As spring approaches, it is only natural for us to think about new beginnings. After one of the most challenging years most of us have ever endured, the thought of fresh starts serves well to lift our collective spirits, and the Government's roadmap out of lockdown this week tells us we should be able to get outside more and enjoy most of the forthcoming season.

It’s certainly no secret that nature has played a huge…

Posted on behalf of Katie Ellis

This time of year, our famed high tide watches at Parkgate Old Baths would usually be in full swing, with some of the best wildlife spectacles the Dee Estuary has to offer. Hosting these events is one of my favourite parts of working in the Dee Estuary reserve’s visitor experience team, sharing with the public the history, science and wildlife that makes the estuary so special.

Early signs of spring!

Winter can be a spectacular time of year with its stunning frozen sceneries and the sheer masses of wildfowl we get, yet I still find spring to be my favourite time of the year. With the days already longer and little glimmers of hope appearing on brighter, warmer days, new life is emerging all around us.

Now I know it may seem a bit early to be talking about spring with the cold wet weather we…

With the long slog of January over, February marks the last month of winter and increasing daylight sparks some early signs of spring. With that in mind, our focus turns to the impending bird breeding season, and doing everything in our gift to help the reserve’s priority wildlife have its most successful season possible.

Since the reserve is currently open only for local exercise, it is markedly quiet compared…

Posted on behalf of Katie Ellis

Recent sightings

January has greeted us with frosty mornings, gorgeous sunsets and plenty of rain! Other than the weather, the start to 2021 has been very different to any other new year, with the need to stay at home once again. We’ve been fortunate enough to keep the reserve open during this lockdown as somewhere for people who live locally to take their permitted daily exercise and…

My blog this week is a little insight into something called WeBS. Nope, not the amazing creations that spiders build to catch their prey, but the Wetland Bird Survey.

Carrying on a tradition that began in 1947, Wetland Bird Survey (WeBS) is nationally synchronised across the UK and co-ordinated by the British Trust for Ornithology (BTO). The key project partners that are involved along with the RSPB are The Wildfowl…

In line with Government guidance on essential, daily exercise outdoors, during the third lockdown, Burton Mere Wetlands' car park, trails and toilets remain open for local, essential exercise only. Our visitor centre, hides, refreshments and mail-order shop will be closed for the duration of this lockdown. We are also not running events.

Please follow all current Government guidance around social distancing, who you…

Christmas will be different for all of us in many ways, and Burton Mere Wetlands’ opening hours over the next two weeks are also slightly altered from previous years too.

 Burton mere Wetlands in winter (Paul Jubb)

The reserve will be closed entirely on Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and Boxing Day, reopening on Sunday 27 December through to Sunday 3 January. We will then be closed on Monday 4 January and Tuesday 5…

Posted on behalf of Katie Ellis.

Recent sightings

It’s feeling very wintry now the temperatures have dropped to single figures and the days are at their shortest, but the cooler conditions have brought us some brilliant wildlife and dramatic sunsets. The feeders close to the visitor centre are buzzing with small woodland birds as they fill up each day to make it through the cold nights. A clever sparrowhawk is making…

This story begins back in 1986 when the very first piece of the Burton Mere Wetlands puzzle began with the purchase of 75 acres of low-lying, waterlogged arable fields at Inner Marsh Farm, historically reclaimed from the tidal estuary by the development of the Borderlands railway.

In 1988, the purchase of Burton Point Farm gave better access and became the reserve's operational hub, but the small team at that time still…

We’ve reached the end of the second lockdown and for some locals, Burton Mere Wetlands remaining open throughout was vital for them to get regular exercise, fresh air and see a few friendly faces – all at a safe distance, of course.

