Nature Watch, with Ron Freethy

IT is normally March which comes in like a lion, with strong winds often causing havoc to our homes and chaos on the roads.

Wildlife also finds problems in such extreme conditions, although some trees benefit by being pruned by the wind.

Early January 1998, however, will go down as one of the most destructive, with trees not just pruned but actually uprooted. Birds in such conditions have the dual problem of finding shelter and food.

In our area the remnants of the old cotton industry can provide a haven for water birds. There are still plenty of mill lodges built in the late 19th or early 20th century, first to provide water for power and then to service the steam engines. These lodges are sheltered by the mill buildings.

Providing care is taken to avoid the obvious dangers of deep water, birdwatching around the Lancashire lodges can be very rewarding, especially at times when the shelter they provide is desperately needed.

One set of mill lodges has actually been turned into a nature reserve and that is at Oswaldtwistle Mills, near Accrington, situated close to the M65 motorway. As part of the mill shop complex, a Time Tunnel, a picnic site and an extensive nature reserve have been set up. The Time Tunnel, for which a small entry fee is charged, covers the history of cotton and as the mill is still owned by members of the Hargreaves family - of Spinning Jenny fame - there are few places better qualified to relate this history. Around the nature trail I had great fun as the captive wildfowl worked as decoys to show that it was safe for wild ducks and geese to drop in and be given free board and lodgings.

Even though the day was dull and typical of the early days of January, the Canada geese and the Australian black swans looked both comfortable and beautiful as they were reflected in the water with the huge mill chimney in the background.

In the early days of the Industrial Revolution the mill chimneys were known as smoke pokes.

My bird count around Ossie Mill became more and more impressive as the day wore on and I listed pochard, pintail, tufted duck, moorhen, mallard, goldeneye and coot.

The following day I braved the pouring rain and wind and investigated the ponds around Belmont and here I saw a kingfisher sweeping low through the rain and looking like a flash of blue lightning.

Other species seen included goosander, shelduck (three birds driven in from the coast I guess), dabchick, great crested grebe and a saturated and very disgruntled-looking heron. These sightings all prove that you can never neglect the wildlife around the mill lodges of old Lancashire.

Oswaldtwistle Mill complex is open daily from 10am-5pm (11am on Sundays).

On some Sundays the Ossie Clog Dancers perform and school or group visits can be arranged by ringing 01254 871025.

These can be geared to the national curriculum or just to enjoy an informative visit.

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