Knot and other waders © Andy Hay RSPB-images

On Sunday 10 September visitors to RSPB Leighton Moss and Morecambe Bay nature reserve in Silverdale can take part in a special event to learn more about identifying wading birds and discover why Morecambe Bay is such a fantastic home for them.

Morecambe Bay is one of the most important areas in Britain for these birds. The vast mudflats and saltmarshes are vital feeding grounds for an astonishing quarter of a million wading birds, ducks and geese. Many of them return to the area during the autumn, having nested in the high Arctic, and now is a great time to enjoy the spectacle of numerous types of wading birds feeding on the shore or gathering to roost at high tide.

Telling them apart can be quite a challenge for even the most experienced bird watchers but this event means help is at hand for those wishing to learn more about them

Kevin Kelly, Visitor Operations Manager at Leighton Moss and Morecambe Bay nature reserve said: “It is an exciting time of year, with the migration of birds really gaining pace. Flocks of wading birds swell to much larger numbers than we see during the spring passage, due to the addition of young birds from this year’s breeding season. Down at our Allen and Eric Morecambe pools, we get a growing selection of wading birds, many of which will stop for the winter, but more will use Leighton Moss as a vital fuelling station, feeding on the food rich mud of Morecambe Bay, before departing south for their winter homes. So if you don’t know your snipe from your sandpiper or your redshank from your ruff, this is the event for you.”

The ‘What’s that Wader?’ event is running from 2-3.30 pm and costs £7 per adult (RSPB members £5.50). To book a place please call the Leighton Moss visitor centre on 01524 701601. For more information on this and other events taking place at the reserve, visit rspb.org.uk/leightonmoss for details or call into the visitor centre.