Harrier hide

After a slow start and a large breakfast we headed north again. We stopped off at Martin Mere nature reserve; have been noticing the sign to it from the motorway for years, but this was the first time we'd actually visited. As well as lots of geese and lapwings out on the marshy bits, there were lots of varieties of ducks and geese in the enclosures, some that I'd never seen before. We kept being reminded that it was a Saturday by the numbers of families trooping in and out of the hides - it would be better to visit during the week if one wanted to settle down with the binoculars.

Then back to Blackburn. We went for a meal in the local Indian again (not bad, but very old-fashioned as Indian restaurant cooking goes - too much ghee!!) and then slumped on the sofa in D's accommodation for a while before going to bed for more much needed sleep.