ALONG the Ribble at Sawley is one of my regular walks and I always visit following a period of heavy rain.

The area around Sawley has always been a bit of a “wet spot” and the old name was Salley which meant the area of the willow. When the monks were in residence, the Abbey made full use of the fish in the river.

There are still salmon and sea trout present to this day, but in much smaller numbers.

Anglers still find this stretch of the Ribble attractive, but it is the birdwatchers who find the area around the bridge fascinating each, and every day of the year.

On the day of my visit it was pouring with rain which fell from low clouds. Birds, such as swallows, swifts, and martins, were flying very low to make maximum use of insects which were also flying low.

A family of common sandpipers were braving the rain on the banks of the river, and close to the bridge grey wagtails and oyster catchers were looking wet and bedraggled.

Even the resident mallards were looking wet and bedraggled. In the fields close to the river I saw one brown hare and six Sika deer.

If you want to understand areas of natural history one visit will never do. I have ten areas which I have visited regularly for more than 30 years.