Damp

I've still got a few free train rides to fit in before Northern loses its franchise so I was thinking about having a bit of an adventure into Yorkshireland to look for a couple of exotic ducks in a stray pond. Then I looked at the weather forecast and remembered that last time I visited that pond it hadn't rained for three days and the path was still shin-deep in mud so I thought I wouldn't do that. So I went to Leighton Moss in the rain and only got my feet wet (the water was top of the boots high on the path to the reedbed hides).

This marsh harrier could only sit and wait for the rain to pass. Which it didn't.

From Lilian's Hide the most obvious birds were the shovelers dotted round in rafts about the water. Teal kept themselves mostly in the reed edges, together with a dozen snipe. In the open water further out there were three male pochards amongst the tufted ducks and gadwall.

Leighton Moss

A large mixed tit flock was very much in evidence along the path to the reedbed hides, including three marsh tits and a pair of treecreepers. Strangely, no nuthatches. It was very wet walking and the rain was blowing straight into the hides.

Gadwall and teal, Tim Jackson Hide

There were plenty of teal and gadwall and small groups of wigeon loafing about. By then I was thoroughly wet and in need of a sausage butty and a pot of tea.

I then decided to max out the value on my old man's daily rover ticket by going for a hot chocolate in Barrow-in-Furness. I couldn't make the train times work to safely go a bit further up the coast then get back in time for the Manchester train so I went back down and had fifty minutes' torrential rain and generally filthy weather at Arnside.

River Kent from Arnside Station

The Kent Estuary was thick with redshanks with a few black-headed gulls coming in to join them in the rain. A redhead goosander sat at the water's edge opposite the railway station, some shapes in the distant murk might have been a couple more.

Time for a cup of tea and the Manchester train back home.