The North Shore:
Otterspool Promenade
Accessed from Aigburth Road via Jericho Lane or
Via Liverpool, Sefton Street A5036 onto Riverside Drive.
Best time to visit: September to March
Tide state: Best at low water
Species to be seen: Cormorant, mallard, turnstone, curlew, redshank, gulls, regular Mediterranean gulls.
After autumn gales kittiwake, gannet and other seabirds, including leach’s petrels, have been recorded.
Cressington Promenade
Accessed via Aigburth Road by St. Mary’s Church, Grassendale.
Best time to visit: September to March
Tide state: Best at low water.
Species to be seen: Shelduck, pintail, mallard, curlew, oystercatcher, turnstone, redshank, dunlin and occasionally parties of knot and golden plover.
Garston Coastal Reserve
(The Mersey Way footpath starts from this point and goes through to Widnes, Spike Island.)
Accessed via Window Lane, Garston.
Best time to visit: September to March
Tide state: Best at two hours before high water.
Species to be seen: Cormorant, grey heron, shelduck, mallard, pintail, teal, curlew, redshank, dunlin, ringed plover, golden plover, gulls.
Oglet Bay, Speke
(Part of the Mersey Way footpath.)
Accessed from Hale Road via Dungeon Lane, Speke or Baileys Lane, Hale.
Best time to visit: September to March
Tide state: Best at two hours before high tide.
Species to be seen: Cormorant, grey heron, shelduck, mallard, teal, curlew, redshank, dunlin, golden plover, common snipe, water rail, peregrine falcon, merlin, stonechat, reed bunting, linnet.
Hale Lighthouse and shore
(Part of the Mersey footpath.)
Accessed from Church Road, Hale and down Lighthouse Lane or via Within Way, Hale.
Best time to visit: Throughout the year
Tide state: Best two hours before high water.
Species to be seen: Cormorant, grey heron, little egret, shelduck, mallard, wigeon, teal, gulls, occasionally Mediterranean gull, peregrine falcon, merlin, sparrowhawk, kestrel. buzzard, short-eared owl, raven, curlew, lapwing, golden plover, grey plover, black-tailed godwit, redshank, dunlin, common snipe, jack snipe, water-rail, rock pipit, linnet, stonechat, reed bunting, skylark.
In September and mid-November during early mornings, from dawn until about 1030, in suitable weather conditions (i.e. light southerly/easterly winds) there can be very large numbers of swallows, pipits, wagtails, finches, thrushes etc. crossing the River Mersey at this point, on migration.
Pickerings Pasture Local Nature Reserve
Accessed from Halegate Road on to Mersey View Road.
Best time to visit: Throughout the year
Tide state: Best at low water.
Also a high water wader roost on Hale Marsh is viewable from the bird hide.
Species to be seen: Golden plover, lapwing, redshank, curlew, dunlin, black-tailed godwit, cormorants, grey heron, little egret, gulls (including Mediterranean and occasionally Glaucous and Iceland gulls), marsh & hen harrier, peregrine falcon, common buzzard, kestrel, sparrowhawk and kingfisher. Rock pipits on marsh.
Woodpeckers, tits and finches can be seen at the feeding stations at car park and bird hide.
No toilets available now.
Spike Island / Widnes Warth, Widnes
Accessed from Widnes A562 onto Waterloo Road.
Best time to visit: September to March
Tide State: Best at high water
Species to be seen: Curlew, lapwing, golden plover, redshank, shelduck, mallard, kestrel and occasionally harriers and short eared owl.
Otterspool Promenade
Accessed from Aigburth Road via Jericho Lane or
Via Liverpool, Sefton Street A5036 onto Riverside Drive.
Best time to visit: September to March
Tide state: Best at low water
Species to be seen: Cormorant, mallard, turnstone, curlew, redshank, gulls, regular Mediterranean gulls.
After autumn gales kittiwake, gannet and other seabirds, including leach’s petrels, have been recorded.
Cressington Promenade
Accessed via Aigburth Road by St. Mary’s Church, Grassendale.
Best time to visit: September to March
Tide state: Best at low water.
Species to be seen: Shelduck, pintail, mallard, curlew, oystercatcher, turnstone, redshank, dunlin and occasionally parties of knot and golden plover.
Garston Coastal Reserve
(The Mersey Way footpath starts from this point and goes through to Widnes, Spike Island.)
Accessed via Window Lane, Garston.
Best time to visit: September to March
Tide state: Best at two hours before high water.
Species to be seen: Cormorant, grey heron, shelduck, mallard, pintail, teal, curlew, redshank, dunlin, ringed plover, golden plover, gulls.
Oglet Bay, Speke
(Part of the Mersey Way footpath.)
Accessed from Hale Road via Dungeon Lane, Speke or Baileys Lane, Hale.
Best time to visit: September to March
Tide state: Best at two hours before high tide.
Species to be seen: Cormorant, grey heron, shelduck, mallard, teal, curlew, redshank, dunlin, golden plover, common snipe, water rail, peregrine falcon, merlin, stonechat, reed bunting, linnet.
Hale Lighthouse and shore
(Part of the Mersey footpath.)
Accessed from Church Road, Hale and down Lighthouse Lane or via Within Way, Hale.
Best time to visit: Throughout the year
Tide state: Best two hours before high water.
Species to be seen: Cormorant, grey heron, little egret, shelduck, mallard, wigeon, teal, gulls, occasionally Mediterranean gull, peregrine falcon, merlin, sparrowhawk, kestrel. buzzard, short-eared owl, raven, curlew, lapwing, golden plover, grey plover, black-tailed godwit, redshank, dunlin, common snipe, jack snipe, water-rail, rock pipit, linnet, stonechat, reed bunting, skylark.
In September and mid-November during early mornings, from dawn until about 1030, in suitable weather conditions (i.e. light southerly/easterly winds) there can be very large numbers of swallows, pipits, wagtails, finches, thrushes etc. crossing the River Mersey at this point, on migration.
Pickerings Pasture Local Nature Reserve
Accessed from Halegate Road on to Mersey View Road.
Best time to visit: Throughout the year
Tide state: Best at low water.
Also a high water wader roost on Hale Marsh is viewable from the bird hide.
Species to be seen: Golden plover, lapwing, redshank, curlew, dunlin, black-tailed godwit, cormorants, grey heron, little egret, gulls (including Mediterranean and occasionally Glaucous and Iceland gulls), marsh & hen harrier, peregrine falcon, common buzzard, kestrel, sparrowhawk and kingfisher. Rock pipits on marsh.
Woodpeckers, tits and finches can be seen at the feeding stations at car park and bird hide.
No toilets available now.
Spike Island / Widnes Warth, Widnes
Accessed from Widnes A562 onto Waterloo Road.
Best time to visit: September to March
Tide State: Best at high water
Species to be seen: Curlew, lapwing, golden plover, redshank, shelduck, mallard, kestrel and occasionally harriers and short eared owl.
Otterspool Promenade.
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The foreshore at Cressington Promenade.
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High tide from Garston Coastal Reserve
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Oglet Bay at high tide..
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Birdwatchers at Hale Head.
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Hale Marsh and the estuary from Pickerings Pasture hide.
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Click on photo to see enlargement.
The South Shore > >
The South Shore > >