10th January

Drove back down south popping into Ashton’s Flash near Northwich, Cheshire to rapidly get excellent views of the overwintering first-winter male SIBERIAN STONECHAT feeding in the scrubby basin of the southern flash, in amongst some isolated Silver Birch trees.   A great bird, looking more like a maurus than a stejnegeri with the colour of the rump and underparts etc. but I think the DNA result acquired through droppings is imminent.   Also here (mainly on Neumann’s Flash) were good number of ducks, especially Wigeon, Gadwall and Pochard, several singing Cetti’s Warblers and a calling Green Woodpecker.   Then had a brief look at Rufford Country Park at the mill end where I read two darvic ringed Black-headed Gulls – Danish ringed white/black V77K that was present this time last year and green/white 217A along with a good 30 Goosanders.

Siberian Stonechat

Danish V77K

and British 217A