If you were listening to BBC Radio Lancashire today, you may have heard our name mentioned a few times, particularly on Lunctime Favourites between 11 am and 12 pm (if you missed it, then catch it on BBC iplayer for another week).

Today (1 February) is our official golden anniversary! 50 years ago today, we signed the lease from Leighton Hall and became an RSPB nature reserve. It would have looked a very different place than it does now - no wildlife watching hides, no paths other than the causeway, no visitor centre, shop or cafe. See my earlier blog for more info.

Why not come along and have a go at our Leighton through the ages family self-led trail, to discover more fascinating facts about our past. This weekend, we are also giving away an old, traditional recipe for Myers Farm chutney. You may have noticed that our address is Myers Farm, giving a little clue as to what the site used to be. At the side of our visitor centre (which was the farm house and barn) is a small orchard, that every year provides us with lots of apples. Many are of course a great source of food for blackbirds, thrushes and even a cheeky moorhen who likes a munch. We also use them to produce apple pies and chutney for the cafe. Here is the chutney recipe if you would like to create a little taste of Leighton Moss in times gone by:

  • 1 kg tomatoes – skinned and chopped                 
  • 3 large white onions – chopped                         
  • 1 Table spoon chopped garlic (2 cloves)                                                                        
  • 1 kg apples – peeled, cored and chopped        
  • 750 g brown sugar                                              
  • 250 g sultanas                                                    
  • 2 Table spoons salt                                                        
  • 2 Table spoons mixed spice                               
  • 2 pinches of cayenne pepper                            
  • 1.25 Litres malt vinegar
  • Reduce down for 2-2.5 hours on a low heat and stir along the way            

Here's a picture from those days, kindly sent to us by Pat Jones who lived on the farm. It's fascinating to see that there are fields where there is now woodland and reedbed.

Bringing you back into the present, and the very tough weather we've been having....we have had another very high tide today, with strong winds behind it. This means that the saltmarsh car park is flooded and there is a lot of debris everywhere, so there is no access to the Allen and Eric Morecambe hides until further notice. 

The main car park, reserve, hides and visitor centre are unaffected and remain open as normal.

Two otters were spotted this morning down at Lower hide. Often a tell-tale sign can be if all the water birds suddenly dash across the water in the same direction, it can mean that an otter is below the surface. Watch out for the bubble trail and the flick of a tail above the water.

The long-tailed duck wasn't seen yesterday (the otters flushed most ducks from Lilian's hide in the middle of the day). However it was back on Lilian's pool today amongst the wigeons, teals, gadwalls and coots. The scaup is also still present at Public hide.

Some red deer were looking a bit soggy, coming out to the edges to feed. They have thick coats though so don't seem to mind the wet and wind too much and the tall reeds provide a windbreak and a bit of shelter for them. Tim Jackson and Grisedale hides are the best place to look out for them.