Fairhaven (Lancashire bumper bundle thwarted)

Oystercatchers 

I thought I'd start the week with a visit to a couple of sites I've never been to before so I got myself an old man's explorer ticket and headed off for a bit of a rummage round Lancashire.

First stop was Fairhaven Lake, an RSPB reserve in Lytham on the Fylde. I changed at Preston for the Blackpool South train which gets a lot busy at peak times but off-peak is pretty bearable and does a nice ramble round before remembering it's supposed to be going to Blackpool. (Are the kids of Northwest England bunking off en masse or is this *another* half-term holiday?)

I got off at Ansdell and Fairhaven Station and had a five minute walk down to the lake. And was pretty underwhelmed. I think it's one of those sites that's entirely seasonal, the Winter wader roosts should be good by the look of things but this time of year it's an OK walk round the park. Still, I know how to get there and I've got the geography of the place sorted now. 

Herring gull

It was high tide so I assayed a bit of seawatching amongst the passing crowds. Dozens of herring gulls, lesser black-backs and black-headed gulls flew around the lake and beach. Quite far out to sea there seemed to be a passage of cormorants. Flocks of oystercatchers, dunlins and redshanks flew across the estuary with a handful of curlews.

The oystercatchers and dunlins roosting on the marsh with a couple of ringed plovers and a lapwing did a good job of pretending there weren't a lot of passing dogs collecting sticks thrown into the water ten yards away.

Mute swan and cygnets

The Canada geese and mute swans on the lake had big families to give them an excuse to hiss at pensioners. Goldfinches, greenfinches and chiffchaffs sang in trees. It's a pleasant short walk.

I wandered back to the station and caught the train back to Preston. The plan was to get the Ormskirk train, get off at Rufford and spend the afternoon exploring Mere Sands Wood. The plan was. A cancellation put the spoke in that one. By the time the next train was due I'd be keeping one eye on getting back home. I think I'll try the bus next time.

I didn't really have a viable alternative plan, I didn't fancy a long walk anywhere today and I was trying to give my hayfever a rest. In the end I took a meandering route home just to get a bit of value of of the explorer ticket.

Fairhaven Beach

A disappointing sort of a day but I'd had a nice walk and learned a couple of things so it wasn't wasted.