As Valentine’s Day approaches, we are feeling the love here at Leighton Moss! We have been thrilled to hear FIVE male bitterns booming over the past week, as they begin to establish territory and attempt to attract a mate. This is rather early for this behaviour, so we are hoping that there are still a few more males who are yet to boom. Marsh harrier bonding behaviour is building too; keep a look out for a male harrier sky-dancing his way to breeding success on your next visit!
With the anticipation for spring in the air, it’s the perfect time to be giving your local lovebirds a helping hand. Valentine’s Day marks the beginning of National Nestbox Week. With a sharp decline in woodland across the country, and the increasing pressure to keep our green spaces tidier, nesting opportunities for birds are becoming few and far between. Our gardens have the potential to be crucial habitat for wildlife – National Nestbox Week is all about raising awareness on the action we can take to help our feathered friends. Our shop stocks an array of nestboxes, some which are designed to prevent predation and be resilient in bad weather, whilst some – like the swift box – are designed with specific species in mind. You may have noticed our new tawny owl nestboxes along the woodland trails on the reserve. Tawny owls tend to nest in cavities in trees, often opting for chimney-like dead trunks, so these large nestboxes mimic that vertical chamber shape. The owls are rather vocal at this time of year as they begin defending territory through autumn and winter. They are early nesters in the Spring so hopefully we will soon have updates on our tawny owlets.
If your little ones are interested in learning more about how our wildlife builds its nests then why not take part in our Neat Nests family trail during half term? With fun facts about a whole array of nests, from waders’ to wasps’, it’s a great way to get children involved in the National Nestbox Week excitement.
If its stunning views that you’re after for your Valentine’s Day stroll, then look no further than our spectacular starlings! On Thursday night, the birds treated viewers on the Skytower to quite the performance across the reserve, coming to a crescendo over Lilian’s pool then retiring to roost in the reeds towards the Causeway. Grisedale and Tim Jackson hides have been providing consistent views of the murmuration throughout the entire week: with a backdrop of sunset pastel pink skies, tens of thousands of birds having been swarming in from the shoreline towards the reserve, displaying over the pools as they go. Things are looking promising for a show stopping end to February and so make sure to head down to the reserve for this awesome wildlife wonder. Check in with the Welcome Desk on your arrival to get the latest news on the whereabouts of the birds.
If you notice plumes of smoke billowing from the reeds whilst stood on the Skytower then don’t be alarmed! The warden team are hard at work ensuring the Winter reed cutting is complete before the full throes of breeding season begins. This is essential habitat management to keep the reedbed from drying out and provides a variety of different stages of growth to cater to the needs of all of our species. One of our most exciting pieces of equipment used to complete this work is the mighty Truxor! This amphibious machine allows us to complete dramatic landscaping in the depths of the wetlands so keep a look out for this cool piece of kit over the next week.
Its already looking to be a promising spring for our reedbed regulars; stay tuned on our social media channels to hear the latest news throughout the season.
We hope you all have a fantastic Valentines Day and we hope to see you over the half term week
Beth