Leighton Moss

Sunday 29th September a.m.
 An early start this morning as we made our way over to Leighton Moss an RSPB reserve
on the West coast near Morecambe bay.The temperature was 12°C on our arrival with clear
skies & the sun beginning to break through. We started off with the hides overlooking the
lagoons next to the bay,seeing good numbers of Teal,Wigeon,Greylags,Gadwall,Black-tailed
Godwit & Redshank.There were a couple of Little Egrets,Greenshanks & Spotted Redshank,
we also saw Curlew,Shelduck,Grey Heron,Pied Wag & Cormorant.As we were watching
from the hide a wader began walking towards us at the edge of the lagoon in the mud, we
thought it was a Dunlin, but the other birders in the hide said it was a Curlew Sandpiper, I hope
they were right as this would be a first for us.

Curlew Sandpiper

Curlew

female Teal

Greenshank

Spotted Redshank

Greenshank & Little Egret

Black-tailed Godwit

Black-tailed Godwit & Redshank

Little Egret

Redshanks

Little Egret with fish

Redshanks at Leighton Moss

Redcar Tarn

Saturday 28th September a.m.
 It was still gloomy when we arrived at Redcar Tarn with a temperature of 12°C , things
began to improve during our visit with some sun getting through late morning.Most of the
usual suspect were around but at least there was something to look at after our earlier
much quieter visits.Lapwings again posed at the edge of the Tarn & a Pied Wagtail did the
same on a nearby wall, there was still a Wigeon present. On the island was the Grey Heron
and a female Goosander & we had a fly over of Greylags.As the sun broke through the
Goosander came onto the water looking for food and unusually it came quite close to us giving
chance of some good snaps.Looking at them you can see why the Goosander is from the Sawbill
family with its serrated bill.

female Goosander

click on the picture to see the razor bill

bit of preening

keeping a watch full eye above

Grey Heron & Pied Wag

Wigeon

Lapwing

Pied Wag

close enough for a good view of its Razorbill

Local Reservoirs

Saturday 28th September a.m.
 A cloudy morning with patchy fog feeling cool with a temperature of 8.5°C making visibility
poor & birds not doing too much.
Leeshaw
 We started off at Leeshaw where there were six Cormorants on the tower with another one in
the water,there was also a Grey Heron at the edge of the water.A quiet visit other birds seen were
Lapwing,BH Gulls,Mallards,Mipits,Pheasant,Red-legged Partridge & Pied Wagtail.

Cormorants on the tower

  Leeming
 We moved on to Leeming Reservoir where again thing were quiet with the highlights being
Grey & Pied Wagtails,Kestrel & a flock of Linnets.

Grey Wagtail

Linnet

one of several Linnets on the dam wall

Ogden
 We then moved on to Ogden Reservoir where again there was low cloud the temperature
now up to 9.5°C.There were BH Gulls on the shore line but walking around the top end of
the reservoir things were very quiet with only a couple of Mallards seen.As we came back towards
the dam we spotted a couple of Great Tits in the trees, there was a Cormorant on the float in the
water,later we saw another three fly over.Mallards were around the feeding area and there was a
male Tufted Duck.Another quiet visit so we decided to go to Redcar Tarn to see some more birds,
report to folllow.

Tufted Duck

Cormorant

Spurn Point

From Sunday 22nd September

 Carrying on with our day out yesterday we went for some lunch just South of Withensea.
Afterwards we travelled a few miles to Spurn Point, which is just beyond Kilnsea, a well
known spot for birders wanting to see birds on their migration route.There are a couple of
Nature Reserves which are run by the Yorkshire Wildlife Trust, Spurn point itself is a narrow
strip of land which runs out into the North Sea & the Humber Estuary.
 When we arrived the sun had warmed things up to 23°C, we couldn't get along the track to
the end of the point as the sea had washed sand across the track.We parked near the YWT
visitor centre & walked along, seeing plenty of waders on the mud flats of the estuary.These
included Redshank,Dunlin,Curlew,Golden Plover & Ringed Plover with several Little Egrets
also about. We also spotted a Wheatear moving through, further out on the mud flats was a
1,000+ Golden Plover & another flock of 2,000+ birds was likley to be Knot or Dunlin, they
certainly were a great spectacle when they took flight.

Little Egret

Little Egret & Redshank

Redshank

Golden Plover

more Golden Plover

Ringed Plover

Dunlin

Wheatear

Flock of Golden Plover on the mud flats

Humber Estuary mud flats

Lighthouse at the end of Spurn Point

Hornsea Mere

Sunday 22nd September a.m.
 A trip to the East coast of Yorkshire to visit my grandad today gave us the chance to visit
Hornsea Mere on the way. On arrival the sun was shining with a temperature of 18°C but a
strong wind took the edge off the warm sun.We headed for the jetties straight away & there
were five Little Gulls just what we had hoped for, as they very rarely come into our pennine
area.
 There were plenty other birds around, the sky was full of geese,Cormorants & ducks at one
point, all of which seemed in a hurry to get somewhere.On the water were Canadas,Greylags,
Mallards,Coots,Mute Swans,Tufted Ducks & BH Gulls.

Little Gull

Herring Gull 1st Year

Greylags & others

Little Gull stars of our visit

Hornsea Mere