TREECREEPER

A rather poor weekend weather wise but to be expected I suppose at this time of the year. Saturday around the flashes didn't produce anything new for the year list #PatchBirding . I did meet a couple searching for the Green-winged Teal but they hadn't had any luck (long gone me thinks).
Over on Ashton's flash I did have a large flock of Lesser Redpolls (35+) move through, down in the south east corner. Seems to be a favored place as that's where the Mealy was last week. A few alders down in the sheltered corner enticing them in.
A huge flock of Lapwing over 550 were also on Ashton's and were regularly put up by the antics of the local male Peregrine.
Witton Brook was very high due to all the rainfall we've had over the past few days...

Looks good for Torrent Duck.....

44 species for the mornings effort was par for the course.

Sunday and the weather was as grim as a grim day in Grimsby..rain...wind...poor light so a quick circuit of Neumann's was all I did.

Whap! whilst sheltering in Scrapyard Hide I heard the unmistakable tones of a calling Treecreeper and yes there it was rummaging around the base of one of the many planted trees nearby. In with a flock of Long-tailed Tits, Blue Tits and Bullfinch. This is only the second Treecreeper I've recorded at the flashes since I moved to Comberbach in 2001. Incredibly on checking my past records the first one I saw was also on the 26th January but way back in 2008. Just shows if you get out and about the birds continue to surprise.

#PWC  67 species   71 points

TTFN 

MEALY REDPOLL

A pleasant mornings stroll around the flashes produced a few more padders for the year list.. Sparrowhawk, Cormorant, Stock Dove, Greylag Goose were expected. Birds were out in force in the bright sunshine with big numbers of Lapwing, Curlew and gulls on Ashton's Flash.

Ashton's Flash looking very appealing in the glorious winter sunlight.

I did have a 'pipit' flyover calling...a single tweeet! call t'other day so heads up for Water Pipit maybe...who knows? the truth is out there.

The view from Bund Hide was rather nice as well, almost Spring like, pity the Green-winged Teal has decided to go else where.

From the Old Hide as it's known (not Hide.1...how unoriginal is that!) the view still needs a bit of trimming me thinks, especially on the right-hand side (remember the shouts of derision when the Stilt Sandpiper was here last year).

Anyway back to the main topic of this post and having added four new year ticks to the list I was feeling rather satisfied.

I decided to cut the corner of Ashton's and nipped over the fence to get Common Snipe on the day list, which stood at a very respectable 46. In fact the best day on the patch so far species wise.

A small flock of Redpolls were feeding with a mixed bunch of Bullfinch and Long-tailed Tits (a very odd combination} in the alders that fringe the flash.

I moved round to get the sun behind me and got to within 4m of the feeding flock of Redpolls.

Boom!! wow one very white/grey toned male bird flashed a whitish rump at me...this looks promising I thought! On further inspection the bird showed a nice clean white wing bar (secondary bar I think they call it), all white underparts with black finally streaked flanks, a grey/brownish mantle with white braces, pale grey ear coverts with a small dark eye with no eye-ring. The overall tone of the bird was a white/grey as opposed to the brown/grey off the other 'Lesser' Redpolls. I didn't have my camera with me but tried in vain to get a phone photo through my bins but the flock spooked before I could connect.

Having seen several Mealy Redpolls through a scope a few weeks earlier I was quite confident to call this a Mealy Redpoll as well..in fact a pretty good one at that. Hopefully I can get down there again and get some photos just to prove positive. A good year tick for the list and the second Mealy I've found on Ashton's flash. The first one (for me to find anyway) way back in 2008. There was also one in 2006.

Seems there has been a mini influx of various Redpoll species into Cheshire with a probable Arctic in a secret garden somewhere near Chester and Mr Wizzal having a possible Coue's in his back garden.

All good stuff!

#PWC 66 species  70 points (only 1 point for Mealy doh!)  

TTFN

USUAL STUFF

After the usual early rush the wheels seem to have come off the year list with new birds already hard to find.
In a two hour circuit of the patch I couldn't add a single species to the list.
Over at Marbury/Budworth Mere there has been a regular Little Egret at Kid Brook and a Goosander on the mere this morning. Both would be good birds for The Flashes so there's some hope there at least.
No sign of the reported Yellowhammers in the seed field between Neumann's and Dairy House Meadows, an almost mega record for The Flashes if one did find it's way over somehow.
Late afternoon did save the day as a flyover Pied Wagtail was a new bird for the year.
I checked the feeders by Bund Hide and something (probably a mammal of sorts) has eaten all the seed on the ground, no birds though as yet!
If anyone's got a spare bag off niger seed then I could put up another feeder in the hope of attracting the few Lesser Redpolls we have.
On the plus side the Tufted flock has increased and with a Lesser Scaup just down the road in Staffordshire you just never know? maybe the Pugney's Smew might do a tour, now that would bring the crowds in what?

