January 31st 2025

Twenty three Wigeon just south of miniature railway station in flooded field along with 3 x Little Egret. Four Goosander on Heron Marsh fishing pool and three female Goosander on main lake . Kingfisher along the stream bottom of the Dam.

January 30th 2025

A Merlin was hunting the field behind the Scout Hut this afternoon , first Merlin record since 2018. On the lake we're 6 x Goosander  , 5 x Tufted Duck , 12 x Cormorant,  16 x G C Grebe , 4 x Common Gull and a single  G B B Gull. Also noted 8 x Little  Egret , 2 x Grey Wagtail  , 2 x Mistle  Thrush and a single Sparrowhawk. 

January 29th 2025

Eight Little Egrets and six Goosander best of today's offerings.

January 24th 2025

Twenty one Cormorant,  10 x G C Grebe and 6 x Goosander. Around 170 x Canada Geese and 145 x B H Gulls. Single Grey Wagtail and Raven.

January 23rd 2025

South end early morning .

Five Goosander (3 x fem , 2 x drakes) , 3 x G C Grebe and 4 x Cormorant.  Also Jay and a pair of Bullfinch.  

January 22nd 2025

Two drake Pochard at the north end this morning these are scare birds at Rudyard with only a couple of records each year usually of just single birds. Also noted 6 x Teal , 170 x Canada Geese , 180 B H Gulls and 19 x Cormorant.  Redpolls and Siskins still frequenting the north end feeders , and we now have 11 x Great Crested Grebe's back on the lake after there disappearance due to it being frozen over. Three Little  Egrets in the Cattle field below the Dam. 

January 21st 2025

Around 300 Canada Geese were on the water north end this morning along with 150 plus B H Gulls. Also noted were 5 x Lesser Redpoll,  20 x Siskin , several Redwing ,  8 x Common  Snipe and singles of Raven , Grey Wagtail and a Little Egret. Nine Great Crested Grebe's were off the sailing Club along with two drake Tufted Duck , and 12 x Cormorant on the shingle spit.

Just one mile north of Rudyard Lake at Rushton Spencer a Dipper on the River Dane were it passes under the A523.

January 16th 2025

The lake is still frozen today , a second hand report of a G B B Gull on the ice.

January 15th 2015

Even with good overnight temperatures of 4 degrees and daytime at around 10 degrees the lake is still frozen over . On the ice were around 200+ B H Gull's,  Lapwing down from yesterday with 104 x counted. Common Snipe numbers up slightly with 15 noted and a single G C Grebe and 2 x Wigeon in one very small patch of open water. 10 x Teal around the edge of the reedbed along with a single Grey Heron and Cormorant.  Other birds noted Lesser Redpoll  x 3 , Siskin x 9 , Goldfinch x 8 , Nuthatch  x 3 , Coal Tit x 11 , G S Woodpecker drumming. Down the south end good numbers of Redwing with 60 + and around 40+ Fieldfare. A single Little Egret on Heron Marsh along with Buzzard and 4 x Mistle Thrush.

Request.

If any visiting birders get a positive ID on any Willow Tits could they please let myself or a Ranger or county recorder Nick Pom no. Thank you Steve.

Mega Hawfinch January 14th.

A report of a Hawfinch flying over the north end bridge towards the lake mid-afternoon . This would be only the second record for the sight , the other being a flyover on the same date in 2018 by M Stubbs. Record reported from Birdguides. 

Also at Highfield Farm 

Bullfinch x 5

Brambling x 1

Reed Bunting x 1

January 14th 2025

Even though temperatures are now above freezing for the second day the lake is still frozen over. On the ice at the north end were 267 x Lapwing  , 87 x B H Gull's and 10 x Common Snipe. Lesser Redpolls are still visiting the feeders with 4 again today along with several Siskin and Goldfinch. Other birds noted were G S Woodpecker,  9 x L T Tits,  L B B Gull  , Song Thrush and 4 x Chaffinch.  Appeal for sightings,  I know not many birders visit Rudyard but if you do could you either drop me a text with your sightings most of you have my mobile number. If not my e mail address is top right hand side of this blog. Sightings you might not feel are important , but lots of birds that are common at other sites could be scarce here. Iam also after counts of species all will be gratefully appreciated and logged into a database.  We especially would like to know of any Willow Tit sightings as we lost our regular pair from the north end in April 2023.

January 13th 2025

Lake is still completely frozen over from one end to the other.  Its good to see Lesser Redpoll are back at the north end feeders , they have been missing over the past couple of winters. Birds all noted around North end feeders. Nuthatch,  Siskin , Lesser Redpoll , Coal Tit , Goldfinch , Chaffinch , Great and Blue tit , good numbers of Robin with 11 noted between the car park and the bridge .

January 11th 2015

Siskin x 12 and 5 x Redpoll on north feeders . The lake is completely frozen over. Bad conditions under foot around North end car park and feeders.

January 9th 2025

I always spend new year away so this is the first time I have been able to get to Rudyard . Heavy snow again making the roads difficult to get here along with overnight temperatures of down to minus 7. Lesser Redpolls have finally found the feeders at the north end , with 5 birds present today along with 15 Siskin and 20 Goldfinch. The lake is completely frozen.