Grange Over Sands

We decided to go further north today, and drove up the M6 to Arnside, where we had a walk along the beach, photographing the interesting patterns in the mud (second extra) and then took the train over the viaduct (first extra) to Grange Over Sands.

Once over the other side we wandered along the promenade to the lido, where we had a lovely toasted panini from the cafe there.  The lido isn't in use, but there are people working on it to make it safe before doing it up as a local amenity.

We walked back to the station through the park, including by a lake where some geese type birds were squawking. It sounded like they had a kazoo stuck somewhere!  The station is in the third extra.

Our train back mirrored the one out in being a few minutes late, but when we got back to Arnside, the doors didn't open.  We could see the guard walking the length of the train a few times and we weren't too concerned as there were people waiting to get on too.  The doors finally opened, and the man on the platform just outside nudged me as I walked past and said jokily  "you should have paid for your ticket!".  We walked back to the car, but the train seemed stuck in the station and was there for a good 10 minutes after we left. 

We drove from there to Silverdale where we had a cuppa whilst watching dog walkers at the beach.  From there we went through to Leighton Moss RSPB reserve and had a lovely hour watching the ospreys from one of the hides - last two extras, including the result of a dive.  We've not seen an osprey diving before.

On the walk back to the car we could clearly hear the boom of a bittern, which was an added bonus.

Then back to the cottage for a well earned pizza.  We decided it was wam enough to eat outside and we wondered if the barn owl would turn up as we'd seen it briefly on three evenings already.  It did, flew over the hedge, landed in the field 20 feet from us, then flew back over the fence with something mousey in its mouth.  I hoped to get photographic evidence of it, but it turned up while I was changing to the big lens and had the camera in two bits!  Never saw it after that...