麻豆社

As the glaciers retreated from northern Britain in the last ice age, a vast shallow bowl was ground out of the landscape just north of Liverpool, creating one of the largest lakes in the northwest. The lake became known as Martin Mere. The ancient waterway no longer exists, but some of the habitat it created does, along with its name. It's a great place to see wildfowl in the winter, but come summer many of those birds have migrated away. However, there is still plenty to see. Janet Sumner visits warden Rob Allen to see a real surprise - a pair of black-winged stilts. Their long legs mean they can wade out a bit further than other birds. Over the years, black-winged stilts have drifted in and out of the UK, and small groups have been seen, but to have some arrive and stay is very unusual since they are Mediterranean birds. Strong winds often push them off course, but this pair has stayed and is nesting. Is this due to global warming? Probably not for the stilts, but the avocets are definitely increasing their range north to this reserve, whilst the Bewick swans no longer come over because the continental winters aren't as cold.