Rob Creek wrote:

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Other birds of note :

- pair of Willow Tits at feeders

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Willow Tits Rob???

I went today echo what PHil said it was insane two extra car parks and half of England there every hide packed.

But lovely day nothing to report except a heron eating a water vole whole and the poor animal moving in its stomach. Watched the starling display at dusk but again the starlings had an off day just a small display.

As always lovely place

Quick AM visit
No Bearded Tits
Public Hide
5 Scaup (all f/juv) flew in
Lillian's
F Long Tailed Duck distant
F Goosander closer caught huge fish which it hoovered down in seconds

-- Edited by John O'Neill on Sunday 3rd of November 2013 08:00:58 PM

steven burke wrote:

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Tanmay Dixit wrote:

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Yeah, it was great to see the bone, from Dunham Park did you say? They obviously seem to actually know their stuff - even Martin who prob has to appear to lack some knowledge because Chris does that role. Did you confirm axis/atlas?
It was good to meet you :)
Also appreciated Martin apologising when the crew disturbed the bearded tits, spoke to him later by the visitor centre.

Forgot to mention snipe, thrushes etc.
Also 40+ siskin on the alders (?) on the way to Lower hide. Didn't see anything else amongst them.

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good to see you then, now I know your face, next time I will officially introduce myself
I had a look at the skeleton of a rabbit, axis/atlas kind of resembles it, but i'm sure chris packham knows his stuff. met & spoke to him again later in the shop, very nice chap.
it was nice of martin to apologise & the crew also.
I also had lots of siskins flying around & landing in the alders, also forgot to mention a green woodpecker was yaffling near the visitor centre when I first arrived, plenty of water rails heard all around the reserve.

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Sent you a PM Steven

Yeah, it was great to see the bone, from Dunham Park did you say? They obviously seem to actually know their stuff - even Martin who prob has to appear to lack some knowledge because Chris does that role. Did you confirm axis/atlas?
It was good to meet you :)
Also appreciated Martin apologising when the crew disturbed the bearded tits, spoke to him later by the visitor centre.

Forgot to mention snipe, thrushes etc.
Also 40+ siskin on the alders (?) on the way to Lower hide. Didn't see anything else amongst them.

This am and early PM

Spent the morning watching bearded tits on the grit trays, with Chris Packham and Martin Hughes-Games who were filming, it was good to meet them and have a brief chat! Sounds like Autumnwatch will be good this year.

11+ bearded reedling (lifer) showed really well on grit trays
1 bittern (flew left to right from public hide in the morning)
At least 2 marsh harrier, one male, one imm. fem.
1 sparrowhawk from Grisedale
2+ marsh tit in the woodland trail
Usual waterfowl - mallard, teal, pintail, wigeon, shoveler, gadwall, goosander reported etc

Lots of shooting heard from areas adjacent to the reserve :(

1 otter very briefly from lower hide
1 red deer hind from Tim Jackson hide

Good to meet Kevin Kelly and others - it's getting busy with AW starting soon! :)
And great rubythroat pic Kevin!

-- Edited by Tanmay Dixit on Saturday 26th of October 2013 05:56:55 PM

Same as Bill
I was there yesterday also strolled up to the grit trays about 9.45 and within 5 minutes a pair of bearded tits (M+F) showed for about 10 minutes
I been numerous times in the past with no luck
Also of note
Water Rail and Kingfisher from public hide
Bittern from lower hide (albeit a brief view from flyover reed beds for about 10 seconds)
Marsh Harrier (M+F) from Tim Jackson Hide
All in all a good day
Cheers

I was there today and got much the same as you although I only went the Marsh hides and Public hide. Sorry to tell you though I struck lucky with the Beardies with a pair on the grit trays and I just strolled up at 9.30 and there they were so coiuldnt ask for more than that. However i had tried last Monday and no luck and at least 4 other times this year. Earlier the better seems to be the way

Cracking day today, highlights were an otter right in front of the public hide, about 8 or 9 bearded tits on the grit trays and quite close up views of a female kingfisher at the Eric Morecambe hide.

