What to do on a bright, calm October morning?

Visit Leighton Moss, of course, and hope to see one of their most iconic residents, as this is supposed to be the best time and bright, calm mornings offer the best chance. I got there at about nine yesterday (6 Oct) and headed straight for the Causeway, where I found three people I know already there and half a dozen others. What were all there for? This guy.

It took until 9.30 before one finally showed up, although we had spotted them coming gradually closer for some time. This was only my second sighting ever of this strikingly beautiful bird. Since my first was only two weeks ago and I failed to get any photos. I joined all the other photographers snapping away, just in case no others appeared. I needn't have worried as more were coming in all the time.

Apparently, you can tell the year the bird was ringed if you know the colour combination, as the guy next to me did.

The male's moustache is so striking

And they do take up their odd pose doing the splits, as if they're walking on stilts

We had started off taking photos at every opportunity. After half an hour of continuous sightings, with up to seven birds on one grit tray, we were all getting blase and even inventing games, like how many could you get in one frame. Three apparently. The one bottom right has a noticeably smaller moustache than normal.

The man trying to keep tabs on individual birds had given up in despair as with up a dozen birds visible, he simply couldn't track so many. It was a fantastic problem to have!

After 90 minutes and uncountable photos (I overloaded the computer when I got home!), I couldn't believe I was walking away while birds were still coming in. They had put on a great show and I would have been content if I didn't see anything else. I was hungry, though, so headed off for a quick Cajun chicken panini, cup of tea and bit of cake, but passed this circling buzzard on the way.

And couldn't resist a low level shot of this mallard in the dipping pool

I'd heard the Purple Heron was still around. As I walked up to Grisedale, one of the people I know coming the other way, told me it had been out, but had wandered off. "It might come back," he said, which usually means "bad luck, you've missed it!" Sure enough, there was no sign of it for a while, then a heron's head popped out of the reeds. I spent a few minutes wondering if it was Grey or Purple but then it came out a bit more and excited everyone: it was Purple after all! I've already missed it twice, so it was great to finally catch it, even if it flew off immediately.

On the way back to Lillian's Hide, this Robin wasn't about move for any mere photographer

Two fawns were in front of the hide - I guess Roe Deer, but may be wrong.

And you don't see this everyday - a juvenile Grey Heron and a fawn checking each other out.

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This Snipe was one of five in front of Morecambe hide

And this Carrion Crow landed so close, I couldn't not take its photo

So, there you go. If you're free on a bright, calm October morning, go to Leighton Moss if you can, and I hope you're as lucky as I was! 

PS I know there's a lot of Bearded Tit photos, but how could I not put them in after the show they gave?