Last nights Starling roost and murmuration on No.3 bed with c12,000 birds.

Yesterday we conducted the monthly Wetland Bird Survey (WeBS), in relatively mild conditions. When the beds all freeze over, as they did recently, a lot of our water-birds move off, some to the coast and others to the River Mersey or Manchester Ship Canal, both of which usually remain ice-free and add to the habitat variety which the Reserve offers. Our team of voluntary wardens covered all of the Reserve’s many water bodies, with some valuable input from a members of the Fylde Bird Club who were on a day-visit, producing an excellent total of 2271 water-birds. Highlights included: 2 Woodcock, 5 Water Rails, 6 Goldeneye, 1 Kingfisher, 624 Tufted Duck, 555 Teal, 14 Shelduck and 51 Pochard. As ever, with so many birders present there were a few nice additional sightings, including 3 Marsh Harriers, 26 Siskins, 10 Redpolls, 6 Fieldfares, 25 Redwings, 80 Greenfinches and 100 Chaffinches. Photo of the habitat created on No.2 bed by the Peel Port’s dredging activity. Cheers David Bowman (with Helen Wynn, Brian Baird et al)

It’s been a week of contrasts, with the beds largely frozen on Saturday before milder, wetter weather moved in this morning. With No.3 bed holding few wildfowl on Saturday we decided to do a count along the River Mersey, from the Weir Basin and further east along the river. There were plenty of wildfowl, with counts of: 2 Goldeneyes, 6 Shelduck, 38 Shoveler, 100 Teal, 83 Mallard, 46 Tufted Ducks, 16 Gadwall, 1 Great Crested Grebe and 3 Little Grebes. In addition, the trees and bushes lining the footpath along the north bank of the river were thronging with feeding birds, including 1 female Blackcap, 10 Fieldfares, 60 Redwings and 48 Blackbirds. This morning started with a heavy overcast and the odd shower before clearing towards lunchtime. Wildfowl are slowly returning to the beds, with the highlight being two Whooper Swans found on No.4 bed by Jasmine Smith. Photo of the Whooper Swans Cheers David Bowman

Photo of sunset on No.4 bed Cheers David

Photo of Saturday’s Starling murmuration, with Full Moon, on No.4 bed Cheers David

Photo of a Long-tailed Tit Cheers David

Photo of a male Chaffinch

Cheers David

Another sparkling winter’s day at Woolston Eyes, with a hard frost and clear blue skies. With the lagoon on No.3 bed frozen over, all of the remaining wildfowl were working hard to keep some water open on No.4 bed. The feeding stations on No.3 bed, allied to the sacrificial seed crop, provide a lifeline for seed-eaters during hard winter weather and 2 Bramblings, 7 Reed Buntings, 80 Greenfinches, 120 Chaffinches and 11 Bullfinches were feeding voraciously around the bed. Winter thrushes were also present. with 60 Redwings and 15 Fieldfares foraging in leaf litter or hoovering up the few remaining Hawthorn berries. Conditions were also tough for our wardens, as we had hired a Truxor for the week (a machine which is track-driven but also aquatic) to cut fresh channels and pools in the reed-beds. With the bed totally frozen, Eva and Jasmine were having to use it as an ice-breaker prior to actually doing any cutting. Hopefully, conditions will ease as the week progresses and the work will become a little easier. Photo of a Robin in the snow Cheers David Bowman