Hide and Seek!

Well seek from the hide actually. Having taken the weather forecast too serious and it turning out to be quite wrong, I decided the best plan was to sneak off to Leighton Moss and maybe be able to dodge the rain between hides, as it turned out it was a pleasant day if a little windy, so away I went......

Just 15 mtrs through the gate to the Lower Hide from Silverdale Road a Tawny Owl flew out of a tree and soon disappeared out of view. At the hide I saw a 'large pipit' fly in front of the hide, I had decent views though the bird always remained half hidden but it really made me sit up, but the excitement soon faded away when I realised - after accounting for all the features I could see - it was a Skylark, however I do not recall ever seeing this species on the reserve before so at least I 'collected' a first even with the humble Skylark. There was little if anything else to enter my notes from the hide and I moved on to the Public Hide where there was 11 Greenshank on the island, a Little Egret flew over the mere as did a Bittern, I also noted c.50 Pochard, c.12 Gadwall, 3 female Pintail, and 2 Little Grebe. Quite a few Common Hawker were notable in front of the hide flying over the reeds all the time, do these creatures ever rest? Griesdale Hide was very quiet but another Little Egret was seen, a Raven 'honked' its way overhead and there was a 'few' Swallows still around and a Snipe in flight.

Greenshank from the Public Hide.

At the Eric Morecambe Hide the high tides have changed the scene and its birds and the recent Little Stints and Curlew Sandpiper's were nowhere to be seen, but 22 Little Egret - down on recent counts here - were a sight not personally seen before in such number......who would have thought just a few years ago! Also noted were 2 Spotted Redshank, and here it was surprising the difference in plumage for two adult birds one of which was in full winter plumage whilst the other still retained a little more of its summer appearance, c.30 Black - tailed Godwit and uncounted but small numbers of Pintail and Wigeon, a solitary Pink - footed Goose was to note, a lone early arrival or a bird having summered here?

The humble female Mallard walking the plank!

And finally......There was a quite humorous message came up on the pager today of a Little Auk at Bowness-on-Solway quote 'flying past the bus stop' unquote.