Inter/National Friends

Details
Festival Gardens contains a range of habitats, including ponds, woodland and grassland, and lies next to the River Mersey. The site was originally a landfill which was transformed to become home of the 1984 International Garden Festival. Sadly, after this amazing transformation, it was allowed to fall into dereliction for many years but has been restored to some extent and is once more a lovely place for a walk. (See https://www.liverpoolmuseums.org.uk/stories/search-of-liverpool-international-garden-festival-legacy for more information.)
We will spend around two hours on the site, starting in Festival Gardens then walking down onto Otterspool Promenade to look over the Mersey before walking back to our start point via the Southern Grasslands. There should be a variety of bird species to be seen and/or heard, including spring migrants like blackcap, chiffchaff and willow warbler.
Note that there is no café or toilet on the site, although there is a pub about five minutes’ walk away. So this is going to be a walk without the talk! (You may want to look up blackcap, https://www.rspb.org.uk/birds-and-wildlife/blackcap, chiffchaff, https://www.rspb.org.uk/birds-and-wildlife/chiffchaff, and willow warbler, https://www.rspb.org.uk/birds-and-wildlife/willow-warbler, so you are familiar with these species in advance.)
Technical stuff
Please wear appropriate clothing (warm layers, including a waterproof top one) and footwear. And if you have a pair of binoculars, please bring them along, as there will only be one spare pair available to borrow.
There are a number of slopes and steps; therefore, unfortunately the walk might not suitable for people with mobility issues.
Note that any physical activity can involve the risk of falling or other injury. We will be looking up and around us to see the birds while we are walking, but we also need to maintain awareness of the possibly uneven ground under our feet at all times.
Please note that the host takes no responsibility for the safety of any of the attendees – you are responsible for your own health and safety.
If at any time during the walk you need to leave for any reason, please let the host know.
Finally, if the weather forecast is bad – snow, ice, strong winds or heavy rain – then the walk will be cancelled, for everyone’s safety and also because, in some of these conditions, the birds will not be out and about, either. For this reason, please check Meetup before you set out on the day.