Martin Mere's daily wild bird feed runs 3pm from 17 October to 14 March, free with entry. Free late goose openings, dawn flights at £22.50, and winter prices.
The winter swan feed at WWT Martin Mere starts on Saturday 17 October 2026 and runs every day at 3pm until 14 March 2027. It is included in the normal entry ticket and needs no booking. Before that, the October goose roost brings free evening openings and the North West Bird Watching Festival.
The quick answer
- Daily wild bird feed: 3pm at the Discovery Hide, with a warden’s commentary, from 17 October 2026 to 14 March 2027. A quieter feed without commentary follows at 3.30pm at the Raines Observatory.
- Free late openings, 5.30pm to 7pm, on 3, 7, 10, 14, 17, 21 and 24 October to watch the pink-footed geese come in to roost.
- Entry: adult £17.10 online, or £19.00 on the day (without Gift Aid). Under-3s and carers go free.
The daily feed
Martin Mere’s own wild bird feed page says wardens put out food at 3pm each day as thousands of migratory birds gather close to the viewing hides. It names whooper swans, wigeon, pintail, greylag geese and shelduck as regulars at the feed.
- No booking. Go to the Discovery Hide for 3pm, or the Raines Observatory for 3.30pm.
- No binoculars needed. The birds feed right in front of the hide windows.
- Step-free. Both hides are a few minutes’ walk from the main entrance on level, paved paths.
Time the visit around it. Winter closing is 4.30pm with last entry at 3.30pm (see opening times below), so arriving after about 2.30pm leaves little time for anything but the feed.
October: the geese, and the free evenings
October is when the pink-footed geese arrive from Greenland and Iceland. The centre’s Goosefest runs from 5 September to 18 October, and the events that sit around it are the best-value visits of the year.
- Free late openings. On seven October evenings, 3, 7, 10, 14, 17, 21 and 24 October, the Discovery Hide and nature trail stay open until 7pm, free from 5.30pm with no booking. Use the overflow car park and the side gate; the main entrance does not admit anyone after 3pm, and the animal collection is closed.
- North West Bird Watching Festival, 17 and 18 October. The festival opens the reserve from 8am, with the grounds from 9am, and closes at 7pm on the Saturday and 6pm on the Sunday. Last admission is 5pm. Normal admission applies; talks and activities are sold first come, first served at the ticket desk, and some are free.
- Dawn Flights, £22.50. A warden takes you into a hide at sunrise to watch the geese leave the roost, followed by a full English breakfast. Dates are 3 October at 6.30am, 10 October at 6.45am and 24 October at 7am. WWT members pay too, entry to the rest of the centre is extra, and it is not recommended for children under 8.
- The Big Goose Trail, until 1 November, is a family trail of geese designed by Burscough schoolchildren, placed around the centre and Burscough Bridge railway station. It is included with entry.
Prices
These are the centre’s current ticket prices. Booking online saves 10% up to midnight the day before.
| Ticket | Online in advance | On the day |
|---|---|---|
| Adult | £17.10 (£18.85) | £19.00 (£20.90) |
| Junior, 3 to 17 | £11.12 (£12.25) | £12.35 (£13.60) |
| Family, 2 adults and 2 children | £48.11 (£52.95) | £53.45 (£58.80) |
| Concession (65+, full-time student) and young adult (18 to 24) | £15.53 (£17.10) | £17.25 (£19.00) |
| Under 3, and carers of disabled visitors | Free | Free |
Reduced-price tickets are available in advance to visitors on specified benefits, including Universal Credit. WWT members get in free.
Opening times, and Christmas
Martin Mere is open 364 days a year. Its opening times page still shows last winter’s dates, when the centre opened 9.30am to 4.30pm, last entry 3.30pm, from 25 October 2025 to 30 March 2026. On that pattern:
- Christmas Eve: 9.30am to 3pm.
- Christmas Day: closed.
The 2026/27 winter dates have not been posted yet. The centre’s own event pages already give 4.30pm as the standard closing time this October.
Half term and Christmas at Martin Mere
The October half-term programme and the December Sail to Santa boat trips are covered in detail on our Southport October half term and Santa’s grotto pages.
Getting there
WWT Martin Mere is on Fish Lane, Burscough, L40 0TA (01704 895181). Northern’s Southport to Wigan line calls at Burscough Bridge; times are on our Southport train times page.
Still to be confirmed
- Winter 2026/27 opening hours, and whether Christmas Eve is again a 3pm close.
- The festival’s guest speakers, still “to be announced” on the festival page.
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