superb days birding today, three seperate bitterns seen today together from lillians hide giving very long great views, most probably 4 but can only confirm 3 for certain, also 2 water rails showing well and a single bearded tit seen to the left of lillians, the bird was showing a red ring over a blue/light grey blue band, sparrowhawk and buzzards flying over too, 2 peregrines flying together at warton showing well and chasing the jackdaws at one point, water still mostly frozen though i did throw out a full loaf of bread and 6 fatballs to help keep them going,

Waters still frozen from the eric morcambe hides, no waders there


On the way home around 30 waxwings at lancaster services on M6 south bound side today at 4ish



-- Edited by Dennis atherton on Wednesday 29th of December 2010 05:44:41 PM

Mark Rigby wrote:

---

sid ashton wrote:

---

cracking birds in a great natural location.

---

I agree, cracking birds! Not too sure about the 'natural' location? Man-made quarry?

---

I meant natural as in rocks and bushes as opposed to bricks and mortar

sid ashton wrote:

---

cracking birds in a great natural location.

---

I agree, cracking birds! Not too sure about the 'natural' location? Man-made quarry?

Dennis I too also make a point of calling at the Crag whenever I am up there - cracking birds in a great natural location.

Hi Sid,


Yep, i already read that you reported they were together on oct 28th but we did not know they were still together now as there have been no furthur updates since yours, only when they were first reported being seen together on oct 25th by Graham Beverley, they was only together for 3 days then, i can now confirm that the new male bird seen in oct is still around now, almost 2 months later and they have been seen together this sunday and also very regular by the local birders who watch these birds often, very nice to see that these birds are staying together and hopefully next year they will produce some more of these magnificant birds, i never get bored of watching them, Superb

Best wishes Den

Yes Dennis, that new male Peregrine has been around for a while now (my post 28th October) - good news

-- Edited by sid ashton on Sunday 19th of December 2010 11:00:51 PM

Very cold and frozen all over today, 1 water rail from lillians about 9 ish, 1 in flight bittern near public hide 11 ish, also hundreds of feildfares and a few redwings in opposite car park fighting for berrys with 100c waxwings, the flock kept dissapearing and small numbers returning, around 10 ish high count of 100c

also of note 3 bitterns seen similtaneously at the front of lillians hide this week and also the female peregrine who lost her mate early on this year due to the road accident previously mentioned has been seen regular with another male bird,

I popped back to the RSPB shop this afternoon on way home from Heysham. Saw a single Marsh Tit whilst still in my car, then took a little walk down the road and was treated to a wonderful Waxwing spectacular I counted 125 at one point, but I suspect there were more like 150-175, as they were pretty flighty at times drifting between several sets of berry trees. I watched them for about 30 mins stripping a berry tree only 5m away from me!?!?

They were also making plenty of trips down to the ground to drink from a puddle on the side of the road. Really interesting watching them sip water and then with a fancy flick of the head taking the water back.....

Popped in to several of hides on Tuesday late afternoon. All the main water bodies frozen, except for a small area viewable from the public hide that had about 500 ducks in it, mainly Mallard and Teal, but a few Wigeon, Moorhen, Coot, Shoveller and Grebe with them.

Watched a few Egrets fly in to roost and a Bittern flying around in search of somewhere to find food in amoungst the frozen reeds!?

Lovely scenary and some close encounters with the few birds present. Somebody else saw 5-6 Water Rails from one hide all in the same dyke!?!?

Called in at morcambe bay before leighton to try and take advantage of the high tide:

57 species seen

Highlights 10.15 - 11.00:

Blackwits and barwits
Golden plover
knot
eider
pintail
little egret

Highlights 11.30 - 2.30pm

Leighton Moss:

Peregrine from public
siskin in alders near lillian's
snipe
pintail
gadwall
pochard
goldeneye
wigeon
shoveler
tufted duck
greylag geese
buzzard
kestrel

I thought i'd had a good day, but someone had seen bearded tit, cetti's warbler and otter (crossing the path) from the causeway! Makes you feel sick doesn't it?





