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The
Rainford Mosslands
The Rainford Mosslands is an area of sparsely populated, mainly flat,
farmland just to the north of St. Helens, and to the west of the village
of Rainford. It is a continuation of the much larger Plex Moss, (which
lies inland of Southport) and it shares many of the same species with it's
better known neighbour. In St. Helens terms, it’s a very remote area
with limited access. The area covered here is roughly bordered by the
Rainford by-pass (A570) in the east, the East Lancs (A580) in the south,
the Old Coach Road (just west of Blindfoot Lane - B5203) in the west and
Siding Lane in the north.
Species
It is an excellent area for many forms of wildlife. The area holds good
populations of many species in national decline, and several species occur
here and nowhere else in St Helens. However it is a large area, and
probably three or four visits will be required in each season. just to see
all of the common species. You can’t go once and expect to see
everything.
Access
There are few roads in the area, but there are plenty of footpaths and
farm tracks if you study the map, and these afford excellent views over
the mosslands. The gamekeepers in the area are pretty keen, and you will
soon incur their wrath if you enter woodland, so don’t go there.
However, there is no justifiable reason for leaving the footpaths or
entering the woodland, because everything can be seen without doing so.
Key sites
You can see interesting wildlife just about anywhere in the area, but
there are a number of excellent sites which will be referred to later in
this guide. These are as follows:
Bottle and Glass / Reed’s Lane - The Bottle and Glass pub is
signposted just off the A570. Reed’s Lane is the narrow track adjacent
to the pub.
Reed’s moss - The whole area could be described as Reed’s moss,
but for the purposes of these reports, Reed’s moss is the very heart of
the mosslands, and the area with the most difficult access. This area can
be viewed from Blindfoot Lane (B5203), and there are one or two footpaths
marked on the map.
Moss Lane - Runs parallel with the A580, and public (vehicle)
access ends at Liverpool / St. Helens Rugby union ground, though a farm
track continues for walkers.
Old Coach Road - a tarmaced farm track,
which runs south to north from the A580 towards Bickerstaff. About 5 miles
long, this is presumably formally a coaching route into Knowsley Estate.
Access is on foot or bicycle. More…….
Berrington’s Lane - a tarmaced farm track,
which runs parallel to the A570, at about 200m east of that road, from
Crank Road in the south, to Mill Lane in the north.
Dairy Farm Road - a tarmaced farm track, which runs east to west
from the A570, and joins the Old Coach Road. If you are heading north on
the A570, Dairy Farm Road is 100 yards before the only railway bridge to
cross the road. Access is on foot or bicycle.
Siding Lane -a Local
Nature Reserve, comprising mainly Silver Birch woodland, Siding Lane is
west of the A570 (Rainford By-pass) at SD463020 and is sign-posted. Access
on site is via a main central tarmac road and by woodland paths and
tracks. More…….
Winter
The area is arguably at its best in winter. From the beginning of October
to the end of January, it is virtually impossible to visit any part of the
mosslands without seeing or hearing Pink-footed Geese. Up to 5,000
winter in the area, and though they are most often seen flying over, large
flocks are frequently seen on the ground around Moss Lane, Reed’s Moss,
Old Coach Road, Dairy Farm Road and Reed’s Lane. These flocks are always
worth a look for uncommon species such as White-fronted or Bean
Geese, both of which have been recorded. If you do come across a flock
of geese on the ground, please take care not to disturb them. Whooper
Swans are occasionally seen, but usually only in small flocks of three
or four birds, and they are not annual.
Winter is also the best time for birds of prey, with the Old Coach Road
and Reed’s Moss being the premier sites, but they can be seen anywhere. Buzzards
are now perhaps the commonest raptor in the area, certainly the most
obvious, and a decent walk across the mosslands will usually reveal at
least 4 or 5 birds, sometimes as many as 10 or 12. They have really
increased in recent years, being rarities as recently as the late 1980s.
