Eric Morecambe bird hide

The Eric Morecambe bird hide sits on the edge of Morecambe Bay, just outside Carnforth, and it's a proper spot for anyone serious about birdwatching or simply wanting a bit of peace with binoculars in hand. You're looking out across mudflats and salt marsh, the kind of landscape that shifts entirely depending on the tide. In winter it's absolutely heaving with waders and wildfowl - curlews, oystercatchers, the lot - while spring brings migrating species that'll have twitchers checking their field guides for hours.

The hide itself is basic but functional, which is exactly what you want when you're trying not to startle anything within a hundred yards. The real reward is the silence and the light bouncing off the water at different times of day. Don't expect a visitor centre or a cafe; you'll need to bring your own coffee and settle in for at least a couple of hours if you want decent sightings.

This works brilliantly if you're staying at Hidden Hills Luxury Glamping nearby and fancy a morning out without the kids demanding entertainment every five minutes. Families with patient children will manage fine, though restless ones will be bored stiff after twenty minutes. Walkers can combine it with a ramble along the bay, and serious birders obviously know what they're getting into. Check tide times before you go - the mudflats transform everything about what you'll see.