Trip reports

A DAY AT RSPB LEIGHTON MOSS

Saturday, 24 March 2007

As we assembled at the Allen & Eric Morecambe hides car park, a chiffchaff sang his metronomic notes, a harbinger of spring. Along the path to the hides a dunnock charmed our ears with his pleasant sustained warbling song. A wren shouted his song, tremendous for such a small bird. We noted our first kestrel hovering and our first buzzard soaring. From the hides we observed scattered shelduck, teal, wigeon, mallard and a pair of gadwall. There were at least six avocets, gracefully sweeping the water's surface with their decurved bills. Hundreds of waders stood on the islands, black-tailed godwits on the outside, knots packed in the middle like pebbles on a beach. Curlew were flying and crying. Three faraway buzzards were very active, one carried a prey item. There were lots of noisy black-headed gulls.

We then drove up to the Visitor Centre and walked up to the causeway where Allan heard a singing blackcap. From the Public Hide we spotted a pair of great crested grebes, tufted duck, pochard, mallard and coot. Some members were lucky enough catch sight of a bittern make a brief flight above the reeds. A pair of formidable looking great black-backed gulls nested on the island in front of the hide. On the way to the Lower Pool Hide blue and great tit were noted, robins and chaffinches sang. From the hide we saw two cormorants, a pair of goldeneye and two Canadas. Members also noted a pair of goosanders, little grebe and on leaving the hide watched two long-tailed tits. Calling at the feeding station on the way back to the car park, we saw pheasant, coal tit, chaffinch & greenfinch. Some members saw a nuthatch and a marsh tit, which is a speciality of the area.

At Jenny Brown's Point we enjoyed an hour or two, basking coatless in warm sunshine. There was a pied wagtail on the rocks and at the water's edge, 10 turnstones, a knot, and a redshank with an osytercatcher. Sea-watching was rewarding with a pair of great crested grebe, red-breasted mergansers, a distant flock of eider and a pair of goldeneye. Allan spotted a low flying arctic skua. On our return we found a carpet of lesser celandine along the lane.
Our last call of the day was at Warton Crag Quarry, where we watched peregrines, screaming angrily and fiercely whilst indulging in aerial acrobatics. They are an efficient predator, as a member remarked, "They are at the top of the tree". Two ravens 'kronk kronked' to each other, banking and diving, showing their wedge shaped tails. There were lots of jackdaws and feral pigeons, which the peregrines probably feed on.

Finally we spent some time watching two charming little owls sitting next to each other like an old couple.