Martin Mere Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust (1 Viewer)

Martin Mere is probably the best site in the North West for wintering wildfowl and is probably best known for its overwintering Whooper Swans and Pink-footed Geese, you can expect to see 1700 Whoopers and up to 20,000 Pinkfeet, add to this thousands of Teal, Wigeon, Mallards, Shovellers, Pintail, Coots and Moorhens and you have a wildfowl spectacle thats hard to beat. Martin Mere is also host to the North West Bird Fair which is held every November.
The reserve covers 360 acres, recently the purchase of adjoining farmland has doubled the size of the reserve. The newly purchased farmland is to be converted into a large reedbed with the intention of attracting breeding Bitterns and Marsh Harriers.
work is due to start this Spring and is should be completed in 2004.
Over the years Martin Mere has attracted many rarities which I won't attempt to list here but a few examples are Black Winged Pratincole, Lesser Yellowlegs, Cattle Egret and Pectoral Sandpipers.
Breeding birds include Redshank, Lapwing, Ringed and Little Ringed Plover, Skylark, Corn Bunting and grey Partridge.
This is probably the best site I know where you can be guaranteed to see wintering Peregrine on a daily basis. There is also a small overwintering flock of Ruff.
The reserve has a large visitor center complete with shop and cafeteria, several hides (one heated) some with access for the disabled including the provision of wheelchairs.
For those of you with families...bring them along! there's a large adventure play area for the kids where the little darlings can let off steam while you enjoy your birdwatching, later you can take them for a gentle stroll through the wildfowl of the world gardens.
Martin Mere is situated off the A59 about 8 miles inland from Southport, the reserve is well signposted from the M6, M61, M58 and all major roads.
Public Transport.
An hourly bus service runs from Ormskirk (7 miles)
Nearest train stations, Burscough Bridge (3 miles)
New Lane (1 mile)
Bescar Lane (2 miles)

Thanks for that Johnny, I hadn't realised there were more species to observe over and above the ducks and waders. Will have to give it a try nearly got there on a field trip for a week when I was reading my degree. Ended up doing my field work down in Devon thought it might be the drier option! Now I live up in the North West I now know it was the right choice, living down South for 40 years has made me a "Southern Softie".

You forgot to mention the Tree Sparrows, which are becoming quite a rare bird for some of us.

I used to visit Martin Mere regularly when I was at Preston Poly. I'd catch the bus to Burscough Bridge and then walk down the lane. I used to have a good list before I even got to Martin Mere. It was a good site for Hen Harrier and I saw my first Barn Owl there.

I still try and get up there once a year to see the swans and geese, and on my last visit in November there was a Firecrest showing well.

I usually combine my trip with a visit to Marshside at Southport.

Bob we sometimes do get more than our fair share of the wet stuff here but I reckon we appreciate the good weather more when we get it.

You're right Andy I did forget to mention the Tree Sparrows! The Tree Sparrows can be seen all year round here, in Spring they nest in the specially provided nest boxes they even had one on cctv this year with a camera inside the box, they've also done this with a Swallows nest. Although I havn't visited M.Mere for about a month now I'm intendig to visit tomorrow (4th July) it will be interesting to see if they've started the farmland conversion yet.

LOST !!!!!! (& found ???)

Hello
Visited this place for the first time today, Excellent!

UNFORTUNATELY...........We have SOMEHOW Got Home WITHOUT a pair of 8xLEiCAS........... :eek!: :eek!: :eek!: :eek!:

Shall have to phone the reserve tomorrow to see if they have ??????...........perhaps rolled off our car roof as we left the car park.................

If anyone has seen a stray pair please contact the (distressed) Owner !!


:h?:

fingers & tripod legs crossed.
Stevie "wally of This week" Evans.

Sorry to hear of your loss Steve, in the past I,ve left/lost a few things at Martin Mere but never anything like bino's. Usually people will hand any finds in at the shop. I hope you get your Leicas returned to you.

Phew.............

Nice Folk them over in Lancashire.
I'm glad to report my bins are apparently safe & sound after being found in the middle of the Road :eek!:
Going to collect them at wk/end armed with a slab of Boddingtons!!
Now Calm.
StevieEvans.

That is seriously impressive honesty.

Ah, now I see the origin of your other thread Steve. It is good of them to have held them for you. I reckon the majority of folk are that good.

Steve

Congratulations. The honest person should be named and honoured. Really impressive.

I should be so lucky; Lucky, lucky, LUCKY.

