Croxden Quarry: Goosander 11. MP

JCB Landpower, Leek Rd: Snipe 1. AJB

Dimmings Dale: Mallard 18, Tufted Duck 1, Canada Goose 7, Coot 6, Goldcrest 1. TE


With today's gale force winds I'm surprised Terry ventured under all those trees at Dimmings Dale!

Godley Lane, Dilhorne: a second hand report of a probable "nordic" Jackdaw is interesting. I'm convinced the bird I had last month near Croxden was a "nordic" but knowing how variable these nominate birds can be I'll just leave it as a probable. I wonder how many of these birds go unnoticed given that most birders never give flocks of corvids a second look?

Croxden Quarry: Goosander 6, Greylag Goose 19 and a single male Siskin in trees around the viewpoint this morning. RPow

Peakstones area: a Barn Owl, 2 Ravens and a Buzzard were around Shawe House Fm this afternoon. Also there were 4 Carrion Crows feeding on a dead rabbit. When two of the birds managed to pull strips of flesh away from the rabbit they then decided to bury it in in the soft soil of some nearby mole hills. TE


Before Christmas last year I watched a Raven playing with a golf ball on the cliff top right opposite the viewpoint at Croxden, after a while it buried the golf ball in the sand obviously with the intention of going back to feed on it later!!!

January.

A quick look at the birds seen locally reveals that January wasn't a bad month. A few Waxwings would have been a nice way to start the new year off with a bang but hopefully we will pick up a few as they make their way back north later in the year.

A Great Crested Grebe was back on Hales Hall by the 24th and still present to the month end. Two Little Grebes were on the trout pond at Eastwall Fm on the 23rd.

Skeins of Pink-footed Geese were picked up on several occasions during the month as they moved between north Norfolk and the Lancashire mosses. Around 470 were seen in total, the majority of them being seen by Terry Eyre over Dimmings Dale although the 60 that flew low over The Sidings on the 4th were a nice bonus for myself and Richard Powell.

With very little ice free water around ducks were hard to come by but regular checks of the small roadside pool at Trimpos by Malc' Plant produced a nice flock of 6 Goosander on the 6th which had risen to 11 by the 8th. Malc' also turned up a Shelduck on the 21st at Croxden. The monthly Webs count produced a good total of 65 Mandarins Brookleys Lake on the 16th and the released drake Mandarin remained at Hales Hall all month.

A Barn Owl that had been seen around JCB Landpower before Christmas was a great way to start New Years Day for MP and was seen again on the 4th by myself and RPow. At Croxden a pair of Tawny Owls were normally to be found at there traditional roost site. AJB et al

A probable "nordic" Jackdaw was a nice find as it fed in fields off Keelings Lane, Croxden on the 15th/16th AJB, Dean Powell.

As usual Dimmings Dale area was the place to go if you wanted to see Marsh Tit with TE picking up 3 along the old railway line on the 9th and RPow connecting at Keith Clowes feeding station behind The Ramblers Retreat on the 15th. A Willow Tit was calling from bushs around the viewpoint at Croxden on the 23rd, AJB.

A Mealy Redpoll was visiting a feeding station off Coleridge Drive on and before the 29th. NT

Ravens were seen regularly during the month with the highest counts being 5 seen over Shawe House Fm, Peakstones by TE and 3 over Croxden all on the 23rd, AJB. Right at the month end KC revealed he'd got 3 of these black beauties visiting his feeding station at Kingsley alongside 4 Buzzards.

Kingsley area: 3 Ravens and 4 Buzzards visiting a large feeding station recently. That's what you feeding the birds! KC via Birdforum

JCB Landpower, Leek Rd: a single Raven was again over "The Park" this afternoon. AJB

Hales Hall: Common Gull 1, BHG 46, Great Crested Grebe 1, Mandarin 1, Canada Goose 10, Mallard 20, Nuthatch 1, Reed Bunting 1, Raven 2 flew south, Pied Wagtail 12 feeding on newly silaged field. RPow, AJB



Sandy Lane Pool: Green Woodpecker 1 flew over towards Eyres Fm, Coot 13 on an almost completely frozen pool. Apart from Hales there can't be a more likely site locally to find a Bittern than this pool with it's large clumps of Phragmites. AJB



Trimpos: 8 Lapwings were in fields around the roadside pool. AJB