In celebration of our 50th anniversary, since the start of the year, once a week, we have been looking back at a particular aspect of the reserve and its history. This week, it's magical Morecambe Bay.
Morecambe Bay is the size of Manchester, stretching from Barrow-in-Furness in the north, down to Fleetwood in the south. The Lake District and the Arnside and Silverdale Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty tumble down into the vast expanse of its marvellous mudflats.
Mud might not sound particularly appetising to us, but it is this that draws in quarter of a million birds a year. The mud you see, is a canteen. It is packed full of cockles and shrimps and lugworms and mussels and more. Tasty morsels to feed a variety of appetites. Curlews, lapwings, black-tailed godwits, turnstones, great swirling flocks of knot, and oystercatchers in abundance feed in the Bay. Their differing beak lengths and shapes allow them all to find food within the different layers. It is one of the most important places for wading birds in the country. Why not join us and our pals from Cumbria Wildlife Trust and Lancashire Wildlife Trust on our mud dipping event in Morecambe tomorrow to learn more? Click here for more info.
In 1974, the RSPB purchased an area of Morecambe Bay the size of 2000 football pitches and the rights to a further 800 football pitches worth. This involved mudflats and saltmarsh including the area where the Allen and Eric Morecambe hides and pools now stand. From then on we had our current title of Leighton Moss and Morecambe Bay nature reserve.
Sunset over the Bay by Mike Malpass
Due to its richness in nature, in 2011, Morecambe Bay was designated a Nature Improvement Area (NIA) by the government. The programme involves a number of partners working together - nature conservation organisations, local farmers and landowners, businesses, in order to restore, enhance and connect areas for wildlife and allow people access to experience it.
It's not just birds and mud dwelling creatures that can be found in the Bay, all manner of marine life calls the place home. Porpoises, seals, dolphins and even minke whales can all be spotted from the shore. It is truly unique, which is why every year people come to explore and enjoy its fantastic scenery, landscapes, wildlife and heritage-on foot, by bike, from the back of a horse, even by sail.
If you haven't yet discovered the huge variety of places you can explore around Morecambe Bay, or if you want to find more, why not download these fantastic 'Nature on your Doorstep' guides to help you on your way. Not only do they cover areas with plentiful wildlife, but cultural experiences and places to eat and drink too!
Aerial view of the Morecambe Bay mudflats by David Wootton (rspb-images.com)