One of the UK's rarest birds has bred in Sefton for first time in 200 years

A pair of one of the UK's rarest birds has successfully bred at a nature reserve in Merseyside for the first time ever. 

Bitterns are a type of heron, with golden brown feathers that are striped with darker browns.

Once common in wetlands, bittern numbers plummeted over the centuries mostly due to the huge loss of reedbed habitat that their survival depends on.

In 1997, there were only 11 breeding males recorded in the UK, confined to the reedbeds of north Lancashire and Norfolk.

Since then, thanks to targeted conservation efforts to create extensive areas of wetland, such as Lunt Meadows, there are an estimated 200 breeding bittern pairs in the UK today. 

The chicks at Lunt Meadows are the first bitterns to be born in the Sefton area for approximately 200 years.

Since then, thanks to targeted conservation efforts to create extensive areas of wetland, such as Lunt Meadows, there are an estimated 200 breeding bittern pairs in the UK today.

That these endangered birds have bred at Lunt Meadows is great news for the reserve, which was previously arable farmland.

Now, owned by the Environment Agency and managed by Lancashire Wildlife Trust, Lunt Meadows has been transformed into a mosaic of reedbed, wet, marshy and dry grasslands, pools, ponds, hedgerows and scrub.

It is renowned locally as a haven for wetland species, especially birds, and is designed to hold excess water from the river Alt during periods of heavy flow or excess rain.

Cheryl Ashton from Lancashire Wildlife Trust says:

She added: "Much of the area was covered in reedbeds and other wetland features, especially as Sefton means ‘land where the rushes grow’ in Old Norse.

Reedbeds are one of the most important habitats for birds and are a priority habitat for conservation in the UK. It was always our goal to provide suitable breeding conditions for reedbed species, like bitterns, at Lunt, and we were hoping for chicks this year when a male bittern starting booming from among the reeds in April.”

During their breeding season, male bitterns attract females by making an unusual booming noise that sounds similar to blowing on top of a bottle.

However, staff and volunteers did not realise that the bittern at Lunt had found a mate until July, when birdwatchers spotted the juvenile chicks practising flying.

She added: "We hope that this is the first of many successful breeding attempts at Lunt for these shy birds.”

The team at Lunt Meadows have plans to continue to improve the site for wildlife and people.

In 2020 they acquired funding from National Lottery Heritage Fund to enrich the visitor experience at the reserve, including upgrading paths for those with mobility issues, improving viewing screens and developing a program of events and guided walks for people to learn more about the site’s heritage and wild inhabitants.

Last year the Trust also received funding from Biffa Award, as part of the Landfill Communities Fund, to further expand the habitats at Lunt, increasing the reedbed from 6ha to 24ha, and landscaping parts of the existing reedbed that are too dry. Once completed, this will be the largest reedbed in Merseyside.