Arnside Viaduct

What a difference in the weather from yesterday. Gone the bright sunshine and warmth replaced by cloud, rain and cold.

We spent the day at the rather miserable RSPB Reserve at Leighton Moss where even the birds were subdued. Very little action until the final hide, the Eric Morcambe hide, down near the coast which had a good selection of birds on display including both sizes of egrets, herons, shellducks, avocets and a variety of ducks and waterfowl. A bird of prey, probably a Marsh Harrier was being mobbed by crows.

Rather disappointingly the RSPB cafe had no scones so I made do with a bacon bap instead. We tried to get a meal out at the Silverdale Hotel but they were full. The Royal Silverdale looked shut as we drove past and didn’t answer when we tried to phone. In the end we had rather good fish and chips at the Albion in Arnside.

We were hoping to get to the top of Arnside Knott; the weather defeated as the Knott was in cloud or close to it so views would have been minimal. In the end we walked a little way around the coast at Arnside to New Barns, coming back to the station along New Barns Road and various interesting footpaths.

Several trains were seen crossing the viaduct unfortunately, not when I was taking this blip in the fading light. Just as effective in mono at 8.30pm on a cloudy evening.