Summer birdwatching is often a fairly predictable affair; many breeding birds are at the end of their nesting season and there are lots of fledged youngsters to be seen, getting to grips with life. Here at Leighton Moss we have seen this year's batch of marsh harrier chicks taking the wing and at the time of writing we have at least seven fledglings around the reserve. Bitterns have continued to show well, both in flight and on and around the pool edges, delighting visitors. Bearded tits too have been heard and spotted regularly, mainly along the Causeway and the path to Grisedale Hide.
One of the key species to look out for in the summer months is hobby - these dashing falcons are fantastic to watch as they hawk over the reedbeds and pools in search of their favourite prey, dragonflies. Hobbies are still quite scarce in this region so it is always a thrill to catch sight of these highly migratory raptors. Hobby pic by Mike Malpass
Talking of dragonflies, this is a great time of year to look for an array of species here including exotically named Emperor dragonflies, black-tailed skimmers and broad-bodied chasers - along with butterflies and lots of other fascinating insects!
In other news, we had a very scarce visitor drop in earlier this week when an unseasonal Sabine's gull was discovered at Causeway Pool on Tuesday afternoon. This rare visitor from the high Arctic is far more likely to be seen offshore in autumn so a dapper adult in full-breeding garb is quite something to see anywhere in the UK! This attractive gull played cat-and-mouse with local birdwatchers as it divided its time between bouts of feeding on the Causeway Pool, roosting at the Allen Pools and then disappearing out to sea for long spells. It was last reported on Thursday evening and may well have moved on - or fingers crossed it returns to delight visiting birders over the weekend! Photo of Sabine's gull by Ken Smith
If you are planning to visit us this Saturday, you can drop in to our Meet The Moths event in The Holt between 10am and 1pm where a range of fascinating moth species caught in local traps overnight will be on display! Check out our programme of activities and guided walks by visiting our events page here.