Leeshaw Reservoir

Wednesday 4th May a.m.
A bright sunny morning with a temperature of 8°C when I pulled up at Leeshaw where it was good to see Greylags, with one pair having eight young Goslings. Redshanks were on the dam banking at the edge of the water and a couple of Swallows were flying around.Lapwings were in the surrounding fields and Curlews were seen as they moved around as were Oystercatchers.It was also good to get a pair of Common Sandpipers with one bird singing and displaying.Also under the dam wall it was great to see two LRPs further down the track there was a small flock of ten Linnets. N.P.

Common Sandpiper

Greylags

Greylags with Goslings

LRPs

Oystercatcher

Redshanks

Lapwing

Linnet

more Linnets

Common Sandpiper at Leeshaw 4/5/2016

Leighton Moss

Tuesday May 3rd
 I decided to have a run out to the RSPB Nature Reserve at Leighton Mos which is on the West coast of Lancashire at near Morcambe Bay.It was a cloudy,breezy morning with a temperature of 8°C which seemed to keep the Warblers down, I saw a few Willow Warblers,Blackcaps & Chiffchaff later in the morning as the sun came out.There were fewer birds than normal at the Bay hides with just one Little Egret, a couple of Avocets but c35 Redshank.
 The best parts of the morning came as I watch three different Marsh Harriers flying across the Reed Beds near the causway hide and one perched in a tree some distance away.There were c200 Black-tailed Godwits on the reserve which were looking good in their breeding plumage.N.P.

Marsh Harrier

Black-tailed Godwit

Redshank

GBB Gull

Bullfinch

Little Egret

Marsh Harrier

Black-tailed Godwits

Leighton Moss 3/5/2016

Redcar Tarn

Monday 2nd May p.m.
 With rain around this morning we put our visit to Redcar Tarn off until this afternoon when the sun was shining with a strong blustery wind though and a temperature of 12°C.The usual birds were on the water with the addition of a Mute Swan (Yellow Tag 433) and on the island it was good to see a Common Sandpiper.Over the water Swallows have returned as have a couple of Sand Martins, we enjoyed our walk round the Tarn and we also had a look at the small pond across the road where there were two Redshanks.
 This morning it was also good to see several House Martins back over Cullingworth braving the recent cold weather.

Rook

Jackdaw

Redshank

Common Sandpiper

Mute Swan

LBB Gull

LBB Gull 3rd Summer

Pied Wagtail

Redcar Tarn 2/5/2016

Cullingworth

Sunday 1st May a.m.
It is the beginning of May but didn't feel like it with a temperature of 4°C,cloudy overhead and a chilly wind blowing.We headed through the village for a walk round the western side seeing a number of common species then on our way towards Harden we saw two Linnets,Kestrel and Swallows.Here a bird flew over us and landed in some bushes we got the bins on it to see a Whinchat, a great surprise which put a spring in our step as we carried on.There were several Willow Warblers seen and in the distance the yaffling of a Green Woodpecker,we also heard a GSW drumming.A Chiffchaff could be heard, a Coal Tit and a couple of LT Tits were moving through together, other notables on route were Canadas,Mallards,Curlew and Pheasant.

Pheasant

male & female Pheasant

Good surprise with the Whinchat

Whinchat

Coal Tit

Kestrel

Linnet

LT Tit

Willow Warbler

Cullingworth 1/5/2016