-- Edited by Joey Eccles on Sunday 21st of November 2010 08:34:31 PM

-- Edited by Joey Eccles on Sunday 21st of November 2010 08:37:14 PM

After leaving the Pied-billed Grebe - and the parking warden - at Hollingworth this morning the Grebe theme continued with good views of the Slavonian Grebe and 6 Great Crested Grebe at Pine Lake. On to Sizergh Castle more in hope than expection of seeing the Hawfinch - none were present but the river Kent yielded nice views of Dipper, Grey Wagtail and Goosander.

The final destination was Leighton Moss reserve where we hoped to see the reported 80,000 Starling roost, unfortuately by this time the rain had set in again and although there were thousands of Starlings coming in they did not form the big swirling cloud we anticipated but they went into the reeds in the groups in which they arrived.

The final bird of note was a Little Grebe which naturally was given a good dose of looking at

Up to 6 bearded tits on the grit trays at 10am. Flock of about 30 fieldfare over.

Good numbers of pochard, shoveler, wigeon, teal and coots, plus smaller numbers of moorhen, gadwall, two goldeneye and three pintail from Lillian Hide.

Little egret from the Griesdale Hide, plus a red deer stag and two hinds showing well.

Reports of a great grey shrike on the path towards the Allen Hide, but I didn't see it unfortunately Huge numbers of redshank from the hide, plus a few godwits and little egrets. Three curlew flew overhead on the walk back to the car.

Had the morning in the Silverdale area starting at Warton Crag. Speaking to the lady who ran the Peregrine watch the female is still using the crag to roost and has been joined in the last few days by a new male - good news so far. The Raven family is still around - two adults and the three young. Down to Leighton Moss causeway where there were 8 Bearded Tits on the grit trays (09.00) and several more in the reeds down as far as the Lower hide. From the Public hide found of interest 3 Pintail (m) and 4 Goldeneye (f) as well as a number of recently arrived Pochard. At the reception area feeders there were two or three Marsh tit and another at Woodwell. There was a report of Hawfinch in the area but there are still too many leaves on the trees.

Sunday. Good views of Hen Harrier from Lilians hide.

-- Edited by David Duncan on Monday 25th of October 2010 12:40:39 PM

over weekend

bittern 2 flying close to public hide same bird and 1 in reeds next day opposite public
bearded reedlings on grit tray and small groups all over
spotted redshank
kingfisher 3 saturday eric and 2 sunday public
black tail godwits
peregrine 1 reports of male and female in quarry over weekend
good views of starlings leaving reeds sunday not up to full numbers yet
siskin and bullfinch on path to lower
redwing over
goosanders
red breasted megansers


stag at full speed through trees to left of path to lower about 25 feet away does wake you up first thing

Popped in here today with my birding class.
Shoveler
Pintail
Golden Eye f
Snipe
Spotted Redshanks
Green Shank
Couple in the Public Hide with Dyson the Duck

Watched a Merlin chasing a Kingfisher
Kingfisher lived to tell the tale

Simply a terrible news about the Peregrine last week

weekend with family but still managed
great white egret 1 reports of two in area
merlin
kingfisher
little egrets all over - 120 reported in roost
greater spotted woodpecker
pintail
teal
shoveler
mallard
gadwall
coot
moorhen
snipe
widgeon
greylag
snow goose 1?
greenshank
redshank
curlew
bearded reedling 10 ish
lapwing
starling
jackdaw
oystercatcher
grey heron

and a 14 point stag roaring at 5 other stags

Called in at Warton Crag this evening on the way back from a good day at the Moss,first time i've never seen Peregrine there.Very sad.