Trip over to Leighton Moss in warm pleasant conditions,

Female Marsh Harrier
Curlew Sandpiper 2
Black Tailed Godwit 20
Redshank c40
Kingfisher
Bearded Tit heard but unfortunately not seen
Nuthatch
Willow Tit

Little Egret 4
Pink Footed Goose c50

Also
Gadwall, Pintail, Pochard, Widgeon, Shoveler and Teal

Hi Steven, sounds like you had a cracking day! Ill send you the details from the two Bearded tits, with details of sex etc. I couldn't make out too much from the photos, so ill confirm the ino for you. Nice find on the Spottted flys!!!
Good to see you

AM/PM
Marsh Harrier-4 fem/1 adult male/1 Imm male- Best views from the lower Hide
plenty swift
1 Cetti's Warbler song only
Raven -4
plenty godwits and Avocets
Coastal pools very flooded-not much cop for photography :(

Tuesday, April 30th.
Highlights.

Marsh Harrier 1m
Osprey 1 seen from causeway.
Little Gull 2 seen from public hide.
Marsh Tit 2
Curlew Sandpiper 1 from Eric Morecambe hide.
Knot 20+ from Morecambe hide.
Garden Warbler 1
Lesser Whitethroat 1 singing.
Grasshopper Warbler 1 good views of singing male.
Bar-tailed Godwit 2
Black-tailed Godwits/Avocets.

etc.etc.etc.

Hi Steve, a couple of questions. Firstly was the wood warbler singing too,and secondly the two bitterns booming both from same area? And frequency of the booms? Cheers mate sounds like a great day! This information would be great for our records! :)

27th april, just like dave, an excellent day out here with 74 species seen throughout the day, highlights being...

eric Morecambe & allen hides..

2 male lesser whitethroats outside the eric morcambe hide showing really well & putting on there fancy flycatching skills
good views of sedge warbler, plus whitethroats, blackcaps, chiffchaffs & willow warblers.
1 curlew sandpiper, 1 spotted redshank, 6 bar tailed godwits, 5 knot in amongst the black tailed godwits & redshanks
30+ avocets
1 wheatear in fields near the level crossing

around the rest of the reserve...

1 male redstart, only a brief glimpse in field close to lower hide, could not relocate.
1 wood warbler, on path going towards lower hide off the causeway, showing well around 7pm
missed the osprey in the morning
no signs of the pair of garganey
at least 3 marsh harriers
4-6 marsh tits, 1 in particular posing for pics
several buzzards around
2 sparrowhawks
good numbers off mostly sand martins, swallows, several house martins & swifts.
willow warblers all around plus blackcaps, chiffchaffs, reed & sedge warblers
plus all usuals around


birds heard only 2 booming bitterns around 7pm, water rail, tawny owl, green woodpecker & cettis warbler.

-- Edited by steven burke on Sunday 28th of April 2013 12:39:21 AM

66 species at Leighton Moss today, highlights include;
Plenty of Marsh Harrier skydancing action
Osprey within 75m over the causeway
40+ Avocet (Outer hides)
100+ Black Tailed Godwit (Outer hides)
3 Little Egret
Single Ringed Plover
My first Swallows & Sand Martins of the year
Cettis Warbler calling loudly outside Grizedales Hide
My first Willow Warbler of the year (3)
10+ calling Chiffchaff
3 Marsh Tit

Saturday 2nd February 7.45am - 3pm

2 Green Woodpeckers flew over the M6 near Lancaster whilst en route then as I approached the reserve I counted 15 Little Egret in a large tree overlooking one of the marshes
Usuals at the feeding station but not in as good numbers as they were before the work started.
Lillian's Hide- Plenty of Mallard, Tufted Duck, Teal, Pochard, Wigeon, a few female Goldeneye, a high number of Gadwall and a few Pintail. 3 Marsh Harriers (2 adults 1 young) showing very well quite close to the hide.
Water Rail also showing well up close to the hide, 14 Snipe, Cormorant, Coot, Moorhen, feral GreylagGeese, Common- Black-Headed - and Great Black Backed Gulls all on show. All this and 2 Bearded Reedlings flying over the reeds to the right of the hide but not close enough to get a shot.

Grisedale Hide. Think it was a Great Egret as it was certainly large enough, too big for a Little Egret. Marsh Harrier again.

Tim Jackson Hide. Bit quiet, mainly Duck species.

Walked round to the Public and Lower Hide.
Buzzard, 4 Curlew flying over in full voice. A single Lapwing on one of the islands. Others were mainly Ducks here. Except for the Cettis Warbler outside the Public Hide, loud and in your face singing then suddenly stops, it flew out of the reeds, looked at me then flew back in.
Only other bird of note was a single Raven flying quite low near to Lower Hide towards the farm, massive size and the wedge tail a giveaway.
No Otters or Bittern. Otherwise a brilliant day!

