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BACK TO THE MANCHESTER BIRDING WEBSITE HOMEPAGE -> Manchester Birding Forum -> GREATER MANCHESTER BIRD SIGHTINGS -> PENNINGTON FLASH.
Post Info TOPIC: PENNINGTON FLASH.
Ian McKerchar


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RE: PENNINGTON FLASH.
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Mid-afternoon today up to dusk:

69 Cormorants

5 Little Egrets, at least three of which were initially at the western end but flew towards the lagoon/Ramsdales and towards dusk they were then all on Ramsdales Scrape

Resident Oystercatcher on the spit

2160 Herring Gulls

Usual adult Mediterranean Gull

41 Woodpigeons in trees and bushes around Sorrow Cow Pond

2 drake Pochard

6 Goosanders

 



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Ian McKerchar


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5 Little Egrets, 2 Goosander, 2 Pochard and 38 Cormorants this morning.

Info thanks to Barry Hulme



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Ian McKerchar


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Late afternoon up to dusk today:

1044 Herring Gulls (much reduced numbers of Great and Lesser Black-backed Gulls)

Usual adult Mediterranean Gull, drifted out from East Bay into the middle of the flash

2 Little Egrets in Ramsdales

5 Pochard, with 4 in Ramsdales (including one female) and a single male off the east end of the car park

1 Kingfisher off Sorrow Cow Farm

Drake Mandarin in Ramsdales with a flock of Mallard

6 Goosanders flying in and around at dusk

 

 



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Ian McKerchar


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733 Herring Gulls roosted this late afternoon, also 2 Wigeon present.

Info thanks to Phil Rhodes



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Ian McKerchar


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Mid-afternoon up to dusk today:

1 Chiffchaff briefly around Sorrow Cow Pond

1 Raven over NW at 3:20pm

Blue nasal saddled female Tufted Duck still on site, in Ramsdales

33 Goldeneye

Only 3 drake Pochards visible around the eastern outflow

96 Great Black-backed Gulls, over half of which departed SW prior to dusk

1710 Herring Gulls (with another increase in argentatus birds)

The usual adult Mediterranean Gull in its favoured location just off Sorrow Cow Farm 

c3800 Jackdaws in the south side roost, an average of several counts from their impressive murmurations

 



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Andy Isherwood


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Redshank circled calling over where the spit normally is this morning before heading off west. Several Water rail seen well with the high water levels.

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Steve Monty


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Two Marsh Harriers flew directly overhead at the viewing fence behind Teal Scrape (where it says liable to flooding.) They were in plain view for around two minutes, being mobbed by crows and were finally chased away.

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colin davies


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This morning, 9:00 - 12:15;

59 species in total for me, including;

Woodcock 1 flew over the southern side 

Several willow tits near Bunting hide

Siskin 4 from the canal

Lesser redpoll 1 with the siskins

Mandarin 1 still at Plank Lane marina

 



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Ian McKerchar


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This late afternoon up to dusk:

181 Great Black-backed Gulls

660 Herring Gulls

1 adult Mediterranean Gull

28 Goldeneye



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Andy Isherwood


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67 species seen or heard this morning, highlights included: 3 Little Egret in flooded fields near Moseley Hall Farm 4 Raven flew south over Moseley Hall Farm, 1 landed in large conifers next to farm and then called loudly (can Raven call any other way?!) for several minutes before flying back north. c 80 Pink footed goose flee east c.8.30 am and 4 flew west at c. 9.30. Cettis Warbler singing from flooded area between Charlie Owenl hide and canal 3 Siskin in trees in the same area 2 drake and a female Wigeon circled the fkash for a minute before landing in East bay

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colin davies


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This morning 10am - 12 noon;

Little egret 3 on flooded horse field at Mossley Hall farm 

Pochard 17

Wigeon 1 female Pengy's 

Mandarin 1 still Plank Lane marina 

 



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colin davies


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An afternoon visit to the hides revealed a further seven goosander from Charlie Owen (Teal) hide giving a total of 11 birds for me today.  

Also on the car park amongst the frequent blue ringed black-headed gulls, blue ringed 2T62 which was ringed at the flash 16/10/2020, seen at a breeding colony at Poznan, Poland in July 2022 (1300km, 807 miles) and last seen by me at the Flash a year ago today, 30/12/2022. Also the Dutch metal ringed bird 3,738,977 (558km, 347 miles).

 



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colin davies


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This morning,

Pochard 17 off the car park

Goosander 2 (male and female)

Goldeneye 27

Wigeon 2 (male and female) at the west end

Greylag goose 4

 



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Ian McKerchar


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Late afternoon up to dark today:

158 Great Black-backed Gulls

434 Herring Gulls

154 Lesser Black-backed Gulls

28 Stock Doves in a single flock going to roost around Pennies somewhere

Drake Wigeon still at the western end

Two redhead Goosander



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Ian McKerchar


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Around 8:35 this morning a Peregrine was chasing Lapwings and landed briefly in the spit before heading off west.