One or two Peregrines have been resident in St. Helens in recent
years, and their numbers are increased in winter, and on the mosslands you
have as good a chance of seeing one as anywhere. Merlin and Hen
Harrier are both scarce but regular winter visitors, with most reports
coming from the Old Coach Road, Reed’s Moss and Reed’s Lane. Sparrowhawk
and Kestrel are common birds in the area, and likely to be
encountered anywhere. Other raptors may be seen, and there have been
occasional reports of Red Kite in recent years, and these are
likely to increase as the species spreads across the country.
At this time of year, you are likely to
come across largish flocks of finches, buntings and sparrows. Flocks of 50
or more Corn Buntings, Yellowhammers and Tree Sparrows
are not unusual, especially around the A570 (Rainford by-pass), Reed’s
Lane, Berrington’s Lane and Moss Lane, whilst Chaffinch, Goldfinch,
Greenfinch and Linnet flocks may reach 200 or more, and they
are often accompanied by a few Brambling. Apart from the latter,
all the other finches, buntings and sparrows mentioned breed in the area
in good numbers.
Willow Tits are in the
area in very small numbers, and are occasionally seen in Berrington’s
Lane, Siding Lane and the Old Coach Road, with most sightings from the
winter, but they are nowhere common, and perseverance and luck will be
required to find them. A knowledge of their nasal calls would be a big
help.
Large flocks of Fieldfares and Redwings,
numbering 200 or more, are frequently in the trees that line the Old Coach
Road throughout the winter, and flocks of 100 or more Pied Wagtails
are often in fields with the cattle.
Ravens bred in St.
Helens in 2001, and two or three birds are often on the mosslands in
winter, and occasionally large mixed flocks of over 1,000 Crows, Jackdaws
and Rooks are present.
This is an area where you really can expect the unexpected, and on 28th January 2006, whilst cycling along Berrington’s Lane, I was astounded to see four huge
Common Cranes soaring overhead. They drifted slowly, over Reed’s Lane and Reed’s Moss, and then flew away south.
Spring
Skylarks herald the start of spring, usually on the first sunny day
in late January. As the year progresses, their song fills the air, and
they are still one of the commonest birds in the area. They are swiftly
followed by Lapwings, whose evocative displays are sadly no longer
seen across many parts of the UK. At least a couple of hundred pairs of
Lapwings still breed on the Rainford mosslands, and their calls and
display flights, combined with those of the Skylarks, form the backdrop to
birding on the mosslands in spring. By March, Oystercatchers have
arrived, and several pairs stay to breed, and Woodcock have begun
their roding display over woodland across the whole of the area. The other
wader to breed on the mosslands is the Snipe, which breeds in small
numbers, and their strange drumming display flight can be seen in April
and early May, especially on Reed’s Moss.
Songsters in the woodlands include many Song
Thrushes, singing from early January, joining the Robins and Wrens,
who sing not only in the spring, but throughout the autumn and even on the
coldest winters day, pausing for breath only at the height of summer.
The daytime flying moth Orange Underwing can be seen flying high in
the Silver Birch canopy on sunny days in early spring, and the first
butterflies begin to be seen, including the spectacular Peacock.
Spring flowers such as Coltsfoot and later Bluebells add a
touch of colour. Brown Hares are a common sight across the
mosslands, but much more difficult to see are the Red Squirrels
which still occur in small numbers in suitable woodlands in the area.
A recent addition to the spring cacophony is the mewing of the Buzzard,
which can now be seen displaying over more than one woodland in the area,
with 3 or 4 pairs breeding.
Many migrants pass through the area in spring, and one of the earliest to
arrive is the Wheatear at the end of March. Best looked for on
newly ploughed fields, they are usually present in single figures. By the
end of April, these same fields are usually visited by flocks of up to 30 White
Wagtails and 10 Yellow Wagtails and the latter breeds in the
area in small numbers. This is one of the best areas in St. Helens for
hearing Cuckoos, and they usually arrive in late April, when other
migrants such as Whinchat can also occasionally be seen.
Small flocks of Curlew are seen at
this time, often accompanied by one or two Whimbrel. and rarer
migrants in recent years have included Montagu’s Harrier, Hobby
and Dotterel. The latter have been recorded twice, but may be more
regular, given that the species is almost annual on adjacent Plex Moss,
which has almost identical habitat.
