Iolo Williams celebrates the opening of RSPB Burton Mere Wetlands
There is now a fantastic new natural attraction to visit on the Wirral. RSPB Burton Mere Wetlands, at Burton near Neston.
Locals and tourists alike are invited to visit and take a relaxing walk to experience the sights and sounds of the wonderful wildlife on the Dee Estuary.
New visitor facilities have been built which include a reception building where RSPB staff will welcome visitors and point out the wildlife that can be seen in the newly created pools and wetlands. The impressive panoramic views stretch for miles over the Estuary with the Welsh hills as a backdrop. A WREN grant of £50,000 was awarded very early in the development of the reserve and was spent on creating the wetland habitats.
Children from local Bishop Wilson CofE Primary School have already been given a sneak preview and came to do some pond dipping to see what creatures live beneath the water. They were joined by Iolo Williams, TV wildlife presenter of BBC Springwatch, who got stuck in and inspired the class about the wildlife they found.
Iolo Williams said “This nature reserve is a brilliant example of a place which is not only fantastic for wildlife but is now a great place for people to come and visit and get excited about nature”
Colin Wells, RSPB Site manager said “It’s really satisfying to see the final results of all our hard work. We see more and more wildlife all the time and it’s wonderful to be able to share it all with visitors now”.
The nature trails which meander through the newly planted reedbeds are already alive with all sorts of birds and creatures and Burton pools have lily pads and colourful wild flowers all around.
The wildlife changes there throughout the seasons. At this time of year there are plenty of ducks and water birds as well as kingfishers and white herons called little egrets which can be seen fishing. Some of the wildlife is much more secretive, but there are brown hares, water voles, badgers and harvest mice living there too.
Together with Morecambe Bay, and the Ribble and Mersey estuaries, the Dee forms part of Europe’s most important wetlands network for migrating birds, hosting almost a million every year.
RSPB Burton Mere Wetlands nature reserve is open daily, with the reception building open from 9.30 am to 5 pm. The reserve is just 10 minutes from the M56. To get there turn off the A540 (Chester High Road), signposted ‘The Craxton Wood Hotel’ and the entrance is located down Puddington Lane, near Bishop Wilson Primary School.