Manchester Birder's January 2025 summary
Whooper Swan, Short-eared Owl, White-billed Diver, Red-necked Grebe, Hawfinch, Slavonian Grebe, Smew and Ross's Gull are amongst the highlights of the month.
Having a bit of time away from work has done wonders for my birding in 2025. It’s been a rare day I haven’t been out locally, and I’ve seen some excellent birds. The list of lists is remarkable (for me – I’m not setting records here) and in a more-hopeful-than-confident effort to give my year some structure, I’m aiming to reflect at the end of each month.
Trips to Northumberland, Slammanen, North Lancashire and the Lancashire and Wirral coasts have emphasised the beauty of winter birds, and though I’ve missed some obvious species (White fronted Geese, Long-tailed Duck, Velvet Scoter, Purple Sandpiper, Spotted Redshank, Woodcock, Little Owl) I’ve seen much more in terms of wintering birds than I did last year. The new-for-me birds have been really good experiences where I learned a lot and enjoyed good views (mostly) of some unusual wildlife. Putting 30+ hours in at Woolston Eyes to try and see the Penduline Tit was occasionally frustrating, often freezing, and sometimes rewarding, and fighting my way through the fog at times was an interesting experience.
Highlights
A huge flock of Hawfinch at the beautiful Gait Barrows;
helping identify a one-day-stayer Slavonian Grebe at Pennington Flash; male
Smew close in at Crosby; incredible views of White-billed Diver, Grey-headed Lapwing and Ross’s
Gull; Black Grouse in the snow at Geltsdale; male Black Redstart showing brilliantly at New
Brighton; Short-eared Owls back within the 10k circle; finally seeing both
Taiga Bean Goose and Penduline Tit after much effort for each; Snow Bunting,
Twite and Iceland Gull in rainy Southport.
Year List total: 142
New for me in the UK this month: 5 (White-billed
Diver; Ross’s Gull; Taiga Bean Goose; Ross’s Goose; Penduline Tit)
10k circle total: 84
Birds I missed: Shorelark at Oglet in the fog and mud
(I’m sure I have trenchfoot from this…); White-fronted Goose at Daisy
Nook, Oldham.
The year list so far:
Canada Goose |
Black-tailed Godwit |
Raven |
Ross's Goose |
Jack Snipe |
Coal Tit |
Greylag Goose |
Snipe |
Marsh Tit |
Taiga Bean Goose |
Redshank |
Willow Tit |
Pink-footed Goose |
Turnstone |
Blue Tit |
Mute Swan |
Knot |
Great Tit |
Bewick's Swan |
Ruff |
Penduline Tit |
Whooper Swan |
Sanderling |
Skylark |
Shelduck |
Dunlin |
Cetti's Warbler |
Shoveler |
Ross's Gull |
Long-tailed Tit |
Gadwall |
Black-headed Gull |
Chiffchaff |
Wigeon |
Mediterranean Gull |
Blackcap |
American Wigeon |
Common Gull |
Goldcrest |
Mallard |
Herring Gull |
Wren |
Pintail |
Great Black-backed Gull |
Nuthatch |
Teal |
Lesser Black-backed Gull |
Treecreeper |
Pochard |
Iceland Gull |
Starling |
Tufted Duck |
Great Northern Diver |
Song Thrush |
Scaup |
White-billed Diver |
Mistle Thrush |
Eider |
Cormorant |
Redwing |
Common Scoter |
Shag |
Blackbird |
Goldeneye |
Spoonbill |
Fieldfare |
Smew |
Bittern |
Robin |
Goosander |
Little Egret |
Black Redstart |
Red-breasted Merganser |
Great White Egret |
Stonechat |
Red Grouse |
Grey Heron |
Tree Sparrow |
Black Grouse |
Sparrowhawk |
House Sparrow |
Grey Partridge |
Marsh Harrier |
Dunnock |
Pheasant |
Hen Harrier |
Grey Wagtail |
Red-legged Partridge |
Red Kite |
Pied Wagtail |
Rock Dove (Feral Pigeon) |
Buzzard |
Meadow Pipit |
Stock Dove |
Barn Owl |
Water Pipit |
Woodpigeon |
Short-eared Owl |
Rock Pipit |
Collared Dove |
Tawny Owl |
Chaffinch |
Water Rail |
Kingfisher |
Brambling |
Moorhen |
Great Spotted Woodpecker |
Hawfinch |
Coot |
Green Woodpecker |
Bullfinch |
Little Grebe |
Kestrel |
Greenfinch |
Red-necked Grebe |
Merlin |
Twite |
Great Crested Grebe |
Peregrine |
Linnet |
Slavonian Grebe |
Ring-necked Parakeet |
Redpoll |
Oystercatcher |
Jay |
Common Crossbill |
Grey Plover |
Magpie |
European Goldfinch |
Golden Plover |
Jackdaw |
Siskin |
Lapwing |
Rook |
Snow Bunting |
Grey-headed Lapwing |
Carrion Crow |
Corn Bunting |
Curlew |
Hooded Crow |
Yellowhammer |
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Reed Bunting |
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