• Welcome to BirdForum, the internet's largest birding community with thousands of members from all over the world. The forums are dedicated to wild birds, birding, binoculars and equipment and all that goes with it.

    Please register for an account to take part in the discussions in the forum, post your pictures in the gallery and more.
ZEISS DTI thermal imaging cameras. For more discoveries at night, and during the day.

Rubbish day at Leighton Moss (1 Viewer)

T

trw

Well-known member
Although I only live 17 miles from Leighton Moss I go there once a year,if that.
My experience last night confirmed why.
Hoping to hear a booming Bittern all I could hear were booming rifle shots echoing around the valley.A clay pigeon shoot apparantly.It was deafening.
I then visited the new Tim Jackson hide only to be greeted by a trigger happy digital photographer.I am not sure what was worse the rifles or the camera.
Hoping for better at the sea hides I was confronted with Mr Know All pontificating in the loudest plummiest voice about his knowledge of birds to the captive audience.I tried the other sea hide but the light was so bad[westerly facing] I could hardly make out what was there.
Finally I went to Lillian's hide and met another bird bore yawning on about all things ornthilogical.
Sadly I got bitten by a horse fly on the way out.
My hand is so swollen I'm typing this with my toes.
That'll be it for another year unless a mega rarity turns up.
 
makes my day at work feel much better......can't help think you put the wrong head on this morning.....we all have bad days but I stand by my motto...a bad day in a hide is better than a good day at work.
hope your next visit is better
 
I live a good 60+ miles from Leighton and can honestly say that I must have visited the reserve more times than you have pratincol, unless you are over 120 years old. I have yet to have a bad day there.
You do not have to use the hides to have a good days birding, and I've been there when they were having a driven shoot on the estate at the side of the reserve, at least they were only shooting plates when you were there.
I hope for your sake that a mega doesn't turn up as it may just give you apoplexy as there will surely be digital photographer's, Mr Know-It-All's and other bird bores by the dozen on the reserve.
 
pratincol said:
Although I only live 17 miles from Leighton Moss I go there once a year,if that.
My experience last night confirmed why.
Hoping to hear a booming Bittern all I could hear were booming rifle shots echoing around the valley.A clay pigeon shoot apparantly.It was deafening.
I then visited the new Tim Jackson hide only to be greeted by a trigger happy digital photographer.I am not sure what was worse the rifles or the camera.
Hoping for better at the sea hides I was confronted with Mr Know All pontificating in the loudest plummiest voice about his knowledge of birds to the captive audience.I tried the other sea hide but the light was so bad[westerly facing] I could hardly make out what was there.
Finally I went to Lillian's hide and met another bird bore yawning on about all things ornthilogical.
Sadly I got bitten by a horse fly on the way out.
My hand is so swollen I'm typing this with my toes.
That'll be it for another year unless a mega rarity turns up.
Click to expand...

Sorry to hear of your bad day - those days are limited thank goodness. Been to Leighton Moss and it was a fabulous day out

The Cleg (Horse fly) sounds horrible. Had to deal with them when I owned my pony, and even he would go mad at a Horse Fly bite - as we would ourselves. :eek!:

Nothing worse then people who like to hear the sound of their own voices...in any bird hide. When the camera 'clicking' fiends of this world are out to play, and they scare all birds off for miles.

Lillian's Hide is quite out of the way so it would be hard to escape anyone who was in the hide. :eek!:

Hope that the next trip to Leighton Moss is a better one to remember. ;);););)

Regards
Kathy
x
 
Those must be some marksmen up there if they shoot clays with rifles. Perhaps you should stay home in case you upset them with your misanthropy.

John
 
Peewit said:
Nothing worse then people who like to hear the sound of their own voices...in any bird hide. When the camera 'clicking' fiends of this world are out to play, and they scare all birds off for miles.
Click to expand...

Deary me Kathy - I'm so very sorry that you're birding experiances are so polarized from mine. Reading this thread makes me wonder why some would ever bother birding in public places if their intolerance to others runs so high?

Have you also given thought considering your statement, how any of the photographs you see in magazines and on websites would ever exist if all of the birds retreated miles as you suggest, when a fiendish camera comes out of the bag but incredibly, stay put when you might happen to poke your bins or scope out of the same hide?

You may also be pleased to know that many modern digi-cameras that can be applied to a telescope and are commonly used from a hide, can be fiendishly silent.
 
Farnboro John said:
Those must be some marksmen up there if they shoot clays with rifles. Perhaps you should stay home in case you upset them with your misanthropy.

John
Click to expand...

In that case I'll take a bullet proof vest next time I go. Also some earplugs to negate the sound of the gunfire,digital cameras and endless pontifications by Mr Know All and his ilk.

;););)
 
The last time I was there, there were a few of us in a nice quiet hide when a band of RSPB volunteers came in and started cleaning up with sweeping brushes in the noisiest way possible. They seemed totally oblivious to the fact that they were disturbing everyone in there. Needless to say we all vacated the hide and left a complaint at the visitor centre.

The only decent visit I've had to LM was the first one as I saw quite a few birds I'd not seen before. Then a couple of years later I took my parents, but the whole area was flooded and there were more birds in the fields outside than they were on the reserve. They weren't impressed!
 
Leighton Moss was one of the first places the Manchester University Bird Club ever took me to, and among other highlights (almost everything was a highlight then - ah the innocence of youth) we had a Red-necked Grebe in good plumage and a prolonged flight view of a Bittern. I remember being amazed at how much poo it let go into the reeds as it went along.

Since then my infrequent visits have yielded excellent views of Bearded Tits, Marsh Harriers, Red Deer, Stoats, Water Shrews, Otters, murmurations of Starlings.....

Of course one can have a duff day anywhere, but Leighton Moss RSPB is a cracking place.

John
 
Warning! This thread is more than 12 years ago old.
It's likely that no further discussion is required, in which case we recommend starting a new thread. If however you feel your response is required you can still do so.

Similar threads

B
Short trip to Leighton Moss 26 -29 Feb 24
Replies
6
Views
709
BriLee
B
dandsblair
Lucky storm gives us good Bittern views at Leighton Moss
Replies
1
Views
583
Stonefaction
Stonefaction
rjmartin
RSPB Leighton Moss .... Revisited ....
Replies
2
Views
2K
Ramps
R
C
good day at leighton moss
Replies
0
Views
613
craigob11
C
Sandra (Taylor)
Leighton Moss
Replies
2
Views
816
Sandra (Taylor)
Sandra (Taylor)

Users who are viewing this thread

Total: 2 (members: 0, guests: 2)
Back
Top