Calling all wildlife explorers- it's time to bioblitz Port Sunlight River Park

Looking over mersey estuary from park

Wildlife experts say Port Sunlight River Park, converted from a landfill site and opened to the public in August 2014, is now ready for its first official biological recording.

The 70-acre park perched on the banks of the Mersey is owned by national land management charity the Land Trust and managed by Wirral charity Autism Together. It boasts panoramic views of the iconic Liverpool skyline, woodlands, wildflower meadows and a lake.

There are several opportunities for community members to be involved with bioblitz activities and learn about the wildlife at the park:

river park pond

• On Friday 26 May official wildlife recorders will be checking the park for all signs of mammals, birds, bugs and plant life. Community members are welcome to work alongside them. Anyone interested should contact the park ranger.
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• That evening from 9pm the park will host a bat walk. Families will be given hand-held bat detectors which capture the calls made by different species of bats swooping around their heads and convert them into sounds humans can hear. This event costs £3 and must be booked in advance.
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• On Saturday 27 May wildlife walks will take place as part of May's month-long Wirral Walking Festival. A bird-themed walk at 9.30am will be followed by a wildflower walk at 10.30am, then a family fun nature walk from 1.30pm to 3pm. Wildlife experts will be on hand all day to teach community members about the species now living at the site and there will be family wildlife-themed activities from 10am to 4pm.
• All staff and volunteers are all trained in autism awareness.
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Autism Together park ranger, Anne Litherland, said, "In the early days of the park, when it was still finding its feet, it was hard to believe it could ever be an environmental success. But these days we regularly spot foxes, voles, shrews and rabbits living here amongst the lovely oxeye daisies and deciduous woods, dozens of species of birds around the lake and many different butterflies, moths and mini-beasts.

"Our bioblitz weekend will be a big step forward for us. We want to prove that, given care, even an old rubbish tip can become a beautiful wildlife haven. RECORD (Cheshire's biological recording service) will be collecting all the biological data and we look forward to sharing the results with the community. Our thanks Merseyside Environmental Trust for helping to fund the weekend's activities."

View of Liverpool's cathedrals from top of river park hill

Autism Together's bioblitz partners also include Wirral Wildlife, Cheshire Wildlife Trust, Chester Zoo and Friends of Ness Gardens.

Community members wanting to book places on the bat walk or find out more about the weekend's events should contact Anne on 07587 550060 or anne.litherland@autismtogether.co.uk. 

Discover the dark side of RSPB Burton Mere Wetlands this Halloween

Dusk at Burton Mere  -Dan Trotman

There are spooky goings-on at RSPB Burton Mere Wetlands this half term, with lots of Halloween fun for families to enjoy.

For those who are brave enough to watch darkness descend on the wetlands, there’s a special ‘Who’s afraid of the dark?’ event to be held on Halloween, giving families the chance to explore the spooky world of the nature reserve at dusk.

Dan Trotman, Visitor Development Officer for the RSPB Dee Estuary reserve, said: “Our Halloween event is a fantastic opportunity to show families the dark side of Burton Mere Wetlands – we can’t promise there’ll be witches, but those who are afraid of the dark should be warned, as there’s plenty of activity once the sun starts to set.

“Families can join us on a walk into the Discovery Zone and experience an exciting dusk spectacle which happens on the reserve every day; geese noisily flying in to roost on the water, the little egrets flying in to the colony in their hundreds, jackdaws swooping around the trees and bats emerging to feed. During the summer this happens too late for many of us to see, but in autumn it happens before tea-time, so now is a great time to watch.

“While there may only be a few bats still feeding at this colder time of year, the birds themselves create a really creepy atmosphere as darkness falls on Burton Mere –perfect for some spooky Halloween fun! If we’re really lucky, we might hear the tawny owls hooting to each other as they wake up in the woodland.”

Bat cartoon - A Rule -RSPB

Throughout half-term week, there’s plenty more to keep families busy; a self-led pumpkin quiz trail, Halloween craft activities and the chance to discover the creepy creatures that find a home at Burton Mere Wetlands.

The “Who’s afraid of the dark?” event runs from 4 pm-6 pm on Friday 31 October and costs £3 per child (£2 for RSPB Wildlife Explorer members), which includes a drink and snack. Halloween costumes are encouraged. Accompanying adults go free. Places are limited, with booking and payment in advance essential.

