Starlings, Glazebrook
Moat Lane, Rixton
A very snowy and frozen Moat Lane pool
Reed Bunting in the garden
Mistle Thrush in the late afternoon sun in the garden
A very snowy garden view
Tree Sparrows getting stuck in
A few Grey Partridges at the feeding station
Fieldfare, Glazebrook
This Fieldfare was carefully watching a male Sparrowhawk!
Redwings, Glazebrook
The Peacock is still roaming the caravan park!xxxxx
Work has been somewhat hectic recently so I haven’t had a single dedicated birding spell in the last two weeks. I have managed plenty of five minutes here and there plus a few lunchtime walks. Everywhere is permanently frozen and still covered in snow with temperatures generally varying between -2°C and -12°C.
xxxxx
Houghton Green Flash
Xxxxx
The pool went from being 98% frozen to being free of ice and then completely frozen again in the space of a week. A flock of 47 Wigeon had stayed faithful to the place even when there was just a small patch of free water – they left when the pool completely froze. The wintering Redshank and the Grey Wagtail also departed – in fact nearly everything did. The sole remaining birds are a juvenile Mute Swan and a drake Mallard. The swan was a bit of a pathetic figure and seemed to be shunned by other swans even when the pool was free of ice. Rightly or wrongly I started feeding it by putting wheat down on the bank. It was joined by a single drake Mallard and this unlikely pairing have remained together since, either feeding on the grain I put down or sleeping on the ice. A few gulls seem to favour the ice – one found dead the other day looked like a Peregrine kill. Aside from the odd Buzzard and a few Fieldfares and Redwings the place remains eerily quiet. One day four Pink-footed Geese circled low over the pool but then headed off. This afternoon the west hedge held at least 80 Fieldfares plus a few Redwings while a flock of 35 or so Goldfinches flitted around the farm.
Xxxxx
Feeding station
Xxxxx
I have barely had a chance to visit the place- usually only when I am putting food down. The Tree Sparrow flock seems to split each day now between here and our garden. I don’t have the chance to get to the feeding station regularly so I always make sure that food is available at least one location. A covey of Grey Partridges plus a few Yellowhammers are usually present. Curiously the House Sparrows and Reed Buntings have disappeared. A Kestrel is usually hanging around – one day last week it had a pop at a Meadow Pipit. The Buzzard is also usually present but no sign of the Linnet flock. Two Brown Hares were in Waterworks Lane this afternoon in addition to the five Grey Partridge coveys.
Xxxxxx
Garden
Xxxxx
The garden remains very busy every day. The max number of Tree Sparrows seen was around 70 with Yellowhammers also present most days. Reed Buntings have suddenly become scarce visitors. Odd Fieldfares and Redwings are usually seen. Corvid numbers are getting silly some mornings – a sign of the times when a large flock of Jackdaws visits the garden!
Xxxxx
This afternoon the garden seemed to go bananas! At least 75 Tree Sparrows plus 3 Yellowhammers, 3 Reed Buntings, a Grey Heron, a Black-headed Gull, a Mistle Thrush, a Song Thrush, 4 Redwings and a Fieldfare. It’s funny how you can become conditioned to expect birds in certain areas. This afternoon I stood listening to a bird calling and for 30 seconds or so I didn’t have a clue what it was. I then realised it was a Nuthatch. I have only ever seen a Nuthatch once before in the garden and so because I didn’t expect to see one my brain couldn’t compute. This is the power of expectation and an example of how easy it is to make mistakes.
Xxxxxx
Rixton / Glazebrook
Xxxxx
The area around Glazebrook railway station is superb for Redwings and Fieldfares. They are spread out a bit and regularly seem to flit over to Dam Head Lane – I estimate a couple of hundred birds around. On DHL I saw a Buzzard perched in a hedge surrounded by thrushes who almost ignored it. This area seems to be attracting Sparrowhawks – I have seen at least 3 different birds having a pop at the thrushes. One female flew low down the lane just in front of a car and just a few feet above the ground – she reminded me somewhat of a bow-riding Dolphin!
Xxxxxx
Moat Lane pools have remained frozen and deserted. Around the lane I have picked up the odd Bullfinch, Nuthatch and Jay with Willow Tits also heard a couple of times but not seen. The mosses are deserted with even the local Crow flock having done one.
Xxxxx
Yesterday at lunch I went for some bird seed and on the way back I spotted a large Starling flock around Betty’s allotments on the edge of Glazebrook. All the trees were full of birds. There was lots of noise building to a crescendo followed by a sudden silence and then the loud whispers as around 3500 Starlings flew over my head. Some came back – most headed off in various directions. Amazing sight!
Xxxxx
I did get a brief trip up to the van – just to shut it down for the winter so no real birding opportunities again. A couple of Siskins were feeding in the trees next to the van and a smart male Brambling was observed in the same trees and later hooking up with the 40odd Greenfinches which roost in the park. I also had a brief walk with Billy down by my favourite stretch of the Lune from Halton Mills weir. Three Goldeneyes were on the river – one was an odd-looking duck with a peaked head and a bill which looked more like a scoters than a Goldeneyes. A couple of Goosanders were also here plus a Dipper.
