Drake Mandarin Duck, Kingfisher, Jay, Long-tailed Tits
A combination of Alan's report of 3 drake Mandarins on the canal at Littleborough and some poor weather this morning had me scouting around in the car looking for birds in the rain. Nothing visible at the Lake, so I parked up near the Railway Station and walked to bridge 49 where Alan had seen the birds yesterday. I didn't see anything on my walk out but on the way back there was one Mandarin with Mallards. It must have been tucked into the far edge amongst the foliage and stones and I hadn't noticed. I went back to the car for the camera and then on the way back to the bridge heard a Kingfisher. I soon located it on the far bank and then watched it flitting around, at one point perching on the stone bridge itself. Also a Grey Wagtail was hereabouts.
After getting some short footage of the Mandarin, and seeing a Jay, I wandered back to the car where a decent party of Long-tailed Tits was moving through, with one or two other birds, but they were distant and moving away, so difficult to see what else other than Blue Tit.
Drake Mandarin Duck on the Canal at Littleborough
The weather subsided a little, so I walked around the lake but there was precious little to see, though it did start raining again. Three Great Crested Grebes on the reserve, and a few Redwings in the big hedge were about the highlights.