Weekend 4th - 6th November

A little colder than average for early November 4 - 10C heavy showers on Friday evening then some sunny spells with a blustery cold northerly wind.

Sunday 6th November

Heron's Reach golf course - 20 Long tailed tits, 3 goldcrests, 2 water rails, sparrowhawk

North Shore go-kart track - 2 Purple sandpipers,

North Shore - Long tailed duck, 12 eiders

Stanley Park - 52 Tufted ducks, 2 pochards, 4 goldcrests

Marton Mere LNR - Bittern, stonechat, little grebe, 190 pink footed geese, 17 shovelers

Saturday 5th November

Herons Reach golf course - 20 Long tailed tits, 3 goldcrests, sparrowhawk, 2 water rails

Stanley Park - Little grebe, 3 great crested grebes, 27 gadwall, 14 shovelers

North Shore go-kart track - 2 Purple sandpipers, 117 redshanks, grey wagtail

Marton Mere LNR - 7000 Starlings (roosted), bittern, 87 shovelers, great crested grebe, little grebe, 160 pink footed geese, 24 skylarks, 2 curlews (SW)

Friday 4th November

Warbreck Hill - Peregrine, whooper swans (over)

Marton Mere LNR - 2 Goldeneyes, 4 wigeon, great crested grebe, 105 pink footed geese, sparrowhawk, kestrel, 27 skylarks

Pink footed geese in the fields east of Marton Mere

EVENT - Winter Birdwatch at Marton Mere LNR - Friday 11th Nov 10.00am - noon Meet at the gate to Lawson's Field opposite the end of Lancaster Road FY3 9TB Wrap up warm, wear suitable footwear and bring your binoculars and camera if you have them. Free but a donation to the Friends of Marton Mere would be appreciated.

EVENT - Feed the Birds! at the Community Orchard North Blackpool Pond Trail - Saturday 19th Nov 2.00 - 3.30pm - Meet at the Community Orchard at the end of Salmesbury Avenue FY2 0PS. Join us as we make a variety of bird feeders to help our feathered friends through the coming winter. Hang them up in your garden or along the pond trail. Wear warm outdoor clothing and suitable footwear. Free but a donation to the Friends of the Pond Trail would be appreciated

Please email your sightings and wildlife photos to solaris.centre @ blackpool.gov.uk - without the spaces

The North Blackpool Pond Trail have a Facebook group page

There is a Facebook group for all things Marton Mere LNR including news of events and volunteer projects

https://www.facebook.com/martonmerereserve

There is also a page specifically for wildlife news at Marton Mere https://www.facebook.com/groups/343548299164728/ please Like, Share and post your sightings and wildlife photos from the nature reserve

Follow Marton Mere LNR on twitter @MartonMereLNR

Friday 30th September to Sunday 2nd October

Still mild for the time of year 6 - 15C mixed weather with generally light variable winds

Sunday 2nd October

Starr Gate - 240 Pink footed geese, scaup, 810 common scoters, red breasted merganser (S), 3 guillemots, 2 razorbills, 6 eiders (S), 12 red throated divers, rock pipit

Stanley Park - 10 Gadwall, goldcrest

Marton Mere LNR - 1750 Pink footed geese (S), 90 meadow pipits (S), 2 sparrowhawks, 50 shovelers, 3 water rails, grey wagtail, 10 linnets

Saturday 1st October

Marton Mere LNR - 2000 Pink footed geese, 600 meadow pipits (S), 40 skylark (S), sparrowhawk, kestrel, 2 water rails

Starr Gate - Long tailed duck, scaup (S), 1100 common scoters, 16 shelducks (S), 5380 meadow pipits, 1160 pink footed geese, 6 grey wagtails (S), Arctic skua (S), 41 red throated divers (S), 25 eiders, 5 pintails, goosander (N), merlin (S), peregrine, 3 Sandwich terns (S), red breasted merganser

Friday 30 September

New South Promenade - 4 Shelducks (S), red throated diver (S), 25 meadow pipits (S about a mile off shore)

Starr Gate - Great skua, little gull, tufted duck, little egret, 2 pintails

Warbreck Hill - Peregrine

Marton Mere LNR - 50 Shovelers, 35 tufted ducks, 13 snipe, 12 swallows

Pink footed geese

EVENT - Marton Mere LNR - Tuesday 4th Oct 7 - 9pm - Managing the Mere A talk about the management of the nature reserve, what we do and why we do it. Free but donation to the Friends of Marton Mere appreciated. Meet at the Visitor Centre next to the Spar shop FY4 4XN 

