Middleton Lakes.

Another visit to the always excellent Middleton Lakes and today certainly didn't disappoint. I had two virgin spots today, the first being Rook and the second being Smew, I also saw my first Fieldfare of the year as well. It was also a good day for seeing flocks of birds, on the side of the road on the way in to the lakes there was sixty plus Goldfinch foraging by the side of the road. I have never seen a Rook before today then I go and see one hundred plus in the trees on the woodland trail leading up to the lakes, they weren't very hard to miss though, being as they were making a proper racket, almost as much noise as my idiot stick neighbour. In the fields just before the lakes, there were fifty plus Fieldfare, and fifty plus Redwing in the trees along the canal. At the lakes there were a hundred plus Lapwing. Also at the lakes two hundred plus Greylag Goose flew in shortly after of me arriving there, which was an awesome sight in itself, but I've never seen more than one Greylag at any one time, anywhere else before. Finally, along the River adjacent to the lakes, there was a small flock of twenty plus Redpoll. All birds spotted today were, Bullfinch, Greenfinch, Goldfinch, Chaffinch, Coal Tit, Blue Tit, Great Tit, Long Tailed Tit, Nuthatch, Redpoll, Reed Bunting, Dunnock, Robin, Fieldfare, Redwing, Song Thrush, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Jay, Rook, Pheasant (Hen) Grey Partridge, Pied Wagtail, Starling, Blackbird, Carrion Crow, Woodpigeon, Magpie, Grey Heron, Little Egret, Smew, Shoveler, Wigeon, Teal, Gadwall, Little Grebe, Greylag Goose, Cormorant, Mute Swan, Moorhen, Tufted Duck, Coot, Mallard and Canada Goose. Other wildlife seen today were, Horse, Cow, Sheep, Rabbit, Farmyard Ducks (including Silver Appleyard and Pekin) and of course plenty of Grey Squirrels. All in all, as you can see, it was a great days birding and wildlife observing.