Moore Nature Reserve, Warrington

With the prospect of some better weather today, I paid my first visit to Moore Nature Reserve in Warrington. As well as a general recognisance visit to learn the lay of the land, I had three target birds in mind:

• Tawny Owl
• Lesser Spotted Woodpecker
• Bittern

These birds have all been reported recently on the Manchester Birding Forum thread for Moore.

On my way round today I saw the following birds:

• Greenfinch
• Treecreeper
• Robin
• Magpie
• Wigeon
• Tufted Duck
• Great Tit
• Blue Tit
• Gadwall
• Coot
• Moorhen
• Great Black-backed Gull
• Grey Heron (juvenile)
• Herring Gull
• Black-headed Gull
• Oystercatcher
• Starling
• Woodpigeon
• Shelduck
• Little Grebe
• Canada Goose
• Mallard
• Long-tailed Tit
• Great Spotted Woodpecker
• Buzzard
• Great Crested Grebe
• Teal
• Water Rail (heard only)
• Raven
• Cormorant
• Crow
• Goldfinch
• Jackdaw
• Tawny Owl
• Reed Bunting
• Jay
• Chiffchaff
• Oh and the back of a beautiful light brown fox as it ran away from the feeding station.

So 37 species on my first visit and one of my three target birds spotted - I can't be too disappointed with that can I?  But I'll be back .....