Two Short Walks

Half-term. A week at home because it’s nice here and well…it’s cheap. Does wonders for our carbon-footprint too, our not jetting off to the Seychelles. Many trips out to report on, firstly: two short walks with the kids.

Lured by the prospect of otters or bearded tits, last Saturday A and B joined me for a wander around Leighton Moss.

Now, I like bird-watching as much as the next man., but…..Well, actually, probably not as much as the next man if the next man is content to get his fix of outdoors whilst packed  into a hide with other birders like sardines in the proverbial tin. Usually when I visit Leighton Moss it’s early or late in the day and the place is pretty quiet. I’ve never seen it as busy as it was on this occasion. By the grit trays, which are there to attract bearded tits, I watched B squirm through the crowd, oblivious to the many tripods carrying thousands of pounds worth of cameras and telescopes and decided that we would forgo the pleasure of bearded tits on this occasion. At the Public hide and at Lower hide we struggled to get space by a window, but didn’t see any otters when we did. They were probably showing-off their synchronised swimming routine outside Lillian’s hide. We did see a marsh harrier and the kids were thrilled with the cormorants drying their wings on posts in front of Lower hide.

The second walk was an excursion into Eaves Wood. This was S’s idea.

 

We scrambled up rock faces, clambered in trees…

 

….found several dens to play in, and, with autumn in full swing now, also enjoyed heaping up fallen leaves and then kicking the pile into the air.