Summer
A walk across the mosslands in summer will almost certainly reveal
breeding Corn Buntings, Yellowhammers and Tree Sparrows.
Corn Buntings are best looked for in Reed’s Lane and Tree Sparrows in
Moss Lane, whilst Yellowhammers are fairly common everywhere.
At least four species of owl, breed in the area, Long-eared, Tawny,
Barn and Little. Short-eared Owl has also
intriguingly been seen in June, but breeding is uncertain. All four
breeders are certainly possible in one night if you take a late evening
walk along the Old Coach Road in June or July, though only Tawny and
Little are (almost) guaranteed. Little Owl is the most widespread and
easily seen of the owls, and most farms on the mosslands have a pair, as
well as many pairs of Swallows and House Martins.
The whole area is a stronghold for Woodcock. For most of the year,
this is a very secretive and difficult too find species, but in summer
they will fly right over your head while you have a pint! Sit outside at
the Bottle and Glass on a warm summers evening, and just as it goes dark,
you should see at least one, sometimes up to three Woodcock roding
overhead. The roding birds are all males, who fly in a circuit around
woodland, making strange grunting and squeaking noises, waiting to be
called down by females. Roding can be seen from about March to the end of
July, not only at the Bottle and Glass, but also along the Old Coach Road
and on Reed’s Moss.
At least 10 pairs of Yellow Wagtails breed on the mosslands, and
they can sometimes be seen feeding young at this time of year, and Lapwing
chicks are everywhere. Occasionally, you might stumble across a pair of Oystercatchers
with chicks, and family parties of Grey Partridge sometimes scurry
along the track in front of you. Red-legged Partridge are also in
the area, but are introduced by the local farmers for game. The woodlands
and hedgerows abound with migrant breeders such as Willow Warbler, Chiffchaff,
Whitethroat and Blackcap.
The Rainford mosslands are not great places for seeing flowers, but there
are always things waiting to be found, and in recent years there have been
discoveries of small colonies of Bee Orchid and Marsh
Helleborine. Moth trapping has taken place at several sites on the
mosslands since 1999, and over 330 species of moth have been recorded,
including a few local rarities. Butterflies recorded at this time of year
have included the migrant species Clouded Yellow and Painted
Lady, whilst Red Admiral can be quite common. Dragonflies are
not particularly common, but if you come across a pond, it may well hold Emperor,
Four-spotted Chaser and Common Darter, as well as Azure,
Blue-tailed and Emerald Damselfly.
Autumn
Autumn migration begins as early as late July, when Wheatears begin
to be seen again, and flocks of up to 100 Curlew appear, especially
around the Old Coach Road. The very end of August and the first week in
September often sees the arrival of small flocks of White Wagtails,
accompanied by a few Yellow Wagtails, though these are usually much
more common in spring.
By September, there is a distinct build up
of Buzzards, and a walk across the mosslands can produce counts in
double figures, and it can be a good time for seeing Merlin and Hen
Harrier, but these are still very scarce. Even rarer, the Hobby
is sometimes seen at this time of year, and will perhaps become more
common in years to come as the species spreads throughout England. The
mosslands certainly appear to be ideal breeding habitat for the species.
As if to prove the point, September is a great time for seeing various
species of the large hawker dragonflies, often seen patrolling up
and down hedgerows, searching for prey, and there is usually a large build
up of Swallows and House Martins as they prepare for
migration.
By the middle of the month, the first Pink-footed
Geese of the winter are seen around the Old Coach Road, and flocks
soon build to around 5,000 birds by the first week in October. Small
parties of Stonechats, usually no more than three or four birds,
can occasionally be seen at this time of year, best looked for sitting on
fence posts or on brambles along overgrown ditches. These can also be seen
in spring, but rarely in winter, and are therefore presumably passage
migrants to the mosslands, but where they are coming from or going to is a
mystery, because there are no known local breeding sites.
By the end of October, most of the summer visitors have gone, and have
been replaced by the winter visitors, including the winter thrushes, Redwings
and Fieldfares which are seeping and cackling all across the
mosslands. At this time of year, flocks of Woodpigeons are counted
in thousands, and Stock Doves in hundreds.
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