Hi Sid,

I was told by someone from the Rspb about the incident, wether the bird was ringed was not mentioned, there is also a small post on raptor politics about the very sad incident

http://raptorpolitics.org.uk/?p=2369

Dennis atherton wrote:

---

very sad news from leighton moss,

The male resident adult Peregrine falcon from warton cragg was chasing a teal across silverdale road and both the teal and the peregrine collided with a car and died, a very very sad loss of one of these superb birds

---

I have been watching the Peregrine pair at Warton Cragg for a number of years - a sad end indeed. Can we be certain it was the Warton bird - was it ringed?

very sad news from leighton moss,

The male resident adult Peregrine falcon from warton cragg was chasing a teal across silverdale road and both the teal and the peregrine collided with a car and died, a very very sad loss of one of these superb birds

Nice to meet you yesterday Joey. Forgot about the single common sandpiper too

Highlights from 10.30 - 3pm

Leighton Moss:

Male Bullfinch on feeders at visitor centre
1 male bearded tit at grit-trays
1 possible marsh harrier over (not a great view but 90% sure it wasn't a buzzard)
1 Black tern - distant from public hide
buzzard over
1 magnificent 12 point Stag from Griesdales Hide strutting it's stuff along the grass causeway and putting all the birds up

Eric Morecambe hide:

1 kingfisher
1 common sand
1 green sand
1 kestrel
5 little egrets
plenty blackwits

-- Edited by Joey Eccles on Sunday 10th of October 2010 12:24:21 AM

Black tern still present. High tide last night flooded fields fom eric morcambe. Water a bit high for waders. Other than the usual redshanks and black tailed godwits in high numbers was greenshanks. 3 curlew. 6 snipe. Single spotted redshank. 2 curlew sands. Single green sandpiper. Kingfishers male and female flying about. No sign today of great egret or little stint.

A quick trip to RSPB Marshside on the way north failed to locate the weekends reported Red Crested Pochard, so swiftly onwards as time was pressing.

A few minutes after arriving at Leighton I was rewarded with my fist sighting of the Beared Tits - only my fourth attempt ! Easy to see when you get the timing and the weather right. I also saw a stoat carrying a mouse across the causeway.

On the way home I spotted a late Hobby by the services at Charnock Richard.

Eric Morecombe with some help locating from full hide
2 little stint
kingfisher
curlew sandpiper
gt egret
few little egret
large flock BT Godwits
curlew sandpiper
lots of widgeon
redshank
lillians
herd of red deer
public hide
bearded tits
buzzard
stoat
report of otter from lower hide
report of juv marsh harrier
report of pine martin

Spent all afternoon searching the salt marsh for the GW egret without success. So I stayed and watched the egret roost from the lay-by on Storrs Lane. From 6.30pm onwards I saw exactly 100 Little egrets come in to roost and then finally at 7.20pm the GW egret flew in.

EM and Allen Hides very good today with lots of waders incl Curlew sand and Greenshankand more ducks back, especially Wigeon. Also the Kingfisher was very active and 20 Little egrets entertained the photographers.

Four Bearded Tits [two pairs] showing very well this morning 7.30 til 8am. On the grit trays and in the surrounding reeds as well as in flight over the causeway. I was chatting to a very pleasant chap who helps with the recording of them and they peaked at several hundred birds until a severe crash in around 2000 and are now recovering. 17 individual birds had been recorded at the grit trays yesterday. Apparently some people don't like to see them with all their colour and BTO rings but to my mind it is more important to know how the population is going than to worry about some colourful photos!

Other than the Marsh harrier that was imitating a cormorant with its wings out spread in the sun
there was also bearded tits on the grit trays as Anne already mentioned, 1 great white egret from Erics hide in the distant fields to the left of center view, large amounts of redshank, 1 spotted red, lots of black tailed godwits, 8 ish greenshank, 3 dunlin, 2 curlew sandpipers, 1 sparrowhawk through, 3 buzzards together, 1 kestrel, 2 curlew and high count of little egrets, kingfisher onts posts picking out litttle fish,

Marsh harrier sat on what looks like an old coots nest for last hour from public hide giving good views just sun bathing and preening

The Bearded tits are showing well on the grit tables now. The GW Egret is roosting with the Little egrets and feeding on the marsh during the day. I tried to see it at EM Hide yesterday but left before Jonathon Fry found it tucked away in the vegetation beneath the railway line, to the extreme left of the Hide.

