It looks like we’re in for a few decent days so what better way to enjoy them than to get out into nature!
When I was doing my rounds earlier today it certainly felt like a classic autumn morning. The sun was bright and the air was cool, as I stood there listening on the Causeway I could hear the distinctive pinging calls of bearded tits and the explosive sound of Cetti’s warblers – sheer magic.
The bearded tits have been showing brilliantly this week but as we’d expect they have yet to start using the grit trays, so I'd advise is not to stand there staring at them expecting the birds to appear. Enjoy a walk and listen out for that unique sound – familiarise yourself with it before heading out if you don’t know what bearded tits sound like. You can check out a recording here.
If you would like to join one of our exclusive bearded tit walks in October (numbers are strictly limited so do not delay!) please click HERE for details.
The last traces of summer were very much in evidence yesterday as we had lots of swallows and house martins feeding over the reserve. I expect that these will be among the last of these southbound migrants for this year. In contrast we’ve had skeins of pink-footed geese passing over on their way to the Lune estuary, the Lancashire mosses and even onto Norfolk for the winter.
Around the reserve visitors have been enjoying great views of great white egrets, bitterns, marsh harriers and waders including spotted redshank and curlew sandpiper.
One last thing to mention - the café will be reopening this weekend! We’ve trimmed the menu down a bit, and reduced the number of tables for everyone’s safety. Access will be at the back of the visitor centre, please follow all on-site info and most importantly enjoy it!
We hope to see you soon
Jon
Bearded tit photo by Dave Morris