A walk round Leighton Moss

 Yesterday I decided to go out of the county and into lancashire for a change of scenery and a few descent birds. The sun was shinning when I left Penrith, but just before I arrived at Leighton it threw a heavy shower and I thought I was going to have to sit it out in the car for a while, needn't have worried as the sun came out again and shone for the rest of the day.

Male Bearded tit Leighton

I made my way to the marsh hides first, masses of water, what a contrast to my last visit when it was bone dry. Now too much water and apparently no food means there wasn't much about, the only thing of note a small flock of Shoveler. On my way back to the centre I had a look at Barrow-Scout, here there was a bit more activity with , Coot, Gadwall, Mute Swan, and 2 Little Grebe,
            At the centre I had a look in at the feeding station and amongst the regulars there was a Willow Tit going back and forth to one of the feeders. Popped into Lillian's hide , nothing out of the norm there so made my way down to the causeway.

Male common Darter

Female common Darter

On my way down I called in at the dipping pond and found the above Dragonflies.
         In the public hide on the causeway the main focus of interest was the small island in front of the hide, this held quite a number of Redshank and 13 Greenshank. A  nice surprise though was 2 Ruff, and occasionally the whole lot would take flight when the Great Black-backed Gulls called in to tend their young,( Juveniles really.)

                                         Male Bearded Tit, with Possibly Juvenile

Back home in the evening I had a look at the flood no change there apart from about 50 or so Swallows some skimming the ground picking insects off. All in all a good day.