Spending a week up in N.Lancashire and visiting Leighton Moss each day; couldn't have timed our break better with such lovely sunshine and above average temeratures which thankfully most of the country seem to be getting so hope you are all enjoying venturing out and about in your free time for a bit of birding and wildlife spotting.
Here's a selection of photos so far; thankfully Jim arrived with his battery charger so I was able to top up the battery power again ! L.Moss is such a wonderful reserve as some of you already know, it's like a home from home with the most brilliant rspb staff and the resident birds/wildlife. Last night we joined one of the managers at Barrow Scout, just up the road from LM, in the hope of seeing a large starling murmuration but the birds decided to go to roost behind us, the other side of the reserve and out of sight lol ..............however, we were treated to seeing Bitterns in the darkening sky as they did "gull-calling" but we hope they didn't decide to head off to Scandanavia. There was no sign first thing in the morning of any Bittern movement at Barrow Scout and Mike and I did an hour's monitoring tonight and sadly no Gull-calling or sight of a Bittern although we live in hope that most Bitterns stayed on.
Birds seem geared up now for breeding and the food treasts and mealworms are not high priority for them at the moment as they think about attracting mates and building nests.
In no particular order ........ there were no excuses for bad light this time except in the darker woodland areas !
a group of Pintail drakes
don't ask me what's going on with the two bill to bill lol
Mr and Mrs Pintail .............
Gadwall
Great Egret
and we were told that this Little Egret is in full breeding plumage - all those beautiful "royal ascot" fancy feathers
Teal drake taking a sip of water
Mute Swan
Three buzzards were in the sky, here's one of them
There are 6 Marsh Harriers including 2 males, this is one of them ...............
Great black-backed Gull
don't think I'd be arguing with these birds !
boys will be boys !!
I will add more tomorrow, thanks for viewing these
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Regards, Hazel
Kind regards, Ann
Many thanks Ann, it was a good day weatherwise - the Pintails are stunning looking ducks and the light was gorgeous feeling more like June than February. I also turned 63 years so cakes were on me ! Another warm sunny day today so timing was perfect.
Have more photos today but too tired to load them up at the moment - dinner calls !
Jim
My Pictures
My Fbook Group
Here are some of mine from Sunday, sadly this Laptop is to slow to work on them so will add more when I get home.
Just testing if these have gone up at the correct size :)
Some more from Sunday.
Great White
Little Egret in breeding plumage.
Male Mallards Eye.
Nuthatch
Lot to learn