• Alan
  • 20 Jun 2019 6:10 PM
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Leighton Moss Visit 21st to 27th.

  • Alan
    I'm nearly in Sheffield I'll see what time the next train is back.

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  • HAZY

    LOL Alan !! if only you could.       I should be able to photograph the baby bitterns with my iPhone   lol  

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    Regards, Hazel 

  • Alan
    Good luck...looking at some posts I might see about getting my hips and bum done lol.

    My Flickr photos

  • Gardenbirder
    LOL, you lot! We're heading back to the reserve shortly. We'll try to get stereo photos of the juvenile Bitterns--Hazel's from one side and Mr. GB's from another! (If only....!)
    Jim, Can't remember exactly--arrived at LM about 11.30-ish yesterday. We texted Hazel who was at Lower Hide and she, Mike and Paul came back to the centre; Alan and Nigel turned up a bit later. No one knew where you were!

    Kind regards, Ann

  • HAZY

    Just back at the cottage so Paul can collect his heavy rucksacks and he's now about to board the train from Silverdale to Preston and transfer to the west coast fast line to London. Ann and Jeremy are on reserve and I will shortly catch up with them at Grisedale for hopefully some M.Harrier viewing and even a hobby or two perhaps ! Jim has gone to Foulshaw Moss and then he's stopping over in Barrow. Weather 24 degrees and beautiful. I'm now wondering which train Alan is arriving back on so I can have a cuppa waiting lol
    Sent Mike out for the day with Aunt and Uncle - pointed them in the direction of the steam railway ! Ok, just time to wave to Paul through the window as his train pulls out ………… safe journey to all those travelling -I'll check back later...….. with mobile photos of baby bitterns ;)   no sign of them this morning.

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    Regards, Hazel 

  • Gardenbirder
    This post contains only a few lists so if you are not interested, just skip this one! The other Forumates at LM saw far more birds than Jeremy and I saw because they were at LM for longer and visited more of the reserve and I'm eagerly awaiting the rest of their photos!
    Today we had great views of Marsh Harriers from the Grisedale Hide; they seemed to be popping up all over the place. Also from Grisedale we saw a couple of Herons, Crows, Sedge and Reed Warblers, Reed Bunting, Chiffchaff, Mallards, Greylag Geese, Little Grebe, Little Egret, Tufted Duck, Coot and a Deer (and possibly some birds I've forgotten!). An Osprey flew past but sadly I didn't have the best view of it (but I'll get more views from Saturday in northwest Wales!). Yesterday we saw several Marsh Harriers, a Buzzard being harassed by Marsh Harriers, a couple of Hobbies (or is the plural Hobbys?!), and a Peregrine, again all from the Grisedale Hide, as well as most of the other birds which we saw from there today. Walking out to and back from the Grisedale Hide we were greeted by several of the birds occasionally fed by Hazel, Mike, Paul and Jim as well (if I remember rightly)--several Robins, Great Tits, Blue Tits, Nuthatch, Dunnock (this one nearly sat on our shoes!), Blackbirds and the Mallard family (Mum and 3 ducklings yesterday but not today) and a couple of Mice. Yesterday, a few minutes in the roofed meeting area near the centre (not sure of its actual name) produced adult and juvenile GTs, BTs, Marsh Tits, Robins, Chaffinches, Nuthatches, female Bull Finch, Blackbirds and a pair of adult Mallards tidying up beneath the feeders. From our Hotel we saw Collared Doves, Herring Gulls and Swifts. On the drive up to Lancashire on Tuesday we counted just 7 Red Kites. On previous drives up the M40 to only as far as Birmingham, we've seen over 20 Red Kites and about 10 Buzzards. You may have noticed a distinct lack of Bitterns in the LM part of this post; that is because, sadly, we did not see any (but we did see Jim's photos!).

    Kind regards, Ann

  • Nigel O

    As everyone has said, it was great to meet up with everyone again. So far, I've only managed to go through my photos from Monday and I don't have much to add to what has already been posted but here are a few.

    Two contestants for the knobbly knee competition seen from the estuary hides

    .

    A hunting Harrier

    A low flying Heron

    And every time I've been to Arnside it has always delivered at least one spectacular sunset.

    It will take a little time to go through the next two days stuff, but I should have a couple of butterflies to add if nothing else.

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    Nige   Flickr

  • Gardenbirder

    Ah, Nigel, lovely additions to the LM (and area) photos! Love the Marsh Harrier and the knobbly knee competitors especially!

    Kind regards, Ann

  • HAZY
    Smashing pics Nige, got to love knobbly knees and that action shot of the MH plus the gorgeous sunset at Arnside. It's been a really enjoyable meet up so got to keep this annual event going although I'll be back to LM a few more times in-between that !
    @ Ann, was good to catch up again and I would have loved to see the Red Kites on your journey north. The covered area they refer to out back of VC is the rotunda.
    Just packed the case and have decided to head over to LM for an hour before tackling the M6 as I want my uncle and aunt to experience how it feels to have a robin stay on your hand for more than a fleeting second ! Also have to give Mrs Mally and ducklings some seed and crushed peanuts before we head home. We've enjoyed our week immensely and especially catching up with you all, it has been such a lot of fun - as always ! thanks gang.
    Once I get home I'll be back into packing boxes and an unbelievable amount of last minute organising so you'll have to forgive another long absence from me; I still have to find somewhere to live for us in just over three weeks LOL I've got first refusal on one of the LM hides ;) ta ta for now chucks and will catch up again once I have relocated.

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    Regards, Hazel 

  • Alan
    Lovely shots Nigel especially like the sunset one.
    Have a safe trip home Hazel and I hope you find somewhere you like to rent..

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