A much needed opportunity for a short break away from things, some swift research and a lovely property near Grange over Sands in south Cumbria was located and booked.
With care for my very poorly Mum arranged we could enjoy a few days of relaxation and rest, or in our terminology...wildlife and nature at a leisurely pace.
The short journey north and west was halted at Leighton Moss RSPB reserve, a place we love and visit as often as time affords.
As often happens the first good sighting was a splendid robin...
Wrens are at their most visible at this time of year as they sing and nest build...
A widgeon sailed by on the pond...
We always love the sight of marsh harriers hunting over the reed beds, it was a shame the light was poor as this male came fairly close...
Spotting snipe lurking among the reed edges is great fun!
Down at the hide kindly donated by Eric Morecambe's widow in his memory we found newly returned avocets...
and a decent sized group of curlews...
On Saturday we returned for a full day, the weather was warmer but the light was annoyingly dull especially under the trees.
A nuthatch...
Marsh tits are prevalent around here...
Down by the reed ponds a lapwing showed nicely...
We kept changing hides to enjoy the wealth of birds to be seen by the paths... a great tit..
A wren showed very nicely...
Another marsh tit...
A treecreeper..
The ever present robin...
On the feeders by the centre a great spotted woodpecker allowed me close...
A small bird spotted flitting through the trees proved worthwhile to follow, goldcrest...
Sightings from the hides were few apart from the noisy black headed gulls...and fornicating frogs!
Eventually finding a quiet hide and sitting still and silent....first a male pochard...
Then finally for the day a great crested grebe...
A good day even in less than perfect conditions, our cottage for the weekend beckoned now and its comforts were enjoyed. Forecast and light for Sunday did not promise anything great but we enjoy the coast and decided on a day near Millom, Hodbarrow RSPB reserve is well worth a visit if you are in the area.
On the way there however we had a stop off at a location advised by a respected wildlife lover, the hawfinch is the largest of that family of birds and one we have never seen. A sparse population exists in a little publicised wood and we were told they would be hard to find and especially to photograph.
We enjoy a challenge and found the location with no problems, after an hour I had one photograph...a blue tit!
Patient and lengthy searches of the tree tops brought a result though...distant but shape and size and vague patterns mean only one thing...hawfinch.
A buzzard flew close overhead...
As you can see...great light!
And so onto Hodbarrow, the coast was cold, damp and unforgiving for photographs and photographers alike!
A great crested grebe with meal.
We did see many species here including little grebe, goldeneye, eider, pochard, oystercatcher, shelduck and I managed a shot of some red breasted mergansers...
A short walk on the coast path brought me a spectacular view up the Duddon Estuary....
Hmm, maybe I should return for another go!
Monday was home day but we decided another couple of hours at Leighton Moss would be worthwhile, after all the sun was shining!
A couple of red deer stags were lounging in the reeds...
A lapwing was posing...
Chaffinches were singing their joyous songs...
The robin added a mellifluous note or two!
A treecreeper stayed still occasionally :-)
And finally a wren paused in its incessant nest building to thank me for my patience and understanding!
A great few days when a different tiredness was enjoyed.
So the question and the answers...what does your hobby bring to you..............................
A sense of satisfaction at what you have achieved,
Relaxation from doing something different from your normal routine,
Enjoyment of what the natural world and its creatures offer,
Discovering something new,
If you can answer YES to all four you will understand just how much the long weekend meant to us!
Many thanks to all who read, if you comment they come to me first for moderation.
