Birds, boats and barges

IF you are on the lookout for a good and varied day's bird watching then you could do a lot worse than visit Glasson Dock near Lancaster.

A swing bridge across the dock has just been repaired. During the last month the canals of England and Wales have received a massive boost. Led by a John Prescott initiative a government paper has outlined a new use for the old canals.

Many are to be upgraded and used for both commercial and leisure purposes and some will relieve pressure on our overworked road and rail network.

The work to improve the waterways will be done by British Waterways and this government funded organisation is tackling the problem with gusto. At last the potential of our canals for tourism is being addressed and I for one welcome this move.

There are some really wonderful strolls to be enjoyed along the towpaths of the Leeds to Liverpool canal and there are plenty of places to drive and stroll along the Lancaster Canal.

This once linked Kendal and Preston and was a relatively trouble-free route as there were no locks at all on most of the route. The exception to this is the link from the main canal near Lancaster and running down to the Lune estuary and the sea at Glasson Dock.

This was built to allow large ships to anchor in the Lune estuary without sailing up to Lancaster where the tidal area of the River Lune was silting up. The story of the canal and the river is told at the excellent Maritime Museum at St George's Quay in Lancaster. Glasson Dock is a wonderfully atmospheric place and is still busy with shipping. It is at its best in winter. There is a marina which is connected to the sea via well maintained locks.

In the other direction the marina links into the Lancaster canal. This provides a fresh water environment and the birds seen here always make an impressive list. Last week I saw coot, mallard, tufted duck, pochard and mute swans. The coots were particularly active.

Glasson Dock is sited on the estuary of the River Lune and if you arrive on a full tide sea ducks are always present, including eider, scoter, red breasted merganser and pintail. When the tide is out the mud flats, sand banks and salt marshes are exposed and provide yet another busy environment. This is the place to watch wigeon, lapwing, cormorant, shelduck, redshank and in winter you can often see bewick and whooper swans.

There are usually so many birds to see here that there is never any need to walk very far. For those who like stretching their legs, however, the disused railway from Glasson to Lancaster has been converted into a nature reserve. This is the place to see fieldfare, redwing and other small birds which spend the winter in Britain.

There is plenty of parking at Glasson and a good choice of cafes, snack bars and pubs serving food. Whatever the weather this is therefore the perfect place for a winter bird watch.