North Walney Nature Reserve

It is one of the sites in the Duddon Estuary which support one-fifth of the national population of the rare amphibian.

The geology of the island is the product of erosion and reworking of glacial sediments,[1] sometimes interpreted as an esker.

The reserve protects a sand dune system along with other habitats such as salt marsh and intertidal mudflats.

The Duddon Estuary was designated a Special Protection Area under the Birds Directive,[2] and is now merged with Morecambe Bay.

There is a separate nature reserve at South Walney, managed by the Cumbria Wildlife Trust, notable for its gulls and seals.