Lake District, May, Day 6

The weather forecast was correct this morning, we awoke to grey skies and rain.  It was to be hoped that it would continue to be correct and clear up later.  We drove to the Eric Morecambe car park at Leighton Moss through continuing rain to meet up with my brother and his wife.  While Peter and I headed for the hides Heather and Linda set out to walk across the marsh to Silverdale.  We began in the Tim Allen Hide before moving on to the Eric Morecambe Hide.  Things could hardly be described as quiet but the number of species present was low.  The number of birds was high, though, as the 1000+ black-headed gulls were busy with nesting and the noise from the colony was deafeningly raucous.  Most were sitting on eggs but some had young chicks.  Avocet were nesting amongst them and were gamely sitting on eggs.  Sadly when the chicks hatch they make a handy snack for the adult gulls.  We were delighted to find a lone mediterranean gull among the black-headed.  What a handsome bird it was with its black head coming down the neck rather than the chocolate brown cap of the black-headed.  It had a startling white eye ring and a heavier more crimson coloured bill.  We were surprised to meet Heather and Linda when we returned to the Tim Allen Hide; their walk to Silverdale was thwarted by the high tide.  They were drenched from the rain, though.  Sheltering in the hide, we had lunch and drove round to Silverdale to walk to the Lots to see the green-winged orchids.  We then walked down to Jenny Brown's Point checking out Jack Scout for more orchids on the way.  By now the clouds had cleared and temperatures soared to 18C becoming very humid in the process.  Returning to the cars we drove back down to the main reserve for a final bit of bird watching, amused by the potted ladies slipper in the garden.  We enjoyed excellent views of marsh harrier and were amused by the great black-backed gull that seems to have taken up residence on the platform recently constructed for osprey..  A rumble of thunder heralded threatening clouds and the beginning of the promised storm.  We made a tactical withdrawal managing not to get too wet and then headed for the excellent Strickland Arms for our evening meal.  A great end to a smashing day.

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Avocet

Avocet

Avocet

Ladies Slipper Orchid

Ladies Slipper Orchid

Ladies Slipper Orchid

Mediterranean Gull

Mediterranean Gull

Mediterranean Gull

Mediterranean Gull