Spring is just around the corner and with its warm arrival brings increased activity in our wildlife. From hibernating mammals, insects and amphibians waking from their long slumber to the hustle and bustle overhead, as birds begin with their nest building frenzy.
There is so much to see at this time of year and Skelmersdale, with its two country parks, multiple cloughs and copious amounts of green spaces is the perfect place to be able to experience it.
Why not take a stroll into the heart of the town and walk along the Tawd Valley park. Discover what secrets can be found in the acres of woodland – from owls snoozing in the treetops, squirrels scurrying along the branches and small birds, such as tits, robins and finches, singing away in the thick brambles.
When you’ve finished exploring in the woods, take a nosey at the wetlands dotted around the park. There’s Half-mile Lake were you can see small rudd and roach swim amongst the reeds or why not investigate the mighty river Tawd itself, where you’ll find dippers dancing along the rocks, water shrews feeding on the banks and if you’re very lucky, you might see brown trout shooting in and out of cover along the river bed looking for tasty freshwater invertebrates to gorge themselves on.
Moving on, the towns cloughs are proud to boast that they hold biological heritage status’. The ancient tree lines that make up the cloughs provide vital cover for the small tributaries that provide the river Tawd with much needed water supplies, as well as creating important wildlife corridors between the Beacon Country Park and the Tawd Valley Park. These corridors are probably the reasons why deer have been spotted within the valley, using the trees as cover as they trek down from the Beacon looking for food and shelter.
Last but not least is the Beacon Country Park with its acres, upon acres of wooded areas, fields and wetlands. There is so much wildlife to explore and discover. Frogs, toads and newts inhabit the waterways. Foxes and deer roam the woods and mice, stoats and voles scuttle amongst the long grasses of the open fields.
With so much wildlife on your doorstep waiting to be explored this spring, it would be a fantastic opportunity for you to join “Friends of Tawd Valley” and we can discover it all together. Check out our “What’s On” page to see the wildlife events we’ll hopefully be hosting for the local communities in the very near future.
