Back Down To Earth.

It looks like the curse of other things in life has taken over my birding addiction once again, and to make matters worse it looks like lasting all this week. So my birding is set to be patchy and I'm going to be stuck with grabbing every opportunity I get - when I get it - to put in some time with the birds, which is what I did on Friday when I found myself 5 miles north of Lancaster with a little time on my hands, so off I went to take a look over the Eric Morecambe Complex at Leighton Moss RSPB Reserve for a couple of hours, better than no birding at all and thankful for small mercies.

After Thursdays brilliant Woodchat Shrike experience, I think this mediocre report below is called....back down to earth. 

Sedge Warbler Martin Lofgren 

A Chiffchaff was in song when I pulled into the car park, and I heard my first Sedge Warbler from the path to the hide. I grabbed a brief look at a flight of c.40 Black-tailed Godwit which promptly dropped down out of sight at the back of the flood where I could just make out 2 Greenshank. Between this pool and the Allen Pool there are currently up to 70 Avocet with some first chicks hatched I'm told. Also noted was a 1st winter Mediterranean Gull in the midst of a large number of screaming breeding Black-headed Gull, 3 Pintail, 4 Gadwall, 4 Shoveler, and 2 Little Egret.  

House Martin Astland Photography 

A brief visit to the Lillian Hide was well worth it if only to watch at least 100 Swift hawking, with which I kept seeing a 'few' House Martin and Swallow.

High pressure on the cards mid-week, and amongst lots of other places I need to get to I have a few upland locations in mind. So here's hoping the curse of 'other things' buggers off.