First confirmed breeding of Marsh Harriers in Greater Manchester

It is with great pleasure I can confirm that a pair of Marsh Harriers successfully fledged three young at the Wigan Flashes Local Nature Reserve during August 2023. This is the first ever breeding record of the species in Greater Manchester and is testament to the years of work carried out by the Lancashire Wildlife Trust in their management of the site and in particular its reedbeds.

​My thanks to Andy Makin for his vigilance in monitoring the birds and providing important data which has been entered into the county database and passed on to the Greater Manchester Ecology Unit.

Below: juvenile Marsh Harriers at the Wigan Flashes LNR, August 2023. Both photos courtesy of Martin Loftus

Below: adult male Marsh Harrier drops prey to one of its young at the Wigan Flashes LNR, August 2023. Photo courtesy of Martin Loftus

Below: juvenile Marsh Harrier at the Wigan Flashes LNR, August 2023. Videos courtesy of Andy Makin