Cheers Paul.

Birds seen/heard - 35 Pink-footed Geese over, 1 Little Egret, 6 + Reed Bunting Inc. 2 singing, 6 Linnet, approx 30 Chaffinch in double hedge including at least 1 Brambling, 2 Bullfinch, Blue Tit, Great Tit, approx 200 Woodpigeon, 2 Grey Partridge, 1 Grey Heron, 1 Shelduck, approx 30 Lapwing, Magpie,...

Ward's Reservoir - first night patrolled 12.03.24 - 153 Toads saved (90% males), 4 Frogs and 1 Palmate Newt. Tawny Owl, Barn Owl and Common Snipe heard.

Brindle - 50 Toads saved and 1 Smooth Newt.

Well done on your century Stephen.

Late afternoon visit - no sign of Godwits but something put up the Golden Plover, from my photographs I counted 405 of them.

Eyes Lane, Bretherton - 200+ Black-headed Gulls, 2 Oystercatcher, 50+ Lapwing, 20 Shelduck and 1 Green Sandpiper or Dunlin (view of rear end only) on flooded field to NE of Red Bridge, a further 100 BH Gulls, 6+ Herring Gull and 10+ Lesser Black-backed Gulls with 25+ Lapwing on Asland Walks field. 1...

River Douglas/Carr Brook - 5 Wigeon, 4 Teal and 2 Mallard. Eyes Lane, Bretherton - 17 Shelduck, 80+ Lapwing, 2 Oystercatcher, 2 Common Buzzard, 150+ Black-headed Gull. On the River Douglas were Teal, Mallard, Canada Geese and 3 Goosander. 200+ Starling in 2 flocks. TwinLakes/Croston Sewage Works - 1...

Thanks John.

Thanks Peter.

Mid-afternoon visit - The flood SW of Red Bridge is now just a damp area, on the NE flood were 60-70 Lapwing, 100+ Black-headed Gulls and 6 Shelduck, other birds seen included 25+ Fieldfare, 60+ Starling, 1 Yellowhammer, 1 male Kestrel and around 10 Goldfinch. Screenshot 2024-03-06 225211.png - Yell...

The fungi on the pine needles could be Butter Cap, it certainly looks like it. The only issue is that Butter Cap is normally only recorded fruiting between June and November.

Yarrow Reservoir - No sign of yesterdays Pochard, 6 Mallard, 3 Goosander and 4 Common Gull. Belmont Reservoir - 2,000+ Black-headed Gulls, 1 Lesser Black-backed Gull, 25+ Lapwing, 25 Curlew (groups of 16, 6 & 3), 2 Reed Bunting, numerous Canada and Greylag Geese and 37 Whooper Swans over heading...

In addition to John's sightings I had, 50+ Fieldfare, 1 Curlew, 1 Grey WAgtail, Oystercatcher heard and 1 Queen White-tailed Bumblebee.


Pochard plus 1 other at Eyes Lane, Bretherton takes my Year List Challenge to 104 species.

- Male Goldcrest.

48 Curlew were reported on Friday evening on the Manchester Birding website.

Nice shot Gareth.