
I come to at Leighton Moss with a hint of a wish-list, a reprise of great crested grebe and coot chicks which I saw on this date two years ago. Courtship behaviour, parenting skills and interesting ways of how to rear young- it's not simply about identification.
In autumn, large flocks of coot can be seen on these fresh-water pools and that's a striking spectacle.
On 2nd May To the sea-hides. Black-headed gull are raucous but seem to share islets with a smaller number of avocets- such an elegant bird. There was a large flock of black-tailed godwit- mostly non-breeding birds. From the sea-hide we looked into the sun so the flock appeared in silhouette and I reckoned these were non-breeding birds, so of muted colour. A birder with a scope set it up for us and I could then make -out a couple of birds with rusty red heads. Throughout the time we watched the flock was roosting, the outer row of birds watchful, and when a plane went by the flock rose and settled on a farther islet.
Another beautiful sunny day with butterflies on the wing and the fresh green of May all about us.
In the hides, we see and hear for ourselves what excites our companions. Coot chicks because their appearance is bizarre and unexpected. Birding is a mix of sharing and competitiveness and I've watched folk ignore beautiful water birds in the pursuit of finding snipe which are hard to see because of excellent camouflage.
At the sea-hides there's a party led by a woman who calls marsh harrier each time one appears in the distance, ignoring birds much closer to the hide.