A drop in Temperature increases Duck numbers in my part of the Calder Valley

With temperatures dropping somewhat over the last few days I expected my bird feeders to have become much busier than of late but alas the shortage of small birds generaly in this part of the Calder valley is still very noticeable.

Apart from a wintering Chiff Chaff accompaning a few Blue and Great Tits today was in general somewhat disapointing.

4 Bullfinches where above the feeders at 09:20.

On the other hand it was most noticeable that Duck numbers have risen with some 22 Shovellers and around 220 Teal flushing from the lagoons on Dewsbury Sewage Works this morning.

On the river Calder at Saville Town 16 Widgeon are at the moment grazing on the Southern bank along with nearby on the river itself 10 Cormorants,3 Goldeneye, 8 Goosanders and 2 Little Grebes.

In spite of the still rather high water levels there was 3 seperate sightings of Water Rails.One of these was climing the reeds on Kerries Foods reserve and the other 2 wheree on seperate beds on Dewsbury Sewage Works.There are still 2 Green Sandpipers frequenting the sewage works on a daily basis.

A brief trip to Bretton woods in the afternoon again produced very little in the way of small birds.Rarely in the past have I seen the woods so quiet fot small birds.Only the sound of 2 calling Nutaches and 4 Great tits where on the southern parts of the wood but overhead 62 Lapwings circled for about 20 minutes before heading off South Eastwards.