Arrived at Leighton Moss by 9.50am and straight to Lillians hide where a crowd was stood up frantically looking for some creature in the distance.  I was excited and expected Garganey but Otter came the reply.  However, it had gone and then the crowd vanished also.  I was sat for 10 minutes looking at the Black-headed Gulls, Pochard, Shoveler, Mallard, Gadwall, Tufted Duck, Great Crested Grebe, Little Grebe, Moorhen, Coot, Mute Swan, Greylag, Canada Geese, Grey Heron half-heartedly.  The Gulls were clearly mobbing something aggresively in the reeds but I could not see a single thing.  Then right at the back I noticed something swimming across and adrenalin rushed through my body.  It disappeared and I thought maybe its a duck.  I lost it twice and then I was confident to shout out Otter.  It was "porpoising" in and out of the water as one man had described it before.  It was a first for me.  15 minutes into the trip and I had seen something I had never seen before.  I was happy that i had picked it up myself. 

We walked onto the Public Hide and in the woods and on the feeders Blue Tits, Coal Tits, Great Tits, Long-tailed Tits, Marsh Tits, Bullfinch, Goldfinch, Chaffinch, Robin with a single young, Dunnock, Collared Dove, Blackbird, Song Thrush, Chiffchaff and Blackcap.  Walking down the path through the reedbed and we heard and saw Sedge Warbler, Reed Warbler and Reed Bunting.  From the Public Hide we saw Lapwing, Greylags with young, Great-Black Backed Gull and some Marsh Harriers.  Onto the Lower Hide we went where a Wren was showing very well and a Green-veined butterfly put in an appearance.   

Usually i would walk back but this time I decided to walk onwards along toe reedbed and through the woods to the main road.  A couple were standing quietly and it turned out that a Grasshopper Warbler was showing.   We did not have to wait long when suddenly a bird popped up from the undergrowth like a jack-in-the-box and started to reel.  As it did a stunning male Marsh Harrier flew over our heads and we did not know where to look.  The Gropper was gone.  We carried on waiting when after 20 minutes it was ot in the open again reeling for at least 2 minutes.   We were very lucky indeed!  Onwards we went adding Mistle Thrush and Buzzard to the list.

Once back at the centre and a brief stop at the feeders revealed a Nuthatch and a Bullfinch as the a-list guest list.  We decided to pop to the Grizedale and Jackson hide.  First stop Jackson hide where a party of Black-tailed Godwits was showing very well.  A number of Cormorants were also present.  On the way to the Grizedale hide a sudden explosion rocked the reserve.  The culprit was not to be seen.  The Cetti's Warbler was skulking away and decided to stay quiet.  Another bird was present near the hide itself - a crowd had gathered outside to observe.  No Red Deeer here today!

Off to the Eric Morecamble Complex and in the scrub and trees Whitethroat, Lesser Whitethroat, Sedge Warbler, Willow Warbler, Garden warbler and the biggest surprise of all in the form of another musical explosion was a Cetti's Warbler.  Not just heard but actually seen as well.  This was my first sighting of one in the north-west having seen them first in Dorset, then Portugal and London.  From the hides we saw Avocet, Redshank, Oystercatcher, Shelduck, Meadow Pipits and Starling.  We decided to end the day with a visit to Warton Crag where a Peregrine was showing very well.   Other birds seen at Leighton Moss include House Sparrow, Carrion Crow, Jackdaw and Magpie.   I probably have missed a few too!