Alt Estuary Stroll

Yachts from the Sailing Club at anchor in the shallow waters of the Alt at low tide. 

The River Alt meanders around the outskirts of Liverpool and disperses its waters into the Irish Sea on the Sefton Coast just south of Hightown. A recent fine day saw us taking a fine walk from Hightown along the coastal path heading south alongside the estuary. The tide is low, revealing the mud flats, the air smells of salt and there is the clink-clink of rigging hitting off the masts on the boats from the sailing club moored out in the river. 

The feathery brown tips of the reeds sway gracefully in the breeze. A view across the Alt Estuary looking north towards the large expanse of sand that forms the beach at Formby Point.

Common blue butterflies flutter amongst the harebells and everlasting pea plants near the estuary and tall grasses sway gently in the breeze on dunes which offer a raised viewpoint over the estuary mudflats towards the smooth sands of Formby point where higher dunes line the coast to the north beyond the Altcar firing range.

Harebells 

Wild Japanese Roses in the foreground of this view across the Alt Estuary

Common Glasswort springs from the mud flats of the estuary

Looking across the flat sands of the estuary at low tide, the distant sea is almost invisible and the mountains of Snowdonia quiver in the heat haze.

There is the vibrant green of spiky common glasswort on the beach, ringed plover and dunlin wade in the shallows of the mud flats that line the river and. Across the distant sparkling waters of Liverpool Bay the mountains of Snowdonia quiver in the blue heat haze.

Dunlin

Ringed Plover

Sea Holly on the dunes

The footpath from the small beach at Hightown meanders over Sea Holly covered dunes close to the sands of the Estuary. As the tide moves swiftly in across the sands near where the Alt meets the sea we spy more dunlin and a large egret stalking the shallows. Two grey herons battle over territory on the flat sands of the estuary.

Two Grey Herons squabble over territory.

Wild Japanese Roses grow freely along this stretch of coast.

Curlew

The footpath over the dunes meets the tarmac of the cycle path just beyond a white sculpture called "The Pebble" and on this stretch we spot a Curlew picking its way through the pools at the edge of the beach. From here it is an easy walk down to the car park at Hall Road and the promenade at Crosby.

Summer day at Formby Point

Looking north along the beach from Formby point

The sky above is clear, a cloudless dome of blue, and the horizon sharp and clear after the weekend’s rain. We walk over the dunes where clumps of yellow ragwort, adorned with the striped yellow and black caterpillars of the cinnabar moth, are attracting numerous butterflies and bees. and down onto the beach at the Gypsy Path marker, heading north along the edge of the outgoing tide up towards Ainsdale, examining the nearby mud fields for signs of 5,000 year old Mesolithic footprints on the way, but the only prints today are those of a dog that has strayed across the mud. 

The Pine Woods that lead onto the dunes at Formby Point 

Coming out of the woods

Painted Lady

Peacock butterfly

Meadow Brown

The mudflats where ancient footprints are sometimes found

The clear air means it is possible to see as far as the hills of the Lake District to the north, way beyond the nearer funfair and tower at Blackpool. The blueish mountains stretch out into the Irish Sea and as far as the mass of Black Coombe and I wonder if a faint darker blue smudge on the horizon out to the north west marks the summit of Snaefell on the Isle of Man. To the south the hills of Wales have some clouds high above them and to the east fluffy cumulus are building up far inland. There is no wind, the sand is firm to walk upon and the sea is slowly receding on our left leaving a tideline of razor clam shells, seaweed, and worm casts. As we head north we are able to walk further out across the now wide expanse of beach, following the sea as it recedes. High tide was around nine this morning so the tide will soon be at it’s lowest. It is important to be aware of the tides when walking out across the beach as sometimes the water can creep in behind you along channels in the sand if the tide is incoming. 

Looking inland from the tide line

A forest of trees, complete with roots, carved into the sand by rivulets of water

It is a lovely walk along this firm stretch of clean sand, enjoying the clean fresh salty air and observing the variety of shells, crabs, jelly fish, sea urchins and even one or two very tiny fish left stranded by the waves. Casts of worms are sticking up out of the wet sand at the water’s edge. The wet sand contains a forest of tree like shapes carved out from little rivulets of water left by the outgoing tide which continues to recede and we cross several small streams as we head north towards the unknown wreck of a ship known as the Mussel Wreck, the spars that jut out from the beach being covered in mussels.

The Mussel Wreck and beyond the hills of Cumbria, blue shadows on the horizon 

Blackpool shimmers in the heat haze behind the Mussel Wreck

Worm casts emerge from the wet sand at the water's edge

We cannot quite get to it as the sea still laps around its base and there is a wide, stream a few inches deep just before we get there. Black headed gulls, oystercatchers and herring gulls mingle along this stretch of sand, at one point a large herring gull seems to be under aerial attack by a couple of others. 

Aerial attack

Gulls and oystercatchers mingle at the water's edge, beyond the wind turbines the distant hills of North Wales

It is just after three and the tide must be just about approaching the lowest point for today as we turn around and head back towards Formby Point. Directly south of us the wet sands glitter silver in the strong sunlight and the black silhouettes of people quiver in the hot air, atmospheric distortion making it look as though they are walking on water. Out at sea the giant metal arms of the wind farm turn slowly in the quiet air. 

Figures on the beach quiver in the hot air

A sad sight, this gannet was washed up on the tide line

On the way back to the point we pass a dead gannet washed up on the higher tide line near the dunes, I wonder where that has come from, the nearest gannet colony is probably on the coasts of the Isle of Man or off the coast of Ireland north of Dublin near Ireland’s Eye.

As we approach the path that leads through the dunes at Formby point the clouds inland to the east have built up and look darker now but the rest of the sky is still blue and clear, strong sunshine blazing down on the waters of Liverpool Bay. We feel refreshed and invigorated after our walk, it has been a perfect day on the Sefton Coast.