Bearded tits are a speciality at Leighton Moss RSPB Reserve. On a beautiful October morning there are many visitors here in the hope of seeing them. I hear bearded tits calling from the reed beds as we walk toward the Causeway Hide. We stop to listen and the birds flit about the tall reeds and settle in the top of a small willow tree. The sun lights them beautifully. It's a perfect photo opportunity to present them in different aspects.
Having studied bees and butterflies nectaring on ivy flowers at Sizergh I'm eager to see if the south-facing ivy-clad wall en route for the Causeway Hide will be as attractive to pollinators. Once again, bees and Red admiral are showing. The butterfly's hind-wing is badly damaged so I wonder if it has emerged from sheltering in the ivy to feed on this bright morning. These sunny October days highlight the importance of ivy as an autumn food-source for pollinators and a shelter for winter hibernation.
As deciduous trees lose their leaves in The Fall their autumn silhouette takes on a distinctive appearance if the tree is festooned with ivy. Today, bees and Red admirals nectar on ivy flowers. During autumn and winter ivy berries will be a food-source for birds and small mammals.
As deciduous trees lose their leaves in The Fall their autumn silhouette takes on a distinctive appearance if the tree is festooned with ivy. Today, bees and Red admirals nectar on ivy flowers. During autumn and winter ivy berries will be a food-source for birds and small mammals.
Red deer are grazing. Water rail squeal somewhere in the reed beds. We watch a marsh harrier in flight, then the Causeway Hide empties as men come to cut the reeds and tell us that their work will put the birds to flight. So we might have the hide almost to ourselves, but without birds
The way visitors interact with wildlife and with each other is a part of the fascination. We walk to the furthest hide through lovely birch and willow trees to find it's standing room only but there's a peace and tranquillity with everyone silently focusing on water birds. An otter has shown from Lilian's Hide, nearest to the cafe, but visitors there talk loudly about their holidays elsewhere- alibi visitors- they're somewhere else in thought.
Our bearded tit encounter was the more delightful because of the eager sharing of the birds by those who'd been there a while. Don't bother with the feeding trays, they advised. The birds are right here.
The way visitors interact with wildlife and with each other is a part of the fascination. We walk to the furthest hide through lovely birch and willow trees to find it's standing room only but there's a peace and tranquillity with everyone silently focusing on water birds. An otter has shown from Lilian's Hide, nearest to the cafe, but visitors there talk loudly about their holidays elsewhere- alibi visitors- they're somewhere else in thought.
Our bearded tit encounter was the more delightful because of the eager sharing of the birds by those who'd been there a while. Don't bother with the feeding trays, they advised. The birds are right here.
RSS Feed