Hodbarrow

Old iron workings, Hodbarrow

I had a free return to anywhere by Northern Rail ticket (in recompense for being left stranded more than an hour at Edale the other day) so decided I'd have a push out to Millom for a nosy round the RSPB reserve at Hodbarrow. Nice, but not overly hot, weather for a stroll.

Oystercatchers, Hodbarrow

Sandwich tern, Hodbarrow

Amongst the hundreds of nesting black-headed gulls and sandwich terns were a couple of dozen common terns and, eventually, I spotted fourteen little terns hiding in plain sight in the gravel rubble. 

A dozen nesting little terns hiding in plain sight, Hodbarrow

Also good to see a lot of eider ducklings and a single, rather unseasonal pink-footed goose.

Eiders

Pink-footed goose, Hodbarrow

A pair of bar-headed geese brought an exotic touch to the whole thing.

Bar-headed geese, Hodbarrow

The spit of land poking out from the water sports area hosted good numbers of nesting lesser black-backed gulls and a couple of pairs of nesting great black-backs.