One each of Great Crested Grebe and a drake Pochard. Like I said earlier it pays to just be out and about.
At 5.00pm the sky started to turn black as 100's no 1000's of Starlings started a humongous murmuration over Neumann's flash, coming from all directions the spectacle was better than anything I've ever seen on Autumnwatch or the like. Upwards of 200,000+ whirled around before crashing into the reedbed by the Old Hide. A Sparrowhawk was having a great supper.
Seems to be a combination of temperature, light, cloud and lack of wind that brings them in for a murmur...who knows?
Talking of roosting birds the Linnet flock that comes in each night to the bramble patch increased to 32.
Over on Ashton's a huge (for the flashes) flock of Meadow Pipits (27) flew in from the fields across from the lay-by to roost in the reedbed below the Witton Brook mound.
Next day in the breezy southerly wind there was not much on show. The Pochard had already done one but the Great Crest was still there, hopefully to stay and breed like last year.
Entering Scrapyard Hide I noticed the new poster advertising The Cheshire Bird report for 2012 and on the front cover one Water Rail was depicted...cue two calling Water Rails from the reedbed opposite...cool another year tick in the bag.
#PWC 70 species 74 points
TTFN
