RSPB LEIGHTON MOSS

It was a grey but pleasant morning with signs that the sun may come through.  Hubby joined a working party down at Kents Bank station to do their usual tidying up.   G wasn't really up to going out so I decided I would, at long last, re-visit Leighton Moss.  Inspired to do so by Knottman2.

Filled up with petrol on the A590, the joined the A6, waved to the deer as I passed the Dallam Estate and headed up to Leighton Moss.  Roads quiet most of the way.

The car park wasn't too busy when I arrived, at 10.39 so a good sign.  You have to enter the reserve now round the back and I was welcomed by a very nice man, very slow but very pleasant and he was determined to give me the spiel, so I let him.  I also let him persuade me into re-joining the RSPB!!!  We only left a few years ago due to funding (or lack of on our part).  

You now have to go round the reserve one way, which is brilliant.  All very well set up with lots of sanitisers around.  

I decided to visit the Causeway Hide as I'd never made it down there before.  Apparently the Low Level Hide is currently out of use as it is unsafe, but you can still walk there.  I will do that next time I visit.

This time of the year there is a lot to see on the way to the hide, including in the gazebo at the beginning of the walk where I saw a number of garden birds and a squirrel (sadly a grey one, but still looks cute).  

On the walk there I met a few men coming back, individually not a group, all with cameras with ENORMOUS lenses, so I thought I obviously don't have adequate equipment, just my Nikon D7200 with a 25-300mm lense and my Panasonic Lumix Bridge Camera. Oh well never mind.

When I got to Causeway Hide there was only one other person in there, also with an lens which would have been about as big as from head to waist - gulp.  I don't like carrying a tripod either so I just found a bench and sat down with my two humble cameras and just sat and enjoyed watching the birds for about an hour.  I have enclosed a collage of some of the things I saw today, including a pair of coots (being naughty), a cormorant (I think), an egret, ducks, tits, sparrows, I think a nuthatch, the aforesaid squirrel, yellow flag irises, orchids fluffy reed heads I think and various other flora. 

Next time I will take Hubby with our binoculars.

I got back and had a coffee and a sandwich in the café before returning home by 1.00 pm.

Such a lovely morning and I felt very comfortable being there on my own so I think I will be going much more regularly now.

Do take care everyone, stay safe and see you all tomorrow.

Oh this is my entry for WIDE Wednesday, with a theme of Connected.  Well I felt connected to nature with this shot so hope that counts.  Also in the extra are two coots who are definitely, um connected!!!