Lake District, October 2019. Day 6

A frosty start again this morning and, although it soon clouded over in the Lakes, the closer we got to the coast the brighter it became.  Our first port of call was Silverdale and the lovely Wolf Hall Gallery with its excellent cafe where we stoked up on tea and scone.  Our plan was to visit Jenny Brown Point, but suspecting correctly, that there would be little parking space, we drove to the salt marsh car park at Leighton Moss.  This gave us a delightful 1.5 mile walk to the point, first over salt marsh and then along a path between the woods and shore at times clambering over great knuckles of limestone.  By now the weather was clear, sunny and quite mild.  The only sounds being the gentle soughing of the wind, the soothing lapping of the waves and the occasional bird call.  It was high tide and Morecambe Bay was brim full.  We stopped for a break at a tall chimney which, many years ago, served as part of a copper smelting works.  As the tide went out we could see the remains of a jetty where the ships would have tied up.  At one point a peregrine streaked across, splitting the sky, and immediately 1000s of waders,mainly oystercatchers, took to the air in panic.  Soon we had rounded the point and climbed up to where we had a view across the bay to Grange-over-Sands.  Our return trip was easier as the tide had receded leaving more shore to walk on.  Back at the car we continued to the hides overlooking the pools on the marsh.  Wigeon were plentiful and I love to hear their piercing whistling calls echoing over the marsh.  One or two pintails had arrived for the winter, but the best bird of the session was a kingfisher which gave excellent views, sitting on a post from which it dived for fish, a living jewel.  Beautiful. 

Our day finished with sunset photography and fish and chips at the excellent Arnside chippie. 
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