Latest sightings
Latest sightings
The wildflower bed by the Ron Barker hide looks amazing this year it is full of margoram which smells fantastic, and field scabious. By the duckery large areas of mint are growing along the path. By the discovery hide the fresh water mint is in flower. Th
13 August 2020
Latest sightings
The mere looks fantastic lots of mud highlights, 3 wood sandpipers, green sandpipers, ruff, 915 black-tailed godwits and 500 lapwing.One of the barn owls from harrier hide has fledged and can often be seen near the hide learning to hunt. Lots of black-tai
10 August 2020
Latest sightings
The long-billed dowitcher is still showing well at the back of the mere, there is lots of mud exposed which is great for the waders. Also on the mere 500 lapwing, greenshank, green sandpipers, common sandpipers, snipe, ruff, dunlin and black-tailed godwit
6 August 2020
Latest sightings
The long-billed dowitcher is still showing well at the back of the mere. It is mainly on its own or with the lapwing but not following the black-tailed godwits around like usual. Also on the mere 500 lapwing, dunlin, 12 ruff, common sandpipers, green sand
3 August 2020
Long-billed dowitcher
Highlight for today is the long-billed dowitcher which is currently at the back of the mere amongst the -black-tailed godwits, ruff and lapwing. The Marshside bird hasn't been seen today so we assume this bird has come here fingers crossed it stays. We st
30 July 2020
Latest sightings
The marsh harriers have been showing well with upto 4 seen on the reserve. Also kestrel, sparrowhawk, buzzard, merlin, hobby and barn owl. The Kingfishers have been seen on the perches infront of the Ron Barker hide. At harrier hide the great crested greb
27 July 2020
Latest sightings
We have dropped the water levels on the mere and the waders are loving it, the best place at the moment is the viewing screens between discovery hide and Gladstone (where the swan link hide used to be). Great views this week of common sandpipers, green sa
23 July 2020
Latest sightings
Wader passage has started and there are a few dropping in across the reserve. Black-tailed godwits numbers have increased to 100 across Ron Barker and woodend marsh (viewable from Gordon Taylor hide and UU). Green and common sandpipers on the mere and on
20 July 2020
Latest sightings
Today we moved our breeding herd of English Longhorn Cattle off the mere, they have done a great job and eaten all of the rank grasses and created lots of scrapes as they scratch in the sand to create dust bathes, these will provide micro habitats for var
16 July 2020
Latest sightings
We had great weather over the weekend, the butterflies were all out across the reserve, lots of small tortoiseshells, peacocks, meadow brown, brimstone and gatekeepers.Hobby showing well on woodend marsh, best views from the Gordon Taylor hide Today we fl
13 July 2020
Latest sightings
The common tern chicks on the mere are getting very large and nearly ready to fledge, still plenty of black headed gulls on the mere. The cattle are doing a great job on the mere eatting the cow parsley and all of the rough grasses, over the next few year
8 July 2020
Latest sightings
Still lots of flowers along the footpaths attracting a great variety of insects perfect for photo opportunities.The reserve team are working on the footpath to the Gordon Taylor hide taking advantage of the dry weather which is expected. There are great v
6 July 2020
Hornet Clearwing moth
Exciting sighting on 02/07/2020, a Hornet Clearwing moth, photo graph by Kez Glennon. This is the first record for Martin Mere and the third record for Lancashire. The caterpillar feeds on the wood just under the bark of black poplar which we have a few o
3 July 2020
Latest sightings
Lots of fledglings on the feeders at Janet Kear hide including great tits, blue tits, chaffinches, goldfinches, greenfinches, bullfinches and great spotted woodpeckers.The oystercatcher chick in the grounds has fledged and is often seen with it's parents
2 July 2020
Latest sightings
Unfortunately we have been closed on Sunday and Monday due to high winds, Friday and Saturday highlights below.The wildflowers in the grounds and reserve look great there are still forget-me-nots, ragged robin, oxeye daisies, Lord's and ladies, field scab
29 June 2020