A male brambling was seen by the rangers' cabin on the 18th and again on the 21st December. Around this time, woodcock were seen on two occasions and six siskins were feeding on the alders, by the car park.  

Brambling   CAC

On the 20th December we had quite a severe frost and the scrape pool was frozen over. This brought the benefit of eleven snipe, which roosted in the reeds around the edge of the pool.

This cold snap also increased the numbers of golden plover and over 350 were counted, roosting on the sandbanks, with well over five hundred lapwing. Also, the cold weather resulted in large numbers of blackbirds and redwings feeding on the pastures, with over forty blackbirds being counted on one occasion.

Towards the month's end, several parties of pink footed geese were recorded, flying over the area, and one small party of 14 landed on the marsh, by the bird hide, giving good views to the watchers.

On one late afternoon, on the Mersey, by Ditton Brook, at the pre roost gathering of gulls, an adult caspian gull and two adult mediterranean gulls were found, amongst the many hundreds of commoner gull species.

In early January, two grey squirrels turned up at the feeding station, by the bird hide, and caused considerable damage to the plastic feeders. We tried to overcome this by using wooden and metal feeders but even these were chewed and partially damaged.

 Grey Squirrel   CAC

This year the fat smeared on the trees at the feeding stations attracted many birds: in particular the long tailed tits and finches. By the bird hide up to thirty chaffinches were present on occasions.

On the 9th January, a kingfisher was present and stayed around the scrape pool for a couple of days. It was also reported around the same time in the Ditton Brook, were up to 20 teal were also present, and they had increased to over 40 in February.

During January, as many as eleven cormorants and seven grey herons were recorded, roosting on the sand banks at low water.

The feeding station by the ranger's cabin was very productive at this time, with good numbers of greenfinches and chaffinches being present, besides the usual blue and great tits. The finches often fed in the poppy field, too, and a few linnets were recorded here, together with many collared doves and blackbirds. Both sparrow hawk and kestrel were present, on occasions, on the look out for an easy meal.

A further adult mediterranean gull was recorded, on the 16th, feeding on the Mersey, by the outfall just below the car park.

A period of high tides, toward the end of January, pushed large numbers of birds closer on the marsh, in front of the bird hide These included 650 canada geese, 1 greylag goose, 18 shelducks, 500 lapwings, 150 redshank, 5 turnstones and several snipe, together with many gulls.

A few rabbits were recorded throughout the period, though in much reduced numbers. The occasional fox was seen, usually on early morning visits or just on dusk.

Meadow pipits, feeding on the pastures, were recorded in small numbers but increased to over fifteen by the months end. Also, more redwings and the occasional fieldfare were present again. Both mistle thrush and song thrush were singing, usually on sunny mornings.

Towards the very end of January the first primroses were seen in the sheltered woodland and by February the first snowdrops were out by the car park.

 Primroses   CAC

In mid February and towards the end of the month a female peregrine falcon, which was occasionally joined by a male, spent a lot of time sitting on a log out on the marsh. It could be seen from the bird hide, on one occasion, being mobbed by two carrion crows.

During the last week of February, a drake wigeon and two shelducks joined the mallard and teal on the scrape pool and over 30 canada geese fed on the grass around the pool edge.