Teal Wigeon Gadwall Shoveler Goldeneyes, Pintail showing up well hide, Pochard, Goosander, Tufted, Shelduck Redshank Little Egret, Spotted Redshank, Curlew, Lapwing Oystercatcher, Greylag Geese heard cetti warbler Raven, Buzzard, Green Woodpecker, Great Spotted Woodpecker, 2 Avocet, female sparrowhawk Marsh Tits Bullfinchs and Otter at noon from lower Hide. Lots of people about some quite loud with running commentry which scared quite a bit off, several window smashed, and a bird watcher with a dog in the hides

Same as Ian but plus peregrine, water rail,the usual blue, great coal and marsh tits and a marlin. Grisdale hide look brill now.

Late post for Friday/Saturday

Feeding Station

Marsh Tit
Male Brambling

Main reserve

2 + Water Rail
2 + Marsh Harrier
15+ Little Egret
Kingfisher
Sparrowhawk
2 Snipe

Female Otter

Eric Morcambe and Allen Hide

2 Peregrine Falcon. 1 on the ground feeding on a lapwing
Marsh Harrier
Pintail
Redshank
Greenshank
2 Female Red Breasted Merganser + 1 male
Shoveler
Teal
Little Egret
500+ Lapwing

Lots of ice so number of birds reduced but 3 Whooper swans, Teal ,Gadwall, some Wigeon, 2 Goosander, 1 Goldeneye, Treecreeper Nuthatch, Curlew, Lesser Black-backed Gull Redshank, Lapwing, Juv Marsh Harrier, Lesser Redpoll, Goldcrest, lot of hungry Robins Little Egret fishing with Heron heard Water Rail and sure Green Woodpecker


-- Edited by Ian McKerchar on Saturday 8th of December 2012 03:35:55 PM

I had the very good fortune to go to Leighton Moss today for my first visit - splendid weather and though cold, it reaped the rewards big time

The highlight for me was seeing my first ever BITTERN which coyly emerged from the reeds on the left of Public Hide and flew into them, and then across the hide into the right hand side.

A second lifer was a multiple tick - 6 Marsh Tits were on the feeders and a at a tree on the path where I had a brief chat with a photographer - we saw Nuthatch x 2 and a Great Spotted Woodpecker was heard calling.

At Lillians Hide on my visit a juv.male Marsh Harrier was preening in a distant tree, but a chap with a Swarovski scope got me onto him. Water Rail was heard in the reeds but not seen. 10-15 Snipe were around, including one who, on my second visit, was cocky enough to saunter onto the ice and drill into it with his bill right in front of the hide, giving excellet photo ops (except... I don't have a camera )

A second Marsh Harrier was seen performing well at Public Hide.

Also, a good mix of waterfowl (Teal, Gadwall, Goldeneye, Shoveler, Wigeon and common birds (M Bulfinches on feeding station was my highlight) throughout this truly superb place.

At the rail station 17 Waxwings went over my head as I was taking a call - I missed them, but a reliable source working for the National Trust and who knew his birds said so, and he had seen some whislt working at Arnside Fell.

-- Edited by John Doherty on Thursday 29th of November 2012 07:40:12 PM

Please note, that the Griesdale hide is being removed on Monday the 26th and Tuesday the 27th of November. There will also be limited access to the Tim Jackson hide whilst the old Griesdale hide is being removed too. So if you're visiting on those dates expect some disruptions.

The new hide is apparently expected around three weeks after the 28th.

After our failed attempt at Sizergh, Leighton Moss proved much more successful. The highlights being:-

Great White Egret - showed well from Grisedale hide.
Marsh Harriers - one from Public hide and one from Eric Morecambe hide.
Bearded Tits - 12 reported earlier in the morning on the grit trays. We actually only saw five birds but you could hear others pinging in the reeds.
Merlin - from Eric Morecambe hide.
Greenshank - Eric Morecambe.
Marsh Tit - feeding station.
Water Rail - Lillian's hide.
Kingfisher - Lillian's.

After here we took a walk down by the race track from Sands lane next to the estuary. Not a great deal around down here but plenty birds on shore in the distance. Grey Plover, Golden Plover, Redshanks, etc all noted here.

All in all a good day with 70 species noted in total.