The Wall

Cowpren Point, near Flookburgh, Cumbria

Best viewed large.

This was my second winter visit to the mudflats and saltmarshes of Morecambe Bay near Flookburgh for the national Wintering Bird Atlas. I parked the car, and as I was putting my boots on, a train when past on the coastal line that Wifie travels on to work in Ulverston. Then I realised I had absentmindedly arrived at the wrong spot. Rather than deboot, and drive back to Flookburgh, I walked in the longer way along the sea wall, a route I've not taken before.

The tide was way out, and so were the waders and wildfowl. Too far away to identify confidently without a telescope. I concentrated on the saltmarsh while waiting for the tide to rise, criss-crossing and counting the redshanks, snipes and skylarks. Two little egrets were feeding in a creek - so they haven't all abandoned Morecambe Bay following the cold spell.

The tide turned and waters advanced across the mudflats at a speed that never fails to astonish. There were still no wheeling and pulsing flocks of smaller waders, but small parties of oystercatchers were being pushed up by the water and occasional small volleys of dunlins went flighting past. Bubbling curlews stalked up the shore and whistling wigeons were carried on the streaming water up the Leven channel.

A bright morning in between sharp squalls and moderate chilling winds, but I was well wrapped up.

So why the wall? Well, it's a beautiful cobbly wall of reddish stone with large patches of white lichens. It was being repaired by two men the last time I was here, and they've made a perfect job of it.

And the wall is also symbolic. Tomorrow I return to work after a long Christmas break of two weeks, and I have more than the usual sinking feeling of going back. This time is different. The next two months will see the reality of the spending cuts, as we lose 20% of our staff. Nobody is safe. The vain hope is that enough will opt for voluntary redundancy or early retirement to avoid compulsory redundancies, but we all know that too few will come forward. The future is a wall we cannot see though, a wall that somehow we must get through to the other side.

On more mundane matters, two new birds for the 2011 list today: skylark and little egret. Total so far: 76 species.