Wild show on balcony
NOTHING gives me more joy than my balcony and the glimpse it gives me into the wild world of Manchester’s skyline.
When we first moved in our balcony was a blank canvas, you could be forgiven for thinking that it wouldn’t open our worlds up to any wildlife at all.
But with a few plants, flowers and bird seeds our balcony soon came to life.
After a few months of patiently waiting, our bird feeder became the local café for, at first, a few fat pigeons but later dunnock and house sparrows who come in their swarms.
I’m fairly sure I spend more money feeding them every week than I do myself but they are welcome guests none the less.
I was overjoyed when I spotted my first pipistrelle bat, darting acrobatically against an orange sky one warm spring evening.
I couldn’t believe my eyes, I knew that bats lived in the city but seeing them for myself was still such a wonderful surprise.
I grabbed some blankets from indoors and set myself up for a private viewing of what must have been one of the best shows playing in Manchester that evening.
The common pipistrelle is our smallest and most common species of bat, so small, they can fit inside a matchbox.
They can be spotted between April and October darting jerkily through the sky hunting for midges, moths and other flying insects that they find in the dark using echo-location.
As I looked on in awe I realised that I hadn’t been the only one with an eye on the bats.
To my astonishment, a kestrel had been lurking, perched on a building nearby. In one swift motion the kestrel plucked the bat silently from the night sky.
I couldn’t help but let out an audible gasp of disbelief at what I had seen happen to my new bat friend.
After my initial shock I was able to console myself with the fact that the kestrel had managed to find a good meal.
Sadly, I have not seen the kestrel since, but I do still see pipistrelles most evenings.
And, even now, though they are a regular part of my evening routine I still feel as excited as the first night I saw them.
I doubt I will ever tire of watching them. Our cities are wild. If you notice and appreciate urban wildlife, we can all help to protect it.
The Wildlife Trust is working with Manchester City Council to create a nature-rich city that puts wildlife right on our doorsteps, giving everyone the opportunity to experience the joy of wildlife every day – but to do this we need your help.
If you live, work, study or volunteer in Manchester, we want to hear from you.
By taking a few minutes to complete our short online survey, you will be helping to shape the way we protect wildlife and contributing to the new 10-year vision for biodiversity in Manchester.
Please visit www. lancswt.org.uk to find out more and have your say for wildlife in Manchester.
To become a member of the Trust go to the website at www. lancswt.org.uk or call 01772 324 129. For more information about Cheshire Wildlife Trust call 01948 820 728 or go to cheshirewildlifetrust.org.uk.