As this is my first blog let me introduce myself, I am Michael Wilson and I am currently working as a residential visitor officer intern for six months at Leighton Moss which is a great opportunity to gain a lot of experience in conservation. This weekend had glorious sunshine but I think most people were in watching the football! However those who ventured out were treated to great views of red deer at Griesdale and Tim Jackson hides. Look out for the impressive stag with fresh 10 point antlers. The marsh harriers are displaying well and we are eagerly waiting for the first chicks to fledge. Bearded tits are fledging and 20 were ringed last week. Up to six little egrets have been seen together and black tailed godwits are still being seen at Griesdale hide. Look out for common spotted orchids and baby frogs towards lower hide. Otters have been seen regulary at the lower hide and 9 pm seems to be the best time to see them.
27/06/10: Bearded tits near Griesdale hide. A barn owl seen at Barrow Scout.
26/06/10:A whitethroat on path to Allen hide.
There's amazing art and crafts to be seen in the 2 beautiful villages of Silverdale and Arnside this weekend....do come along to our taster exhibition at RSPB Leighton Moss from 11 am to 5 pm on Saturday and Sunday-it's free!
http://www.rspb.org.uk/news/details.asp?id=tcm:9-253956
Watch out for thousands of small frogs path to lower hide (tread with care). There have been a few sightings of otters recently. The one last night was strangely climbing up the two posts in the water at the pool at Lower hide and holding on! Red deer have had their young and the calves have been seen which is a lovely sight.
24 June: an otter was seen at Lower hide at 8 pm - 8.20 pm and 2 stock doves were seen from there too.
23 June: a green sandpiper was at Griesdale hide, 3 otters at Lower hide, a grasshopper warbler was singing in the field near Allen hide, a red kite was seen from lower hide, a tufted duck was seen with 8 young
22 June: a snipe, moorhen and chicks, lapwing, a spotted redshank was at Griesdale hide along with 20 redshanks and 300 black-tailed godwits, speckled wood butterflies, 2 whimbrels at Eric Morecambe pools (well dry pools!- we can't do anything about that until it rains)
21 June: a pair of bearded tits at public hide, a female marsh harrier was feeding on the ground in front of the island at Lilian's hide and a food pass was seen between Lilian's hide and Griesdale hide.
20 June:2 herons, red deer stag and 3 hinds with young at Tim Jackson hide, a marsh tit near visitor centre, 200 Black-tailed godwits at Griesdale hide, siskin and bullfinch on the feeders, coot with young, 6 ravens,
19 June: A spotted redshank at Griesdale hide, young stoats on the path to Lower hide, Red deer (2 stags, 8 hinds and 3 calves) at Griesdale hide, 78 gadwalls
17 June: 2 marsh harriers (male and female) from Griesdale hide, 2 barnacle geese, 3 little egrets, gadwall, a grasshopper warbler by path to Griesdale hide
16 June: a grasshopper warbler was between the car park and Allen hide, bearded tits on the way to Griesdale hide, red kite over Griesdale hide
15 June: one of the peregrine chicks was living dangerously near the front of the nest edge (the other was behind flower shrubs)
14 June: 2 water rails with 7 young! crossed the Causeway, 2 marsh harriers at Lilian's hide
13 June: A knot, 3 little egrets, 22 long-tailed tits
Gary has written his blog about his visit to Leighton Moss at the weekend. See: http://bikingbirder2010.blogspot.com for all his blogs during his year's cycle.
Well I was met at Heysham, despite the boat being over an hour late in due to a low tide. 5 young ladies - Jen, Lorraine, Rachel, Annabel and Dagmar were on the quay, shouting 'Biking Birder' as I came up the ramp off the boat. I had tried to get in amongst the leather clad motorcyclists to get some street cred but ended up alone. What a wonderful way to come back into England. I felt like kissing the ground. Too shy to kiss the girls! We cycled to the Eric Morecambe statue and to their great credit the girls sang 'Positive Thinking' brilliantly. Thanks Harry for holding the camera so well. Am trying to put the video onto youtube and will tell you when it's uploaded successfully. Next to a pub! A quick shandy and donuts before getting to Leighton Moss RSPB reserve. Now these girls were not ardent cyclist so for them to have cycled 30 miles there and back was wonderful and shows what characters they all are. To say it was fun would be an understatement. Brilliant! No time for birding - it was off to the railway station to catch a train to lancaster for a pint at a pub [you may get the feeling that these people know how to have fun] and then to a restaurant for a meal. Back late but still time to join in with the moth watch going on at the reserve. More on that on the next blog. In Kendall now on the way to Haweswater. Will update you on leighton Moss next time but put it briefly - 63 bird sp. 3 new orchids for my British list, 80 moth sp. red deer, 12 butterfly sp inc high brown and small pearl bordered frits. Superb place All the best everyone. [especially the people at leighton Moss and the children and staff at Kendall College; Jo, Tash, Josh, Zaeed, Sophie, Jude and all] Gary
There's still time to book on our moth breakfast on Sunday at Leighton Moss.
Phone the visitor centre from 9.30 am to 5 pm on 01524 701601.
For more info see our events section on our leighton moss page: http://www.rspb.org.uk/events/details.asp?id=tcm:9-244208
Garden tiger image by Tom Marshall (rspb-images.com)