Drive & Stroll, with RON FREETHY

I ALWAYS know when we are into spring when some of the birds which spend the winter on the Fylde Coast head for the hills and begin nesting.

One of my favourite hills overlooking the Fylde is Beacon Fell whilst one of my favourite birds is the curlew. The first sound which greeted me as I drove up onto Beacon Fell was the bubbling courtship call of the curlew. Down among the reeds I could see one bird, presumably a female, busy incubating eggs.

All sorts of fascinating things are happening up on the fell. At the moment there are a number of car parks neatly dovetailed into the conifer woods which are expertly managed. There are toilets and a small information centre.

Mammals seen in the area include hedgehog, roe deer, fox and the list of bat species in the area is impressive. Birds include jay, great spotted woodpecker, treecreeper and redstart.

The dominant trees are larch, spruce, Scots pine and birch but as I strolled around the edge of the Fell I saw a very confusing sight. This was a holly tree laden with red berries, a sight more in keeping with Christmas than in June. Not all holly trees have berries as this species has the male and female sexes on separate trees. Those people buying holly for their gardens should always buy two trees ensuring one of each sex if they want to see berries. The holly is pollinated by insects especially bees and butterflies.

The views from the top of Beacon Fell are magnificent. The Tower and the new ride area easily seen and on October nights the Blackpool illuminations look a treat from here.

From the other side of the hill the view down into the vale of Chipping with Parlick Hill overlooked it has probably not changed for centuries. The way that people make use of this hill, however, has certainly changed. There is no longer the need to cut peat from the hillside and a recent development has been the fact that hang gliders use Parlick as a launching pad.

Down in the valley of the River Brock below Beacon Fell is the Scout Camp at Waddecar, a wonderful place where many young naturalists learned their skills.

The Scout and Guide movement has always taken a leading role in countryside and conservation matters and Waddecar is continuing this good work with a vengeance.

A nature trail has been laid out through the woodlands where bats, roe deer, fox and hedgehog roam free. On the unpolluted River Brock are dipper, grey wagtail and the occasional kingfisher.

The weather was more like high summer than late spring with the hot sun pouring down onto the damp lush and vivid green fields -- no wonder most naturalists rate May and June as the best months. I watched young rabbits sunbathing, a grey squirrel blinking into the sun as it sat on the branch of a birch tree and a heroin preened itself by the side of a tributary stream of the Brock.

As I climbed, the gentle breeze lowered the temperature and the views of the Fylde and Wyre changed from good to spectacular.

Most of the coniferous woodland was planted between 1938 and 1959 when the fell was used as the gathering ground for drinking water. As these trees are being felled as they mature they are being replaced by native trees.

In time Beacon Fell will be even more attractive to wildlife than it is at present -- and that is saying something!