Mersey Estuary, Cheshire and Merseyside

The bulk of the Mersey Estuary lies in the area covered by the Cheshire Wildlife Trust. It is an internationally important site for wildfowl and consists of large areas of inter-tidal sand and mudflats.

Ribble Estuary - including the Douglas & Alt Estuaries, Lancashire and Merseyside

The Ribble Estuary is the second most important estuary in the United Kingdom for birds. Every winter it holds up to around 250,000 of them - mainly wildfowl and waders. It's of international importance for fourteen bird species, including Whooper Swan, Bewick's Swan, Pink-footed Goose, Wigeon, Knot, Dunlin, Sanderling, Bar-tailed Godwit and Black-tailed Godwit.

Morecambe Bay - including the Wyre, Lune and Keer Estuaries, Lancashire and Cumbria

Morecambe Bay is the second largest bay in the United Kingdom. Only The Wash in East Anglia is bigger. The Bay covers an area of 310km2 and consists mainly of inter-tidal sand flats and mud flat. It has the largest continuous inter-tidal area in the whole of Great Britain.

Morecambe Bay is the most important estuary in Britain for its general seabird and waterfowl populations and has the third largest number of wintering wildfowl in Britain. On average, the Bay supports 224,000 wintering waterfowl and 20,000 breeding seabirds.