National Trust Formby

👀 spotted: two greylag geese having a wander around Lifeboat Road car park earlier today. Here’s some fascinating facts: 🦆 Ancestor of most domestic geese. 🦆 Largest and bulkiest of the wild geese native to the UK and Europe. 🦆 Form lifelong pair bonds so we like to think these two were taking a romantic stroll together. 🦆 Fly in V-shaped formations, sharing the effort of leading. 🦆 Chicks are independent within hours, able to walk and feed themselves 🦆 Become completely flightless for about a month each year during when they moult.

📣Read all about it! Find out how your support has helped us care for NT Formby in our latest newsletter. 𝐃𝐨𝐰𝐧𝐥𝐨𝐚𝐝 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐜𝐨𝐩𝐲 𝐛𝐲 𝐜𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐤 𝐢𝐧 𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐛𝐢𝐨 𝐨𝐧 𝐈𝐧𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐦 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬 𝐨𝐧 𝐅𝐚𝐜𝐞𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤 Here’s a sneak preview of what’s included; 🗞️ A reflection on the Victoria Road conservation project, the lasting difference it will make for wildlife and people, and what to expect when you visit.   🗞️ A spotlight on the successful conservation cattle grazing trial last winter, in partnership with Lancashire Wildlife Trust and their herd of English longhorn cattle.   🗞️ A round-up of up of the team’s recent tasks carried out with the support of our amazing volunteers, including repairing the boardwalk, improving paths and planting 2,500 trees.   You’ll also discover more about our work in the local community, get to know Jess our Office Co-ordinator and much more. 𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐧𝐨𝐰 𝐠𝐞𝐭 𝐟𝐮𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐞𝐝𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐬𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐧𝐞𝐰𝐬𝐥𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐝𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐞𝐦𝐚𝐢𝐥 𝐢𝐧𝐛𝐨𝐱. 𝐒𝐢𝐠𝐧 𝐮𝐩 𝐛𝐲 𝐜𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐤 𝐢𝐧 𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐛𝐢𝐨. 📷 Image by CHC Neil Rigby showing the sand dune restoration area where the old beach car park used to be.

During a recent sand lizard survey, we were delighted to spot four females basking in the sun. The latest surveys have mainly seen males with their bright green side flashes logged, so it was great to see some of the females out and about too. Even better, they’d chosen warm patches of bare sand that we could see had been created by the gentle work of cattle hooves from the @lancashirewildlifetrust herd of English longhorn cattle, which grazed the dunes at Formby over the winter. It’s great to see how this conservation grazing is already making a difference, helping to create healthier, more suitable habitats where rare wildlife can thrive.

Another great behind the scenes moment captured by our new trail camera - a rather inquisitive red squirrel on a very early morning adventure. Rare red squirrels roam wild and free right across the whole site and local area. They are solitary animals and can be quite elusive and timid, hence why spotting one is never guaranteed but a real delight when it happens. Here’s our top spotting tips: 🐿Come at a quieter time - they are most active in the morning and early evening. 🐿Look up, they love to leap through the treetops. 🐿Often you can hear one before you see one. 🐿Listen for scampering up a tree or a pinecone dropping to the floor. 🐿Be patient, stand quietly for a while and enjoy the nature around you. 🐿Pinecones are a favourite snack, look out for messy chewed ones on the floor. 🐿Search for tiny human-like handprints in the mud. 🐿You might spot a squirrel nest or drey in the trees, an untidy ball of sticks and leaves. If you see a red squirrel whilst you wander at NT Formby or in the local area please log online using the quick @lancashirewildlifetrust form. Link in the comments on Facebook.

Thank you to everyone who joined us for last week’s magical dawn chorus walk. Pop your sound on and up 🔉 Ranger Chris captured this lovely video as the first light crept across Wicks Lake. From every corner came birdsong: a layered, joyful symphony carried on the still morning air. Moments like these remind us how special it is to take time out, to slow down, and connect with nature - not just to see it, but to hear it, feel it, and be part of it.

A huge thank you to everyone who supported the @formbyandfreshfieldbeachlitterangels first litter picking event of the season earlier this week - with 48 local people giving their time to help keep Formby special for people and wildlife. As the weather improves and the evenings get lighter, unfortunately this means more litter gets left behind. To tackle this we recruit extra seasonal staff to support our work to care for the site. This includes daily litter picks. We also increase how often the large car park bins are emptied. We’re so grateful for the continued support from community groups, corporate volunteers, and everyone who helps by using the car park bins or taking litter home - it truly makes a difference.