The quiz trail and craft activities will be available from Saturday 25 October to Sunday 2 November and are free to take part (normal reserve entry fees apply for non-members).

For more information on the reserve and its activities, please call the reserve on 0151 353 8478, or check out the website www.rspb.org.uk/deeestuary.

Take a walk into the darkness at RSPB Burton Mere Wetlands

Badgers - Laura Bimson

As dusk falls over RSPB Burton Mere Wetlands, the nature reserve comes alive   and this month, visitors have the chance to uncover the site's secret wildlife on a special dusk walk.

With the help of RSPB wardens, visitors can discover the nocturnal creatures which make their home at the reserve, including bats, badgers and owls.  

There will also be the opportunity to witness a wildlife spectacle at Burton Mere Wetlands, which is home to one of the UK s largest colonies of little egrets. As dusk approaches, close to 400 of the birds   a new

record for the reserve   gather from across the estuary, creating a remarkable sight. Dan Trotman, Visitor Development Officer at RSPB Dee Estuary Reserves, said:  Whilst these birds are seen regularly feeding across the estuary s saltmarsh during the day, nothing compares to the sight and sound of dozens flying together into the tree-tops next to the nature reserve for the night. It s an amazing sight to watch.

As darkness looms, the first of the reserve s nocturnal residents emerge   the bats. Burton Mere Wetlands is home to several types of bat and visitors can get up close to one type known as the water bat, as they zip back and forth catching flies over the water, just inches from the footpath. During the special dusk walk, visitors will also have the chance to venture into the Gorse Covert woodland, listen to the tawny owls calling to each other and hopefully catch a glimpse of young badgers foraging in the woods as twilight falls.

Geoff Robinson, Asst Warden for RSPB Dee Estuary Reserves, said: There have been evenings when I 've been here alone and seeing the little egret colony in all its glory makes all the hard work we' ve put into managing this wetland over the years seem all the more worthwhile.  The bats are superb - you can end up with them swirling all around you, just inches away. The badgers are brilliant to watch too. They have lived at Burton Mere Wetlands for years, but their home is now protected as it sits within RSPB land. 

The walk is a great way to experience the reserve after dusk. I don' t think people appreciate how much goes on here after the sun goes down  it really is worth discovering.

In a bid to enable people to experience as much of the evening activity on the reserve as possible, the guided Dusk Walk will be held on Friday 30 August, starting at 6.30pm. The cost for the walk is  £5 per adult ( 3 for RSPB members) and  £1 per child (free for RSPB Wildlife Explorer members). 

For more information on the reserve and its activities, please call the reserve on 0151 353 8478, or check out the website www.rspb.org.uk/deeestuary.

Juvenile Tawny owl. Andy Hay

 

Burton Mere Wetlands is the gateway to the RSPB s Dee Estuary nature reserve, with one of the newest visitor facilities in the country.   From the comfort of the reception building, visitors can see nesting avocets and lapwings in the summer and huge flocks of ducks, geese and swans in winter.  Water voles and badgers are resident here, whilst the summer months are alive with flickering colours from the countless dragonflies and butterflies.

Location and opening times:

RSPB Burton Mere Wetlands, Puddington Lane, Burton, Cheshire, CH64 5SF.  The reserve is open daily (except Christmas Day) from 9am to 5pm  from November to March, and 9am to dusk from April to October.  The reception building is open from 9.30am to 5pm year-round.

And now for something completely different.

No I didn’t meet old hook nose on the way to Aldi. Just thought you might like to see who I met at Chester Zoo today. Love them or hate them the Zoo is currently the nearest I’m going to get to a Condor or Vulture for now. I’m sure these chaps would rather be soaring over the mountains & plains, but without breeding programmes how many species would now be extinct. The Andean Condor is the largest flying bird in the world, not the prettiest, but certainly impressive. Something you certainly got a perspective of when you saw them flying in their large enclosures.
To finish on a topical note ‘Halloween’, if you do fancy a trip to the Zoo and you’re not 'chicken' don’t miss out on the Twilight Zone; Batwings fluttering against your hair and fingers being nibbled in the dark, need I say more.............! Laura