Autumn Flash

Last Sunday, after a clear and frosty night, I made an early morning visit to Pennington Flash. Although there was not much bird life about the colours were absolutely superb with mirror reflections of the reeds in the calm water. Apart from five Whooper Swans on the main area of water I spent most of my time at the baited site.  Despite this area being deep in shadow I managed to obtain shots of Willow Tits and Bullfinches of which there were at least five of each feeding. Click here. Also present was a Nuthatch, Reed Buntings and at least six Stock Doves.

On the Twelfth I saw my first Fieldfares of Winter as forty were going to roost in an Oak tree, that was still in leaf on Hopwood. Near Heywood on the fifteenth I flushed my first wintering Woodcock, both dates being exceptionally late for these two species. The number of Goosanders around is also very low with only six present on Rhodes Lodges on the thirteenth whereas in previous years there would have been more than sixty present by now.