#Repair
work on Bunker Hide from Tuesday 20, so there will be no access to this area while the work is being carried out. The work may take longer than initially expected, we may know more week commencing 26. Please keep an eye on our socials for any further updates. Thank you.
We’re shocked and saddened by the fire that has devastated the Neston Reedbed part of our reserve this evening. The full extent of the damage won’t be known until daylight tomorrow, and we’ll share further details once more information emerges.
Still an uncommon sight, but one lucky visitor captured this trio of
#egrets
together from Border hide last
#weekend
! From left to right; great white, little and cattle - hopefully another successful breeding season for all three lies ahead.
#FridayFeeling
📸John Gilbody
Some brilliant news to start the week. We've seen 3 spotted crake this morning, 1 adult and 2 juvenile. A promising sign they've bred on the reserve this year!
#birding
#wirral
📸A.Lovatt 2015
We’re still hurting from the
#fire
that ravaged
#Neston
Reedbed yesterday evening, but we’re overwhelmed by the public support.
We’d like to thank the emergency services for all they’ve done so far in helping to tackle and investigate the fire.
(1/2)
📸Dave Mort
Excitement today when a spotted crake was found this morning by site manager, Graham on the main scrape, and showed intermittently through the day. These scarce summer migrants are a near annual visitor to, and occasional breeder on the reserve.
#birding
#Wirral
📸A.Lovatt, 2015
As winter starts to slowly retreat & migration begins we are saying farewell to our short-eared owls off the marsh. The last few days we've had excellent views from our visitor centre decking of one owl, incredibly close hunting near Bunker hide.
#wildlifeWednesday
📸P.Jubb
Spot the difference! Not many places in the country to see 3 different egrets together, but we have little, great and cattle all in view from Reception Hide right now. Photo by 14yr-old Kate Souster.
@CHESHIREBIRDING
@RSPB_N_England
@RSPBbirders
Following on from
@GronantTerns
successful season, we're delighted to confirm we had record numbers of breeding
#LittleTerns
at Point of Ayr this year; a total of 39 pairs, 81 eggs, 34 successful nests & 69 fledged chicks. Look out for a blog soon for more details.
📸RSPB
Our reserve team has now assessed the damage caused by Saturday night’s tragic
#fire
at Neston Reedbed near
#Parkgate
. About 10 hectares of the marsh was burnt in the fire, including all the reedbed vegetation and some areas of saltmarsh vegetation.
(1/6)
After finally fledging their nest this week, we've been enjoying great views of two juveniles & the adult pair of marsh harriers across Burton Mere Wetlands. It's the first time they have nested at this part of the reserve, in the maturing reedbed planted 12 years ago.
📸P.Jubb
This wonderful woman is
#Wirral
resident & long-time
#RSPB
member, Betty Krisz. Today is her 102nd birthday, and the place she most wanted to spend it was here! Her favourite bird is the wren, having served in the Wrens (Women’s Royal Naval Service). Such a pleasure to meet her!
This fantastic male
#henharrier
has been overwintering with us this year on the
#DeeEstuary
. It was photographed near Gronant with an identification ring on its leg & it has been established that it is a Dutch bird that was ringed as a chick in May 2019. 📸
The Dee marshes' iconic short-eared
#owls
will soon be heading for the hills - if not already - but we were blessed with another winter of sensational views at Parkgate; here's a hunting action sequence from February for our
#WildlifeWednesday
.
📸 Paul Jubb
🎉Spring has officially arrived at Burton Mere Wetlands, our avocets are back! 🎉They've returned a bit later than usual, likely due to the recent cold weather. Normally we only see 1 or 2 arrive at first, but this year there are 13!
#TuesdayFeeling
📸Paul Jubb
Our excellent spring for
#rarities
continues, with a stunning Black-winged Stilt showing well from Marsh Covert hide this morning.
#birding
#wirral
📸 Leon Castell
Short-eared owls have starred recently at Burton Marsh near Denhall Quay, but we're aware of some disturbance of them and other birds by people trying to get too close. We're installing some signs to address this, and ask everyone to be mindful of their behaviour. (1/2)
📸P.Jubb
A fantastic day filled with some wonderful elusive
#sightings
like a Brown Hare, Hobby, Kingfisher, Water Rail & a juvenile Cuckoo! Photographed by John Hayes.
#birdwatching
#tuesdayvibe
Reedbed Screen has been the place to be recently. Following on from the Otter being seen on Wednesday, a Bittern was seen today by a large number of people for most of the afternoon. Not only that, an Otter was also seen, briefly, at 1pm.
Photo - John Hewitt
Here it is, the brand new and improved Bridge screen! Finished and already in use on this sunny early spring afternoon. Wonder what star
#birds
we’ll be watching from there this summer?