Info thanks to Bill Harrison



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colin davies


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This morning, 8:45 - 11:00, partly with Bill Harrison;

Mediterranean gull 1 adult landed in east bay at about 9:30am. Still present to at least 10:30am

Wigeon 1 drake west end

Pochard 17 off the car park

Goosander 2 flew over, male and female

Black-headed gull on car park with metal ring 3,738,977 ringed in Holland 2016. I've seen it on many occasions since at least 6th November 2022. Also several birds with blue plastic rings but all previously ringed at the flash.

 



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Ian McKerchar


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This afternoon up to nightfall:

167 Great Black-backed Gulls in what remained a relatively small roost for Herring and Lesser Black-backed Gulls

5300 Black-headed Gulls

c3400 Jackdaws in the south side roost with an impressive pre-roost 'murmeration'

Pair of Wigeon on the sailing club shore

33 Goldeneye

At least 15 Pochard, perhaps as many as 18



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Michael Hood


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Only managed 34 species on my quick walk around the hides around midday - only the 3 nearest the car park were open - although there's the viewing bit next to Ramsdales and you can go round the front of Teal hide for a "lesser" view.

Highlights were:

  • How close you can get to the car park Oystercatcher for a good look at it, it moved to the spit towards the end of my quick visit (I'm presuming there's just the one)
  • Seeing 5 tit species with 4 of them (not Long-tailed) + Bullfinch + Nuthatch from really close up on the feeders between Bunting and Teal hides - there was a young man putting seed out and taking photos

I've never seen the water level that high (no doubt others have)



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Ian McKerchar


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This late afternoon up to dark:

A relatively poor gull roost for large gulls at least held 42 Great Black-backed Gulls

20 Pochard, with 18 in Ramsdales and two off the car park though towards dusk more birds moved over to off the car park

38 Goldeneye

2 Wigeon (probably missed the female this morning as the pair were not together and the female was around the sailing club shore area)

420 Lapwings

56 Pink-footed Geese over west at 3:50pm

1 Little Egret at the western end

 

66 species were recorded during my two visits today without even trying (I only totalled up tonight out of interest), if I had done, I could probably have added a further four or five species.



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Ian McKerchar


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From first light to midday today, some interesting full site counts on what was a very decent day weather wise for a change!

202 Tufted Duck

24 Shoveler

97 Gadwall

66 Teal

1 drake Wigeon

13 Pochard, 12 off the car park and one in East Bay

5 Goosander (three western end and two on Teal Scrape)

865 Pink-footed Geese over east in three skeins between 08:58 and 09:25

21 Goldcrests

78 Long-tailed Tits

36 Song Thrushes (of which 15 were in song)

2 Lesser Redpolls feeding in trees on the side of Ramsdales Ruck

18 Redwings behind Ramsdales Hide

6 Nuthatches

8 Treecreepers

4+ Siskin in alders north of Teal Scrape

2+ Willow Tits, both in the feeding station

12 Coal Tits

8 Bullfinches, all in the feeding station

16 Reed Buntings, all in the feeding station/Pengies area

40 Goldfinch in one flock feeding in alders on the south side

4, probably 5, Little Egrets around the western end

31 Cormorants

The resident Oystercatcher, of course

 



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colin davies


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This morning 8.15-9.45;

Little egret 7 at Mossley Hall farm, then flushed by buzzard. I think my highest count ever at the flash.

 

Pochard 14 off the car park

Wigeon 4 (2 pairs)

Goldeneye 25

 



-- Edited by colin davies on Monday 25th of December 2023 10:22:38 AM

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Ian McKerchar


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Today’s highlights include a first winter drake Scaup, pair of Wigeon and two Little Egrets.

Info thanks to Phil Rhodes



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Ian McKerchar


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Late news for yesterday late afternoon when a drake Common Scoter, 9 Pochard and a Little Egret were all present.

Info thanks to Phil Rhodes



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colin davies


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First visit for a while following a holiday, 12:30 - 13:30. Mainly from the boat club;

Wigeon 3 (2 drakes)

Goldeneye 27

Little egret 1

 



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Ian McKerchar


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'Interesting' conditions this late afternoon!

220 Lapwings around the spit

320 Tufted Duck, mainly at the slightly more sheltered western end

44 Cormorants

26 Great Black-backed Gulls

210 Lesser Black-backed Gulls

At least one adult Mediterranean Gull



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Ian McKerchar


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This late afternoon:

538 Herring Gulls roosted

3 Little Egrets at the western end

5 Pochard

Info thanks to Phil Rhodes



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Ian McKerchar


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Highlights from mid-afternoon up to dark today:

Adult Mediterranean Gull

1037 Herring Gulls

142 Lesser Black-backed Gulls

31 Great Black-backed Gulls

206 Tufted Ducks

10 Pochard

c120 Lapwing, which as water levels have dropped just under two feet in the past couple of days (!), now have some spit to utilise 

6 Goosanders



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Ian McKerchar


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An improved gull roost this late afternoon up to dark!

