Tuesday 24th February 2015

Despite a strong cold wind a decent selection of birds were seen today.

Castle Lake - 1 Shelduck, 1m Pochard, 1f Goldeneye, a pair of Goosander, 1 Oystercatcher, 2 Redshank & a Grey Wagtail.

A1 Flashes - 2 Shelduck, 200 Wigeon, 2 Shoveler, 16 Oystercatcher, 1 Woodcock flushed from scrub on the southern side, 5 Redshank and the first returning Lesser Black-backed Gull (pictured below).

River Stell - 2 Little Grebe.

Low Hardwick - 4 Gadwall, 2 Grey Partridge & 2 Snipe.

Gadwall pair seen on the Moto-X pool.

Alan's Pool - 8 Wigeon, 1f Pochard & 2 Little Egret.

Fishburn Lake - 3 Shelduck, 6 Gadwall, 6 Mallard, 1 Tufted Duck, 5 Coot, 1 Little Egret, 1 Kingfisher, 1 Goldcrest & 9 Bullfinch.

Shelduck all over the place now.

Two of the nine Bullfinch seen together at Fishburn Lake.

Stonybeck Lake - 4 Mute Swan, 10 Shelduck, 1m Shoveler, 8 Pochard, 1f Goldeneye, 120 Lapwing, 80 Curlew & 2 Redshank.

Sunday 22nd February 2015

A morning visit produced the following;

Stoneybeck Lake - 11 Shelduck, 90 Lapwing, 30 Curlew.

Castle Lake - 3 Mute Swan, 5 Shelduck, 250 Wigeon, 2 drake Pintail, 2 Shoveler, 8 Pochard, 1f Goldeneye, 2 Little Grebe, 7 Cormorant, 1 Little Egret, 1 Grey Heron, 1 Kestrel, 3 Oystercatcher, 1 Ringed Plover flew south, 3 Snipe, 7 Redshank, 1 Great Black-backed Gull & 5 Skylark.

A1 Flashes - 20 Oystercatcher & 14 Magpie.

Tuesday 17th February 2015

Today's sightings;

Castle Lake - 2 Shelduck, 1f Goldeneye, 1 Great Crested Grebe (the first this year), 8 Cormorant (including four in the water together at the northern end of the lake), 4 Oystercatcher, 1 Ringed Plover (another first for the year), 3 Redshank, the 3rd winter Great Black-backed Gull back again, 15 Fieldfare & 2 Mistle Thrush.

A1 Flashes - 3 Shelduck, 200 Wigeon, 2 Shoveler, 14 Oystercatcher, 50 Curlew & 3 Redshank.

Fishburn Lake/Carr Wood - 5 Gadwall, 6 Mallard, 5 Coot & 3 Common Buzzard.

Alan's Pool - 2 Pintail & 2 Little Egret (pictured below).

Stoneybeck Lake - 4 Shelduck, 2m Pochard & 1 Oystercatcher.

Monday 16th February 2015

Today's sightings with thanks to John Olley.

Castle Lake - 800 Golden Plover, 1000 Lapwing, 12 Redshank, 12 Oystercatcher, 40 Curlew, 2 Little Egret, 8 Pochard, 300 Wigeon, 2 Goldeneye, 4 Goosander, 4 Shelduck, a pair of Kestrel displaying, 10 Skylark & 20 Fieldfare.

Stoneybeck Lake - 4 Pintail & 30 Gadwall.

Sunday 15th February 2015

Today's sightings;

Castle Lake - 2 Shelduck, 12 Pochard (9 drakes), 1f Goldeneye, 2 Grey Partridge, 5 Cormorant, 1 Little Egret, 2 Oystercatcher, 500 Golden Plover, 4 Redshank, 2 Grey Wagtail, 6 Fieldfare and 2 Long-tailed Tit.

A1 Flashes - 2 Shelduck, 9 Oystercatcher.

Stoneybeck Lake - 3 Shelduck, 5 Wigeon, 11 Gadwall, 2 Pochard, 2m1f Goldeneye, Peregrine, 68 Coot, 64 Lapwing, 2 Redshank, 2 Long-tailed Tit & 2 Bullfinch.

Also at Stoneybeck Lake again today was this unusual Goose, possibly a Greylag/Swan Goose hybrid?

Monday 9th February 2015

A gloriously sunny morning with barely a breath of wind which made for some very pleasant birding conditions, however ice still prevailed with all open water mostly frozen.

A picturesque and completely frozen Fishburn Lake.

Sightings today from John Olley and myself.

Castle Lake - 10 Shelduck, 6 Pintail, 2 Grey Partridge, 2 Little Egret, 2 Oystercatcher, a small influx of 10+ Skylark including a few singing.

Alan's Pool area - 1 Grey Heron, 1 Grey Partridge, 9 Meadow Pipit, 2 Skylark and a Hare.

Fishburn Lake/Carr Wood - 1 Sparrowhawk, 2 Woodcock, a male Great Spotted Woodpecker drumming right next to a female, 1 Song Thrush, 2 Goldcrest, 5 Long-tailed Tit, 1 Marsh Tit (identified by call, my first around here after nearly eight years of birding the area), 1 Coal Tit and a Bullfinch singing.

Low Hardwick - 1 Grey Heron and 5 Common Buzzard up together.

Low Hardwick looking towards the moto-x.

A1 Flashes - 2 Common Buzzard over high.

Stoneybeck Lake/Farnless Farm - 2 Shelduck, 5 Gadwall, 18 Teal, 1 Buzzard, 1 Kestrel, 12 Curlew and 1 Great Black-backed Gull.

Elsewhere today - the first new born Lamb's!

Saturday 7th February 2015

Some sightings for today;

Stoneybeck Lake - 2 Mute Swan, 2 Shelduck, 2 Gadwall, 10 Teal including a pair copulating, 33 Moorhen, 27 Coot, 1 Redshank and 13 Lapwing.

Castle Lake - 6 Mute Swan, 2 Shelduck, 5 Pintail including 3 drakes and some display, 2 Grey Partridge, 2 Cormorant, 1 Grey Heron, 400 Golden Plover, 600 Lapwing, 90 Curlew, 2 Redshank, 1 Green Sandpiper, a 'Scandinavian Herring Gull', 1 3rd winter Great Black-backed Gull (pictured below), and an overflying Skylark (but none yet back on territory).

A1 Flashes - 1 Shelduck, 4 Shoveler, 40 Curlew and a distant Peregrine.

Low Hardwick - 1 Common Buzzard and a Kestrel.

Final sighting was a Fox near Alan's Pool.