#wednesdaythought
The Pallid Harrier continues to put on a great show here on the
#DeeEstuary
, often coming exceptionally close. Parkgate and Denhall Quay near the
#HarpInn
are two of the best places to see it, with afternoon's best.
Today's unexpected visitor; white stork over Marsh Covert woodland at
@RSPB_BurtonMere
. Hassled by herons, quickly moved on, but not something you see every day in these parts! Photo by John Whittle.
@RSPBbirders
#birding
#Wirral
Hen harriers are showing brilliantly on the reserve at the moment. We are regularly seeing two ringtails hunting together over the wet grassland area & very close over the ditch next to the visitor centre pool.
#wildlifeWednesday
📷Paul Jubb
One real highlight this week was the confirmation of great egret having successfully bred for the second year, with site manager Graham spotting two well-grown juveniles high in the Marsh Covert heronry.
Image: breeding plumage adult by Chris Wilding, 2017
Don't let the drizzle put you off!
Two
#Bittern
have been spotted this morning around the reedbed area. Lets cross everything they are a pair and decide to stick around for breeding season😃
#tuesdaymotivation
#tuesdaytreats
📸Dave King
After weeks of seeing regular flights by a
#bittern
in and out of Burton Mere Wetlands' reedbed, yesterday we finally had confirmation of there being a pair when a lucky visitor glimpsed a male and a female together at Reedbed screen!
#WildlifeWednesday
📸Dave Hunt
The Eagle Has Landed! Well, a
#cafe
at least.
We’re delighted to report the delivery of our modular cafe has been completed today. Still lots of work to be done including cladding and landscaping, but the important thing for now is we are
#open
as normal tomorrow (Wednesday).
We're at
#Parkgate
today for the first spring
#tide
of 2023. We know from past experience, and yesterday's tide, that the water won't fully flood the marsh due to current weather conditions (high pressure, SE wind), but still a good chance to see
#birds
of prey.
📸Paul Jubb
Star of the show today was an
#otter
seen by some of our visitors from Reedbed Screen. Normally, they are a dawn or dusk sighting on the reserve, so this was really special. Marsh Harriers put on a show all day, whilst flocks of Siskin roamed the reserve.
Photo - John Hewitt
Great egrets have quickly become part of the furniture on the Dee Estuary in recent years, but even we're amazed at their numbers present right now; a whopping 39 were counted flying into the roost at Burton Mere Wetlands this week!
#WildlifeWednesday
📸John Hewitt
Almost six months after it was finished being built, we're delighted to have welcomed our first ever visitors into Border hide today, along with reopening Marsh Covert hide and Bunker hide following the changes in Government
#Covid
restrictions.
#MondayMotivation
Last year a pair of one of our most treasured birds the
#MarshHarrier
nested in Burton Mere Wetlands reedbed for the first time. This week a pair seem to have been scoping it out again. 📸P.Jubb
#ThrowbackThursday
Just over 12 months since breaking ground, it felt amazing to finally open our new
#cafe
for the first time today.
Next time you visit the reserve, pop in to meet our lovely new team and see what’s on offer as our menu gradually grows.
#FridayFeeling
Something to brighten up a grey Friday evening - or give you nightmares on your
#BigWildSleepOut
perhaps?
A death's head hawkmoth
#caterpillar
, found on the Burton Marsh Greenway beside the Decca Pools part of our reserve, is a rare find in North West England.
📸Colin Wells
A pleasant morning to celebrate our
#Birthday
! On this day 12 years ago back in 2011, we opened our doors. We hope you'll join us today to see how much the reserve has grown & how much we have achieved in this short time.
#SundayThoughts
#SundayMorning
The magnificent merlin who took great pleasure watching visitors from this perch close to the Reception Hide decking today. Not the first time and probably not the last this winter, so keep your eyes peeled when you next visit! (Image: A.Lovatt)
@VisitCheshire
#SaturdayFeeling
American Wigeon spotted this morning by one of our regulars. On the main scrape now, great views in amongst the other Wigeon.
#MondayMotivation
#RSPBEcology
📸J.Hewitt
Despite hoping to remain open, we have made the difficult decision to FULLY CLOSE RSPB Burton Mere to visitors with immediate effect; includes the car park, hides & trails, to restrict the spread of
#coronavirus
& prioritise the health & welfare of staff, volunteers & public.
The reserve is open as usual but we are taking more precautions on site in light of
#coronavirusuk
. The exciting news is we have our first
#Spoonbill
of the season on the Bridge Pool😁 Image: Lynne Greenstreet
An unusual & enthralling bird’s eye view of the immaculate Dee Estuary saltmarsh for
#WorldHabitatDay
.