As we exit lockdown, Cheshire will be under Tier 2 local restrictions from Wednesday 2 December which means we are able to reopen some of the facilities that were closed during…

Posting on behalf of Katie Ellis

Recent sightings

Autumn is moving towards winter, the leaves disappearing off the trees and Burton Mere has seen lots of change in the last couple of weeks and not just due to the seasons. The visitor centre smells of fresh paint, there’s a new welcome cabin in the car park and the Inner Marsh Farm accessibility improvement project is close to completion; seemingly every day there’s been…

Posted on behalf of Katie Ellis

Recent Sightings

Autumn is now well underway; the days are drawing in and the temperature has dropped a few degrees. The car park and paths are lined with golden leaves as the oaks thin out and the elusive jays are busy gathering acorns for winter. With the normal seasonal changes, we’ve also seen changes to our daily lives with the introduction of a second lockdown in England. Fortunately…

We know that for many of you, Burton Mere Wetlands provides enjoyment and solace in the natural world throughout these challenging times. In line with Government guidance on essential, daily exercise outdoors, during the second lockdown, our car park, trails and toilets remain open for you to visit. Please follow all current Government guidance around social distancing, who you can visit with, hygiene and follow all signage…

Recent sightings

The last few weeks have seen regular visits from whooper swans on the main scrape and the odd visit from curlew sandpiper and green sandpiper. Other waders have been black-tailed godwits, lapwing, ruff, redshank, golden plover and lots of wonderful snipe.

Whooper swan: John Langley

Good sightings still of linnet, fieldfare, redwing, siskin, stonechat and bullfinch. The staff were lucky enough to catch a gorgeous…

Recent sightings

Since my last blog a few weeks ago there has been some very mixed weather. I only seem to recall the glorious sunny days that were a wash of colours across the reserve. The change of autumn leaves is in full swing no, and as you drive down our main track try not get distracted by the fantastic shades ochre and red.

Autumn leaves: Elizabeth Maddock

Raptors have been a little quieter on the reserve this…

If you enjoyed the July blog from volunteer Mark, here is the compilation of his reports from warden work parties over the last three months. Late summer and early autumn is always a busy time for reserve management work, between breeding season and the large winter assemblages of birds and this year was no different, especially with some tasks to catch up on after lots of work not being able to get done whilst the reserve…

Following on from our last access update five weeks ago which can be found here, we're pleased to announce a few more changes to improve your visit to the reserve this autumn.

After weeks of hard work by the warden team and volunteers cutting back the dense reeds and lush wet grassland surrounding it, Marsh Covert hide was ready to open to visitors on Saturday 3 October. Visitors are already grateful for the additional…

Blog posted on behalf of Katie Ellis:

Recent sightings

It’s certainly felt a lot more like autumn over the last couple of weeks, but with the change of seasons we’ve been treated to some fantastic sunsets and rainbows amongst the mix of sunshine, northerly winds and even hail! The birds have also been reminding us winter is on the way with the arrivals of whooper swan, redwing and modest starling murmurations…

Recent sightings

After a summer break whilst we got on top of running the reserve in a Covid-safe manner, here's a first update on the last few weeks as we've moved into autumn. Well, after thinking the weather was turning a bit cooler it’s been a stunning week here, with brilliant sunshine and fantastic wildlife.

Excitement wherever you look despite the lack of hides in use! If you’re seeking raptors, we…

It’s hard to believe it’s now eleven weeks since we tentatively re-opened Burton Mere Wetlands following the Covid-19 lockdown. As we slip from summer into autumn, here’s a thorough overview of what to expect when you visit.

After a relatively quiet start, we’ve seen a steady increase in the number of visitors each week, reaching full capacity of the car park’s limited spaces on a couple of sunny…

Since joining the warden volunteer work party team at the start of the year after relocating to this area, Mark has sent snippets and photos of what they've been getting up to across the reserve.

Back in mid-March, we did consider it could perhaps be the last volunteer work party for a good while, given the current circumstances. We spent the morning clearing bramble growth from the reserve footpaths and rebuilding…

Burton Mere Wetlands will be closed for the morning of Friday 10 July (tomorrow). This is to allow contractors to complete major urgent repairs to our telephone lines along our access track and car park. Work is expected to be completed by 12 noon allowing us to open for the afternoon.

Please see our Facebook (@RSPBBurtonMere) and Twitter (@RSPB_BurtonMere) pages for live information as they are more easily updated than…

Something a little different to our usual blog content, here our former site manager, Colin Wells shares a fascinating insight to some local botanical history, inspired by his coronavirus lockdown experiences.

Burton Point (Lynne Greenstreet)

During lockdown a daily early morning walk of mine has been along the Burton Marsh Greenway from Denhall Quay to Burton Point. I realize how lucky I am to have the estuary on my…

Image: Paul Jubb