Morecambe Bay

Leighton Moss

A few hours' wandering round Leighton Moss. I didn't go down to the saltmarsh hides as the tide was out and there weren't many waders about as the train passed the pools. I decided that now I know I can get a over 55's train ticket that's £7 cheaper than the usual day return to Silverdale I'll come back next week for these hides.There were plenty of little egrets about, though and also a group of four great white egrets at the edge of the Eric Morecambe pool.

Lillian's Hide

It was relatively quiet, for all intents a late Summer's day without most of the Summer's visitors. The only warblers about were a few chiffchaffs and four singing Cetti's warblers. Dragonflies, particularly common hawkers and common darters, were very much in evidence.

As always the robins insisted on being photogenic

At least three great spotted woodpeckers, two males and a female, made themselves obvious in the willows around the reedbeds. Probably two of these flew over to the marsh harriers' favourite perching tree opposite the Griezedale Hide while I was there. One flew back over and fussed about in the willow tree next to the hide door.

I was trying, and failing, to get a photo of a great spotted woodpecker in the willow tree by the path.
This dunnock was not impressed.

Not sure if there was one or two male marsh harriers around, the one I saw late afternoon from the path by the road might have been the same one I saw from the Griezedale Hide.

The Causeway itself was exceptionally quiet but there was plenty to see from the Causeway Hide. Star of the show was probably the cormorant fishing very close to the front of the hide, swimming around with its head only just below water as it worked its way through a school of small fish. Every so often it would dive and reappear a few yards away, usually to the consternation of a raft of shovelers that were trying to have an afternoon kip. A couple of wigeon working their way along the edge of the reeds on the far side were harbingers of Autumn.

This cormorant was fishing close to the Causeway Hide

Shovelers, an eclipse male (right) and a couple of immature males

The light suited the shovelers nicely

Mute swan family off the public causeway

I seem to be seeing fewer marsh tits than usual at Leighton Moss this year, and nearly all on the path to the Lower Hide. I'm hoping this is just bad luck on my part and not an indication of decline.

Marsh tit

I did wonder if it was going to be the first day of Autumn without hirundines when, about four o'clock, a flock of swallows descended on the fields by the path to the Lower Hide.

Grange-over-Sands

It was still only half five by the time I'd finished at Leighton Moss so I thought I'd milk my old man's rail rover ticket and move a few stations on for an hour or two's birdwatching on the Cumbrian side of the bay. After checking the train timetables it looked like Grange-over-Sands was my best bet as it allowed a good hour and a half's window before the train back to Preston.

Kent Estuary from Grange-over-Sands

From the Promenade I could see a big flock of black-headed and lesser black-backed gulls out in the estuary with a few herring gulls and a couple of great black-backs. Nearer to shore there were half a dozen black-tailed godwits and a handful of curlews, with a dozen shelduck dabbling in the mud. Walking along the Promenade towards the river I found a flock of goosanders swimming in one of the channels and a lone whimbrel walked along the shoreline. A flock of about thirty lapwings clustered on one of the rocky islands.

With twenty minutes left I decided I should go and find somewhere that might offer a cup of tea (no such luck). Passing the ornamental gardens by the station I think I found out where Hodbarrow's bar-headed geese come from.

Bar-headed geese and friends, Grange-over-Sands ornamental gardens.
Sadly, I can't count the snow goose to the year list.

As I waited for the train a flock of twenty or thirty swallows flew high over before descending for a few minutes to grab a last few midges from over the salt marsh and then going on their way.

A picturesque sunset on the way back.

Arnside

Eric Morecambe Pool, Leighton Moss