The North Wirral Coastal Park and West Kirby Marine Lake 18th April 2026

Leasowe Lighthouse - the start of my birdwatching walk today.

Looking towards New Brighton.

Distant views across the water to Lancashire.

Looking towards Liverpool.

West Kirby Marine Lake.

This video shows why I decided not to walk around around the Marine Lake today.

The Scaup doing its best to cope with the waves.

More close encounters with the incoming tide.

The tide making a splash on the Promenade.

A Mute swan braves the wind.

Distance: 3.1 miles.
Climb: 125’.
Time: 1 hour 45 minutes. Overall walk average: 2.0 m.p.h.
Temperature: 11 Celsius, but felt much cooler in the Moderate breeze.
Beaufort Wind Force: Not measured.
Group: Martyn.
The weather forecast looked fairly good, suggesting that I would be unlucky if got caught in a passing shower. I was unlucky, and had to shelter in my car for about ten minutes before setting off down the path through the North Wirral Coastal Park.
This was primarily a birdwatching walk, the area around Leasowe Lighthouse is well known place to sot Summer migrant birds as they pass through, heading for their breeding sites.
The two migrant birds seen today were the Wheatear and Whinchat.
Other birds seen or heard today included: Woodpigeon, European robin, Common blackbird, Chiffchaff, Great tit, Common chaffinch, Mallard, Blue tit, Great tit, Common whitethroat, Black billed magpie, Dunnock, Winter wren, Reed warbler, Willow warbler, Cetti warbler, Oystercatcher, Common redshank, Goldfinch, Greenfinch, Canada goose, Mute swan, Carrion crow, Jackdaw, Stonechat Herring gull, Eurasian curlew and Long tailed tit.  A Common buzzard was also seen on route.
My next plan was to head for West Kirby and walk around the Marine Lake.
On arriving at the Marine Lake, my plan was thwarted by the fact that it was just at the time of High Tide, 9.6 m and still splashing out of the lake onto the parade.
The best I could do, was walk up and down the parade from one end to the other.
He only bird on the lake was the male Scaup, and a Mute swan sheltering at the northern end.

Overall an enjoyable few hours birdwatching, finishing with a bracing stroll next to the West Kirby Marine Lake..