Statistically the fourth most important
#wetland
in the UK & a priceless home to internationally important populations of a range of wildfowl & wading
#birds
.
📸Josh Robertson
The reserve’s first spoonbill of the year was spotted at Parkgate yesterday evening. Will we see others arrive and a breeding attempt at Burton Mere Wetlands this year?
#ThursdayThoughts
📸Ron Thomas
Happy
#WorldWetlandsDay
!
Did you know our Dee Estuary nature reserve is one of the largest protected wetlands in the UK & at Burton Mere Wetlands we've turned a wet crop field into one of the country's most productive breeding wader habitats in little over a decade?
Pic: P.Jubb
Our first spoonbill of the year has just been seen at Burton Mere! After last week's sighting of one at Parkgate, we're excited to see if any more will turn up and maybe see another breeding attempt.
#WildlifeWednesday
📸Paul Jubb
The avocets don't know what's hit them and have resorted to this scrum to keep warm! We have a dusting of
#snow
on the ground but most pools are unfrozen; we're open as usual with a roaring fire, hot drinks and fresh butties up for grabs.
@VisitCheshire
#CheshireResidentsFestival
We couldn't resist sharing this adorable brood of long-tailed tits,
#photographed
and kindly sent to us by Mark Woodhead on a recent visit to Burton Mere Wetlands.
We'd love to see your favourite
#photos
you've captured at the reserve!
#MondayMotivation
📸Mark Woodhead
Today’s glossy ibis at
@RSPB_BurtonMere
departing almost as soon as it had arrived. Brilliant photo from lucky visitor David Hilder who was in the Inner Marsh Farm hide at just the right time.
#birding
#Wirral
Despite a good number of sightings of
#ospreys
over the Dee Estuary &
#Wirral
peninsula, it took until today for most of the reserve staff to see their first of the spring; perched eating a fish fairly close on Burton Marsh sparking a Tuesday teatime twitch.
📸osprey: Liz Boone
The wardens could not contain their excitement when the new, bright orange tractor arrived. Warden Becky; "It's got a cup holder!"😆This beautiful beast will mark yet another hugely positive step forward for the team in managing the reserve for
#nature
.
#Fridayfeeling
#RSPBecology
With all the recent talk of bitterns, our resident
#BeardedTits
have been feeling left out! They've been spotted at Reedbed screen in recent days, including two juveniles this morning which confirms their breeding success for a third year.
#MondayMotivation
📸Paul Jubb, 2019
We’ve been working on getting some photos of our
#Daubenton
’s
#Bats
this week with
@ronthomasphotog
They are also knows as the water bat as they hunt insect over water.
We’ve got some absolute crackers!! Here’s just a taster...
#bat
@BBCSpringwatch
This part of our reserve is home to significant wildlife including Cetti’s warblers & bitterns. Marsh harriers were building nests on marshland that has sadly been lost to fire. Full extent of the damage is still being assessed & we’ll share further details when we’re able. (2/2)
What a fabulous find for the reserve, only the third-ever record! The warden team were lucky enough to spot this grass snake during their work party on Tuesday. It's a perfect day to spot
#reptiles
, so pop your boots on & get out for an adventure.
#Schoolholidays
#SaturdayMorning
Look who’s mooved in! As part of us rejuvenating the Inner Marsh Farm wet grassland area, we now have some gorgeous local highland cows. As the new fence goes in they’ll soon be visible from Marsh Covert hide.
#MondayMotivation
We have some fantastic staff & volunteers at Point of Ayr in
#Wales
, protecting our
#LittleTern
colony. A record year of 32 pairs & 30 chicks. We now more than ever need your help, could you be a Nature Hero to protect this threatened bird?
#WatchYourStep
.
#fridaymorning
The sunny morning invited a rare
#sighting
of the Slavonian grebe on our reserve. This bird breeds in Scotland & spends its winter in parts of Ireland, Wales & southern England. Last seen on the reserve in the late 90's!
#SaturdayMorning
📸Ben Andrew ()
What better way to mark
#BlueMonday
than a stunning photo of one of our most beloved birds, who will be returning to the reserve in a matter of weeks to announce the (optimistic!) beginning of spring. Check out the colour of those legs! 😍
📸
@ronthomasphotog
The reserve would be a far poorer place without our amazing
#volunteers
- from raking grass, counting birds and clearing muddy ditches, to providing a welcoming smile and endless information in our visitor centre like Gail and John here.
#VolunteersWeek2023
We've enjoyed another terrific show from our resident
#bittern
today, leaving the secrecy of the reedbed to stalk food at the back edge of the scrape, with excellent views from Bunker hide followed by a lengthy flight to Bridge Pool.
