Bird watching and the River Mersey
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Hoylake, Red Rocks & Hilbre Island
Hoylake The shore at Hoylake by the Life Boat Station is a high tide
roost for waders. Hundreds of Oystercatchers, Knot, Dunlin, Bar Tailed Godwit
and Redshank should be seen, especially in the autumn and early
winter. Further down towards the old baths and slipway beyond
the flats become quite muddy and consequently are feeding areas
for a various waders, gulls and Shelduck. Mudflats are created by the deposition of sediments in
estuaries, these sediments generally consist of silts and clays
with a high organic content. Mudflats absorb wind and wave
energy from the sea, thus reducing erosion damage to salt marshes
and coastal defences. They are highly productive. under the
surface are a wealth of invertebrates including cockles,
ragworms, and shrimps. This abundance of life makes mudflats
very important feeding areas for wildfowl and waders, able to
support huge flocks. Both the Mersey, Dee estuaries and North
Wirral foreshore feature significant areas of intertidal sand
and mud flats. These are of very high nature conservation
importance as feeding and resting areas for internationally
important populations migrant and over-wintering wildfowl and
waders.
Hilbre Point and the Red Rocks This is where the River Dee meets the Irish Sea on the corner of the Wirral. Situated 9 km west of Birkenhead immediately west of Hoylake and adjacent to the Dee Estuary. Red Rocks consist of two main habitats, south towards West Kirby and Red Rocks Marsh (28 acres, The marsh lies just above the high water mark, behind the Royal Liverpool Golf Course, north of West Kirby Parade) the sand dunes, and to the north Hilbre Point overlooking Bird Rock and East Hoyle sand bank. Red Rocks Marsh is a nature reserve part of which maintained by the Cheshire Wildlife Trust. The marsh attracts a considerable variety of migrants on passage in spring and autumn. The reed beds contain breeding Sedge and Reed Warblers in spring and summer whereas the sand dunes are full of sky larks and occasional Stonechat. The reserve is also home to over 50 species of flowering plants, a highly diverse flora and fauna, which includes a number of local and national rarities. Red Rocks is an important site for its records of migrant birds with high numbers of Redwing, Fieldfare, Chaffinch, Greenfinch, Siskin, Brambling, Yellowhammer, Reed Bunting, Sedge Warbler, Snow Bunting and Willow Warbler. Altogether over 200 species of birds have been recorded with up to 170 species sighted in one year.
Protected by law. Natterjack Toads breed in the pools between the Red rocks and West Kirby. Coastal Sand Dunes provide the best habitat in Britain for the Natterjack Toad. Natterjacks need warm water in which to breed and they find this in the shallow pools or slacks that form between the successive ridges of sand dune systems. The mainly nocturnal Natterjacks are recognised by a bright stripe along the centre of their back. They have shorter legs than frogs and common toads, are unable to leap very far and they run instead of hopping. Natterjacks also have the ability to darken or lighten the colour of their skin, in order to camouflage themselves in their environment In march the males emerge from hibernation burrows and migrate to the breeding ponds, they croak in chorus at night. The Natterjack gets its common name from the loud rasping call rrrrRup, rrrrRup used to attract females, the females spawn a string of eggs and may lay upto 3000-4000 eggs, which hatch within 5-8 days. In May the tadpoles start to hatch, and depending on the environmental temperature, metamorphosis can take anywhere between 5 and 16 weeks. By June the adults disperse to the sand dunes and beach, resting under large stones, crevices or burrows during the day; At night feeding up on insects, particularly moths, as well as spiders, woodlice, snails and worms ready hibernation. This years tiny toads start emerging from the ponds from June, they feed on algae and vegetation until they are about 38 days old when they begin to feed on animal tissue. By October the toads are returning to their hibernation burrows, to sleep till next march. More information : Herpetological Conservation Trust . A threatened species the Natterjack is strictly protected by British and European law which makes it an offence to Kill, Injure or capture them; disturb them in anyway; damage or destroy their habitat; possess them, sell or trade them in any way
The fence protects reed beds and a brackish lagoon, the habitat of the rare Natterjack toad.