𝐁𝐨𝐚𝐫𝐝𝐰𝐚𝐥𝐤 𝐚𝐜𝐜𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐚𝐭 𝐋𝐢𝐟𝐞𝐛𝐨𝐚𝐭 𝐑𝐨𝐚𝐝 We know how important the boardwalk is for getting down to the beach at Lifeboat Road, and understand how frustrating it can be when wind blown sand builds up - particularly for people using wheelchairs, mobility scooters and buggies. Formby is a wonderfully wild place, and shifting sand is part of what makes this landscape so special as it creates the habitats rare dune wildlife needs to thrive. But it can bring challenges too. Our Ranger and Facilities teams, alongside our brilliant regular volunteers, clear the boardwalk at the end of each month. Over the summer, we increase this to every fortnight. It’s tough, physical work, but it’s worth it to keep the route open. Even with these efforts, the sand can return quickly between clearances, especially during windy spells and high tides. There’s no quick fix, but we are looking into equipment that could make sand removal faster and easier. The beach end of the boardwalk is proving particularly tricky, as tides and sand movement are at their strongest there. Once the high spring tides have passed in mid May, we’re hoping to make improvements by removing some of the edging at the beach end. This should allow us to put down the roll out planks we usually install for the summer, but slightly further up the boardwalk where there is less sand build up. Thank you for your support and understanding. Improving access where we can, while working with nature, is something we really care about.

While we’re fast asleep, Formby’s wildlife is clocking in for the night shift. Thanks to our new remote trail camera, we’ve captured some great photos of a tawny owl hopefully setting up home in one of the 6 owl nest boxes out on site. Here’s some fascinating facts about tawny owls: 🦉Tawny owls are the UK’s most common owl species and are famous for their classic “twit-twoo” call. 🦉They are highly territorial and often stay in the same area for life. 🦉Rather than building nests from scratch, tawny owls prefer tree cavities or nest boxes. 🦉They are strictly nocturnal, hunting at night for small mammals like mice and voles. 🦉Their hearing is so sensitive they can locate prey in complete darkness. 🦉Tawny owls have soft, fringe-edged feathers that allow them to fly almost silently. 🦉Pairs often mate for life and return to the same nesting sites year after year. Watch this space for more behind the scenes trail camera updates 👀

Earlier today we caught up with ranger Al who was out and about in the dunes working with our amazing regular volunteers to create healthier spaces for Formby’s rare sand lizards. Over the next couple of weeks, we’ll be doing some sand patching to the south of the site where the dunes have become too stable.   By digging out small areas of marram and vegetation we’re creating more patches of bare sand where sand lizards can bask and build energy as well as spots of soft sand for them to burrow and lay their eggs🦎

🐮𝐌𝐨𝐨-𝐯𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐨𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐝𝐬 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐞𝐫 𝐝𝐮𝐧𝐞𝐬 Today we said a fond farewell to the @lancashirewildlifetrust herd of English longhorn cattle, who spent the winter with us grazing in the dunes to the south of the site. The trial has been a great success and was even celebrated on BBC Northwest News back in March. Using no fence virtual fencing technology, the cattle have been able to graze difficult to access areas that had been left untouched for years. This has helped open up the dunes, creating more patches of bare sand, shorter grass areas and less dense, overgrown vegetation. These changes will help improve dune habitats and create better conditions for rare wildlife to thrive. We’re looking forward to the cattle returning this winter to continue their fantastic work. Thank you to everyone who has enjoyed sharing the dunes with the cattle and given them the space they need to do this important conservation work.

There’s nature all around you at Formby, waiting to be discovered whilst you wander, particularly at this time of year as wildlife springs to life. This striking visitor was spotted just outside our office: an emperor moth, one of the UK’s largest and most eye catching, day flying moths. Their bold eye spot markings help to startle and confuse predators, giving the moth a vital chance to escape. A wonderful example of nature being both clever and beautiful. With their wings spread they are around 6 to 8 cm or roughly the width of a standard bank card. When we took a closer look, we were delighted to discover that it was actually a mating pair with the smaller male hiding underneath. Thank you for protecting Formby’s wonderful wildlife by not lighting fires or barbecues, taking your litter home and treading carefully.

🦎Exciting news… During a recent sand lizard survey we were thrilled to spot a familiar face - one of the lizards safely trans-located from the Victoria Road part of the site last year. The dunes in this area had become damaged and disconnected by tonnes of construction rubble that formed the base of the old beach car park, making it unsuitable for wildlife. Each sand lizard has a unique pattern on its back, a bit like a fingerprint, which helps us identify individuals. Our records show this lizard was born in 2024 and relocated to the south of the site in 2025 as part of our conservation work to restore the dunes at Victoria Road (image on the left). This year, he’s grown into a breeding adult, complete with those striking green flashes of colour (image on the right). Now that the rubble at Victoria Road has been removed the dunes have been reconnected and are beginning to recover, we hope in time to see future generations of this rare reptile making their home in the newly restored, healthy dunes. Find out more about the Victoria Road conservation project by clicking on the link in our bio on Instagram or in the comments on Facebook. Thank you for not dwelling in the restoration area where the old Victoria Road beach car park used to be as this space needs time to heal. 📸Sand lizards are a rare and legally protected species, photographed under licence by Simply Ecology as part of essential monitoring work.