Croxden Quarry: 3 Ravens and an excellent count of 12 Bullfinch's. I wonder if any of those were of the northern race pyrrhula, the so called Trumpeter Bullfinch? MP

Hales Hall Pool: a Brambling this morning was a good bird for the site and two Mandarins were present. MP

Hales Hall Pool: Incredibly cold this morning, at Blake Hall the temp' was minus 14! With the pool ninety per cent frozen it was no surprise that some of the Canadas were frozen into the water and they were covered in a fine layer of ice! No sign of yesterdays Wigeon but a 1st winter Common Gull was among the Black-headed Gulls, the released drake Mandarin was among the Canadas and three Lesser Redpolls were around the car park. AB

Hales Hall Pool: 2 Wigeon on the ice among the Mallards this morning were a site tick for me! This species was once a regular winterer at Hales Hall forty or fifty years ago. Three Lesser Redpolls were in willows near the carpark. Also this afternoon 20 Long-tailed Tits and a Sparrowhawk chasing a Blackbird. AB,DP

Cheadle: unconfirmed report of c12 Waxwings circling over Ashbourne Rd this morning pers TE.



After this news I had a good look round the area this afternoon but couldn't find any Waxwings. There are however plenty of berries available on Thorley Drive, Rockingham Drive, Stokesay Drive, Millbrook Way and the Kingfisher estate. The Master Potter estate has one or two nice Pyracanthas that are heavy with berries as well.

No news today but these photo's of Waxwings taken by Terry Eyre of the Leek birds should wet the appetite in readiness for some local birds.

Keep checking those berry bush's folks.

Croxden Quarry: an unconfirmed report of Waxwings feeding in the Hawthorn hedge that runs alongside the underground reservoir at the end of the old Counslow Rd recently. RS


Winnothdale: 3 Bramblings on garden feeders. RS

Dimmings Dale: c120 Lesser Redpolls and several Siskins and Bramblings seen over the last few days. TE

Leek Rd: a single Raven flew over heading west @ 1310. AB

JCB Land Power, Leek Rd: Female Siskin feeding with c15 Goldfinchs in Alders alongside the test track. Also 10 Redwings overhead. AB

Croxden Quarry: 18 Whooper Swans flew low over the clearfell area at 1240 heading s/e only my second local record. Also at Croxden this morning were a single Raven and a male Peregrine. AB