A couple of days have been thick and drizzly this week – the kind of rain that soaks your outer layer in an instant and cuts visibility down to zero.......my mum used to call it scotch mist, not ideal conditions for digging out your binoculars but you just never know what might turn up.

Saturday saw a visit from the Sefton coast landscape partnership group who spent a number of hours with John Dempsey exploring…

It has been an interesting week here at Marshside with the weather pretty much dictating where the birds can go on the reserve. There have been some really strong (and cold) winds which have seen our birds struggling to get around - lets face it when you see a flock of pink footed geese flying backwards you know it's a windy day!!

Geese in reverse by Barry Smith

For those brave enough to face the conditions head…

As part of our recent sightings post, once a month the Marshside Interns (myself and Hazel Watson) are going to spend a couple of hours monitoring and identifying the vast array of different species that visit the reserve . We thought it would be a bit of fun to challenge our visitors to do the same - and for you to let us know how you get on via this blog.

So this morning we set off in pretty wet and cold conditions with…

So Christmas has been and gone and everybody is starting to feel like they need to get outdoors for some fresh air and exercise.

It appears that the snow goose may well have enjoyed the festive period here at Marshside, it was seen on Boxing day on Rimmer's Marsh along with a mixture of pink footed geese and greylag geese. 

Sandgrounders hide continues to provide brilliant views of our large flocks of lapwing and golden…

There has been lots to see at Marshside this week with large numbers of lapwing and golden plover giving a spectacular aerial display across Sutton's marsh.

Roger Tidman (rspb-images.com)

An early walk around the marsh on Tuesday flushed a number of brown hare and common snipe, both of them weaving and whirling away as we approached. There were several little egrets and grey heron skulking in the pools and ditches, w

We are eagerly awaiting the return of many of our special birds that come to Marshside to spend the winter and none more so than the pink-footed goose. The sight and sounds of vast skeins flying overhead is perhaps the most treasured aspect of winter on the Ribble Estuary. But where do "our birds" go to spend the rest of the year? Well yes, we know they go to Iceland to breed because we sometimes see birds with neck…

There has been lots to see over the last couple of weeks at Marshside. It is so exciting to see many of our favourite summer visitors back after almost 9 months. For many there is none more exciting than the swift, which arrived back in force about a week ago. Now you can see at least a hundred birds catching insects and making their fantastic screeching calls high over the marshes.

Swift by Richard Brooks (rspb-images…

Exciting news! I was lucky enough to witness our first avocet egg of the year actually being laid on Saturday afternoon. There are now avocet nests in front of both Sandgrounders and Nel's Hides so why not come to have a look!

Avocet with a newly laid egg by Caroline Clay

We will be attempting to finish off the new Sutton's Marsh electric fence tomorrow (Tuesday 14th April) and this includes working in the area…

With spring just around the corner there are noticeable changes all around the reserve, chiefly the arrivals and departures of all sorts of migrating birds. Our first Wheatear was sighted on the saltmarsh a few days ago perching on a fence post; while the returning avocets are making themselves at home outside Sandgrounders Hide - providing excellent photography opportunities as they display!

Wheatear by Ray Kennedy…

On Sutton's Marsh we are taking advantage of the dry period to refresh some of the waterways on the marsh. We only have a short window of opportunity for such work between the breeding season and the arrival of the autumn rains and water-birds. Its over 10 years since these ditches had a good clean-out and its remarkable how full they have all got – over 300mm of muck is coming out of most of them!

All this…

Marshside reserve is getting ready to celebrate 20 years of giving nature a home on the Ribble Estuary. Our 20 years of managing the reserve at Marshside also coincides with the finalisation of a new lease for the reserve, which about trebles its size. Read the full article here.

 Great video of a juvenile lapwing filmed by visitor Ron Jackson from Nel's hide.

Lapwings have enjoyed the increased protection offered this year on the reserve, in the form of two areas of temporary electric anti fox fencing. The number of juvenile lapwings visible on the reserve have been very positive so far this year.

Good views are best from Marshside Road looking into either Suttons marsh or Rimmers marsh…

On Sunday 15 June, Marine Drive will be closed from 7am to 11am from the Plough roundabout, Crossens to Weld Road, Southport due to the Southport Triathlon event.