#PWC 61 species  65 points

TTFN

GREEN WITH ENVY

The drake Green-winged Teal was still on show this Saturday and could usually be seen around the north island. No luck on Sunday though as most of the Teal were moved to the east side of the flash by the ice from last nights freeze.
A two hour wander around the 'figure of eight' produced 41 species which included a great bonus in the shape of a flyover flock of Pink-footed Geese. Several Lesser Redpolls were still zapping about but not the good numbers of previous years, need a good cold snap for a week or two.
A good selection of ducks with Shelduck, Gadwall, Wigeon, Teal, Mallard, Tufted and Shoveler.
Over on nearby Marston Pools there are a couple of Pochard so hopefully they'll come on over to the Flashes (a much nicer place).

Mr Green-winged Teal a patch first

Phone-scoped from the Old Hide (cheers for the scope Ian)

#PWC 60 species   64 points

TTFN

PATCH GOLD

A fortuitous visit to the doctors paid off big time when on leaving I switched my phone back on and was greeted by a text from Dave Hughston..
''probable Green-winged Teal on Neumann's''...wow!!

Driving as sedately as I could through the new one way system (why does every idiot want to cross over lanes on the swing bridge) in Northwich, I arrived at Bund Hide moments later and yes the 'probable' was a definite...Green-winged Teal..boom!!

Well done to Dave H and Mark Taylor another patch mega bites the dust. 
Unfortunately the drake Greeny was miles away at the reed edge past the island hence no photos but still what a great find and a first record for the patch. Should god willing stay for a while so most of the local patchers should catch up with it and hopefully get some photos.
Whilst walking back to the car a Golden Plover flew over calling with the local Lapwing flock so an added year tick bonus.
As you will see from the running total of species seen, my Woodcock search came up trumps, next up Willow Tit?

#PWC  58 species   62 points (GW Teal 3 points)

Patch Life List - 201


TTFN

PEREGRINES PERFORM

Saturday finds me and pooch doing a full 360' of the figure of eight (footpath layout) it's a two hour birdathon as I've brought with me some artillery...my scope.
This proves a great move as the local pair or Peregrines are both perched up on their favorite lookouts...

phone scoped record shots

Not to be out done the patch Ravens are also up there, scanning their territory...

There's a good selection of avian delights around this morning and I manage to accumulate 42 species.

Lesser Redpolls in with the Long-tailed Tit flock for a start and a flyover Siskin are goodies. 3 Great Spots are roaming the various clumps of woodland , finding a Lesser here though is going to be a challenge but we shall see as the year progresses.

A duo of Woody Woodpeckers

Wildfowl are in good numbers once again and will hopefully pull something in once the weather turns a bit colder. Counts on Neumann's and Ashton's combined produced...

Mute Swan 5

Mallard 45+

Teal      350+

Gadwall a pair

Wigeon  2

Shoveler  23+

Shelduck  9

Tufted Duck  10

Coot  (wildfowl?) 40+

5 species of gull as well.

All my records are entered into Birdtrack the BTO recording scheme and I urge one and all to do the same.

Back out again tomorrow in search of the elusive Woodcock, if it's not raining that is.

#PWC  51 species  53 points (Peregrine 2)

TTFN

JACK SNIPE JOY

A dawn raid on Ashton's Flash required a bit of stealthing to avoid the herd of Hebridean sheep that prowl the interior. 

Having negotiated the deadly grass munchers I ventured on to the lime bed and commenced searching for snipe, woodcock, short-eared owls even water pipits you just never know these days.

It took all of 10 minutes to get the required goodie on the list one Jack Snipe and a further 40+ Common Snipe.

Reed Bunting and Meadow Pipit were also seen.

No need to venture out here again job done for the year...sorted!

#PWC  32 species   33 points (Jack Snipe 2)

TTFN

JANUARY 1st

A very late sojourn to The Flashes from 3pm till 4pm gets the year list started.
The weather was not very inspiring with a blustery southern wind swaying the silver birches and a dash of rain from overcast dull skies made viewing not to great, in fact pretty naff to be honest. Still the dog and I managed a lap of Neumann's just before the light went.
Highlights good numbers of Curlew coming into roost on Ashton's Flash with a fair few Lapwings as well. The wildfowl are loving the deep water and it seems both Neumann's and Ashton's are once again going to be well full into the Spring.

The current view from Bund Hide...will the reedbeds join up?, watch this space.

The feeding station to the west of Bund Hide has yet to attract a bird!! there's time

So day one ends with a measly 27 species but remember it's a marathon not a sprint.

The weekend should see a big boost....

#PWC - 27 species and 27 points

TTFN