What to See on the Sefton Coast in April

17 March 2026

Natterjack Toads — the first chorus

The Natterjack Toad breeding season starts when evening temperatures rise above about 10°C consistently — that means late March into April on the Sefton Coast, depending on the weather. The males gather at the dune slack ponds at Ainsdale NNR and produce a remarkable rasping, churring call that carries a long way on a still night.

To hear the chorus, go to Ainsdale NNR on a warm, still evening in April — ideally above 12°C after dark. The NNR is off Shore Road, Ainsdale. You don't need to enter the reserve to hear the calling; stand near the boundary on a warm night and it's audible from outside.

The Natterjack Toad is Britain's rarest amphibian. The Sefton Coast holds one of the largest breeding populations in the country — around 30% of the British total. Hearing the April chorus is one of the genuinely unusual wildlife experiences available on this stretch of coast.

Sand Lizards — spring emergence

Sand Lizards come out of hibernation from mid-March onwards, but April is when you start seeing them reliably. The males have brown, cryptically patterned flanks at this stage — they won't colour up to the vivid breeding green until late April and May. Even without the green colouration, they're distinctive once you know the shape.

South-facing dune slopes at Ainsdale NNR are the reliable locations. The lizards need direct morning sun to warm up before they become active — go between 10am and noon when the sun is on the south-facing slopes. Move slowly. They'll freeze if you approach carefully but will bolt if you're careless. A patient approach from a distance gives you time to watch them basking.

Sand Lizards are a protected species. Don't attempt to handle them or disturb their basking spots. The populations here are genuinely important nationally.

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Sand Lizard in breeding condition — the vivid green flanks develop in late April and May. Earlier in the month they're browner but still recognisable.

Avocets at Marshside

The Avocet colony at Marshside RSPB is well established by April. Breeding pairs are on the scrape, and by mid-April territorial disputes and courtship displays are visible from the road or the sea wall walk. In a good year, 40–50 pairs use the site.

The Avocet is one of conservation's clearest success stories — extinct as a British breeding bird by 1840, recolonised naturally in Suffolk in the 1940s, and now established at a handful of key sites including Marshside. The RSPB uses it as its logo for good reason.

Access: the Marshside scrape is visible from Marshside Road (the road alongside the RSPB reserve). Free access to the sea wall path. The car park off Marshside Road is also free. You can see the Avocets clearly from the road without entering the reserve.

Spring migrants arriving

April brings the first summer migrants through the Sefton Coast. Wheatears appear on the beach and dune edges in early April — small, upright chat-like birds with a distinctive white rump visible in flight. They're often on open sandy areas and are easy to spot once you know what to look for.

Willow Warblers sing from the scrub areas throughout April — the gentle, descending cascade of notes is one of the definitive sounds of spring on the coast. Sand Martins over the beach and dune ponds from April onwards. First Swallows usually mid-April.

The Sefton Coast is on a major migration corridor. The beach and dune edge in April can hold anything — scan carefully, especially after strong southerly winds.

Where to go in April

Marshside RSPB (off Marshside Road, Southport): Avocets displaying and breeding, winter wildfowl still departing, early wader movement. Best in the morning. Car park free.

Ainsdale NNR (Shore Road, Ainsdale): Sand Lizards on south-facing dune slopes from mid-morning, Natterjack Toad ponds, dune vegetation starting to green up. Evenings for Natterjack calling.

Formby Beach (L37 1YH): Wheatears on the open beach, Sand Martins over the dune ponds, Oystercatchers nesting on the beach edge.

Hesketh Bank farmland: Brown Hares still visible in April, quieter than March but still worth a slow drive at first light.