Hilbre Island
If you had stood here in the Triassic, 240 million years ago, you would have been in the equivalent of the Sahara.. At that time, what is now Britain was on the equator, and you would be in the middle of a massive expanse of sand, with huge dune systems and muddy vegetated water channels. Dinosaurs roamed, leaving their footprints in the mud - occasionally we still find these footprints, now fossilized in sandstone. Wirral during the Triassic period much nearer the equator, a time of hot, dry deserts, a time when the three colour types of Wirral sandstone, red, yellow and white, were deposited. It is thought that the islands were part of the mainland until the end of the last ice-age, about 10,000 years ago. The increased water levels caused by the melting ice cut a channel between West Kirby and what are now the 3 Hilbre Islands The Hilbre Islands are a Local Nature Reserve. Hilbre Island is the largest of a group of three islands at the mouth of the estuary of the River Dee, approximately 47,000 sq m in area, and lies about 1.6 km from Red Rocks, the nearest part of the mainland of the Wirral Peninsular. The other two islands are called Middle Eye (or Little Hilbre), and Little Eye. All three islands are formed of red Bunter Sandstone.The Islands are said to be named after St Hildeberg. The Dee estuary is a major wildlife area and is one of the most important estuaries in Britain and amongst the most important in Europe for its populations of waders and wildfowl. It is protected or listed by numerous agencies: Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI), Special Protection Area (SPA), Sensitive Marine Area (SMA), Natura 2000 site, Ramsar site. The islands are
tidal and can be reached on foot from the mainland at low tide.
The Islands are cut off from the mainland by the tide for up to
four hours out of every twelve, so allow
1 hour for the 2 mile crossing, allocate more time if you walk
slowly, or have small children. Leave Hilbre no later than the
latest crossing time, or you may be trapped by the tide. Be
aware that strong winds may bring the tide in early or
suddenly.
Facilities:
There are no shops, public toilets or fresh water on the
islands, and very little shelter.
Birds The most obvious group of birds to be seen from Hilbre for most of the year are the waders. Hundreds feed and roost at high tide on the seaweed covered rocks around the islands, Oystercatcher's, Turnstones, Curlew, Shelduck, and Hilbre specialities Brent Goose and Purple Sandpipers. Regular sea birds are Gannets, Manx Shearwaters, Little Gulls, Skuas and a good selection of sea ducks, divers and grebes. In late summer: Sandwich, Common and Little Terns .In Autumn Leach’s Storm Petrel can get blown in to the Mersey Estuary by westerly gales and can be seen flying past Hilbre. Migrating Landbirds that turn up and are trapped and ringed by members of the Hilbre Bird Observatory are Meadow Pipits, Willow Warblers, Swallows, Wheatears, Robins, Blackbirds and even tiny goldcrests. Hilbre Island breeders have the advantage of the islands being largely free of ground predators. Typically about ten species breed on the islands i.e Shelduck, Meadow Pipits, Linnets, Mallard, Skylark, Pied Wagtail, Wren, Robin and Carrion Crow . The Hilbre Bird Observatory was established in 1957 to monitor all these birds. Many of the birds which pass through the islands are caught in the traps set by the Observatory members. The birds are measured, weighed and ringed before being released safely. The information gathered by the Observatory is used to study bird population trends and migration patterns. **For more details about the Hilbre Bird Observatory see their website (www.hilbrebirdobs.co.uk).
More information on the Dee/Wirral area can be found on the excellent Dee Estuary Birding Website : http://www.deeestuary.co.uk Friends of Hilbre Island: http://www.deeestuary.co.uk/hilbre/index.htm Cheshire Wildlife trust: http://www.wildlifetrust.org.uk/cheshire/ Live web cam on Hilbre Island: www.wirralcam.com/. Rangers:
Wirral Country Park 0151 648 4371/3884
Click on images for larger format
The
Royal Society for the Protection of Birds. Registered charity
no. 207076 |
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The
main interest of the Red Rocks Marsh nature reserve is that it
forms the only breeding colony of Natterjack toads on the Wirral
Peninsula. 
