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

 

 

Reed Bunting

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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