Mediterranean Gull, Caton
Spotted Redshank, Sunderland Point
Redshank, Sunderland Point
Juvenile White-winged Black Tern, Inner Marsh Farm
Water Rail, IMF
Snipe, IMF
Juvenile Curlew Sandpiper, IMF
Great White Egret, Leighton Moss. Although not a good snap this image does portray the relative sizes and shapes of three heron species. 
Greenshank, Leighton Moss
Shoveler, Leighton Moss
Kingfisher, Leighton Moss
Black-tailed Godwits, Leighton Moss
xxxxxOctober 16th – 17th.
Xxxx
Saturday morning and more insomnia found me rolling up at Leighton Moss in the dark. I managed to get in the Public Hide by 06:45 and sat there in the darkness listening to the sounds around me. There were plenty of bird noises even at that time with Coots and Moorhens bickering and every now and then a flight of ducks erupting out of one of the side channels – I assume either getting out of the way of the rutting Red Deer stags or maybe from some predator. The stags roared all around the pool and there was the occasional loud splash which maybe indicated a tiff.
Xxxxx
It started to come light at around 07:10. A Kingfisher perched on a stump in the semi-darkness right outside the hide. A lone swan had been hanging around the far side of the pool and I had not taken any notice of it. The bird suddenly decided it was time to head off – as it flew past the hide I realised it was a Whooper! Around 140+ Pink-footed Geese flew high over to the south in the faint light while around the pools I could hear at least six screaming Water Rails. A Tawny Owl was very noisy off to the right for a while and Redwings which had roosted in the reeds started to leave – I heard them more than saw them. The Starlings then started to make lots of noise prior to leaving – I estimate eventually around 15,000 birds left the reedbed to the left of the island. The Little Egrets also began leaving the roost – I counted 79 and no sign of the Great White Egret. A Cetti’s Warbler began calling just to the right of the hide. A couple then came into the hide and one of them spotted a juvenile Marsh Harrier perched in a dead tree.
Xxxxx
I left the hide and walked slowly back down the causeway. The placed seemed to be full of Wrens and Robins and also Reed Buntings – at least 18 of these. A Snipe flew over and then 2 Reed Warblers came out of the reeds near the grit trays and showed very well for a few minutes. It was a clear, cold and eventually sunny morning and the world seemed to be a peaceful place just then.
Xxxxxx
I wandered next over to the Morecambe / Allen Hides. A Nuthatch at the car park was the first interesting bird there – three Snipe also flew over and a Great Spotted Woodpecker flitted in bushes ahead of me all along the path. I arrived in the hide to find a few birders already present and the Great White Egret on show off to the left. It eventually flew about the pool a bit before landing in front of the hide where it spent the next half an hour or so. Superb! One very kind chap next to me had spotted I was using a Canon camera and offered me the loan of his 400mm prime lens. That made my day!!!
Xxxxx
A Kingfisher appeared several times on various perches while I watched the GWE. At one point it appeared in the same frame with a Grey Heron and a Little Egret which gave it good perspective. Eight Greenshanks were present on the Allen pool – a large flock of Black-tailed Godwits were also roosting there. A sudden rush of wind preceded another Blackwit flock and the number of roosting birds now appeared to double. I counted them and got to around 1350 birds! Back at the car park a Chiffchaff was calling in the trees.
Xxxxx
Back at the van the only notable sighting was a mixed thrush flock late in the afternoon in the field behind our van. A quick count produced 86 Fieldfares and 9 Redwings - there were probably more though.
Xxxxx
Sunday after a lie in I headed over to Sunderland Point with Bill, arriving just after high tide. On the way I clocked a couple of hundred Black-headed Gulls in the usual fields to the west of Caton – a quick scan produced an adult Med. I didn’t stay long because the weather was grotty and the place was being disturbed by walkers and horse riders. I found two Spotted Redshanks in channels off to the right – the first flushed and appeared to fly over towards Middleton. A few Wigeon were in the channel and the usual Dunlin and Redshank were touring the muddy fringe. A single Little Egret was out on the marsh.
