Cold but sunny day at Leighton Moss

Greeted by a beautiful blue sky yesterday morning, and lots of sun. I took the weasties for their walk first thing, walking part of the patch.. There was getting on for 100 Lapwing on the remains of the flash, this is the most I have seen in the area in a long time. The new reserve is believed to be teaming with Snipe but there is too much cover, and so sighting are rare. However John has seen as many as 70 or so lift off in a morning. This may be just a fraction of actual numbers.
         The weather was too good to waste, so back home I put a few things together and set off for Leighton Moss, arriving at about half ten. I parked at the centre and had a look in at Lillian's hide first, there was hardly any one in considering the car park was packed. There was little action on the water so I moved on. It was firm under foot after the frost and the going was good as I made my way to the causeway (no Beardies about) and then called in the Public hide. There was so little activity from this hide it was joked about by the few people that was in there. I think people where spending more time walking about rather than spend any time in a cold hide. I plodded on to Lower hide, where I found a few Teal milling about near the reed edge.

Teal mixed with Mallard.

On the Lower Hide track a Redwing was found feeding on berries but was bad to get a pick of as it was in silhouette

Redwing.

Apart from the few Fieldfares on the patch I haven't seen many winter thrushes yet.

  By 12pm I was back at the centre tucking into a spot of lunch, before heading off to the Jackson hide. Again there was very little on the water, the only interest being about half a dozen Snipe, as usual too far away for my lens.
     However, at one point along the path some kind sole had put some seed on a log and it was doing good trade.

Star turn was this Marsh Tit, although there could have been more than one, as I found them in a few different areas.

 

 

In fact most of the tit family made an appearance during the session.

Blue Tit.

Great Tit.

Coal Tit.

And its always nice to see one of these little fellas fly in , Nuthatch

Nuthatch

Nuthatch.

A bit of a bummer.

Blue Tit.

And a Robin looking in on the feast.

Just before 3pm I was back in Lillian's hide, and in the far distance I manged to find the Long-tailed Duck, which again was too far away for pics. However I was in better luck with the Snipe.

Snipe

And again.

There was a few Herons about.

And Two squabbling over Territorial rights.

And lastly a Male Teal.

Linking to Stewarts Wild bird Wednesday  http://paying-ready-attention-gallery.blogspot.co.uk/