Ribble and Alt Estuaries

The Ribble and Alt Estuaries lie on the Irish Sea coast of the counties of Lancashire and Merseyside in north-west England, and form the boundaries of a number of nature preservation schemes. (Ribble Estuary: , Alt Estuary: .)

Protected area

A large number of different species of waders and wildfowl, listed below, use the estuaries as feeding and over-wintering areas. This wide variety of bird species has led to the estuaries being officially designated as a Special Protection Area and as a Ramsar site. The Ribble Estuary has been designated a Site of Special Scientific Interest since 1966 and is now covered by Natural England's Ribble Estuary "National Nature Reserve".

Species

Breeding season

• Common Tern Sterna hirundo
• Lesser Black-backed Gull Larus fuscus
• Ruff Philomachus pugnax

Over wintering

• Bar-tailed Godwit Limosa lapponica
• Black-tailed Godwit Limosa limosa islandica
• Bewick's Swan Cygnus columbianus bewickii
• Dunlin Calidris alpina alpina
• Golden Plover Pluvialis apricaria
• Grey Plover Pluvialis squatarola
• Knot Calidris canutus
• Oystercatcher Haematopus ostralegus
• Pink-footed Goose Anser brachyrhynchus
• Pintail Anas acuta
• Redshank Tringa totanus
• Sanderling Calidris alba
• Shelduck Tadorna tadorna
• Teal Anas crecca
• Whooper Swan Cygnus cygnus
• Wigeon Anas penelope

Migratory

• Ringed Plover Charadrius hiaticula
• Sanderling Calidris alba

See also

• River Alt
• River Ribble

References

• "Classification as a Special Protection Area". Joint Nature Conservation Committee. http://www.jncc.gov.uk/default.aspx?page=1984. 
• "SSSI citation sheet". English Nature. http://www.english-nature.org.uk/citation/citation_photo/1004299.pdf. 

External links

• NaturaL England: Ribble Estuary National Nature Reserve