Linacre Reservoir - 29th January 2011

A thin layer of ice covered about 70% of the reservoirs when I arrived at about 8am this morning, and the temperature hovered around the minus 2 degrees. Despite this, a good number of birds were present, the highlight being 6 Goosander, including 3 males, on the bottom and middle reservoirs. Tufted Duck numbers were good, with 20 being seen, as were Mandarin Duck which numbered 22, most seen in the ice-free water around the overflow on the bottom reservoir. 1 Little Grebe was spotted with a big fish in its mouth on the middle reservoir and Black-headed Gull numbers were still quite high with 42 present.

A Common Buzzard was heard over the woods and a flock of approximately 20-30 Lesser Redpoll were heard and glimpsed high up in the tops of the Larches on the north side of the middle reservoir.

Lesser Redpoll

1 Great spotted Woodpecker was heard drumming briefly and Redwing were heard flying over.