Twice in Two Days at Elton Reservoir in Bury

I'd been meaning to go to Elton Reservoir in Bury for a while now, as there have been seven Scaup reported there and these are a good year tick for me. There was also the promise of Water Rail down the canal, so a few things to look out for.

However, the first day I went it rained constantly, so I just stayed in the car on the car park watching the feeders where two Bramblings were the highlight as well as the sheer numbers of Goldfinches and Greenfinches.
Credit must be given to Steven Higginbottom for funding and managing this wonderful resource largely off his own back. On the second day I added Willow Tit and Long-tailed Tit to my list from the first day where I had already seen two Jays, a Robin, several Reed Buntings, a pair of Bullfinches, two Blackbirds, a Dunnock, and many Woodpigeons, Magpies and Mallards around the feeders.

The next day I made a second visit and I managed to get a break in weather long enough to find the Scaup, although there were only six of them while I was there (2m + 4f). In addition, there were two drake Pochards and two pairs of Goldeneye on the reservoir, as well as lots of Tufted Ducks and Gull and several Grea Crested Grebes. I also had the usual very brief glimpse of a Water Rail as well as a Little Egret in a nearby field, but unfortunately no photos.