Birds of Leighton Moss, Lancashire
Hundreds of Bird Species in North-West England's Largest Reedbeds
Jul 30, 2008
The scenery here is determined by the limestone geology, which stands in contrast to that of the better-known Lake District, immediately to the north. Hidden within this limestone patch is the Leighton Moss Nature Reserve, which is owned by the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds. It has been designated a Site of Special Scientific Interest by Natural England, and in 1985, its wetland status was declared of international significance under the Ramsar Convention.
Getting There
Though it lies amid a network of minor roads, the nature reserve is easily reached by car or public transport. It is situated 150 metres from Silverdale Railway Station, on the line from Manchester Airport to Barrow, via Preston. Buses connecting Lancaster and Carnforth with Silverdale and Arnside stop just outside Leighton Moss. If travelling by car, one can leave the M6 motorway at Junction 35, then travel north on the A6, until a series of brown tourist signs point the directions to the reserve.
Visitor Centre
Entry to the reserve is through an impressive visitor centre, with a shop that sells a wide range of natural history books, gifts and goods such as binoculars, which are of use to bird-watchers. Refreshments can be taken in the upstairs tea room. A key for entry to the bird hides is obtained here.
Watching the Birds
Adjacent to the visitor centre is a feeding station, where there are always tits, siskins and finches, and perhaps even pheasants from nearby fields. A track leads south from here, through a thin strip of woodland, to the Tim Jackson and Griesdale hides, which look out across ponds and reedbeds, which are populated by wildfowl, such as widgeon, teal, pintail and pochard as well as herons, coot and moorhens. Marsh harriers can often be seen circling over the reeds, which also provide a habitat for sedge and reed warblers. Roe deer come to graze in the woodland and around the margins of the ponds.
A public causeway runs across the reserve, dividing it into northern and southern sections. As it crosses a wetland, it often becomes inundated after rain. It does, however, lead to two more hides, one of which can be entered without a key.
A little over a mile south of the visitor centre is a separate part of the reserve, a marshy area known as Barrow Scout Fields. A track leads past this and beneath a railway bridge to a car parking space, which gives access to a region of salt marsh that abuts onto Morecambe Bay. The Eric Morecambe and Allen hides here look out over shallow lagoons, which attract waders, such as avocet, sandpiper, redshank and godwit.
Rare Breeds and Visitors
Altogether, more than 270 species of bird have been recorded at Leighton Moss. Many of these, like little grebe, ruddy duck and sand martin are summer visitors, while Brent and pink-footed geese arrive in winter. A large number of others, among them gulls, terns and ospreys are merely passage migrants, spending short periods here before flying elsewhere.
Leighton Moss is the only breeding site in north-west England for some rare birds including marsh harriers, bearded tits and bitterns. The last species is more likely to be heard than seen, as it booms out its mating call during springtime.
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