Hi
I hadn't held out much hope for getting them back.........

The NiCE people who discovered them, found them in the middle of a main road approx 1.5 miles from Martin Mere!!!!!

They initially thought the bins were a sqashed corvid & swerved only to realise what they'd nearly run over. Apparently the 3 cars behind also had to take evasive action!!!

I imagine I must of been doing 60 Mph, when they rolled off the car roof ! But Amazingly AFTER 1 & a half Mile !!

The optics are suposedly A-Okay, but they obviously have a few grazes on the body.

How on earth they are not smashed to bits , i don't Know.

We are going to collect them on Saturday morning, & going to make a day of it with a trip to the top of Blackpool Tower with our daughter..........& before you ask I'll be wearing My Leicas round my neck (and quite possibly under my coat!) at ALL TiMES.

HOW LUCKY ? ! :bounce:

Think we'll put an extra Lottery line on this weekend.

Happy Stevie.

u lucky lucky boy!!!!!

hope they enjoy their boddies

as the man said
'your very nice people!'

Thats what I call good news Steve! Really pleased they were found and handed in.

Johnny1

Coming down to Collect them tomorrow morning, the Very Nice people live in Leyland, near Preston.
Thought we might have a look in at Leighton Moss ?........but then again i havnt seen Great Grey Shrike in a while..............

Can you let us know if theres owt about that we may not be aware of in the Lancs area etc ?

I still cant believe my good Luck...

BUT....i did manage to send a Husqvarna 335xpt Chainsaw 45' down a tree yesterday!!! (approx £500 cost)
It landed on a concrete path & bust up the body, obliteratred the bar & chain...
BUT...its been working again today with a few replaced parts.
The strange thing is that it was only the 3rd day i'd had it out on a job....

I cant deciede if my Luck is getting Better OR Worse !!! ???

(Anyway i've got a box of 18 draught Bodddingtons & will pick some flowers & choc's up for his missus on the way down) Do you think this is enough of a Gesture, Considering the Circumstances ?
Regards StevieEvans.

If someone found my bins the choccies would be Belgian! I reckon you are doing a nice enough gesture as you can overdo it. If they handed tyhem in they are obviously people who get a kick out of being good people and will feel happy to meet the owner. I would.

I first visited Martin Mere in 1974, before it had even opened, and met the original currator, Peter Gladstone. He showed myself and my Dad around the place.

I've been a regular visitor ever since, at one time going every weekend for several years. I've seen many great sights, too many to mention, but I suppose 3 species of Phalarope on the same day must rank as one of the best. Also Black winged Pratincole and the amazing Franklin's Gull, but the best days for me have been when there have been up to 20,000 Pink feet on the reserve, and the sound is deafening and the sky black if they are disturbed, and when they contained hidden gems such as Snow Goose, Whitefronts, and even Lesser Whitefronts.

That doesn't seem to happen all that often these days, with many of "our" birds now moving to Norfolk for the mid winter. I have been a couple of times a month during this winter, and have failed to see more than about 1000 geese on any one day, in fact to be honest, I think I've seen more around St. Helens, where there has been up to 5,000 birds over the same period. I think the bulk of the geese feed on farmers fields, visiting Martin Mere to roosting the evening, and leaving in the morning.

Whooper Swans have increased dramatically over the years, from just a couple of hundred in the late 70's to over 1700 now. However, Bewick Swans have decreased almost equally dramatically, from around 800 in the late 80's / early 90's, to barely a 100 these days, and you have to work hard to see them. Out competed by Whoopers or just not coming because of mild winters on the continent, probably a mixture of both, but it's hard to believe that 15 years ago, Bewicks was the predominant swan at Martin Mere.

I had a good day today, with cracking views of a Jack Snipe from North West Water hide, possibly my best ever view of the species, showing well, in the open and in good sunlight for long periods. Also Merlin today, but no sign of the two harriers which have shown so well this winter. Plenty of Buzzards though, they're everywhere these days.


Colin

Sorry Steve I've only just read your post (Monday morning 8-00am) My favourite local sites which are all within a half hours drive are Martin Mere, Mere Sands wood 1 mile from Martin Mere and Marshside RSPB (Southport). If I'm planning a day out somewhere different I check whats around on Birdguides which gives the most up to date info on rarities etc.
I hope your bino's work OK. I was wondering if Insurance firms would pay out on circumstances such as yours or would it be deemed your own fault? Personally I don't have mine insured seperately.