Stithians List - January

Not totally sure what a 'good' year should bring in terms of species numbers (I have an inkling 120+ have been reported as a year total in a previous year - at some point I will try and work out what 2014 brought), but not a bad start to the year list - undoubtedly some common/regular winter species still to come. Slavonian Grebe the only really 'unusual' species, visiting Shoveler, wintering Goldeneye and Pochard good. Little Egret, Common Gull and Mediterranean Gulls are 'interesting' in an inland water body context, and the feeding station is undoubtably a good site locally to see and enjoy Water Rail and Reed Bunting - the latter especially tricky otherwise.

The ongoing 'Stithians Yearlist' is accessible from the tab below the main photo at the top of the page, this will be updated regularly through the year in date order as new species are seen.

(or here- Stithians Bird List 2015 )


1 Canada Goose
2 Wigeon
3 Teal
4 Mallard
5 Shoveler
6 Pochard
7 Tufted Duck
8 Goldeneye
9 Cormorant
10 Little Egret
11 Grey Heron
12 Little Grebe
13 Slavonian Grebe - possibly the returning bird from last year?
14 Sparrowhawk
15 Buzzard
16 Kestrel
17 Peregrine
18 Water Rail
19 Moorhen
20 Coot
21 Lapwing
22 Ringed Plover
23 Curlew
24 Snipe
25 Black-headed Gull
26 Mediterranean Gull
27 Common Gull
28 Lesser Black-backed Gull
29 Herring Gull
30 Great Black-backed Gull
31 Woodpigeon
32 Kingfisher
33 Great Spotted Woodpecker
34 Magpie
35 Jackdaw
36 Rook
37 Carrion Crow
38 Raven
39 Goldcrest
40 Blue Tit
41 Great Tit
42 Long-tailed Tit
43 Chiffchaff
44 Wren
45 Starling
46 Blackbird
47 Fieldfare
48 Song Thrush
49 Redwing
50 Robin
51 Stonechat
52 Dunnock
53 House Sparrow
54 Grey Wagtail
55 Pied Wagtail
56 Meadow Pipit
57 Chaffinch
58 Greenfinch
59 Goldfinch
60 Bullfinch
61 Reed Bunting

Additionally, Muscovy Duck and hybrid Canada/Greylag Goose, and on the mammal front, Red Fox and Rabbit.

Records from the hide notebooks, internet bird reports (eg cbwps sightings) and my own and others' sightings. If you've seen anything at the reservoir this year not on the list let us know!




No sightings have been reported elsewhere this week that I'm aware of, so nothing new to report bird wise.

You may remember this stunning image from earlier last month (23rd) and the question posed as to how many birds were present ... well I can now reveal the answer (at least I think I can - a quivering leaf in the background may yet turn out to be yet another camera shy avian fiend, but probably not) to be ... 18. Anyway, 16 Chaffinch, 1 Greenfinch and 1 Reed Bunting ... the birds may look attractive and bright to us when perched on a bird table or out on a twig, but they are superbly cryptically camouflaged when against the leaf litter of the forest floor ...

(Click to enlarge)