The North West Bird Watching Festival is back at WWT Martin Mere for 2021

WWT Martin Mere’s annual extravaganza and the only bird fair in 2021, the North West Bird Watching Festival, returns this October and it’s an event not to be missed.

Join us in Lancashire on Saturday 16 and Sunday 17 October to hear from a wide range of guest speakers, speak to optic experts, discover waterfowl and bird ringing, browse exhibitors selling books, birdwatching holidays and enjoy the spectacle of the autumn migration. 

Open from 8am, the event is timed to watch the spectacle of thousands of pink-footed geese leave the roost before heading for breakfast in Mere Side Café.

The centre is open until 7pm on the Saturday to watch up to 30,000 pink-footed geese return to the roost, making this a full day out to enjoy from dawn till dusk with amazing photographic opportunities.

There’ll be a range of talks on throughout each day, with topics including Dan Rouse’s Brilliant and Bizarre birds, from dream to reality: the creation of Gorse Hill Nature Reserve and Natural treasures of the Sefton Coast. 

Throughout the weekend, there’ll be opportunities to access the reserve and get up close to species to get the best photos including guided reserve walks each day, photography workshops with Alan Hewitt that will be full of tips and tricks for getting the most out of your camera ,waterfowl talks and feeds, guided boat tours and ringing demonstrations on both waterfowl and smaller species.

Optic demonstrators include Viking Optics, Kowa, Zeiss and Swarovski, all on hand to give you all the advice you need and the opportunity to try out products.

The weekend will be a great opportunity to network with like-minded people and meet some of the best experts in the industry.

Tickets for all speakers and activities are available to collect on the day. Normal admission charges apply. 

WWT Martin Mere is open for this event from 9.30am to 6pm and parking is free of charge. Situated off the A59, it is signposted from the M61, M58 and M6. 

The Centre is also accessible via the Southport to Manchester and the Liverpool to Preston line by train from Burscough Rail Stations. 

Visit the web site here to find out what’s on all year round at Martin Mere and the other eight centres.

For further event information, guest speakers and a detailed list of exhibitors, click here.