Ribble and Alt Estuaries

Ribble Estuary

Site of Special Scientific Interest
Location within Merseyside
Area of Search	Merseyside
Grid reference	SD375240
Coordinates
Interest	Biological
Area	9226.3 hectares, 22,798.2 acres (92,261,000 m2)
Notification	1966 (Southport Sanctuary) 1976 (Ribble Estuary) 1984
Natural England website

The Ribble Estuary in 1917.

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.

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

External links

• NaturaL England: Ribble Estuary National Nature Reserve