Nature Watch, with Ron Freethy

FOLLOWING a period of wind and rain, the last Sunday in November dawned brighter - but there was a considerable drop in temperature.

This is usually a sign of an exciting period of birdwatching.

At this time of the year the cool weather has come from the north and the birds have the sense to move south before the Arctic areas freeze over.

I therefore got out of my warm bed just before dawn and headed off to explore the wildlife around the River Wyre. The Wyre has two main sources, the Marshan Wyre and the Tarnbrook, which join together at Abbeystead. During the Industrial Revolution most of our northern rivers were dammed to provide water for mills and factories.

There is a small reservoir at Abbeystead and the designers of the time knew full well that this would interfere with the salmon which spawn in the upper reaches. Normally the fish are able to pass up and over natural waterfalls but obviously not over huge dams. Salmon ladders were therefore designed and there is a fine example of one of these at Abbeystead.

I spent an exciting hour watching the bird life around the ladder and I saw dipper, grey wagtail, heron and a fleeting view of a kingfisher, all of which are resident in the area. The ladder is close to a small wood containing hawthorn and the berries attracted large flocks of birds. Many were so hungry that I knew they had just arrived from the north to spend the winter with us. There were blackbirds, redwings, fieldfares, chaffinches and four bramblings.

From Abbeystead I moved further down the Wyre, almost on the busy A6. I explored the area close to the mill at Garstang. I had another sighting of a dipper but it was the area just beyond it which proved to be even more exciting. A flock of 27 whooper swans were resting on the fields and four more were sailing majestically on one of the deeper stretches of the river.

Also on the same stretch but well away from the visiting whoopers was a small herd of mute swans. Last year's cygnets now know to keep clear of the adults, which are already starting their courtship in preparation for next year's breeding season.

One thing about nature - there is always continuity as one season merges into another.

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