Browse by tags

Well with April fast approaching it's end our wildlife is just getting started! This has to be my favourite time of year, with the sound of bird song, the croak of frogs and the rustling in the reeds all adding to the wonder of spring. One of the undoubted highlights of this season is the emergence...

We are very excited that the avocet count on the saltmarsh pools has risen to 54! Given the success we had last season with 48 young ones fledged from 19 pairs of adults, we look set for similar this year. Pop down to the Eric Morecambe and Allen hides to get close up views of this iconic emblem of the...

I suppose you’re getting tired of hearing about my spectacular wildlife experiences at Leighton… This one is pretty exciting though. My blog last week revealed that we have, at last, a really strong booming bittern. I was over the moon. However, the news just gets better and better: A...

The changing of the clocks last week made a 4.30am start all the more difficult this morning as I set off for the weekly bittern watch with the stars still out! But my efforts were certainly rewarded with some fantastic bittern behaviour at Barrow Scout fields! On my arrival at the usual listening...

Well despite the rest of the country suffering with weather likened to the high arctic, we have managed to remain snow free! The weather is actually quite nice,(cold but dry) and the surrounding roads have managed to evade the troubles the remainder of the country have had to endure. So how has our...

Well first of all I would like to apologise for the lack of sightings updates. We have had a few technical problems, so hopefully they are now sorted. One of the undoubted highlights at the moment has been our bittern activity. Sightings have been fairly frequent and quite wide ranging, with reports...

The fantastic weather of the past couple of weeks has meant the whole reserve is looking brilliant! Spring is starting to gain momentum now, most of our resident birds are singing and we're awaiting the arrival of our migrants with baited breath (apparently ospreys have already been reported in the...

It's all getting busier here at Leighton Moss and it's high time we posted some more sightings - sorry for the pause since the last one. I am going to start with the Saltmarsh hides because we've had some very nice news from there: three early avocets have been seen over the last couple...

It’s coming up to my very favourite time of the year – spring, when everything wakes up and gears up for the breeding and growing season. In these brighter pre-spring days, the early birds are starting to tune up, claim their territories and their mates. It’s a particularly good time...

Classic pose of bittern outside Lillian's Hide. Bittern wandered along edge of water to left of hide for about 15 minutes before standing in this position for about 5 minutes, then disappeared back into reeds on the left. First ever time seeing a bittern so along with the waxwings was a fantastic...

14 December 2010. After parading in full view for at least 20 minutes, this bird stretched its huge wings and flew back to a small reed bed, where it remained in view.

Normally, Bitterns adopt this posture to help to conceal themselves amongst the reeds. However, this bird,on the frozen lagoon at Lilian's Hide, certainly wasn't hiding. Taken on 14 December 2010

All lakes frozen over at Leighton Moss today. This is one of many (at least 3) Bittern seen from Lilian's hide.

I watched this bittern for 1hr 30mins what a great experience.

I took this photo of the bittern at leighton moss. Its about to catch some prey.