OVERVIEW

Sefton Park is a beautiful Grade One listed park in the centre of Liverpool. Covering an area of over 200 acres, it’s home to curving rivers, open lakes, and stands of beech and willow trees. In Spring it erupts in yellows and purples as thousands of daffodils and bluebells emerge from the earth. The Park is also home to the famous Palm House, a stunning glass-panelled building that hosts a botanical collection of over 200 plants. First built in 1896 it was partially destroyed in the Blitz but has since been restored to its former glory.  In terms of wildlife, Sefton Park is home to two resident kingfishers as well as a whole range of other birdlife including parakeets, bullfinches, treecreepers, and long-tailed tits.

Average rating: 3.7 (good)

Average cost: Sefton Park is free to access so your only costs are travel or food (try the delicious cakes and coffee in the Palm House cafe).

Best time to visit: you can visit year-round but the park is at its best in Spring and Summer. The best time to see kingfishers is usually around July when there’s a lot of activity at their nests.

How to get there: you can get to the Park easily by car, bus, train, or bike. For details check out this website.

Typical activities: bird watching, running, walking

Number of reports: 3

WILDLIFE IN Sefton park

According to reports submitted to WildSide, the species visitors most want to see here are:

Kingfisher – 33% OF VISITORS (1/3) REPORTED SIGHTINGS

Don’t let the lack of TripAdvisor reports put you off – Sefton Park is actually a great place to look out for kingfishers. While most people don’t come to the Park to see them, those who do have a reasonably good chance of a sighting. The Park is home to two resident females that can be seen year-round. Look out for them fishing around the Fairy Glen or by the island in the stream upriver of the Eros statue. If you can’t find them get in touch with the Friends of Sefton Park. Or you could ask some of the local birders in the Park – they’ll be more than happy to show you!

ring necked parakeet – 67% OF VISITORS (2/3) REPORTED SIGHTINGS

One bird that you’re likely to hear before you see is the ring necked parakeet. These are noisy, raucous, squawking creatures. And they aren’t shy! So if you hear one you are very likely to see one too. No doubt showing off their lovely, green feathers. They are called ‘ring necks’ as the adults have a ring around the backs of their necks. They like it in Sefton Park as there are lots of old trees with holes where they can nest. There are various stories about how they ended up in England, but they seem to quite like it here, even though their native range is tropical. While the first parakeets arrived in the South, they have been making their way up North ever since, and have recently reached as far as Liverpool!

Photo credit: WildSide user Tom Hyatt