Saltmarsh Celebration Day marks completion of RSPB Hesketh Out Marsh

To mark the creation of an important nature reserve - RSPB Hesketh Out Marsh at Hesketh Bank near Southport, adults and children alike are invited to join a day of family fun celebrations.

The incredible site, which is part of the Ribble Estuary National Nature Reserve has undergone a transformation over the last decade from farmland back to saltmarsh. This rare and vital habitat ishome to a rich variety of unusual wildlife and has huge benefits for people too, by reducing flood risk and capturing carbon to help combat climate change.

Thanks to a partnership of the RSPB, the Environment Agency and Natural England, and generous support from WREN (granting funds donated by FCC Environment), this award-winning project to restore the land back to saltmarsh reached its final stages of completion in September 2017. Now, 18 months on, with the site looking its wild and wonderful best in spring, the public are invited to join in a day of celebrations.

Tony Baker, Site Manager of the RSPB Ribble Reserves said: “It has been a long journey to get to this point, first with the restoration of the West side of the site in 2008 and now with the completion of the final piece of the jigsaw on the East side of the reserve. Thanks to all the partners and funders involved, the site now attracts thousands of internationally important birds such as pink footed geese and wigeons in autumn and winter, to nesting wading birds such as avocets - the emblem of the RSPB, and the song of skylarks in spring and summer.

“Many locals have been enjoying visiting the site throughout its development but may not be aware of the significance of the habitat here. We’re hoping lots of people will come along to our ‘Saltmarsh Celebration’ event to discover more about the work that has gone into creating this special place and take part in our exciting activities to get closer to the wildlife that calls it home.”

The ‘Saltmarsh Celebration Day’ will take place on Saturday 18 May from 10am-4pm. A whole host of free, drop-in activities including behind the scenes saltmarsh safaris, mud dipping and more will allow the public to explore the site.

For further information on Hesketh Out Marsh, visit www.rspb.org.uk/heskethoutmarsh

Call for volunteers to help with plastic clean up at RSPB Marshside

Staff at RSPB Marshside in Southport, are calling on local volunteers to help with their ‘Big Marshside Clean-up’ event on Saturday 10 March.

Following recent high tides, the nature reserve has seen a large amount of plastic and other debris deposited on the site, which poses a risk to wildlife and spoils the beauty of the area.

Marshside is part of the Ribble Estuary National Nature Reserve, an internationally important site that is home to a variety of wonderful wildlife such as overwintering flocks of wigeon and wading birds as well as the pink footed geese that the area is famous for.

Gareth Tate, Warden at RSPB Ribble Reserves said: “Whilst the recent high tides provided a fantastic spectacle for our visitors, bringing birds from the saltmarsh into close view, the downside is they also brought in lots of rubbish. Popular BBC programme ‘Blue Planet’ has highlighted the danger that plastic poses in our oceans, and the same applies to our estuaries like the Ribble.

“We recently held a similar event at our Hesketh Out Marsh reserve and were delighted that 35 volunteers from the local community came along to help us clear around 95 bags of rubbish. We hope lots of people will come along to this event at Marshside to help clean up this beautiful spot. It’s also an ideal opportunity to meet like-minded locals and get out in the fresh air.”

The clean-up event is running from 10.30am-1pm and participants should meet at the RSPB Marshside car park,Marine Drive, Southport, PR9 9PJ. Appropriate waterproof, outdoor clothing and footwear should be worn along with work/garden gloves. Some litter pickers will be available, but people are encouraged to bring their own if they have them. For further details visit www.rspb.org.uk/marshside

Volunteers needed for plastic clean-up at RSPB Hesketh Out Marsh

Litter picking on the Ribble -RSPB

Staff at RSPB Hesketh Out Marsh, are calling on local volunteers to help with their ‘Big Hesketh Out Marsh Clean-up’ event on Sunday 11 February.

Following recent high tides, the nature reserve at Hesketh Bank near Southport has seen a large amount of plastic and other debris deposited on the site, which poses a risk to wildlife and spoils the beauty of the area.

Gareth Tate, Warden at RSPB Ribble Reserves said: “RSPB Hesketh Out Marsh is part of the Ribble Estuary National Nature Reserve, an internationally important area that is home to a variety of wonderful wildlife. Whilst the recent high tides provided a fantastic spectacle for our visitors, bringing birds from the saltmarsh into close view, the downside is they also brought in lots of rubbish. Popular BBC programme ‘Blue Planet’ has highlighted the danger that plastic poses in our oceans, and the same applies to our estuaries like the Ribble. We hope lots of people will come along to the event to help clean up this beautiful spot. It’s also in ideal opportunity to meet like-minded locals, get out in the fresh air and put something back into your community.

The clean-up event is running from 10.30am-1pm and participants should meet at the Hesketh Out Marsh car park, Dib Road, Off Shore Road, Hesketh Bank, PR4 6XQ. Appropriate waterproof outdoor clothing and footwear should be worn along with work/garden gloves. Some litter pickers will be available, but people are encouraged to bring their own if they have them. For further details visit rspb.org.uk/heskethoutmarsh

Record-breaking bird settles into new home at RSPB Hesketh Out Marsh

It’s smiles all round for staff and volunteers at RSPB Hesketh Out Marsh after efforts to create a safe home for a record-breaking bird have proven to be successful.

Both Arctic and common terns are now nesting safely at the reserve after the team placed two brand new purpose-built rafts out on site, thanks to funding of £43,026 from The Veolia Environmental Trust, which was awarded through the Landfill Communities Fund. Covered in cockle shells to replicate the shingle beaches where they would normally nest, the tern rafts help to protect the eggs and chicks of these delightful birds from predators.

The Arctic tern is famous for holding the record for the longest migration of any bird – over 25,000 miles every year all the way from Antarctica. It is an uncommon bird in North West England, with the Ribble Estuary at the southern limit of its breeding range. These incredible creatures can now be seen gracefully patrolling over the reserve’s newly-created lagoons, before stooping to catch a fish from the surface.

Nick Godden, RSPB Ribble Reserves Warden, said: “The day after we put the two tern rafts out, there were birds already investigating them. It is so exciting to see these birds nesting on the purpose built rafts so soon and we are really hoping they will be successfully raising chicks in a few weeks’ time.

“Of course, it’s not just terns that are making themselves at home at Hesketh Out Marsh. Visitors can expect to see other fantastic wildlife such as redshanks, brown hares and nesting avocets, all set against the atmospheric backdrop of the stunning song of the skylark. With summer in the air, it’s the perfect time to come and visit and get closer to nature.”

The terns are the latest creatures to make a home at the site since the RSPB transformed wheat fields back into a thriving home for nature eight years ago. The new pools and nesting sites – created thanks to the £43,026 grant from The Veolia Environmental Trust - are giving visitors a chance to get better views of wildlife at the reserve than ever before.

The Executive Director of The Veolia Environmental Trust, Paul Taylor, added: “It is great to hear that this important project is achieving what it set out to do. The results show that the Landfill Communities Fund makes a real difference to England and Wales’ biodiversity. I look forward to hearing about the continued growth of the tern population in the future.” 

For more information about Hesketh Out Marsh, please visit rspb.org.uk/heskethoutmarsh