Birding Group Visit to RSPB Leighton Moss : 22nd October 2013

Birding Group Visit to RSPB Leighton Moss : 22nd October 2013

Despite a poor weather forecast the birding group decided to stick with the scheduled visit to RSPB Leighton Moss and it turned out to be a good decision because the weather largely held up and we got at least one notable sighting at one of the main hides and a good number of waders from the Eric Morecambe and Allen Hides.

The group were in two minds about where to start off and a couple of the group opted for going straight down the avenue to see if they could get sight of any Bearded Tits, possibly at the grit trays. As is happens we later found out from them and other birders we spoke to – they had been at the site from early morning –  that the Bearded Tits were just not showing. The Leighton Moss web site commented that they have been harder to see than usual for the time of year because of the uncommonly warm temperatures. It seems that there are still a lot of insects around so they have been feeding off them rather than turning to reed seeds. This means that they do not need to emerge from the reeds yet to collect grit to add to their crop to aid digestion of the seeds that are their normal winter diet.

Anyway, most of the group went straight to Lillian’s Hide where there were masses of Coots and smatterings of Gadwall, Teal and Mallard as well as a Shoveler and a few Mute Swans. We sat for a while and everything seemed pretty uneventful so we were considering moving on before someone shouted “Bittern !” and everyone immediately jumped to attention in time to see a Bittern fly from left to right and land on top of the reeds at the right hand side of the lake. Somewhat incredibly it perched on the top of the reeds, neck twisted and extended in the classic Bittern pose and even stayed there long enough for us all to get our scopes on it. Eventually it did drop into the reeds and disappear but this was the first view I had ever had of a Bittern that wasn’t flying. The decision to tarry a bit before leaving the hide just shows that luck counts for a lot in birding. If I had left a minute or two sooner I would have missed this bird completely.

We stayed at the hide for a while longer to see if the Bittern would re-emerge but eventually we tore ourselves away and wandered in a light rain down to the Tim Jackson Hide where there were large numbers of Teal, some Gadwall, Mallards and Herons. We moved around to the Grisedale Hide to get a slightly different view and there the story was similar but enlivened by the sighting of a Marsh Harrier perched just above the reeds, probably on a dead willow stump. The light worked well for us and it was possible to get my scope on it at full magnification without too much distortion.

A quick stop at the feeder station near reception hadthe usual Chaffinches and Pheasants but the best bird was a single Marsh Tit. Some of our group that had not gone down the avenue to the Public Hide decided to go there whilst others opted for lunch. The latter were more gratified than the former, as it happens, but we all regrouped down at the Allen hide where there were Little Egrets, Redshanks and a single Curlew Sandpiper. Out by the sea you could see large numbers of roosting Oystercatchers and somewhat fewer Cormorants. Out on the “woodhenge” feature out by the coast a single Peregrine perched. A couple of Curlew could be seen out there and there were Lapwings aplenty flying around everywhere. Greylags and a pair of Shelduck finished off our list. We were a little surprised that the tide was so high because the actual high tide was supposed to be about 3pm but we got there at about 1.30pm and it was well in and there were fewer spits of land close to the hide and a lot of birds a very long way away.

Be that as it may, there were good birds tobe found and at the Eric Morecambe hide we got more of them and in greater numbers. Among the Redshanks were a pair of Spotted Redshank in winter plumage but they came so close to the hide and with the was a Common Redshank so we got plenty of time to compare the two species. There were around 30 Snipe and several hundred Black-Tailed Godwit and perhaps a hundred Knot. Four Greenshank lurked and there were some Wigeon and a few Pintail.

The rain eventually made it harder to get good views through the double glazed windows and the afternoon was getting on so we decided that we had done well enough to be happy getting back to Manchester before we got caught up in rush hour.

Bird Sightings : RSPB Leighton Moss : Lillian’s Hide

Bird Sightings : RSPB Leighton Moss : Tim Jackson Hide

Bird Sightings : RSPB Leighton Moss : Grisedlae Hide

Bird Sightings : RSPB Leighton Moss : Feeder Station

Bird Sightings : RSPB Leighton Moss : Allen Hide

Bird Sightings : RSPB Leighton Moss : Eric Morecambe Hide