Morecambe

Glossy ibis, Middleton

It was a gloriously sunny morning so I got an old man's explorer ticket and headed North for Leighton Moss. I'd wondered about taking a side trip out to Middleton, just outside Heysham, to see the glossy ibis that's been there the past week but it's a fair wait for the Morecambe train from Lancaster. As it happened, we got into Lancaster late so I decided to go for it.

Waiting for the signal outside Bare Lane Station

It's not a long trip out to Morecambe and I only had ten minutes to wait for the number 5 bus so it was late lunchtime when I arrived at the stop on Middleton Corner. According to Birdguides the ibis was on the field behind the parish hall, just a five minute walk. I got to the field marked on the map and my heart sank. It was a playing field and a very frisky and friendly border collie was having a romp with its owner. There's no way an ibis would be on there.

And no, it wasn't. I walked over to the parish hall, noticed a path by the side, followed it and found myself looking over the gate to a muddy field by the Middleton Road stud farm. And there, in the next field, was the glossy ibis. Glossy ibises either stand out in the open yelling: "Look at me!" or they're so deep in cover you only see their backs, this one was a "Look at me!" It was feeding in the far corner with a small wader and a bunch of pied wagtails.

I took a few record shots of the ibis then spent a while trying to work out what the wader was. Later in the year I'd have twigged it as a common sandpiper almost immediately but they're off my radar this time of year, they were Summer visitors when I first started birdwatching.

I no sooner finally identified the common sandpiper than the glossy ibis took flight. "That's your lot!" I told myself. Then it landed a hundred yards closer on the field. It showed exceptionally well and was too busy feeding to be bothered by onlookers.

Glossy ibis, Middleton

Glossy ibis, Middleton

Glossy ibis, Middleton

I sent Birdguides an update with the correct position marked, I haven't seen it showing on the app.

I had half an hour to wait for the bus back. I checked the train times from Morecambe, Lancaster and Carnforth and knocked the idea of a visit to Leighton Moss on the head, there was no way I could get there before twilight, I'd probably even be too late for the starling murmurations. I decided to stay on the bus and get off at Carnforth Station, I'd have ten minutes to wait for the last train direct to Manchester Airport before the late afternoon gap which leaves me kicking my heels at Lancaster for an hour.

The tide was on the ebb as we passed along the prom at Morecambe. The town was full of herring gulls but most of the gulls on the tideline were black-headed gulls, mostly loafing with oystercatchers waiting for the tide's retreating from the mud banks.

I felt a bit guilty about not having done more of a walk in this splendid weather but not enough to think I shouldn't have gone to look at a glossy ibis.