Belated photos from Leighton Moss last week

I know Jim has put up a more recent report from Leighton Moss, but here are some photos from my visit last week.

There were loads of Black-tailed Godwits around the estuary hides.

Play spot the Bar-tailed Godwit in the above image if you are masochistic enough (there is at least one but I warn you, the obvious markers aren't visible!). There were 4 or 5 flocks like that and occasionally one would spook

Of course, you always look for what caused the commotion and on this occasion it was a high up Osprey, also being harassed by Black-headed Gulls for daring to pass so close

  

The flocks of Redshank were less skittish

The Gulls are so vigilant as they were … well, setting up house. To me, the female looks like she has gone cross-eyed!

I think this is a female Avocet waiting for her partner to leap into action … but he never did!

Others were too busy scrapping ...

… or looking like they'd received a severe telling off

The lone American Wigeon was showing well, albeit long distance. It was easier spotting it when there were only half-a-dozen ordinary Wigeon around!

A Willow Warbler posed in the estuary hide car park

A Marsh Tit

A Coal Tit feeding in a conifer

A Blue Tit

The Dunnocks continue to get friendlier in their campaign to promote LBJs

A Greylag flies by Causeway Hide

A Gadwall catching flies

A lone Scaup showed well. It was keeping company with a male Pochard

A Snipe by Lower Hide

I'm not sure if this Lapwing was actually on a nest but it was right in front of the hide so if it is then it will give great views.

The Greylags had Goslings

In addition to my experiment to photograph Robins with a macro lens (published elsewhere) I also tried it on this male Pheasant

All in all, a beautiful spring day

  • Very nice set Nige, that lens is doing well for you.
  • Brilliant set of photos, species and captions, love the Avocet being told off LOL I think I spot the Bar-tailed ! Well done spotting the AW, when there was one around last year there were hundreds of wigeon which were often too far out so I didn't manage to get eyes on it sadly and only managed to find a hybrid oddity. If only this last month hadn't been so busy with various chores committments, I'm itching to get back to LM at least one more time before the forum meet up at end of June although rain is now on the forecast each day - not complaining too much ! as garden is desperate for water. Once again Nige, beautiful photos and who can resist a fluffy gosling - awwww.
  • Fabulous pics The WW gorgeous, the Gadwall catching a fly, beautiful Snipe, gosling and only an Osprey to boot!!!!!!! Encore please.
  • What a lotta Godwits and no I didn't find the Bar-tailed. Great set of images. Love the Avocets and shame on Mr Avocet for not taking the hint. What a bonus to get an Osprey flying over - those Black-headed Gulls are certainly not going to let it get away with that intrusion.
  • Thank you all

    Jim, well, it's not toooo bad! The woodland birds were done without the converter on.

    Gaynor, I don't often see Ospreys myself, so it was really nice to see this one early in the year.

    Hazy, if you haven't been out much I expect you are thinking of going shortly. However, so you know, I was only just considering whether to do something similar to what we did last year - a 2-3 day trip in May, taking in Foulshaw (for possible snakes and dragons … or even tree pipits), Gait Barrows for butterflies (which is really why I want a trip in May) and maybe even Helsington to see if I could find another of those odd purple moths. I hadn't considered further than mid to end of May at this stage.

    Tony and Hazy, I did warn you the Bar-tail wasn't obvious as it was hiding (in plain sight), with tail hidden, knees underwater and not yet in breeding plumage, so well done if you got it. I didn't - it was pointed out. The answer below. It has more well-defined markings on the feathers but look at the original if you want more detail. There were other more obvious ones in the other flocks.

  • @ Nigel, no, turns out I didn't spot the Bar-wit as was looking at the in flight photo lol further look at that pic - 2nd bird above the BHG and realise it was probably another Bk-wit so failed miserably :( With their breeding plumage coming through they are stunning looking waders.
  • You might have got one anyway Hazy. I quickly scanned the in-flight shots and didn't spot an obvious one, but I wasn't that thorough, so there might well be one in there as there were a few around.
  • I am up at Bempton Cliffs 20-21-22 May and then Seahouses on the 1st of June till the 15th June with my mate.

    And the Adders are showing well at Foulshaw moss in the afternoon I was there in the morning so never saw one and the Grasshopper Warblers and Tree Pipits are showing well too, me and might mate will be going up when we get a nice day.

  • Thanks for the info, Jim. I don't think I'll be going in the next week or so, but after that it will depend a bit on the forecast.