512 Herring Gulls, including a small but noticeable increase in argentatus birds

42 Lesser Black-backed Gulls

8 Great Black-backed Gulls

67 Lapwings still circling around towards duck looking for some dry land to roost

1 drake Mandarin in Ramsdales

29 Goldeneye

12 Pink-footed Geese over low NW at 4:15pm

 



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Ian McKerchar


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Only a relatively small and widely distributed across the flash gull roost this afternoon up to dusk contained 26 Great Black-backed Gulls although the majority of them flew off SW well prior to darkness.

19 Goldeneye

At least six Pochard around the eastern outflow

c60 Lapwings looking desperately to land on a non-existent spit, now completely submerged under the very high water levels

One Kingfisher off the Sorrow Cow shore



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Ian McKerchar


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Much earlier this morning:

31 Goosander

11 Pochard

4 Little Egrets

44 Cormorants

Info thanks to Barry Hulme



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Ian McKerchar


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2 Whooper Swans flew east this morning, also present, 4 Little Egrets, 8 Pochards and 41 Cormorants.

Info thanks to Barry Hulme



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Ian McKerchar


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41 Goosander this morning and four Little Egrets.

Info thanks to Bill Harrison



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Ian McKerchar


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This morning's highlights included:

27 Goosanders

32 Shoveler

139 Gadwall

13+ Pochard (five in Ramsdales but couldn't count the eastern outflow properly from the rucks so may have been more)

88 Cormorants

1 Greylag Goose

5 Water Rails (three calling from the western end bullrushes and at least two from Ramsdales Reedbed)

A flock of c30 Siskin feeding in trees around The Point

2 Lesser Redpolls on Ramsdales Ruck

5 Bullfinches around Ramsdales Ruck

12 Song Thrushes spread around Ramsdales Ruck

1 Little Egret

5 Great Black-backed Gulls (including a single first winter) on the spit and dotted around various bouys

 






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colin davies


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Today, 

Water rail 2 on the edge of the reeds in Ramsdales 

Goosander 16

Pochard 5 off the car park

 



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Ian McKerchar


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Also this morning, two Little Egrets, 80 Lapwings and 55 Cormorants.

Info hanks to Barry Hulme



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colin davies


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This morning 8am - 11:45am

Bittern 1 sunbathing in Ramsdales

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

 



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Ian McKerchar


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Late afternoon today up to the beautiful dusk it was!

First winter Caspian Gull, in early but always far away down the western end with a large flock of gulls

1268 Herring Gulls

131 Lesser Black-backed Gulls

19 Great Black-backed Gulls

241 Tufted Duck

21 Goldeneye

24 Goosander

1 Shelduck

At least 11 Pochard with a drake in Ramsdales and the rest in the usual location at the eastern outflow

Drake Mandarin in Ramsdales, no doubt frozen off the Plank Lane Marina

At least 16 Snipe on the spit

 



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Michael Hood


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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.



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Ian McKerchar


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This morning 3 Whooper Swans flew over SE and 3 Little Egrets, 3 Goosanders, 100 Lapwings and 51 Cormorants were the other highlights.

Info thanks to Barry Hulme 



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Ian McKerchar


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Three Little Egrets present this morning.

Info thanks to Barry Hulme



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Ian McKerchar


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Highlights from early this morning:

Little Egret at the western end

6 Goosander (all redheads)

16 Snipe on the spit

First winter Great Black-backed Gull on the spit

35 Redwing at the western end and several in the trees on Ramsdales Ruck

57 Pink-footed Geese east and 62 west, all on a flight line south of the flash coming from/going to the Mersey area



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Ian McKerchar


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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



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colin davies


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This morning 8:15 - 12:00,

Bittern 1 flew in front of Ramsdales reedbed at 11:30

Scaup 1 female still at western end at 9am but the tufted duck flock constantly flushed this morning by a canoe from the boat club which went right into the bay almost up to the reeds on several occasions, putting everything up and most of the tufted ducks and probably the scaup landed in Ramsdales.

Pochard 13 including 10 males and 2 females off the car park and another male at the western end.

Pink-footed geese 16 flew west at 9am

Goosander 1 male

Snipe 14 including 5 at Penghys

 



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colin davies


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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



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colin davies


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Just a quick visit this morning,

Wigeon 12 at the west end including 3 drakes

Pochard 10 off the car park including 9 drakes

Snipe 5 on the spit

Tufted duck with nasal saddle off the boat club.

No sign of the scaup for me but I didn't go to the west end, I just viewed from the boat club so could easily still be present.

 



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colin davies


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This morning, 

Common scoter 3 including 1 drake

Scaup 1 still west end



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Ian McKerchar


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This morning, 9 Pochard, 71 Gadwall, single female/immature Goosander and a Little Egret.

Info thanks to Barry Hulme



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colin davies


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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



-- Edited by colin davies on Tuesday 21st of November 2023 04:38:38 PM

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Ian McKerchar


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This morning 13 Whooper Swans went over around 8am with six and then five east and a further two which were looking to land.

Info thanks to Bill Harrison



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Ian McKerchar


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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



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This forum is dedicated to the memory of Eva Janice McKerchar.