A haven of wildlife in midst of Media City
I LIKE wandering around Media City, looking out for wildlife in the basins and off bridges.
I am never satisfied unless I spot a cormorant or two and, this week, I spotted three swimming, diving and flying around this busy part of Salford.
They dive under the water and then I have to guess just where they are going to reappear, so I can be ready with my camera. I never get it right.
There are always plenty of cheeky black-headed gulls perched on the various barriers and you will generally spot a swan or a family of swans. Look out for cygnets in late spring.
While Media City is very busy around the shops and offices there are areas that are left to look a bit... let’s say, unloved. The good thing is that these areas are loved by wildlife and it’s probably in these wilder places where the swans nested.
And this is where I spotted a first for me in Media City, a glorious, huge grey heron flew from under a bridge and then perched on a barrier, 10 yards away.
I have said this in the past, but it proves that the Ship Canal is getting cleaner and cleaner if there are fish to feed all these wonderful birds.
Herons are very calm wading birds, standing stock still over water waiting for prey to show. It was lovely to see that calming figure as the rest of Salford Quays charged around trying to steady itself after Christmas and New Year.
With grey back, long white neck, black eye stripe and yellow beak, herons are pretty easy to spot. They are a metre tall and have a wingspan of two metres.
They feed on fish but will eat small mammals, waterbirds and crayfish. I presume there are lots of mammals to find in the nooks and crannies along the banks of the canal at Salford.
My encounter with the heron lasted for a couple of minutes, I was passed by interested people wandering from the Lowry and the BBC to the Imperial War Museum, not realising what a wildlife haven exists in between.
As the weather warms, butterflies and bees will be around and expect to see some spectacular swift and swallow displays over the water.
Wildlife is happy to live side by side with humanity, as long as we let it get on with its life. However, there is nothing wrong with us taking a look and appreciating just how beautiful the creatures on our doorstep really are.
The Wildlife Trust for Lancashire, Manchester and North Merseyside is dedicated to the protection and promotion of the wildlife in Lancashire, seven boroughs of Greater Manchester and four of Merseyside, all lying north of the River Mersey. It manages around 40 nature reserves and 20 Local Nature Reserves covering acres of woodland, wetland, upland and meadow. The Trust has 29,000 members, and over 1,200 volunteers.
To become a member of the Trust go to the website at www.lancswt.org. uk or call 01772 324129. For more information about Cheshire Wildlife Trust call 01948 820728 or go to cheshirewildlifetrust.org.uk.