After rather a genteel morning in the civilised surroundings of a humid Leighton Moss, Bazzo and I succumbed to a visit to the tea rooms at the reserve - "there's always time for tiffin", as Sir Sydney Roughdiamond famously observed.
Fortified, we nipped down the M6 and went for a walk up Grizedale, then called in on Mr Ugly, the immature Glossy Ibis at Newton Marsh.
Leighton had calling Bittern and Bearded Tit, 4 Ravens, superb male Marsh Harrier and a first year Little Gull making up the best of a very quiet morning....no sign of the Spoonbills while we were there.
Loadsa Reed Warblers and Sedgies, but the Black Headed Gulls never stopped squawking - thank God they don't nest like this at Marshside...
A few Avocets on the Eric and Ernie Pools, but their nests got washed out a while back. Great Crested Grebes from the Public Hide.
Otherwise it had that quiet quiet summer feel....Red Deer and Water Shrew made a change from Brown Hares.
Grizedale was very humid, with Nuthatch and Green Woodpecker, Willow Warbler, Yellowhammer, and at least three singing Redstarts, all of which were absolute sods to find in the foliage - Marshside's finest would not be denied though.
What looked like a Common Hawker whizzed past me as we walked back to the wheels.
After a tough day we called in at Newton Marsh to see the Glossy Ibis - it was a Lancs tick for Bazzo, and it was only a few miles out of the way so it would have been rude not to.
The Ibis was quite distant, up a creek feeding with Blackwits, but I managed a few grotty record shots as rainclouds gathered.
An LRP was a bit nearer.
Eyes to the skies everyone, eyes to the skies....
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Cherry Bowmaker wrote...
Hi John
Ever heard of yellowhammers in Kirkby? Well, we went on a bike ride yesterday eve, set off from Admin Rd, Kirkby, cycled along Molly`s Lane then Cut Lane, this is a lovely part of Kirkby, yes, I was surprised too!
All of a sudden we saw a yellowhammer, and were both delighted as we always are when we see this brilliant flash of yellow! We continued on our way, and returned about an hour or so later to find a very squashed yellowhammer on the road, in the same area as we`d seen it earlier. This road is hardly used by traffic, we`d only seen one tractor and one car pass along it! Poor unfortunate bird, it certainly took the shine off our evening!
Regards
Cherry
Posted by: Cherry Bowmaker | June 4, 2007 6:20 AM