Xxxxx
We headed off home just after lunch. I decided to have a wander over to Inner Marsh Farm and Burton Marsh. At IMF I could see the juvenile White-winged Black Tern from the hill – I wandered down to the hide anyway. The place was packed with a coach party being present. I eventually sat down and briefly scoped the tern on the island – it flew off just as I got out my camera!
Xxxxx
The lady at my right shoulder asked me if there was anything interesting out there. I told her about the WWBT and when it reappeared in flight I pointed it out to her. That one flying in front of the hide? Yes – that’s the one. She appeared to watch it for the next ten minutes. Then someone on the other side of her asked the same question – is there anything interesting out there? The lady replied that there was supposed to be a WWBT out there but she hadn’t seen it!!!
Xxx
It soon transpired that there were no experienced birders in this party. A Curlew Sandpiper had appeared to the right of the little mud patch in front of the hide. Someone asked what it was so I told them. Shortly after a Dunlin flew down nearby. I continued scanning the pools and then someone asked what the second wader was with the Curlew Sandpiper. Without looking I responded it was a Dunlin. Well what’s the difference between the two? I proceeded to explain after which there was silence before someone said “they look the same to me”. I looked at the two waders with my scope – there was no sign of the Dunlin and now 2 Curlew Sandpipers were feeding there! That will teach me to check before I open my gob!
Xxxxx
Aside from these birds the pool seemed to be filled with Teal. There was no sign of the Little Stints though three Spotted Redshanks flew in to roost. Five Golden Plovers, 14 Snipe and a Water Rail completed the line up. The hide was getting packed so I left, chatting with Rob Adderley on the way back up the hill.
Xxxx
I then went for a mid afternoon wander up to the Decca Pools. It was much more quiet and peaceful (I know I am an anti-social bu**er) and I settled down on the banking above the pools. I found a Buzzard far out on the marsh (slightly unusual there) and a female Merlin perched on a distant fencepost followed by a Peregrine even further out. There was nothing on the pools other than Lapwings and shortly after the coach party from IMF arrived so I headed off back down the track. I found a juvenile Marsh Harrier which dropped into some vegetation shortly after I found it and didn’t reappear. I then found a Jonathan Platt and we had a natter for an hour or so before I left.
Xxxxx
At dusk I nipped into Newton Lake to see what was about. 2 Mute Swans, 2 Canada Geese, 2 Little Grebes, 12 Tufties and 68 Teal. Usual stuff really and nothing of any great interest. For some reason (perhaps boredom) I decided to count the Moorhens – 15 of them!
Xxxx
Saturday morning and more insomnia found me rolling up at Leighton Moss in the dark. I managed to get in the Public Hide by 06:45 and sat there in the darkness listening to the sounds around me. There were plenty of bird noises even at that time with Coots and Moorhens bickering and every now and then a flight of ducks erupting out of one of the side channels – I assume either getting out of the way of the rutting Red Deer stags or maybe from some predator. The stags roared all around the pool and there was the occasional loud splash which maybe indicated a tiff.
Xxxxx
It started to come light at around 07:10. A Kingfisher perched on a stump in the semi-darkness right outside the hide. A lone swan had been hanging around the far side of the pool and I had not taken any notice of it. The bird suddenly decided it was time to head off – as it flew past the hide I realised it was a Whooper! Around 140+ Pink-footed Geese flew high over to the south in the faint light while around the pools I could hear at least six screaming Water Rails. A Tawny Owl was very noisy off to the right for a while and Redwings which had roosted in the reeds started to leave – I heard them more than saw them. The Starlings then started to make lots of noise prior to leaving – I estimate eventually around 15,000 birds left the reedbed to the left of the island. The Little Egrets also began leaving the roost – I counted 79 and no sign of the Great White Egret. A Cetti’s Warbler began calling just to the right of the hide. A couple then came into the hide and one of them spotted a juvenile Marsh Harrier perched in a dead tree.
Xxxxx
I left the hide and walked slowly back down the causeway. The placed seemed to be full of Wrens and Robins and also Reed Buntings – at least 18 of these. A Snipe flew over and then 2 Reed Warblers came out of the reeds near the grit trays and showed very well for a few minutes. It was a clear, cold and eventually sunny morning and the world seemed to be a peaceful place just then.
