Heavy overnight frost left the ponds frozen other than small pockets kept open by the wildfowl. What little breeze there was came from the north. Mainly sunny, particularly in the afternoon.
Middleton Nature Reserve
The small patch of open water on the main pond contained:
2 adult and 3 juvenile mute, the additional juvenile was sat on the ice (this bird is fledged and could fly off if it wanted to).
2 Mallard and 4 Moorhen
The free patch on the "no swimming" pond held:
28 Gadwall
5 Shoveler (2 female)
1 Mallard
3 Teal
2 Little Grebe
2 Coot and 2 Moorhen
Most of the above are in this shot of the free water on the "no swimming" pond. I doubt there will be much if any free water remaining by the morning.
Also:
2 Mallard plus 1 adult Mute flying around before moving on (the Tim Butler pond was completely frozen, but evidence that a mute had been trying to keep a patch open).
Water Rail 2 squealing plus one flushed.
Common Snipe 1
Green Woodpecker 1
Grey Wagtail 1
Goldcrest at least 1
Pink-Footed goose - there were 1,100 flying towards the NE between 09:00 - 10:00. Comprising 14 skeins.
Everyone living under the flight lines will be very familiar with the morning and evening, plus some nocturnal calling.
This is a short clip of a typical skein heading from the Fylde roost to inland feeding areas.
Later there were 57 and 120 heading south at 10:30 and 13:40.
No sign of any Brent geese in quick check of the skeer corner, just before dusk.
