Preston and District Wildfowlers Association
“Conservation is Our Aim”

PDWA has been involved in national co-ordinated monthly counts of non-breeding waterfowl since the 1970s, and since the various counting schemes merged in 1993 to become the Wetland Bird Survey (WeBS) Core Count.

Every month throughout the year our members count areas on the Ribble Estuary from Preston Dock, to the confluence of the rivers Ribble and Douglas at the Naze, and up the river Douglas to Hoole Marsh

Our marshes only represent 3.53% of the land area counted on the whole estuary yet regularly hold disproportionally large numbers (sometimes 40-50% of the estuary total) of some overwintering waterfowl species. This demonstrates the richness of our marshes as ideal overwintering habitat for many quarry and non-quarry species.

We have recorded over 70 different species and 14 of these are SPA qualifying birds. Our peak counts in the autumn and winter months can be spectacular with totals exceeding 15000 birds not uncommon. Highlights have included over 12000 wigeon, 7000 lapwing, 1500 golden plover, 400 shelduck, 700 teal, 230 oystercatcher, 150 redshank, 350 curlew and 4000 Canada geese.

PDWA marshes are shot over regularly during the autumn and winter months and consistently support very high numbers of over wintering quarry and non-quarry species. This proves we must be doing something right!