December 2020 Sightings

Details of December sightings compiled by John Thompson will appear on the Monthly Sightings page.

26 Comments

  1. Mike&Andy
    31st December 2020

    A decent end of the year at Doddington with,1 male+3 female Pintail,a male Mandarin,16 Goldeneye,14 Shoveler,7 Pochard,4 Teal,2 Wigeon,L Grebes,12 Redpoll,Brambling,50 Linnets,Kestrel,3 Mistle Thrush,6 G.B.B. Gull and Common Gull.

  2. Colin
    30th December 2020

    just back from a walk round the golf course and birds of note were around 30 fieldfare, but well scattered in ones and twos. Back home and lo and behold — a single fieldfare in my garden, the first for a few years.

  3. John Thompson
    28th December 2020

    21 – 27 Dec
    EHF/PHF: Greylag Goose, Goosander, L Grebe, Curlew, Bl-t Godwit, Snipe, Yellow-legged & Med Gull, L Egret, Sparrowhawk, Peregrine
    WLF: Cetti’s Warbler
    Alsager: Wigeon, Goosander, Raven, Linnet, Yellowhammer
    Astbury Mere: Shelduck, Shoveler, Pochard, Water Rail, L Grebe, Dusky Warbler, Siskin
    Borrow Pit Meadows: Goosander
    Church Lawton/Woods/Lake: Kingfisher, Dipper
    Congleton: Goosander, Kingfisher, Grey Wagtail
    Doddington: Gadwall, Pochard, Goldeneye, Water Rail, Kestrel
    Middlewich/Canal: Whooper Swan, Woodcock
    Queens Park: Mandarin, Goosander
    Rode Heath/Pool: Egyptian Goose, L Egret, Kingfisher
    Scholar Green: Stonechat, Yellowhammer

  4. Mike&Andy
    27th December 2020

    Water Rail on the island at Doddington this morning.

  5. GLYN JONES
    25th December 2020

    25th December 2020
    Merry Christmas everyone!!!
    Spent an hour walking round the partly frozen lake at Queen’s Park Crewe today,
    M & F Mandarin Ducks only birds of note.
    They get several people going in every day with bags of birdfeed to feed all the geese, ducks and all the smaller birds.
    The birds are all looked after very well.

  6. Colin
    24th December 2020

    At Doddington this late afternoon counting the gull roost. It gets harder every year but certainly in the order of black-headed 8,000; lesser black-backed 2,400; herring 50; common 10.

  7. Colin
    24th December 2020

    Mick on the 22nd ; working in the garage? — or smoking?! Have a good Christmas

  8. Nigel Henderson
    24th December 2020

    Congleton park – River Dane: Male Kingfisher; Female Goosander
    River Dane between the Steamboat and the park; Grey Wagtail

  9. Mick Ball
    22nd December 2020

    c300 pinkfeet flying high straight over my house in Alsager heading NW at 1.40 p.m.
    Earlier a Raven went over.
    Alerted to both species when hearing them while I was working in my garage.
    M

  10. Colin
    22nd December 2020

    Best birds at Rode Pool this morning were 2 little egrets, 2 egyptian geese, 3 goosanders and 2 kingfishers that were seen well enough to identify as 1 male and 1 female

  11. John Thompson
    22nd December 2020

    Late morning on Meremoor Moss: Englesea Brook has overflowed at a few points and there are a few large pools but nothing new has been attracted by them.
    Muscovy Ducks on the nearby fishery. Also noted: a Kestrel, 2 Rook, 2 singing Song Thrush and a Stonechat

  12. Glyn Jones
    21st December 2020

    21st December 2020
    Borrow Pit Meadows this morning, 9 Goosanders on the pool, 8 F, 1 M.

  13. Nigel Henderson
    21st December 2020

    Astbury Mere – Dusky Warbler
    For all of you that haven’t read John Thompsons posting carefully, Astbury Mere CP is normally a mute swan, mallard, coot type of place but it occasionally comes up with a rarity. Today I have seen a Dusky Warbler, first found by Mark. My technique for finding it was to walk round the Mere until I came across a bunch of bird watchers with long lens cameras and binoculars all pointing in the same direction.

  14. John Thompson
    21st December 2020

    14 – 20 Dec
    MGT/RF: Water Rail, GBb & LBb Gull, Skylark, Cetti’s Warbler, Chiffchaff, Stonechat, Meadow Pipit
    FF: L Redpoll, Siskin
    GF: Water Rail
    WF: Snipe, Barn & Tawny Owl, Kingfisher, Chiffchaff, Meadow Pipit, Greenfinch, Linnet
    Alsager: Woodcock, Sparrowhawk, Skylark, Chaffinch, Linnet, Yellowhammer, Reed Bunting
    Astbury Mere: Pochard, Water Rail, L Grebe, Dusky Warbler, Chiffchaff
    The Cloud: Raven, Siskin
    Doddington: Egyptian Goose, Shoveler, Wigeon, Teal, Pochard, Goldeneye, L Grebe, Kestrel, Greenfinch
    Lea Forge: Lapwing, Raven, Meadow Pipit
    Middlewich: Whooper Swan
    Sandbach: Sparrowhawk

  15. Mike&Andy
    20th December 2020

    Highlight at Doddington this morning were 2 Egyptian Geese,the first since last January .Also 14 Goldeneye ,10 Pochard,6 Wigeon,2 Teal,9 Little Grebes and a Kestrel.An impressive flock of around 375 Lapwings were at Lea Forge with just Raven and Meadow Pipits of any other note.

