Yellow-browed Warbler: Chris and I had a plan to get to Leighton Moss for first light and get some point blank shots f their showy bittern. But our best laid plans went array, when the bittern decided to show briefly before flying to the opposite reedbed, still we had plenty of other good birds to find.
In amongst the flocks of usual Leighton Moss favourites, like long tailed tit and marsh tit there was a rare YBW. It’s been seen regurally along the path towards Lower Hide over recent weeks – we found it c50m from the Causeway turn. These small warblers are generally seen in passage, with very few numbers overwintering in the UK.
Marsh Tit: In the same area as the YBW there was a small clearing where some thoughtful birder had placed some seed on the ground and it was here there was a furry of activity.
Leighton Moss in one of the premier and reliable sites for marsh tit, I see them on every visit to Leighton Moss, but rarely as good as this. There were three birds that kept coming down to the seed and showing incredibly well.
Nuthatch: The seeded areas also attracted the more usual tits and even a nuthatch who bullied all the other birds away and kept the seed to itself.
Bearded Tit: We put a birder and his son on the YBW and he repaid the favour by telling us that the beard tit were on the grit trays, so we hot-footed it back down the causeway.
The gathering crowd were firing their cameras as we approached and we sone blowed our way into the middle of the pack as the beards emerged out of the reeds and on to the grit.
Really good to see these little stunners up close and personal.
Snow Bunting: Our next stop was to Fleetwood hoping to see the long staying snow buntings that have been faithful to the beach at the back of the marina lake.
When we arrived there was no sign of the birds, we spent the next hour scanning the dunes, walking over the shingle and scanning the tide line.
Nothing, so sight or sound.
We were starting to get a bit fed up before giving it one more walk over, when the birds flew around the corner and landed at our feet!
Great day out locally.