EVENT - North Blackpool Pond Trail - Tuesday 1st Nov 10am - 12 noon - Autumn Explorer - Children's Activity. Your chance to find out about hibernation and how you can help wildlife during the winter. Free but donation to the Friends of the North Blackpool Pond Trail appreciated. Meet at the Community Orchard, Runcorn Avenue FY2 0PS

Please email your sightings and wildlife photos to solaris.centre @ blackpool.gov.uk - without the spaces

The North Blackpool Pond Trail have a Facebook group page

There is a Facebook group for all things Marton Mere LNR including news of events and volunteer projects

https://www.facebook.com/martonmerereserve

There is also a page specifically for wildlife news at Marton Mere https://www.facebook.com/groups/343548299164728/ please Like, Share and post your sightings and wildlife photos from the nature reserve

Follow Marton Mere LNR on twitter @MartonMereLNR

Weekend 11th - 13th March

Mostly mild 0 - 14C much sunshine but hazy mist on Saturday, Sunday was warmest March 13th for many years and joint warmest day of the year so far. Winds were easterly and light

Sunday 13th March

Town Centre - Peregrine

Central Pier - 60 Oystercatchers

North Blackpool Pond Trail Kincraig Lake - 2 Pochards, 2 shovelers, 5 teal, great spotted woodpecker, sparrowhawk, 13 house sparrows

Heron's Reach - Treecreeper

Lawson's Wetland - Stonechat (a different one to the regular bird through the winter), meadow pipit

Ashworth Road waste depot - Iceland gull

Marton Mere LNR - Noctule bat, black necked grebe, bearded tit(s?), bittern, barn owl, 4 siskins (N), 2 buzzards, Iceland gull (Same as above), jack snipe, 26 whooper swans (N), kestrel, 2 oystercatchers, great spotted woodpecker, 5 pochards, 2 skylarks, coal tit, 8 curlews (N), 10 Cetti's warblers, 2500 pink footed geese (N), little grebe, 2 great crested grebes, 2 water rails, tree bees, buff tailed bumble bees, 2 peacock butterflies, small tortoiseshell, cow parsley in flower, lesser celandine, snake's head fritillary flower buds showing, cowslips flower buds showing

Saturday 12th March

Marton Mere LNR - Black necked grebe, little grebe, 3 great crested grebes, 7 goldeneyes, 66 wigeon, curlew (SE), 4 oystercatchers

Ashworth Road waste depot - Iceland gull

North Shore golf course - Goldcrest

Starr Gate - Redwing, 3 grey wagtails

Friday 11th March

Marton Mere LNR - Bittern, 2 barn owls, 6 redwings (E), 6 Cetti's warblers, 120 pink footed geese (on east fields + 46 N), 11 goldeneyes, 25 shovelers, 65 wigeon, 3 water rails, 43 black tailed godwits (N), 11 stock doves, 35 fieldfares, 2 coal tits, skylark

Town centre - Peregrine, grey wagtail

Heron's Reach - 31 Whooper swans (N)

New South Promenade - 159 Sanderlings

Pink footed geese heading back to Iceland

Local wildlife photographer Barry Dean is holding an exhibition of his wildlife photos at the Solaris Centre during February and March

Please email your sightings and wildlife photos to solaris.centre @ blackpool.gov.uk - without the spaces

The North Blackpool Pond Trail have a Facebook group page

There is a Facebook group for all things Marton Mere LNR including news of events and volunteer projects

https://www.facebook.com/martonmerereserve

There is also a page specifically for wildlife news at Marton Mere https://www.facebook.com/groups/343548299164728/ please Like, Share and post your sightings and wildlife photos from the nature reserve

Follow Marton Mere LNR on twitter @MartonMereLNR

Marton Mere LNR has a Flickr group - please join
https://www.flickr.com/groups/2903819@N24/pool/

Volunteer Days at Marton Mere LNR are now every Tuesday and Thursday 10am - 3pm - All welcome. Wear suitable footwear and bring your lunch.
There may also be some volunteering opportunities suitable for school/works/community groups etc. Contact Annie on 07469 038520 or annie.heslop @ blackpool.gov.uk (without the spaces) for full details of projects, dates and times.