  16. Colin
    20th December 2020

    Last Friday (18th) at Doddington; 13 goldeneye in a group with some of the 5 males displaying to the 8 females; 104 tufted, 6 pochard; 3 shoveler and 3 wigeon. The best sighting was a large mixed flock of at least 500 birds actively feeding in the maize stubble with around 300 starlings, 80 redwing, 30 fieldfare, 50 chaffinch, 10 goldfinch and 10 greenfinch

  17. John Thompson
    17th December 2020

    Macon Meadows this morning: Water Rail calling briefly

  18. John Thompson
    15th December 2020

    Meremoor Moss this morning: a hunting female Kestrel, a Jay, 2 Rooks, a nervous flock of Fieldfare & Redwing, 4 Stonechat and a Reed Bunting
    And on the way home another Kestrel: on wires above a field on the corner of Slaughter Hill

  19. Dave Winnington
    15th December 2020

    Saltline Tilly’s bridge area 30+ finch flock 8 Siskin with them

  20. John Thompson
    14th December 2020

    7 – 13 Dec
    EHF/PHF: Barnacle & Pink-footed Goose, Pintail, Curlew, Bl-t Godwit, Green Sandpiper, Peregrine
    MGT/RF: Gadwall, Pintail, Peregrine, Chiffchaff, Stonechat, Meadow Pipit
    FF: Goosander, Goldcrest
    Alsager: Brambling, Yellowhammer
    Astbury Mere: Pochard, L Grebe, Raven, Chiffchaff
    Congleton: Kingfisher, Grey Wagtail
    Doddington: Pink-footed Goose, Wigeon, Teal, Pochard, Goldeneye, L Grebe
    Lawton Woods/Lake: Woodcock
    Queen’s Park: Barnacle Goose, Mandarin, L Grebe
    Rode Heath: Egyptian Goose

  21. Graham
    14th December 2020

    Male Sparrowhawk NE from Abbey Road, Sandbach, across north end of Abbeyfields development.

  22. Mike&Andy
    13th December 2020

    Single Pink-f Goose still at Doddington and Goldeneye up to at least 17 this morning.Also 7 Pochard,4 Wigeon,4 Teal and 3 Little Grebes.

  23. Nigel Henderson
    9th December 2020

    Comgleton – River Dane – Dane Street riverside walk; Kingfisher flying; Grey Wagtail

  24. John Thompson
    7th December 2020

    30 Nov – 6 Dec
    EHF/PHF: Barnacle Goose, Shelduck, Shoveler, Pintail, Goosander, Water Rail, L Grebe, Golden Plover, Curlew, Bl-t Godwit, Snipe, Peregrine
    MGT/RF: Barnacle Goose, Snipe, GW Egret, Sparrowhawk, Kingfisher, Peregrine, Skylark, Raven, Stonechat, Meadow Pipit, Reed Bunting
    CF: Goosander, Great W & L Egret
    FF: Goosander
    GF: Meadow Pipit
    WF: Goosander, Snipe, Tawny Owl, Kingfisher, Skylark, Mistle Thrush, Linnet
    Astbury Mere: Pochard, L Grebe
    Bagmere: Cetti’s Warbler
    Bradwall: Skylark
    Brereton Heath LNR/Smethwick: Tree Sparrow, Brambling, Linnet, Yellowhammer, Reed Bunting
    Congleton: Siskin
    Doddington: Shoveler, Wigeon, Pochard, Goldeneye, Kestrel
    Lawton Woods/Lake: Goosander, L Grebe, Woodcock
    Lea Forge: Woodcock
    Middlewich Canal: Whooper Swan
    Mow Cop: Woodcock, Snipe, Stonechat

  25. Mike&Andy
    3rd December 2020

    A brief view at Doddington before the road closed,Goldeneye up to at least 8 with 3 males,8 Pochard,3 Shoveler,Wigeon and Kestrel.

  26. John Thompson
    1st December 2020

    A regular walk on Meremoor Moss this morning brought me my first Snipe of the Autumn/Winter plus a Kestrel, 4/5 Stonechat including a very confiding 1st W bird. Also, c40 Chaffinch feeding on a track to farmland and a pair of Reed Bunting

Comments are closed.

Scroll to top