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Post Info TOPIC: Leighton Moss Today


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Leighton Moss Today
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Just a quick write up about how the day went.  Craggy and I went.  Just arrived after sunrise.  Big welcome by a Song Thrush singing away with other smaller birds - a mini dawn chorus already.  We stopped off at the Lillian's hide for a few minutes and most of the pool was frozen.  Next stop was the Public Hide where two different  Jay's were showing very well.  At the grit trays a man told us some Otters were showing very well at the Public Hide.  We moved quickly and we were greeted by two heads bobbing up and down with one feasting on an eel.    A Marsh Harrier also floated over the reeds.  They porpoised in the water but did not come out on the ice for us.   Next stop was the Lower Hide - on the way Marsh Tits showed very well, along with Pheasants and the usual passerines.  Had we stayed at the Public Hide for a few more minutes we may have got a  Bittern which sadly eluded us.  I heard a brief Chiffchaff but not heard again.   

We did stop at the Public and Lillian on the way back and then to the highlight of the day - the café.  I ordered a Café Mocha Cake, a Mocha and a bottle of Lemonade.  The next two stops were at the Jackson and Grizedale Hides where a Little Egret and three Red Deer running down the slope in the distance.  We stopped off at the feeding trunks where one of the major highlights of the day, in fact thee highlight of the day, was a vole peeping it's head out of a hole in a tree and it's burrow.  It would be most likely a Bank Vole from what I had heard previously.  Marsh Tit, Nuthatch, Chaffinch, Robin, Coal Tit, Great Tit, Blue Tit, Dunnock, Mallard, Pheasant, a Wren and a Grey Squirrel helped themselves to the food put out. 

In a small flock of Chaffinches a single Brambling showed well briefly before flying off.  We told the reserve warden and he was quite excited.  At the visitor centre we were told about a Black Redstart showing very well quite nearby.  We were told by someone it sat on a red brick chimney on a farmhouse and I think one of the easiest Lifers Craggy had.  He picked it up as we drove towards it.  It was a British tick for me.  It flew off and then eventually made it's way back

At the Morecambe and Allen Hides a large flock of Lapwing greeted us.  Lifers for Craggy included Greenshank and Spotted Redshank.  Other waders out there included Godwits, Curlews, Dunlin.  Within the area we missed a Kingfisher and a Barn Owl.  Here is a list for all the birds we saw and all in all a very good day.  I had not been for 5 months and it was a Great Return.  List of birds seen:-

 

1. Mute swan

 

2. Canada geese

 

3. Greylag Geese

 

4. Shelduck

 

5. Mallard

 

6. Gadwall

 

7. Pintail

 

8. Shoveler

 

9. Wigeon

 

10. Teal

 

11. Tufted Duck

 

12. Pheasant

 

13. Cormorant

 

14. Little Egret

 

15. Grey Heron

 

16. Marsh Harrier

 

17. Kestrel

 

18. Buzzard

 

19. Mooren

 

20. Coot

 

21. Oystercatcher

 

22. Lapwing

 

23. Dunlin

 

24. Greenshank

 

25. Redshank

 

26. Spotted Redshank

 

27. Black tailed Godwit

 

28. Curlew

 

29. Snipe

 

30. Black-headed Gull

 

31. Common Gull

 

32. Herring Gull

 

33. Lesser Black Backed Gull

 

34. Great Black Backed Gull

 

35. Feral Pigeon

 

36. Woodpigeon

 

37. Collared Dove

 

38. Great Spotted Woodpecker

 

39. Green Woodpecker

 

40. Meadow Pipit

 

41. Pied Wagtail

 

42. Dunnock

 

43. Robin

 

44. Song Thrush

 

45. Blackbird

 

46. Chiffchaff (brief in song)

 

47. Goldcrest

 

48. Wren

 

49. Marsh Tit

 

50. Coal Tit

 

51. Lue Tit

 

52. Great Tit

 

53. Nuthatch

 

54. Treecreeper

 

55. Magpie

 

56. Jay

 

57. Jackdaw

 

58. Carrion Crow

 

59. Rook

 

60. Starling

 

61. House Sparrow

 

62. Chaffinch

 

63. Brambling

 

64. Linnet

 

65. Goldfinch

 

66. Greenfinch

 

67. Bullfinch

 

68. Reed Bunting

 

69. Black Redstart

 

 

 



-- Edited by sarfraz on Saturday 7th of February 2015 10:05:04 PM

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Hi Sarfraz

Thanks for a grate day at Leighton Moss all I can think to add are the Water Rails that we heard along the causeway

and the new viewing platform added a photo of it along with some of the day

 

Cheers Craggy

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



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Nice report guys and a good list of birds.

No Cettis' song yet?

I heard that the RSPB were in the process of culling the Red Deer at Leighton Moss was their any info about this going ahead?


Lovely shots Craggy especially the last one, very atmospheric.

Cheers.



-- Edited by Ste Rush on Sunday 8th of February 2015 04:09:07 PM

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Hi Ste

Thanks for the comment. We missed Long Tailed Tit, Tawny Owl, Peregrine, Cetti's Warbler, Raven - some of the birds seen or even heard regularly over the area. Siskin, Redpoll, Bearded Tit and Bittern also missing - the last two were sighted on the day. Had I got all those I think I would have broken the record of the number of birds seen in a particular area in a day, although I was not really counting.

Cetti was heard by others but not by us. It would have been nice to introduce Craggy to the explosive song of the Cetti Warbler - not often a warbler declares war on you!

I did not ask any of the staff or volunteers about the controversial policy although did chat to some visitors and views are very divided. The photos are very good. Can't wait to get up that watch tower but I am sure there will be massive queues for it. The reed shots are very good - first one giving a real good sense of scale of it. I will add some photos hopefully soon!

Sarfraz



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Cheers Ste/Sarfraz

 

Yep like that last photo too

Nice area to go to lots to see, next trip up in spring or early summer

 

Cheers Craggy



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Hi Sarfraz

 

The Black Redstart takes a backseat when you have cake looking has good as that waiting in the cafe LOL

 

Cheers Craggy



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Nice eye for a bit of photographic artistry Sarfraz.

Mary Berry would not be so pleased with either the arrangement of the cake or the layering of the offending article.....

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Thanks Ste! What would she have said about eating etiquette and wolfing treats down fast :P

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