Day Out to Leighton Moss RSPB 1st March 2012

Day Out to Leighton Moss RSPB 1st March 2012

We decided to have a couple of days birding so we started off with a visit to Leighton Moss RSPB. We had seen on their web site that there were a number of rarities in the area including a “redhead” Smew, a Glossy Ibis and a Snow Goose so while we were looking forward to a site that we visit as often as we can we had the addition spice of possibly seeing some “twitchable” birds as well. Did we manage to see any of these ? – Read on !

The day had started off in Manchester with a lovely clear blue sky but by the time we got to Leighton Moss it was a different story and it had become quite overcast. We started off at Lilian’s Hide where we saw a large number of Wigeon and Coots and smaller numbers of Teal and Goldeneye. We got into conversation with a chap who had been there since early morning and he informed us that the “redhead” Smew (that is to say either a juvenile or a female Smew which look the same) had been lurking in a channel of water in the reeds right at the back of the lake. He said that it had occasionally and briefly shown. We settled down to see what else was around when fortune favoured us and the bird took to the air only land in open water not too far from where we were sitting. Although it kept diving we still managed to get good views for about fifteen minutes before it eventually disappeared back  into the reeds. This was a first for us so we were very pleased – especially since we hadn’t had to wait all morning either.

We moved on to the Tim Jackson Hide where there were around sixteen Pintail and Teal, Wigeon, Shoveler and flying around was a Little Egret.

We went on to the Grisedale Hide where there were Teal, Shoveler, Pochard and Tufted Ducks. We also saw a Little Egret land at the far edge of the water and whilst scanning that area in general we discovered a “cream crowned” Marsh Harrier sitting in the grass apparently just preening and passing the time of day. It was still sitting there when we left after about twenty minutes.

We went back to the visitor centre to have a spot of lunch and en route we stopped at the feeder station but there were workmen building a new wooden “bandstand” next to it so the hubub was keeping a lot of the birds away. It was mainly Chaffinches but we also saw a Coal Tit and a Marsh Tit. After lunch we walked down to the hides at the other end of the site, down the causeway and whilst we were wandering down there we saw a couple of Buzzards, some Jackdaws, Pheasant, various tits and Greenfinches and a Wren.

We decided to give the Lower Hide a miss for once and just settled for the the Public Hide because we wanted to spend some time over at the Morecambe Bay hides. On our way near the causeway there was a Song Thrush in full voice and we also saw some Long-tailed Tits. At the Public Hide there was a Great Black Backed Gull, and the usual large numbers of Black-headed Gulls, a couple of Cormornats, Tufted Ducks, Lapwing, Teal and Pochard and a pair of Great Crested Grebes.

We headed back to the car park and then drove down to the Morecambe Bay hides. We started at the Eric Morecambe Hide where there were good sightings of Wigeon, Pintail and Shoveler but also Oystercatcher, the first Avocet arrivals of the year, a few Curlew and some Redshank. At the Allen Hide it was basically just a view of the same body of water from a different angle but there were also a lot of Shelduck, some Wigeon and a few Redshank and a single Spotted Redshank.

As the afternoon was wearing on we thought we had better be getting to our hotel (the Riverside Hotel in Kendal) but first we wanted to see if we could get a glimpse of the Glossy Ibis or the Snow Goose that were supposed to be in the area. We spoke to a chap earlier who said to us that if we went back to the main road and turned right and drove a little further to the bend in the road where there was a phone box and stopped there we could look back towards the Barrow Scout Field and either of the birds might be there. When we got to the spot there was already a guy with a scope set up there. We joined him and he pointed us to one field where we had brilliant views of the Glossy Ibis just feeding among a bunch of Geese. As if that wasn’t enough he pointed to a field at ninety degrees to the one where the Glossy Ibis was and there was the Snow Goose. It was quite a way away but it was there sure enough. This was a fantastic end to a great birding day. In all we had had three life ticks, eight additional year ticks, and we had seen forty six species  – and all in around five hours !

Bird Sightings : Lilian’s Hide

Bird Sightings : Grisedale Hide

Bird Sightings : Tim Jackson Hide

Bird Sightings : Feeder Sation

Bird Sightings : Public Hide

Bird Sightings : Eric Morecambe Hide

Bird Sightings : Allen Hide

Bird Sightings : Leighton Moss Environs

Bird Sightings : Barrow Scout Field

Video of Glossy Ibis

Video of Snow Goose