A Good Day at Leighton Moss RSPB Reserve.

 A much better day for weather today. As John and Steve were playing golf and the ladies caught the train to Ulverston, I treated myself to a session at Leighton Moss RSPB reserve. As usual at this splendid reserve, I had an excellent day with 43 bird species and 9 butterfly species.

Avocet

Black-tailed godwit and somewhere in there is a wood sandpiper.

Reed Bunting

Speckled Wood (marked?)

Swallow

Comma

Comma

Cormorant

Large White

Green-veined white. Mating pair.

The Lakes, Day 5. Leighton Moss Birding

 As usual, we had an excellent day at Leighton Moss and the birding was good with 39 species including greenshank, marsh tit and great white egret. An added bonus was buying some new binoculars for my Christmas present.

Chaffinch

Chaffinch

Goldfinch in moult

Blue tit

Goldfinch

Bearded Tits on grit tray

Bearded Tits on grit tray

Cormorant

Cormorant

Pintail

Snipe

Lake District, April 2024. Day 7, Our First Dry Day.

The sky was bruised-looking this morning, light from the east turning the blue-black clouds deepest indigo. It was to be a good day, however, with clearing skies and some sun with temperatures up to 16C. Leighton Moss and bird watching was the objective for today and we were pulling into the full car park at 11.00 am. Once checked in and a chat with the wardens as to what was about, and we were out on the reserve. The first stop was the feeding station where there were surprisingly few birds about and sadly no marsh tits. Next it was on to the comfort of Lillian's Hide where there were large numbers of pristinely smart tufted ducks and noisy black-headed gulls. A pair of great crested grebes were displaying over at the the far side of the lagoon; good to see but too far away for photography.

On our way along the Causeway we stopped at the grit trays put out for the bearded tits and I couldn't believe it when a pair of birds popped out onto the trays and then, better still when the male hopped back into the reeds and posed beautifully. It was rather late for them to be using the grit trays and perhaps the cold, wet weather meant that insects were few and far between. During the winter, when there are no insects, 'beardies' feed on reed seeds and fill their crops with grit to help process the seeds. During the summer, they feed on insects and have no need of the grit. I have lost count of the number of times I have been past these grit trays and seen no birds using them so it was a red letter day.

From Causeway hide there was another great crested grebe but it appeared to be on its own. A cormorant was stretching its wings to dry them and a pair of lesser black-backed gulls looked hunched and phlegmatic. It was a bit of a paddle to get to lower hide but worth it for the good views of my first sand martins of the year and a couple of gadwall. Summer visitors were starting to arrive, like the sand martins, and there were six warbler species now of which I managed 5: cetti's (here all the year round), chiffchaff, willow warbler, blackcap and reed warbler. I missed out on the sedge warblers. The other magical sign of spring was the booming of the bitterns, about 5 booming males. The bittern is a large secretive member of the heron family, streaked with muted brown tones which provide wonderful camouflage against the reeds. They need extensive reed beds and Leighton Moss is noted for them. When the males are displaying to defend territory and to attract a mate they produce a deep booming sound, rather like blowing over a milk bottle top, which can be heard up to three miles away. Marsh harriers are plentiful here with several pairs breeding in the reed beds and we were lucky enough to get good views of two.

All too soon it was time to leave and prepare for our son Thomas to arrive and stay the night with us.

Photos of bearded tit and bittern from my archive. Others from this visit include snakeshead fritillary and cowslips, bearded tits, chaffinch, great-crested grebes, coot, lichen, robin, gadwall, teal and tufted duck.

 As usual we received a warm welcome from the RSPB wardens when we arrived at the Leighton Moss Visitor Centre on a pleasant sunny morning.  They always take real pleasure in pointing out to us where the plum species might be seen.  We began our morning at the feeding station where, among other species I was delighted to see several marsh tits.  We then moved on keen to get round to Lower Hide.  On the way we called in at the bearded tit grit trays and Causeway Hide.  There were no beardies to be seen but for some reason it did seem to be attracting plenty of small birds including a coulple more marsh tits.  Lower Hide produced the bird of the day: a female long-tailed duck, although it never really came close enough for successful photography.  Back at the centre we met up with Peter and Linda for a cup of tea and then made our way to Lillian's Hide where we were delighted to see a jack snipe.  On the way to Grizedale and Tim Jackson's Hides we heard cettis warblers; they seem to be doing really well on the reserve and we heard several.  By now the weather had closed in and while in Tim Jackson Hide the rain set in big time.  Time to dash back to the cars and head for the Strickland Arms at Sizerh for another excellent meal. 

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Blue tit

Gadwall

Great Egret

Grteat Tit

Marsh Tit

House Sparrow

House sparrow

Long-Tailed Duck

Long-Tailed Duck

Distant Marsh Harrier

Marsh Tit

Marsh Tit

Reed Bunting

Reed Bunting

Common Snipe

Tufted Duck

Pheasant