Ribble Estuary: Banks Marsh and Hesketh Out Marsh

Sketch map: Banks Marsh and Hesketh Outer Marsh

The Ribble Estuary is internationally important for wildfowl in Winter and a trip out to the marshes at Banks and Hesketh Outer is well worth it for a few hours' birdwatching. The rest of the year the numbers of birds are less spectacular but it's a pleasant walk which can still provide some good birdwatching. If you have the time and energy you can carry on the walk through Crossens Marsh to Marshside and into Southport. If you're pushed for time or energy you can walk either Banks Marsh or Hesketh Outer Marsh and catch the bus at the halfway mark at Hundred End.

Whooper swans, Hundred End

This is dead open countryside and you're at the mercy of the elements so if there's any hint of wind, rain or snow make sure to wear sensible clothing.

I've gotten into the habit of starting the walk at Hesketh Bank and heading West, partly because it feels like less of a walk to the bus stop at the end, partly because if I get into Banks or Crossens there's a wider choice of buses to catch, the number 2 bus that goes along Shore Road between Hesketh Bank and Banks is an hourly service. The 2 runs from Preston to Southport, you can pick it up just outside the train station at Preston or along Lord Street in Southport. The X2 also runs from Preston to Southport but takes the inland bypass to get between Tarleton and Banks. You can get this, get off at the bus stop on Ralph's Wife's Lane and walk up the Eastern bank of the Alt onto Banks Marsh. (At Preston don't get the 2A, this goes through Rufford and Burscough on to Ormskirk, handy for quite a few places but not the Ribble Estuary.)

Hesketh Out Marsh 

From Hesketh Bank, get off at the bus stop just as the bus turns into Shore Road. Walk a few hundred yards down the road behind the bus as it heads for the horizon and you'll see a small road, Dib Road, heading out into the marsh. This is the path to take to the RSPB reserve at Hesketh Out Marsh. Follow it down to the end where there are some farm buildings and a set of steps up to the bund. (Look out for tree sparrows round here). It can get very muddy as you get onto the bund so mind your step. Once you're onto the bund proper it's generally easy going though there are bound to be a few puddles and bits of mud after bad weather. 

Banks Marsh 

The bund stretches down into Banks Marsh. You can only go as far as halfway down then you have to drop down, go over the stile and walk down to Hundred End where Shore Road becomes Marsh Road. You then have to take three steps along the road to join the path that takes you back to the bund for a walk along Banks Marsh.

Walking along the bund by Banks Marsh 

Just over a kilometre down the path you have the choice of either dropping down from the bund and walking down Marsh Road to the bus stops at the top of New Lane Pace or you can carry on walking and join the path along the bank of the River Alt into Banks and either get the bus on Ralph's Wife's Lane or walk into Crossens.

Wigeon, Banks Marsh

If you're having a Winter walk expect to see a lot of pink-footed geese overhead or out on the marsh. Check out the fields for whooper swans and make sure there aren't any Bewick's swans in amongst them. Likewise check out the geese, there's often a couple of European white-fronted geese about; nearly always somewhere in all the thousands of pink-footed geese moving around this corner of Lancashire there'll be a tundra bean goose or two; most year a snow goose will be doing the rounds, usually white morphs but this year it's a blue snow goose; a Todd's Canada goose has been a regular Winter visitor the past few years, and there's always scope for something rarer to turn up (I missed a red-breasted goose by two hours). The resident flocks of greylags and feral Canada geese are topped up by Winter visitors.

Pink-footed geese and wildfowlers, Banks Marsh

The other Winter visitors are ducks and waders. At times the marsh is a sea of wigeon, which attracts wildfowlers to Banks Marsh where licensed shooting is permitted. There are smaller numbers of teal and mallard. There are large flocks of lapwings, black-tailed godwits and golden plovers, there are usually plenty of curlews and redshanks about, too. Keep an eye out for anything unusual because the unusual turns up surprisingly often on these marshes. The skylarks, linnets and meadow pipits that flit about the marsh are worth a second look to make sure there aren't any twite or water pipits about.

Where there are lots of small birds there'll be birds of prey. The marsh harriers and kestrels are resident on the estuary, the hen harriers and merlins are Winter visitors. There's no guarantee of seeing any of them, some days you'll see none, some days you'll see all of them and a couple of peregrines too. Short-eared owls are uncommon visitors.

Brown hare, Hesketh Out Marsh

The rest of the year tends to be quieter, some days a cursory glance at the marshes suggest they're deserted. They're not, you just have to work a bit harder as most of the ducks and geese will have moved on. Wader and wagtail passage often includes something unusual and a spoonbill or two will sometimes drop in to one of the small pools for a bit of a kip. Even on a slow day, though, if the weather's fine there's some excellent walking to be had.