Wednesday 2 March 2022

Galgate Day 3

We woke this morning to sun streaming in our bedroom window and a sharp frost. It was beautiful out, feeling really spring-like despite the frost.  A song thrush was singing and on the lake were 2 male and a female goosander.  I had the unusual experience of a brown hare run up to my feet in the car park before it saw me.
After breakfast and Peter's run we loaded up the car and and were quickly off the  motorway and driving  through Carnforth towards Leighton Moss RSPB reserve. Peter and I enjoyed an excellent couple of hours in the Eric Morecambe and Tim Allen hides overlooking Morecambe Bay and the saltmarsh.  Immediately in front of us were redshank feeding busily  and further out good numbers of black-tailed godwit and avocet.  Wigeon were present, their whistles carrying across the pools.  The evocative calls of curlew were wonderful to hear but the predominant sound was the cacophony from the large colony of black-headed gulls.  Moving to the Tim Allen hide we were fortunate to have closer views of the black-tailed godwits some of which  had already moulted into their handsome, rufous breeding plumage.
Soon it was time to meet up with Heather and Linda at the visitor centre for lunch before heading heading  out again to the Causway  and the distant Lower hides.  The highlights of this walk were the plentiful marsh tits and occasional  cetti's warblers.  The strident song of the cetti's would periodically explode from right next to the path.  We were unable to spot any of these skulking, reddish brown warblers, though, but they were stunning to hear.
Driving home I reflected contentedly on an excellent day.
Brown Hare
Brown Hare
Goosander, male.
Avocet and black-tailed godwit
Avocet
Avocet
Avocet
Black-tailed godwit
Black-tailed godwit
Black-tailed godwit
Bullfinch
Chaffinch
Cormorant
Cormorant
Great black backed gulls
Goosander, female
Goosander, female
Goosander, female
Jay
Marsh Tit
Oystercatcher
Redshank
Shoveler x cinnamon teal
Snipe
Snipe
Wigeon

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