Foiled Again

I hit the road early this morning as I had decided to pay my first visit to the RSPB’s Leighton Moss reserve near Carnforth.

After an hour and a half of the M6 during morning rush hour I was in serious need of some valium, but I soon began to unwind after I had plonked myself down in the Griesdale hide and clocked a male Marsh Harrier gracefully quartering over the reed bed. It was soon joined by a larger adult female and the duo seemed to delight in spooking the over-summering Black-tailed Godwits.

Bearded Tit is a bird I am yet to see and is a specialty of this reserve. They are, however, notoriously difficult to observe and today was no exception, although I did see every Reed Warbler, Sedge Warbler and Reed Bunting at Leighton Moss in the process of trying to find one!

Early in the afternoon I headed over to the Eric Morecambe and Allen pools where the previous day both Pectoral Sandpiper and Temminck’s Stint has been logged. The Allen pool was very quiet with an Avocet and a few of the commoner waders.

There was a little more activity at the EM pool. A couple of birders pointed me in the direction of the Pectoral Sandpiper, but the bird in question was suspiciously similar to a Knot, in that it was actually, a Knot. No sign of the Temminck’s Stint either, although three Little Gulls were decent compensation.

What was required was a raptor to stir things up a little and right on cue an immature male Marsh Harrier appeared on the scene. The resultant pandemonium sent all the waders into the air in panic, including two belligerent Avocets that mobbed the bird remorselessly. Once they had all settled, a few more Redshanks has been flushed out, but if there were any Sandpipers and Stints around, then they remained hidden.

Until later.