Marsh harriers seemed to of moved on now, 3 black terns today from lillians and public hide doing the rounds, 4 curlew sands from eric morcambe with 2 dunlin, 1 spotted red and the usual redshanks, greenshanks and black tailed godwits, 2 bearded tits on grit trays though still a bit early yet, best in october for seeing on trays eating grit and changing diets, 1 sparrowhawk from eric hide landed on posts giving good views and also kingfisher knocking about, large flocks of little egrets mainly from eric m hide with a few on the main res, around 100 roosting at nights now i was told by rspb warden

No sign of ospreys or spoonbills today

good point
i've checked the two species and i think your right marsh it was on the feeders
and quite a few house martins usual ducks

quite a few birders were at a point north west of eric morcombe hide near an old chimney is this a good spot to view as most of the birds were further out?

-- Edited by Ian Boote on Saturday 11th of September 2010 11:43:34 PM

Are you sure you had Willow Tit - mainly Marsh Tits at Leighton Moss.

only thing to add to last post

buzzard and two sparrow hawk from public hide over the woods
quite a few little egrets
chiff chaff wilow tit

3 spoonbills ospreys and otter reported in week as well

3 osprey on island mere area today, also spoonbill seen though not by me also nice healthy numbers of the usual redshank and black tailed godwit, greenshank,

Single spotted redshank from eric morcambe, kingfisher on posts, 1 curlew sandpiper by me but more reported in the area

Further along at Hest bank near teal part morcambe a superb perigrine flying low across the water and scaring everything hundreds of oystercatchers, bar tailed godwits, 1 wheatear and a few dunlin, 30 ish curlew

Edit, Black tern also doing the rounds at leighton moss veiwing from lillians and also from public hide today

-- Edited by Dennis atherton on Saturday 11th of September 2010 06:50:51 PM

9/9/10 (07:30 - 14:30)

Reserve & Morecambe complex:

3 Spoonbill (from Morecambe Hide)
1 Osprey (Island Mere, up till c09:00)

7 Greenshank
40+ Little Egret
1 Raven
3 Buzzard
15+ Redshank
30+ Black-tailed Godwit
2 Curlew
6 Snipe
3 Marsh Tit
2 Great Black-backed Gull
1 Kingfisher
1 Kestrel
20+ Wigeon
10+ Pintail

5/09/10 sunday
late post
2 greenshank
2 marsh tit
1 tree creeper
7 redshank
50+ blacktailed godwits
7 buzzards
8 little egrets
1 juv little grebe
lots of sandmartins ,swallows and house martins
no harriers but 4 lovely red dear and a calf .
several willow warblers and chiff chaffs about an all the usual ducks

3 peregrine an 1 kestrel up at crag

At least 50 little egrets around today, 40 at the eric morcambe hide, also mixed in with the redshank was a spotted redshank feeding near the hide, kingfisher landed on the posts near hide this morning too

on the main res with the usual large flock of black tailed godwits were nice flocks of greenshank, 2 marsh harriers, 5 buzzards, osprey seen again this morning being mobbed by crows,

Also saw today a bat hunting dragonflys in broad daylight possibly a Noctule Bat but i am no bat expert

Popped in to the Eric Morecombe hides on way home frmo Heysham. Pretty quiet considering it was just after the high tide, but the following seen:

Little Egret 15
Great White Egret 1
Wigeon 40+
Teal 100+
Greenshank 1
Spotted Redshank 1
Redshank 100+
Lapwing 1000+
Black-tailed Godwit 300+
Curlew 8
Chiffchaff 2
Willow Warbler 3
Whitethroat 4

The chiffchaffs and willow warblers were tagging along with a long-tailed tit flock on approach to the hides. The GW Egret was in flight over the marsh, seen flying towards Jenny Brown's point direction whilst I was on the path, I've not seen one for a while, so lovely to catch up with this species again, cracking big yellow bill extending from a tightly tucked in head!?

RE...Fantastic seeing the Harriers and Peregrine!!!!

Pitty Sizergh Castle didn't throw up anything interesting though.






Also good to see the buzzard and marsh harrier having a go at each other, We will Hopefully catch the Hawfinch next time

-- Edited by Dennis atherton on Saturday 21st of August 2010 10:20:09 PM

Fantastic seeing the Harriers and Peregrine!!!!

