Hide Hugging!

With some business to see to regarding the Pied Flycatchers with JW today I decided afterwards a visit to the RSPB Reserve a Leighton Moss was an idea, after all there's been a Hobby seen there for a couple of days and a Hobby at Leighton Moss or anywhere in our recording area - and beyond for that matter - is all but a dream. 

Hobby. Brian Rafferty. 

So with only limited time I went to the Public Hide with high hopes and gave it an hour or so to no avail, but had excellent views of 4 Marsh Harriers, one of the reserves main attractions along with the Bearded Tit and Bittern.  A Buzzard was soaring above the wood opposite the hide, and 8 Teal flew over and around the mere before disappearing onto one of the back pools, otherwise pretty quiet. BR had a rare opportunity a year or so ago to get some excellent shots of this brilliant little falcon at Leighton Moss as illustrated above, and more recently of the Marsh Harrier below. 

Marsh Harrier. Brian Rafferty.

About thirty minutes in the Lillian Hide gave the spectacle of up to 300 Swifts hawking insects over the pool along with just 2 House Martins easily picked out of the crowd, and a solitary Sand Martin, another 2 Marsh Harrier were also seen here and another Buzzard over the wood. A Moorhen seen below the hide had climbed the stem of a Reedmace to feed on the seed, a curious sight and a first for me.

Eider. David Cookson.

I decided to look in at Teal Bay on the way home to see the tide coming in and counted 102 Eider including four juveniles I noted, also 4 Whimbrel and 2 Bar-tailed Godwit, a male Blackcap was singing in the bushes behind me.


I insist every visitor to Birds2blog reads the story in the link, this is as bad as it gets and please do take a close look at the 'woman' who clearly shows what she is in the photograph HERE