I had a birthday last year! - 18 February 2013

First, I must make it clear that... I love Leighton Moss... I love RSPB reserves and before I get accused of being a male whatsit of some description... I love women too. However, the ageing lady (I'm not ageist either) that I, my wife, my friends and my fellow birders had to endure today, was an extreme example of what you can occasionally come up against when out for a quiet days birding at popular nature reserves.

To cut a long story short... we had enjoyed a great day at Leighton Moss (RSPB) with friends Amy and Chris. We saw lots of birds, with a great view of a Marsh Harrier and I saw my first Green Woodpecker for nearly 2 years. We had a great lunch (nice tuna balls Ames - pity about the carrot cake icing Chris), met some lovely people along the way and decided to end the day with an hour in the Eric Morecambe Hide. And that's where it went pear-shaped!

I just had time to find 3 Spotted Redshank for everyone before it happened... the arrival of Mrs Megaphone and her - surely by now deaf - accomplices! Showing absolutely no interest in the birds and sitting with her back to the water, off she went at maximum decibels...

"I COULD MURDER A CUPPA..."
"DO YOU KNOW WHO I SAW LAST WEEK..."
"BEST VICTORIA SPONGE I EVER HAD..."
"I HAD A BIRTHDAY LAST YEAR..."
"KNIT ONE PEARL ONE..."
"MARKS & SPENCERS, 3 FOR A POUND..."
"WHY IS EVERYONE LEAVING?"

And leave we did, in droves. It is not the first time that we have encountered this problem and I'm sure it will not be the last. But it was, I assure you, the most extreme example imaginable. Do these ignorant people not wonder why the rest of us speak so quietly, do they not ask themselves why hides empty shortly after they arrive?

The Eric Morecambe Hide was recently built and is brilliant. It is a short drive from the main reserve and is where a lot of visitors choose to end their day. Today it ended rather abruptly.
Well done Mrs Megaphone, you emptied it single handedly!

Some highlights...

Moss Bros Pintails - synchronised diving or drowning out the noise?

Grey Heron - wondering where the noise is coming from!

Mynah Heron

Reedlings and Yellowlegs - 23/24/25 October 2012

For our autumn half-term break we headed to Silverdale for a few days camping at Gibraltar Farm, chosen because it's a stone-throw away from Leighton Moss RSPB Reserve. And what a lucky break in the weather... It's hard to believe but there was hardly a breathe of wind off Morecambe Bay for 3 days!

Day 1 (am): A walk to the bottom meadow overlooking the shore and we found a good mixture of birds but no great numbers. Mostly Redshank and Oystercatcher at first, but a rising tide brought Lapwing, Curlew, Shelduck and a couple of Grey Heron. Plenty of gulls too but mostly Black-headed.

Day 1 (pm): Off to Leighton Moss for the main purpose of the trip, a look at the Bearded Tits (or Bearded Reedling) that feed on the grit trays during October. We headed to the causeway, found the viewing point and waited... and waited... but no joy. A wander around and a few hides later, we had ticked off Mute Swan, Mallard, Coot, Moorhen, Curlew, Redshank, Little Egret, Shoveler, Grey Heron, Pochard, Lapwing, Goosander, Great Spotted Woodpecker and Black-tailed Godwit. We checked the grit trays again but again - no joy.

Day 2 (am): Breakfast deferred, we chanced an early trip back to the causeway and found twenty or so others had beaten us to it! The birds had not shown yet so we found a reasonable spot and waited quietly. We didn't wait long before we had some rustling within the reedbed and a female briefly popped her head out before it all went quiet again. However, a little after 10am, a pair of Bearded Tits finally hopped from the reeds onto the grit tray and munched away (grit is required at this time of year as it aids the digestion of the reed seeds they eat due to the lack of insects). Very similar in shape to Long-tailed Tits but now confirmed as a unique family (panuridae), the female is a fine bird but the male, with his long black moustache, is awesome.

Day 2 (pm): We made the short journey to Aldcliffe Marshes for a reported Lesser Yellowlegs and after a good walk checking a few pools, we found it, out in a part-flooded muddy field. It was a juvenile bird feeding amongst a dozen Redshank and we were lucky to catch it before something flushed the birds up and it disappeared for the day. We stayed for a look around and found Greenshank, Wigeon, Grey Heron, Cormorant and 20+ Snipe.

Day 3 (am): Walking off breakfast on the cliffs at Gibraltar Farm we saw Redshank, Wigeon, Oystercatcher, Teal, Grey Heron, Cormorant, Lapwing, Curlew, Goldfinch, Mistle Thrush and a Wheatear.

Day 3 (pm): After a shopping trip to Carnforth, we looked in on the new Allen Hide which, like the Eric Morecambe hide, is brilliant. The light was awful by this time but we did spot a number of Little Egret, Grey Heron, Curlew, Kestrel and a Goosander.

Birding done, we hit the local pub.

Mission accomplished - a pair of Bearded Tits at Leighton Moss

 Dusk view of the bay from our porch

Last bird of the trip - a moulting male Goosander

Leighton Moss - 1 September 2012

PK's back to work 'treat weekend' was a trip up to Silverdale for a visit to Leighton Moss RSPB reserve.

The Marsh Harriers had moved on by now, so rather than sitting too long in cold hides, we moved through the reserve taking in as much as we could.

We saw a number of species including (order as seen) Gadwall, Mallard, Coot (hundreds), Moorhen, Cormorant, Shoveler, Greenshank, Spotted Redshank, Mute Swan, Black-headed Gull, Pochard, Peregrine, Little Egret, Pied Wagtail, Curlew, Black-tailed Godwits, Redshank, Lapwing, and Grey Heron. And back at the car, I spotted a fantastic Elephant Hawk Moth caterpillar.

We must return in October for the Bearded Tits!

 Female Shoveler at Leighton Moss

Elephant Hawk Moth caterpillar at Silverdale