Pitty Sizergh Castle didn't throw up anything interesting though.

Sorry Dennis, I didn't really look at the other birders.

The hide was quite full and I was having enough trouble trying to pick out the shanks from the godwits.

It was a lovely around Leighton today.

Hi Dave. I was in the hide too. I missed seeing you. That was excellent sering the pereigrine chasing all the godwits.
Saw just the same as Dave with the only addittion of seeing 3 marsh harriers at one point.

Dave Thacker wrote:

---

11am- 3pm

Grizedale hide
Plenty of Godwits



5 Redshank
2 Greenshank
5 Little Egrets
2 Marsh harriers [adult female and juv]
Peregrine chasing the godwits
5 Buzzards
Willow warbler
Sparrowhawk

Along the Causeway
Marsh harrier [f]
5 LT Tits

Public hide
30+ Redshank
2 Spotted Redshank
14+ Greenshank
Peregrine chasing Teal then tried for a Coot
2 Buzzards

---

11am- 3pm

Grizedale hide
Plenty of Godwits
5 Redshank
2 Greenshank
5 Little Egrets
2 Marsh harriers [adult female and juv]
Peregrine chasing the godwits
5 Buzzards
Willow warbler
Sparrowhawk

Along the Causeway
Marsh harrier [f]
5 LT Tits

Public hide
30+ Redshank
2 Spotted Redshank
14+ Greenshank
Peregrine chasing Teal then tried for a Coot
2 Buzzards

There was a nice collection of waders roosting on the small island in front of Public Hide mid-morning today - 9 common redshank, 1 spotted redshank, 7 greenshank, 6 black-tailed godwits, 2 green sandpipers and 2 common sandpipers!

Visit this a.m. Birds of note, approx 10 Bearded Tit giving good views along causeway, from public hide 5 Greenshank and 2 Marsh Harrier ( one made an attempt to catch a passing Swift), on feeders in front of reception Marsh Tits and Nuthatch, from Grizedale hide 3 Little Egret and 5 Deer

24/7/10 (07:00 - 13:00)

Reserve area only:

1 Osprey - fishing, then perched up eating prey around Island Mere area, viewed from the Public Hide & causeway, mid morning..

5 Marsh Harrier (1m)
1 Little Egret
1 Green Sandpiper over (along path to the "Pheasantry")
3 Greenshank
1 Common Sandpiper
c55 Black-tailed Godwit
3 Redshank
5 Buzzard
1 Sparrowhawk
1 Kingfisher
9 Great Black-backed Gull (inc the 3 juvs)
2 Great Crested Grebe
2 Wigeon (f)

1 Raven (heard)
1 Marsh Tit (heard)

Leighton Moss this evening for a pleasant hour or so:

From the causeway [Public?] Hide:

GBB with three well grown young - adult birds appeared to be trying to encourage them to fledge [low passes, no food, lots of calling]
Spotted Redshank
Greenshank
Redshank
Pochard, mallard, Gadwall, Great Crested Grebe
Three distant Marsh Harriers - 2 juv and one female one of which then flew over the back of the hide
Grey Heron

Causeway:

Distant raptor over - presumed Sparrowhawk with large prey item
Sedge Warblers calling
Bearded Tit - one fly over
Very large flock of Long Tailed Tits
Willow Warbler - presumed juv as very bright

Farthest hide [up causeway and 500m further to the left]:

GBB adult diving into the water catching a fish and swallowing it whole - not seen them dive for live prey - must've been copying the Ospreys from earlier in the day :)
At least three Marsh Harriers - some if not all as seen from causeway hide and three in view at once - all appeared to be juveniles

(Late post for) 26/6/10

Reserve area only:

4 Marsh Harrier
3 Marsh Tit (inc 1 juv)
1 Bearded Tit
5 Buzzard
5 Great Black-backed Gull (inc 3 juvs)
1 Sparrowhawk
1 Reed Warbler
3 Sedge Warbler
1 Wigeon (f)
2 Stock Dove

Warton Quarry:

2 Peregrine
1 Kestrel