MIGRATION gets in full swing during March and April and with the increase in the number of hours of daylight, now is the time to spend a full day out and about.

It takes only just over an hour to reach Morecambe Bay via the M6. Turn off at junction 35 and go to Carnforth and then to Silverdale which can only be reached by train.

Leighton Moss Bird Reserve is within a short walk of the station. The reserve is run by the RSPB and an entrance fee is required. There is also an excellent shop, information centre and some excellent hides. Hest Bank is also run by the RSPB and is open freely all the year round and is one of the best places in Europe to watch wildfowl and waders on the shoreline.

Leighton Moss is excellently run by the RSPB and the entry fee to the reserve and visitors centre is well worth it. The complex is within a few yards of the railway station and both these reserves are easily accessed by public transport.

Here are 325 acres of open water reed beds and marshland and a haven for otter, plus lots of common and rare species. This is the place for both master and apprentice birdwatchers who can easily spend a day in comfort and with other people on hand to help with identification.

Between now and the middle of May, a visit to each of these places would bring rich rewards.