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
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Tony
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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.
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.