final day at Leighton Moss

Final day at Leighton Moss;   arriving just after 8am at the salt marsh and passed a guy who had said "you've just missed seeing the Barn Owl really close up".    !!     How many times do we hear that folks. !!     anyway,  got to the hide and as I opened the window the Barn Owl flew past and despite only the briefest of view it was clear enough to send a tingle down the spine :)   No photo opportunity but who cares as it was lucky to see it.   One minute later another chap walked in and as nice as he was he never stopped talking for over one and half hours - non stop. !!   And I thought I could talk a lot although I try to limit that if in a hide  !!    Only saw a Kestrel perched a fair distance out as Mike joined me and we duly obliged listening to the never ending stories of this very nice chap despite him saying each time;    "to cut a long story short" ..... which never happened.  LOL.      Nevermind, he really was a nice gentlemen despite us eventually leaving with ringing ears  Ha ha !!      We then headed to the main reserve and after a brekky stop we walked 6 miles around the various footpaths and retracing the route down to the far woodland again, mainly for the exercise.

Here's a few pics .........    

Was a very frosty cold start to the morning but beautifully light as we headed down to the Morecambe hide;  in the reeds on the right were several Long tailed tits calling to one another

told you the male Kestrel was distant.  !!     it's the blob perched on the post ;)  

female chaffinch by the salt marsh ......

Not much to be seen at the salt marsh although to be honest we didn't stand much of a chance with Mr chatterbox.  lol     So on to the main reserve ......

There are often a couple of crows lurking near the boardwalk looking for any spare bird food ...... I did leave them a few peanuts, suet and sun hearts :) 

One of the bonny robins was a little further along the boardwalk seeing if Hazy had mealworms with her .......and she did !

and a Great Tit was complaining as it spotted a dog !!!

How many more can you pick up ? ............

down the hatch. !         room for two more peanuts  ;)

saw three treecreepers today but a little far away as I only had the 300mm reach ............

back home tomorrow but we hope many more of you manage to eventually get to Leighton Moss in N. Lancashire;    maybe even at the end of June for the meet up   !!! 

  • Super stuff Hazel, better views of a jay than I've had, and beautifully captured. LM certainly hasn't dropped down the "must visit" list, except for Mr Chatterbox maybe lol
    Thanks for sharing Slight smile
  • Hard frost just for you two, wouldn't be LM without frost, flood or worse when you are there. Lovely sightings all of them but especially good of the Robin with it's puffed out chest, waiting for the mealworm. Fabulous Mr Jay with the mouthful of peanuts, amazing birds. Thanks for giving us a taste of LM again Hazy.
  • Cracking shots of the Jay Hazel...I went in search of them today but no joy so am very glad to see yours ;-)
    Looks like you and Mike had a fantastic week thanks for sharing.
  • Ahhhhh, lovely, Hazel, thanks for more wonderful pics of LM and their birds, although I trust there will not be any frost in June nor any highly fluffed-up Robins then either! Your first photo, the one of the reeds and the frosty path, has a lovely atmosphere and it seems to show which direction the prevailing winds are from. That Jay was very obliging and seemed to enjoy the peanuts. We occasionally see them in our garden but they seem to be afraid of the other Corvids--a couple of Crows, a pair of Jackdaws who seem to have nested in the chimney of the house next door, and the Magpies--Mr GB counted 8 Magpies here a few days ago.

  • Superb photos for a superb end to a few days at LM and the weather has been very good to you both.

  • Lovely Hazel,,you have had a great few days at LM, hope the ears have stopped ringing! Must have been a real pain listening to him, even although he was a nice man! As a saying goes, back to auld clase and porridge! Translated as back to old clothes and porridge! Relaxed