#MondayMotivation
📸
@Imfplus
The Savi's
#warbler
found yesterday is still present, reeling intermittently in the reedbed. A first for the reserve & only the fourth
#Cheshire
record, the last being in 1994. Nice local history from
@AllanConlin
&
@Eddiewilliams09
book.
Link for info:
If you're in need of some
#MondayMotivation
, take a look at our brilliant new hide as it looked in Friday's sun at the end of the first week of building. The contractors are back on site today and probably into next week to finish the job. We can't wait to get inside!
📸G.Jones
This Bittern showed very well this afternoon, at the Reedbed Screen and Long-Tailed Duck was once again seen on the Border Pool, where Whooper Swans were seen. Peregrine, Buzzard and Marsh Harrier were active all day
#wildlife
#sightings
#birds
📸Chris Thomas
This week saw the first
#sighting
of
#bittern
! It was first photographed in our reedbed, viewed from Marsh Covert hide. It's been seen multiple times since, will you be the next one to spot it?
#SaturdayThoughts
📸Roger Evans
Who remembers this pair of
#spoonbills
that came close to nesting here last year? Well it's exciting to hear there are two of these exotic beauties lounging on
#Parkgate
marsh, reported to us by locals taking their daily exercise in line with Government guidance.
📸P.Jubb
Please help us to give wildlife alternative nesting space on the rest of the estuary by sticking to paths and keeping dogs on short leads and under close control.
(4/6)
On this day nine years ago we opened Burton Mere Wetlands to visitors for the first time, a day after the official opening ceremony with Welsh TV icon
@IoloWilliams2
cutting the ribbon. Who remembers their first time through those doors?
#ThrowbackThursday
📸M.Sutton
During 2003 & 2004 we had
#beardedtits
nest & fledge young in our Neston reedbed. This year we have 2 pairs nesting in our Burton Mere Wetlands reedbed. Fingers crossed for another successful breeding season for all our wildlife.
#ThursdayThoughts
#ThrowbackThursday
A nice surprise & some welcome
#MondayMotivation
provided by a solitary
#spoonbill
giving great views on the main scrape at Burton Mere Wetlands this morning, the first sighting at this part of the reserve in 4 weeks!
2 have been regularly spotted at Parkgate.
📸 Paul Jubb, 2019
There's been lots of talk about Denhall Quay and short-eared
#owls
for the past couple of weeks. Our latest
#blog
explains more about the issue, and clarifies the complicated situation around access to the saltmarsh 👇
📸Paul Jubb
Amidst the
#summer
Canada goose influx we've had an exciting
#SundayMorning
here, with a
#bittern
seen (rare for August), marsh harriers, bearded tits, kingfisher, banded demoiselle damselfly and a new butterfly species for the reserve, Essex skipper, all on show!
📸Neil Francis
A massive thank you to our
#warden
&
#volunteer
team, who have been slogging away at Point of Ayr recently. They have been putting in a huge effort to get the fencing & infrastructure in place to protect & monitor the breeding Little Tern colony.
#WardenWednesday
One of
#Wirral
’s famous
#sunsets
this perfectly still evening by
#Neston
Reedbed, in the company of nobody but the new marsh harrier family, a barn owl, countless swallows and swifts, squealing water rail, squabbling herons and ensembles of egrets overhead.
#birding
#Dee
#Estuary
We’ve loved welcoming back some of our regular visitors this week, plus plenty of new ones finding us for the first time. One thing they have in common is lots of positive comments about the reserve including everything we’ve done to ensure it’s safe to visit.
#ThrowbackThursday
Special: 10 years ago today,
@IoloWilliams2
cut the ribbon at the opening ceremony of Burton Mere Wetlands. Some wonderful partners & generous funders came together to celebrate the much-deserved focal point for the RSPB Dee Estuary reserve.
📸
@ronthomasphotog
Thanks to the funding from the
#nationallottery
we have unlocked the outstanding natural heritage of the Dee Estuary, the 4th most important estuary in the UK! We manage this land for a huge variety of
#wildlife
, including thousands of birds.
#HeritageTreasuresDay
📸J.Robertson
Our fabulous
#avocets
are back! Their numbers will steadily start to build over the coming months & then it won't be long before they have tiny fluffy chicks! Come watch them from the cosy Visitor centre with a hot brew.
#WildlifeWednesday
#wednesdaythought
📸Ron Thomas
Today we are celebrating a very special bird. The Egret.
We were very lucky to have three species of Egret successfully breed at BMW last year.
It was the first year the Great White Egret bred here making it the most northerly breeding pair in the world!
📷 Paul Jubb