A total of 86 species were reported in December, totalling 841 sightings, with the following most notable:
Caspian Gull (max of 2 on 10 days, typically seen in the evening roost), Chiffchaff (3 on 13th), Common Scoter (1 on 13th), Dunlin (singles on 11th and 13th), Egyptian Goose (2 on 14th), Goldeneye (max of 9 birds almost daily), Golden Plover (singles on 14th and 17th), Goosander (max of 48 birds almost daily), Great Black-backed Gull (max of 11 on 13 days), Iceland Gull (1 on 22nd), Little Egret (1 on 17th and 18th), Mediterranean Gull (singles in roost on 3 days), Pink-footed Goose (max of 150 on 5 days), Pintail (5 on 29th), Pochard (max of 14 on 8 days), Purple Sandpiper (1 on 8th), Raven (max of 2 on 4 days), Red-crested Pochard (1 seen on 8 days), Redshank (1 on 11th and 14th), Shelduck (1 on 10th), Shoveler (up to 8 on 7 days), Snipe (max of 10 birds, almost daily), Stonechat (1 seen almost daily), Tawny Owl (1 on 3rd), Water Rail (1 seen almost daily), Wigeon (max of 22 on 13 dates), Willow Tit (up to 2 seen almost daily), Woodcock (1 on 3rd)
Thanks as always to everyone who contributed to the monthly reports, either by writing in the hide diary, contacting me directly, or by commenting on the club Whatsapp group:
Bill Padley, Julie Atkinson, Steve Sutcliffe, Matthew Birkin, John Turner, Dave Mansfield, Steve Walker, Mary Wilde, Mick McNeill, Ian Hallam, Martin Kaye, Julie Clewes, Phillip Buxton, Andy Marshall, Val Jones, Richard Lowe, Trevor West, Roger Thornley, Kevin Grayston, Caroline Sowerbutts, John Kirby, Roger Wood, David Marshall, Mike Conroy, Rob Simmons, Nikki Mahadevan, Richard Clark, David Griffin, Steve James.