Wednesday 3 November 2021

Lake District, October/November. Day 7, Birding and F&C.

The sky was studded with stars when I made my usual 5.00 am visit to the facilties this morning.  Orion, the Plough and Cassiopia stood out like beacons but the best was the thin sliver of crescent moon with the shape of the whole clear and the far side outlined in a halo of light.  It was a magical sight and augured well for our day at Leighton Moss.
The weather turned out to be beautiful all day.  Our first day of perfect Autumn weather.  We rolled into the carpark at Leighton Moss having sensibly used the sat nav to find our way.  I have lost track of the number of times we have got lost in the lanes between here, Arnside and the A6! We began our day by visiting the feeding station and then Lillian,s hide.  The hoped for siskins didn't put in an appearance but I was delighted to see both nuthatch and marsh tit.  In the hide the water levels were very high with little room for waders.  There were a few blackwits on the remaining available space but not the large numbers I had hoped for.  The ducks have now more or less finished their moult and looking smart again, though.
Lunch in the centre was a very welcome tomato and basil soup and then we drove over to the Eric Morecambe and Tim Allen hides over looking Morecambe Bay.  While Heather walked over to Jenny Brown Point and Silverdale, I enjoyed another birding session.  Again the water levels were very high, a change since my last visit a month previously when one of the pools was bone dry.  Being full, though, the water was too deep to attract waders so things were quiet.  It was a pleasure though, just to relax and enjoy time with nature.
I was able to watch Heather returning across the marsh and so walked back to the car to join her.  It didn't take us long to drive to Thomas's and while we waited for him to get home from work we walked up to Willamson Park to photograph the Ashton Monument which is currently lit with coloured light.  Red tonight, but a different colour each night.  Cup of tea time when 'The Boy' returned from work and then excellent fish and chips from his local chippie.  A good day.

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