Many of you will remember that we were lucky enough to host the four shortlisted designs for the proposed statue of Emily Williamson here on the reserve last September. For those who may not know, Emily was the founder of what was to become the RSPB and the plan is to erect a permanent statue at Fletcher Moss Park, Didsbury where she formed the fledgling society in 1889. What many people may not be aware of however is that she was born very close to us here at Leighton Moss, in nearby Lancaster.
Last year the four miniature statues, or maquettes, went on a tour including here at Leighton Moss, where people could see them up-close and vote for their favourite. The winning design was created by sculptor Eve Shepherd and now serious fund-raising is underway to ensure that Williamson receives the lasting tribute she so clearly deserves.
We are delighted to say that these four outstanding pieces are back with us once more and can be viewed in our Visitor Centre. To find out more about Emily and the statue campaign, visit the website here.
You can learn more about her and the other dynamic Victorian women who helped shape modern conservation by reading Tessa Boase's fascinating book 'Etta Lemon; the woman who saved the birds' (first published in 2018 as Mrs Pankhurst's Purple Feather: Fashion, Fury and Feminism – Women's Fight for Change).
It's been a mixed week as far as weather goes but many of our visitors have still been enjoying spending time out on the reserve. As we'd expect, the number of marsh harriers is dwindling and just one or two seem to be seen most days. Bitterns are continuing to please with regular sightings, particularly from Causeway where otters have been pretty reliable too. Hobbies can pretty much be guaranteed from Lower Hide on those sunnier days when there are plenty of dragonflies on the wing and ospreys have been frequent visitors right across the reserve.
With a decent amount of water now in the Allen Pool, thanks to some high tides and plenty of mud in the Morecambe Pool due recent rain, waders are becoming more of a fixture again at the coastal hides. In the coming days and weeks we should see a steady increase in the number and variety of waders here - and as usual we'll be hoping for something a little unusual to turn up! Meanwhile, greenshank seem to like to popping over to the Causeway island to roost from time to time and up to eight have been spotted there.
We have lots of guided walks lined-up in the coming weeks, so don't forget to check out our events page for the latest updates. And if you're coming along with younger family members make sure to buy one of our brilliant Big Wild Summer activity packs and trail sheets and go exploring! You can also hire a pond-dipping kit and discover what creatures lurk in our pools!!