February is off to a booming start! At least two bitterns have been heard tuning up on the reserve, warming up ahead of a staking out their territories in the coming weeks. They can often be heard in the morning, but their croaks and wheezes are becoming now more prominent throughout the day. The peak of their booming happens between March – May, so hopefully this is just the beginning of what will be a very exciting breeding season. Why not pop down to Leighton Moss to listen to hear it for yourself? (photo by J Sneyd)
There’s been wildfowl aplenty on the pools, with a count of 115 tufted duck last week. In amongst those birds has been a scarcity: a ring-necked duck. You may remember we had a visit from a female ring-necked last April - it's thought to be the same bird. If you're hoping to catch a glimpse then it has been regularly seen from Lilian's, Causeway and Lower hides for the past week.
Other exciting sightings earlier this week have included stonechat and red kite - both fairly unusual sights at Leighton Moss and both short-stayed on the reserve! On Saturday, we had a whooper swan drop into Lower pool, a chiffchaff visible from Causeway hide, and great views of barn owl quartering the meadow.
But it's not all about the birds - there’s fun for all the family happening at this coming week at Leighton Moss. Lancashire half term is upon us, and we have plenty to keep the kids entertained. For the rest of February, we have our Neat Nests family trail available for free from the Welcome Desk to celebrate #NationalNestboxWeek. We've also got drop-in activities like Nature Up Close - check out our Events page to learn more...
It’s not just during the holidays that we hold host to young naturalists and outdoor enthusiasts here at Leighton Moss. This week, we are joined by Kath Smith, our Learning Officer, who’s talking us through all things school trips…
Spring is on the way, along with the school groups!
It may be mid-February but there are some definite signs of spring; birds are more active, buds are appearing and school bookings are starting to increase. Teachers are looking ahead to the spring and summer terms, choosing from an array of exciting learning activities such as discovering pond habitats, brilliant birds, and plant detectives.
Since April 2022 over 1,700 children, plus their accompanying adults have visited Leighton Moss on school visits, along with another 140 brownies, guides, cubs and scouts. We also have groups booked in for this month and March as well.
We may deliver pond dipping five times in a week but each child, and each class makes every session different and so enjoyable. We never quite know how good the finds will be, the time of year makes a difference too – will there be frogspawn or tadpoles, adult dragonflies as well as nymphs and if the cetti’s warblers singing loudly nearby.
And we couldn’t host this many school groups without our amazing volunteer learning assistants, who help with the groups, setting out activities and washing the equipment afterwards. More help is always welcome so think about becoming a learning volunteer.
Schools on reserves are never boring but full of fun and you are rewarded with happy children connecting with nature. To learn more, head over to our website...