Xxxxx
Grey Partridges
Xxxxx
At least snow on the ground makes it easier to spot Grey Partridge coveys. This week alone I have seen the following:
Xxxxx
2 coveys on Parkside Road, Newton
2 coveys on Warrington Road, Golborne
5 coveys in Waterworks Lane (around 30 birds)
2 coveys off Holcroft Lane, Culcheth
1 covey off Dam Lane, Glazebrook
xxxxx
That’s pretty much it so Best Wishes for Christmas everyone!
xxxxx
Houghton Green Flash
Xxxxx
The pool went from being 98% frozen to being free of ice and then completely frozen again in the space of a week. A flock of 47 Wigeon had stayed faithful to the place even when there was just a small patch of free water – they left when the pool completely froze. The wintering Redshank and the Grey Wagtail also departed – in fact nearly everything did. The sole remaining birds are a juvenile Mute Swan and a drake Mallard. The swan was a bit of a pathetic figure and seemed to be shunned by other swans even when the pool was free of ice. Rightly or wrongly I started feeding it by putting wheat down on the bank. It was joined by a single drake Mallard and this unlikely pairing have remained together since, either feeding on the grain I put down or sleeping on the ice. A few gulls seem to favour the ice – one found dead the other day looked like a Peregrine kill. Aside from the odd Buzzard and a few Fieldfares and Redwings the place remains eerily quiet. One day four Pink-footed Geese circled low over the pool but then headed off. This afternoon the west hedge held at least 80 Fieldfares plus a few Redwings while a flock of 35 or so Goldfinches flitted around the farm.
Xxxxx
Feeding station
Xxxxx
I have barely had a chance to visit the place- usually only when I am putting food down. The Tree Sparrow flock seems to split each day now between here and our garden. I don’t have the chance to get to the feeding station regularly so I always make sure that food is available at least one location. A covey of Grey Partridges plus a few Yellowhammers are usually present. Curiously the House Sparrows and Reed Buntings have disappeared. A Kestrel is usually hanging around – one day last week it had a pop at a Meadow Pipit. The Buzzard is also usually present but no sign of the Linnet flock. Two Brown Hares were in Waterworks Lane this afternoon in addition to the five Grey Partridge coveys.
Xxxxxx
Garden
Xxxxx
The garden remains very busy every day. The max number of Tree Sparrows seen was around 70 with Yellowhammers also present most days. Reed Buntings have suddenly become scarce visitors. Odd Fieldfares and Redwings are usually seen. Corvid numbers are getting silly some mornings – a sign of the times when a large flock of Jackdaws visits the garden!
Xxxxx
This afternoon the garden seemed to go bananas! At least 75 Tree Sparrows plus 3 Yellowhammers, 3 Reed Buntings, a Grey Heron, a Black-headed Gull, a Mistle Thrush, a Song Thrush, 4 Redwings and a Fieldfare. It’s funny how you can become conditioned to expect birds in certain areas. This afternoon I stood listening to a bird calling and for 30 seconds or so I didn’t have a clue what it was. I then realised it was a Nuthatch. I have only ever seen a Nuthatch once before in the garden and so because I didn’t expect to see one my brain couldn’t compute. This is the power of expectation and an example of how easy it is to make mistakes.
Xxxxxx
Rixton / Glazebrook
Xxxxx
The area around Glazebrook railway station is superb for Redwings and Fieldfares. They are spread out a bit and regularly seem to flit over to Dam Head Lane – I estimate a couple of hundred birds around. On DHL I saw a Buzzard perched in a hedge surrounded by thrushes who almost ignored it. This area seems to be attracting Sparrowhawks – I have seen at least 3 different birds having a pop at the thrushes. One female flew low down the lane just in front of a car and just a few feet above the ground – she reminded me somewhat of a bow-riding Dolphin!
Xxxxxx
Moat Lane pools have remained frozen and deserted. Around the lane I have picked up the odd Bullfinch, Nuthatch and Jay with Willow Tits also heard a couple of times but not seen. The mosses are deserted with even the local Crow flock having done one.
Xxxxx
Yesterday at lunch I went for some bird seed and on the way back I spotted a large Starling flock around Betty’s allotments on the edge of Glazebrook. All the trees were full of birds. There was lots of noise building to a crescendo followed by a sudden silence and then the loud whispers as around 3500 Starlings flew over my head. Some came back – most headed off in various directions. Amazing sight!
Xxxxx
I did get a brief trip up to the van – just to shut it down for the winter so no real birding opportunities again. A couple of Siskins were feeding in the trees next to the van and a smart male Brambling was observed in the same trees and later hooking up with the 40odd Greenfinches which roost in the park. I also had a brief walk with Billy down by my favourite stretch of the Lune from Halton Mills weir. Three Goldeneyes were on the river – one was an odd-looking duck with a peaked head and a bill which looked more like a scoters than a Goldeneyes. A couple of Goosanders were also here plus a Dipper.
Xxxxx
Grey Partridges
Xxxxx
At least snow on the ground makes it easier to spot Grey Partridge coveys. This week alone I have seen the following:
Xxxxx
2 coveys on Parkside Road, Newton
2 coveys on Warrington Road, Golborne
5 coveys in Waterworks Lane (around 30 birds)
2 coveys off Holcroft Lane, Culcheth
1 covey off Dam Lane, Glazebrook
xxxxx
That’s pretty much it so Best Wishes for Christmas everyone!
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