers. 

A small (but significant) flock of six Coal Tits making their way east through the trees on the top of Ramsdales Ruck.

31 Cormorants.

2 singing Mistle Thrushes, one in the south side and one around Ramsdales.

(a few record shots of geese skeins and Fieldfares)

Yesterday, 1 kingfisher from ramsdales, approx 400 pinkfooted goose westward bound,at least 40 cormorant on the spit,5 goldeneye, several great crested grebe on the Flash ,2 muscovy duck and 1 oystercatcher in the car park area.

This morning,

13 pink-footed geese flew over north west at 9am

8 goldeneye all females or 1st winters

2 pochard, both drakes

1 Goosander female at Charlie Owen hide

Seven Whooper Swans flew east this morning as did c220 Pink-footed Geese. Six Goldeneyes and c80 Fieldfares also seen.

Info thanks to Bill Harrison