Marshside Road and Hesketh Drive will remain open, with normal parking restrictions applying on these roads. So please refrain from parking on Marshside Road.

The reserve will be open as usual for pedestrians only though. There will be NO VEHICULAR ACCESS TO…

Unfortunately the visitor centre (Sandgrounders hide) will be closed from 8.30am until 1pm on thursday 27 March.

Nels hide, fairclough's platform, the viewing screens and trails will all remain open.

Join us at the Visitor centre (Sandgrounders hide) at Marshside reserve on Sunday 19 January or find us at the Atkinson in Southport on Saturday 18 January, 11am to 3pm both days, in preparation for big garden bird watch. Bring the family along to make pine cone bird feeders and brush up on your identification skills for the Big Garden Bird Watch on the 25-26 January.

Unfortunately due to the met office weather warning for high winds, that has been issued, we have had to cancel the guided walk at Marshside on Thursday 5th December. The reserve and visitor centre will be open as usual.

Please keep an eye on the reserve web page though as events for 2014 will be posted shortly.

A drake american wigeon was seen yesterday on rimmers marsh enjoying the new pool we have recently created.

Ron Jackson managed to film the bird yesterday from Nel's hide, click here to view it.  

Ron also has footage of the ross's goose at Marshside which has been seen on Sutton's marsh from the visitor centre (Sangrounder's hide). Click here to view it.

Three glossy ibis still showing well on Rimmers marsh. Best seen from Marshside road about half way down. It is a short easy walk from the car park and who knows what else you might see on the way.

Please be considerate to other visitors and avoid parking on the footpath. 

This weekend is Southport's air show which may result in a big increase in traffic getting in and out of Southport, especially passed the reserve.

For an alternative air show why not visit the reserve and saltmarsh during the high tides next week (Thursday to Sunday) to catch sight of the wader flocks as they escape the incoming tides or the predators such as marsh harriers and peregrines looking for an easy meal…

It's strange to think that I have been volunteering at RSPB Marshside for nearly 6/7 years on and off now and I am still coming back for more enjoyment. Working alongside the past Warden of the reserve and now working with the present warden and site manager I have been able to digest an awful amount of useful information and skills with reference to reserve wardening.

Before this post gets to in-depth I thought…

Join us this Sunday for a guided walk around the reserve looking for water voles and waders.

We will be visiting some likely water vole areas, hoping to see them or their obvious signs. We will also be watching for waders and brushing up on wader identification skills.

The walk starts at 11am from the Visitor centre (Sandgrounders hide) and costs £3 for members / £5 for non-members (under 18's free)

Booking…

Enjoy the spring like weather and join staff and volunteers with a spot of litter picking out on the saltmarsh.

We are running a step up for nature beach cleaning day tomorrow (Thursday 4 April) and we need your help.

The event is running from 11am to 4pm starting from the car park on Marine Drive. It is a drop-in event, you don't need to stay all day, just half an hour would really help!

Tools and training will…

Staff and volunteers have been working hard to get the islands in front of the visitor centre (sandgrounders hide) in tip top condition before the start of this years breeding season.

Early on in the winter the islands were strimmed and cleared of last years vegetation. We have now finished them all off with a new fresh layer of cockle shells. The main island directly in front of the centre has also been backbreakingly…

There were great views of the great white egret in front of the visitor centre (Sandgrounders hide) over the weekend.

Today the lapwings, golden plover and black-tailed godwits were showing well in good numbers instead.

Don't forget if you need to update your binoculors or just want to try out the latest RSPB stock, head to the visitor centre (sandgrounders hide) tomorrow where Julie from the Ribble Discovery Centre…

Please be aware that due to a 10k charity race in Southport on Sunday 10 February a number of roads will be closed around the reserve.

Marshside Road, Hesketh Road and Marine Drive will all be closed from 7.30am to 1pm.

THE RESERVE WILL BE OPEN AS USUAL; there will be access to the car park and reserve via Marine Drive from the north only (Plough roundabout at Crossens).

Merseyside police officers will be controlling…