Cuerden Valley Park - 12th February 2011

I've covered pretty much all of CVP today at some point starting this morning with a 4 mile walk with the dogs, a few hours this afternoon in search of a Dipper at Kem Mill and then to the local patch of Stags Lodge this evening before sun down.
The morning walk brought the usual woodland birds in the form of Treecreeper, Nuthatch, Robin, Greater Spotted Woodpecker, mixed Tit flocks, Blackbird, Jay, Magpie, Goldfinch, and Chaffinch. The usual Mallard were on the lake though I didn't walk around to see if anything else was about plus c15 Canada Geese in front of the Sue Ryder home. A Buzzard and Bullfinch were a good adition to the Stags Lodge list as I walked to and from the park.

 ABOVE TREECREEPER BELOW MISTLE THRUSH 

I've heard Dipper are present along the Kem Mill section of the river Lostock so I took a walk up this afternoon with the hope of getting some photos. No such look on this occasion though the azure flash of a Kingfisher as it flew downstream more than made up for the lack of Dipper. A Treecreeper obliged for the camera as did a Mistle Thrush that was calling from the top of a tree. Again a mix of Tits plus c12 Redwing, Chaffinch and most of the Corvid species could be seen at this end of the park.

ABOVE SONG THRUSH

Several Song Thrush were calling this evening at Stags Lodge as were Chaffinch, Robin, Blackbird, Dunnock and Blue & Great Tit.