Trip reports
Coach Trip to Leighton Moss
Sunday, 27 April 2008
The RSPB's lovely reserve at Leighton Moss by Morecambe Bay in north Lancashire has long been a group favourite and our coach trip there in April showed exactly why. As a group we saw or heard 83 species there. I include hearing, as a speciality of the reserve is bitttern which is notoriously difficult to see, but a few of us were fortunate to hear its deep boom for a short while. Water rail was another skulking bird we could hear but did not see.The weather forecast had shown the area as being just on the edge of an extensive belt of rain and sure enough it rained all the way north, but stopped as we reached the reserve. Reports of several rarities in front of the two hides that face the bay had most of heading there and we were soon enjoying close views of Mediterranean gull. This attractive gull is not always easy to pick out in a colony of black-headed gulls but, seen close to, it is quite distinctive with a thicker, blood red bill, more extensive black hood and very prominent white eye ring. A green-winged teal (the North American cousin of "our" teal) was more difficult to find but was located in the distance, showing clearly the white vertical stripe at the front of its breast, as opposed to the horizontal stripe which the European teal has. A spoonbill was also showing in the distance and an initially elusive spotted redshank was eventually located very close to a hide. Besides these "goodies "there were many redshank and a large flock of black-tailed godwits. Well pleased with all these sightings we walked back to the main reserve which consists of extensive reedbeds and lagoons with a backdrop of low hills. Here we tended to do our own thing, with plenty to see and enjoy from the 5 large hides. Besides hearing bittern and water rail many of us were lucky to get good views of the beautiful bearded tits, a pair of garganey, recently arrived from southern climes and a marsh tit on the feeders by the reserve centre. And besides all the birds, the cake in the centre restaurant was highly recommended by those who indulged, but all too soon it was back on the coach and into the rain on the M6. An excellent day.