Our last blog post has been a rather hard act to follow – while we haven’t had any more reports of a merlin inside a hide, a different agile falcon has been the star of the show! Hobbies have been a favoured sighting for the past few weeks, with four individuals seen on the reserve at one time. It was unusual to see a single bird in this area only a few years ago, so watching these aerial acrobats all together at Leighton Moss has been quite the treat.
While passage migration has been off to a rather slow start this summer, we are now starting to see some autumn movement. Wader numbers are building on the saltmarsh despite the ongoing work on the coastal lagoons. Do check in with the Welcome desk on your arrival to get the latest on where we anticipate that there might be disturbance. After weeks of absence, four avocets appeared briefly yesterday, alongside redshank and greenshank – a fine reminder that this is an uncertain time of year so please do report your sightings back to our staff and volunteers. Similarly, its worth taking your time on the paths between hides as the willow scrub has been a hub of activity for willow warblers and sedge warblers.
(Photo: Redshanks by David Mower)
Wildfowl numbers are slowly starting to build, with the presence of teal, shoveler and gadwall becoming more noticeable on site. These ducks are, however, still in their eclipse plumage so can be rather tricky to identify for a beginner birder!
Much like previous weeks, ospreys are still present most days, and otter sightings are a regular occurrence. Red deer are showing well at the moment, and have been encountered rather close to the hides. Kingfishers have been treating visitors to some spectacular views, and have been regularly seen posing, perched on posts, to the delight of many photographers. Marsh harriers have been absent at Leighton Moss for the past few weeks, typical of post breeding season, but one female has returned to the reserve and has been spotted around the reedbed over the last few days.
Speaking of migrations, our very own resident blogger and Visitor Experience Manager, Jon Carter, is going on a journey of his own - he is off on a secondment within the RSPB! Jon’s video updates on the reserve have been a real hit on social media, but rest assured that you’ll still be able to find regular online updates in his absence (and if you haven’t already, then why not hit Like and Follow over on Facebook and Twitter?) Good luck Jon!
Now, if you’re pondering over potential new binoculars, or stumped on which scope to start with, then why not come and visit our Binoculars and Telescopes event? Over the past week, our team have been set up in the garden with our extensive range ready for you to try. We have a wide selection, including RSPB’s own products alongside other brands such as Swarovski, Leica, Zeiss and Kowa. For the coming weekend, optics experts are on hand to answer any of your queries, from 11am-4pm, and are more than happy to allow you to try out your options on our feeding stations and in the hides! The birds on site are (mostly) willing models; there’s no better way to get a real feel for optical features than out in the field. If you are visiting this weekend, then we still have a few places available to book on Birding for Beginners walk if you’re looking for an expert guide to lead you around the Moss!
We hope to see you soon
Beth