RSPB Leighton Moss Purple Heron 24th August 2017
The BirdGuides reporting service had been listing a juvenile Purple Heron as being seen regularly from the Grisedale hide at RSPB Leighton Moss so we drove up there hoping it was still there. When we got to the hide photographers were obviously hogging the prime positions and not moving and this was exascerbated by the fact that the bird was only really visible from the left side window wwhich meant that only three people could get seats. Everyone else had to stand behind each other straining for a view ! To add to that, the bird was walking through the reeds and wasn’t easy to see and was heading left and out of sight. However, we did manage to get views of it eventually even though they were restricted to the top part of the body, the neck and head mainly.
It continued to walk left and out of sight from the hide so, after a while, we gave up on it. It was a good UK life tick though and worrth the journey. We also got Marsh Harrier from that hide and also a Great White Egret and a Buzzard. Other than that the main reserve was rather quiet and it was left to the sea hides to give us the other highpoint(s) of the day. Between the Allen hide and the Eric Morecambe hide we added to our bird of prey list so far consisting of only Marsh Harrier and Buzzard with fantastic close views of an Osprey, more distant views of a Merlin and also a Kestrel. So our bird of prey list for the day was five species.
After we left Leighton Moss, we stopped off briefly at Wharton Crags in the expectation of not seeing a Peregrine but we thought we would give it a try anyway. About five minutes after arriving, one flew across the top of the crag giving us our sixth bird of prey species of the day !
Bird Sightings : RSPB Leighton Moss : Grisedale Hide
| Mute Swan | 2 |
| Little Grebe | 1 |
| Purple Heron | 1 |
| Great Egret | 1 |
| Little Egret | 2 |
| Eurasian Marsh Harrier | 1 |
| Common Buzzard | 1 |
| Common Coot | 2 |
| Sand Martin | 30 |
Bird Sightings : RSPB Leighton Moss : Environs
| Mute Swan | 12 |
| Common Pheasant | 4 |
| Grey Heron | 1 |
| Common Moorhen | 4 |
| Common Coot | 5 |
| Common Wood Pigeon | 6 |
| Eurasian Jackdaw | 6 |
| Rook | 2 |
| Carrion Crow | 4 |
| Barn Swallow | 16 |
| Coal Tit | 2 |
| Great Tit | 4 |
| Eurasian Blue Tit | 6 |
| European Robin | 3 |
| Eurasian Blackbird | 1 |
| Dunnock | 2 |
| Pied Wagtail | 2 |
| Common Chaffinch | 8 |
| Eurasian Bullfinch | 8 |
| European Greenfinch | 4 |
| European Goldfinch | 1 |
Bird Sightings : RSPB Leighton Moss : Allen Hide
| Eurasian Marsh Harrier | 1 |
| Common Kestrel | 1 |
Bird Sightings : RSPB Leighton Moss : Eric Morecambe Hide
| Great Cormorant | 1 |
| Osprey | 1 |
| Eurasian Oystercatcher | 100 |
| Common Redshank | 160 |
| Black-tailed Godwit | 30 |
| Lesser Black-backed Gull | 1 |
| Merlin | 1 |
| Common Starling | 300 |
Bird Sightings : Wharton Crags
| Peregrine Falcon | 1 |