Despite the occasional sleet showers and sudden frosts, spring has certainly arrived at Leighton Moss over the past few weeks. Lesser celandines are fringing the paths around the reserve, blackcap song has joined the beginnings of the summer symphony and sand martins can be seen flitting over the pools. Marsh harriers are regularly treating visitors to great viewing of their food pass displays amidst exhibiting nest-building behaviour; keep your eyes out for one rather self-assured male provisioning for two females. Down at the Eric Morecambe and Allen complex, our avocet numbers are still building and we have recently had reports of number of ruff stopping in on the pools. But the highlight of the past week has to be our first osprey sighting of the year! We were pleased to hear of a report of a single bird spotted on the saltmarsh on Tuesday morning. The osprey then proceeded to delight viewers on the Skytower as it circled low over Lilian’s pool. These birds have undertaken a mammoth migration; in a study in satellite-tracked birds in Sweden, it was found that the average osprey traveled 4,200 miles to their overwintering grounds. We hope this means that these avian athletes have worked up a hefty appetite and will be frequenting our pools to fish on most days. Ospreys are seen regularly through the summer months at Leighton Moss, and with the local breeding population being so successful, we are optimistic that we might see young birds taking interest in our osprey nest platform (a new addition built late last summer); please do let us know at the Welcome desk if you see any osprey activity on the reserve. (Image credit: Mike Malpass)
Speaking of long journeys, ultra-marathon athlete, Peter Vickers is giving the ospreys a run for their money! On Thursday 7 April, Peter will be attempting an epic 87 mile trek, starting at RSPB Dearne Valley Old Moor and finishing at none other than RSPB Leighton Moss. This extraordinary feat is all in aid of saving nature. Peter is kindly fundraising for the RSPB; he is determined “to help the RSPB fight for nature in a world distracted by so many other things”. This epic undertaking is estimated to take twenty-four hours. Departing from RSPB Old Moor at 4:30pm on Thursday, he will be passing through Barnsley, Skipton, Settle, Ingleton and Kirkby Lonsdale, and we anticipate his arrival on the reserve between 3-4pm the following afternoon where we will be waiting to give him the warmest welcome. If you’d like to donate to this spectacular fundraiser, then head on over to JustGiving. We are in admiration of Peter’s commitment to the cause, and we wish him the very best on his journey! (Image credit: Peter Vickers) We hope that you all have a fantastic Easter break and we hope to see you here at Leighton Moss. When you’re not busy eating chocolate over the holidays, then why not bring your little ones to Leighton to learn all about eggs? We have our Easter Eggstravaganza trail running throughout April, with completed trail sheets being swapped for a certificate on their return. If you’re looking for a full day of family fun then you’ll be pleased to know that pond dipping has restarted, with kits available for £3.50. Nature Up Close will also be running on select dates throughout the holidays; keep an eye on our social media and events pages for more information. And to round off your visit, we have a selection of Easter treats available in our shop - perfect for presents (or to polish off after a long day outdoors).Beth