Winter Weather & John Wilson's Legacy

We've certainly had all kinds of weather to contend with here in recent days; from the ferocious winds courtesy of Storm Arwen last Friday night, to a sprinkling of snow earlier this week, to glorious sunny frosty days and a touch of light drizzle! On the whole, Leighton Moss's wildlife doesn't seem to have been put out too much by these constantly changing conditions and visitors have been enjoying some of the best that the reserve can offer.

Otters, always a favourite, continue to put in regular appearances at Lower and Causeway pools while bitterns too have also been seen well by keen-eyed spotters at that end of the reserve. At least five marsh harriers can be seen hunting across the site while occasional peregrine, sparrowhawk and merlin pay flying visits now and again. Bearded tits are still coming to the grit trays at both Grisedale and Causeway though the numbers are dwindling, as we'd expect at this time of year - they do of course remain with us all year round but they can be tricky to see once they melt back into the dense reedbeds. Wildfowl is at its finest at the moment and the drake ducks in particular look resplendent in their winter finery. Look out for dapper pintail, shoveler, teal, gadwall, mallard and wigeon. Also, see if you can spot our 'fun' duck; the hybrid shoveler / cinnamon teal. This particular bird has been confusing visitors for three consecutive winters now, and it can spark off some very interesting conversations in our hides! (Pic by Jarrod Sneyd)

The spectacular starling roost continues apace though the birds are still reluctant to engage in murmurations! The best location to view this daily spectacle at the moment is the Skytower, though the welcome team at the visitor centre will be able to give you latest info on where to best observe the birds. Even without the big aerial displays for which they are famous, the staggering sight of tens of thousands of starlings coming to roost is still an awe-inspiring event to witness!          

Of course we all know that Leighton Moss is an amazing place for nature. The RSPB has been managing this extensive wetland for almost 60 years and its first warden John Wilson is still a regular visitor to the reserve.

Our Visitor Experience Assistant Beth recently caught up with John to learn more about his fascinating life and the indelible impact he has had on Leighton Moss... 

If you’re a regular visitor to the reserve then you’ll no doubt be familiar with Leighton Moss legend, John Wilson. As the site’s first warden, John managed Leighton Moss from the RSPB’s acquisition of the reedbed in 1963, until his retirement in 2000. In a series of three posts, we will be delving deep into John’s youth, his influence on the reserve, and how he believes we can all help to save nature.                                                                                                               

John Wilson grew up in Warton, three miles from the Moss. Much of his childhood was spent outside, assisting his father on the family poultry farm. John had a natural aptitude for identifying wildlife. His mother always recalled that his first words were in response to the cuckoo call in the local farmers’ fields, something he now finds poignant as the species has become so scarce over his lifetime. His parents nurtured this interest; he was often taken for long walks on Warton Crag to observe the butterflies.

Much of John’s childhood was spent exploring the Keer Estuary, one of the five rivers feeding Morecambe Bay. With the Bay being abundant in bird life, it was almost inevitable that John developed an interest at such an early age. He was fascinated by bird nests. His observations gave him an understanding of the needs of different birds - a skill which he later utilised when creating reed nest boxes for bearded tits.

In his teenage years, John received his first pair of binoculars but his first act of bird protection came long before that. He and his friends collected eggs; they had been allowed by their parents to take one of each species. On one particular adventure, when four friends raided a skylark’s nest and took all four eggs, John took it upon himself to hide three nearby oystercatcher eggs. Once his friends had passed the nest, he returned them to safety. 

After leaving school, John took to working full time on the poultry farm. The work was tough, but it enabled him to continue birding whilst hard at graft. He began colour-ringing local dunnock populations and conducting his own studies on their hierarchies. This was the impetus he needed to take up ringing professionally, so he trained with the British Trust for Ornithology (BTO). Throughout his training, John began meeting other local birders and, in a series of serendipitous encounters, he was appointed the youngest committee member for Lancaster & District Birdwatching Society. LDBWS informed John that the RSPB had taken on the lease of the site from Leighton Hall. He was soon appointed the first warden of Leighton Moss, after initially applying to be a volunteer.

Stay tuned for our next post to hear about his enormous impact on the reserve...

In the meantime, why not head down to Leighton Moss with your little ones to build nests on our fabulous Robin Robin trail? We strive to connect children to nature here at Leighton Moss; we hope it will inspire them to take their own form of action to save it – just like John Wilson. If you’d like to hear more about our activities for your tiny tots, then head on over to our website,  Facebook page, or enquire at the Welcome Desk to hear more about our on-site nature trails.

(John Wilson pic by Kevin Kelly)