Xxxxxx
I wandered next over to the Morecambe / Allen Hides. A Nuthatch at the car park was the first interesting bird there – three Snipe also flew over and a Great Spotted Woodpecker flitted in bushes ahead of me all along the path. I arrived in the hide to find a few birders already present and the Great White Egret on show off to the left. It eventually flew about the pool a bit before landing in front of the hide where it spent the next half an hour or so. Superb! One very kind chap next to me had spotted I was using a Canon camera and offered me the loan of his 400mm prime lens. That made my day!!!
Xxxxx
A Kingfisher appeared several times on various perches while I watched the GWE. At one point it appeared in the same frame with a Grey Heron and a Little Egret which gave it good perspective. Eight Greenshanks were present on the Allen pool – a large flock of Black-tailed Godwits were also roosting there. A sudden rush of wind preceded another Blackwit flock and the number of roosting birds now appeared to double. I counted them and got to around 1350 birds! Back at the car park a Chiffchaff was calling in the trees.
Xxxxx
Back at the van the only notable sighting was a mixed thrush flock late in the afternoon in the field behind our van. A quick count produced 86 Fieldfares and 9 Redwings - there were probably more though.
Xxxxx
Sunday after a lie in I headed over to Sunderland Point with Bill, arriving just after high tide. On the way I clocked a couple of hundred Black-headed Gulls in the usual fields to the west of Caton – a quick scan produced an adult Med. I didn’t stay long because the weather was grotty and the place was being disturbed by walkers and horse riders. I found two Spotted Redshanks in channels off to the right – the first flushed and appeared to fly over towards Middleton. A few Wigeon were in the channel and the usual Dunlin and Redshank were touring the muddy fringe. A single Little Egret was out on the marsh.
Xxxxx
We headed off home just after lunch. I decided to have a wander over to Inner Marsh Farm and Burton Marsh. At IMF I could see the juvenile White-winged Black Tern from the hill – I wandered down to the hide anyway. The place was packed with a coach party being present. I eventually sat down and briefly scoped the tern on the island – it flew off just as I got out my camera!
Xxxxx
The lady at my right shoulder asked me if there was anything interesting out there. I told her about the WWBT and when it reappeared in flight I pointed it out to her. That one flying in front of the hide? Yes – that’s the one. She appeared to watch it for the next ten minutes. Then someone on the other side of her asked the same question – is there anything interesting out there? The lady replied that there was supposed to be a WWBT out there but she hadn’t seen it!!!
Xxx
It soon transpired that there were no experienced birders in this party. A Curlew Sandpiper had appeared to the right of the little mud patch in front of the hide. Someone asked what it was so I told them. Shortly after a Dunlin flew down nearby. I continued scanning the pools and then someone asked what the second wader was with the Curlew Sandpiper. Without looking I responded it was a Dunlin. Well what’s the difference between the two? I proceeded to explain after which there was silence before someone said “they look the same to me”. I looked at the two waders with my scope – there was no sign of the Dunlin and now 2 Curlew Sandpipers were feeding there! That will teach me to check before I open my gob!
Xxxxx
Aside from these birds the pool seemed to be filled with Teal. There was no sign of the Little Stints though three Spotted Redshanks flew in to roost. Five Golden Plovers, 14 Snipe and a Water Rail completed the line up. The hide was getting packed so I left, chatting with Rob Adderley on the way back up the hill.
Xxxx
I then went for a mid afternoon wander up to the Decca Pools. It was much more quiet and peaceful (I know I am an anti-social bu**er) and I settled down on the banking above the pools. I found a Buzzard far out on the marsh (slightly unusual there) and a female Merlin perched on a distant fencepost followed by a Peregrine even further out. There was nothing on the pools other than Lapwings and shortly after the coach party from IMF arrived so I headed off back down the track. I found a juvenile Marsh Harrier which dropped into some vegetation shortly after I found it and didn’t reappear. I then found a Jonathan Platt and we had a natter for an hour or so before I left.
Xxxxx
At dusk I nipped into Newton Lake to see what was about. 2 Mute Swans, 2 Canada Geese, 2 Little Grebes, 12 Tufties and 68 Teal. Usual stuff really and nothing of any great interest. For some reason (perhaps boredom) I decided to count the Moorhens – 15 of them!
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