Take off

A black-headed gull launches itself off the depth post in the Allen Pool at Leighton Moss. After a cloudy day with occasional heavy showers, there was a period of beautiful light in the late afternoon and I had a quick trip out to see the avocets and gulls.

I had already seen my first black tern for a few years when I popped down the Causeway at lunchtime. It stubbornly refused to come within range of Big Len, but nevertheless was a delight to see as it dipped and picked insects off the water. Over in Morecambe, local birders were having their best birding day of the year as terns of 6 species came in off the Bay, together with arctic and pomarine skuas.

Later in the Eric Morecambe Hide, three ladies were keen to see a spoonbill that had been reported, but were struggling to identify white blobs in the far distance. One of the white blobs turned out to be just identifiable from its size and plumed head in a heavily pixellated photo taken with BL. They were so pleased, it made my day.

Ps Gus had another tummy upset today, perhaps not caused by the bunny balls but something else he may have scavenged when I wasn't looking.