A great year on the meadows
WILDLIFE enthusiasts from the New Cut Heritage and Ecology Group were delighted with the progress being made on the meadows in 2019 with a number of new species sighted and healthy populations of existing wildlife.
Highlight for many was a pair of otters, believed to be 2019 offspring, spotted on the meadows river bank while a new visitor, a little egret, also shared the same environment. New bird species sightings have also included water rail, common sandpiper, stonechats, jackdaws, widgeon and garden warblers.
An occasional skylark dropped in to visit the meadows but one day more than 200 redwings descended and especially during September, kingfishers and jays were a common daily sight.
The group is expanding its expertise and following the wider ecology of the area with both dragonfly and butterfly surveys, which have produced some amazing results.
In total 13 different species have been identified, with the highlight being the many painted lady and red admiral butterflies. The presence of the increasingly rare bank voles was thought to be a positive sign.
Keen to involve and engage with the public, the group had stands at the Woolston Show and helped the Latchford History Group in the organisation of a second local history show held at Alford Hall. Close co-operation with Warrington Borough Council continued throughout the year, especially on the removal and management of unwanted species.
The meadows and New Cut Canal form an important part of Warrington’s nationally important wildlife sanctuary that needs society to both value and protect. The green corridor, from Rixton to Moore along the Mersey and Manchester Ship Canal, is a great environment where wildlife coexists with a major waterway heritage asset, the ship canal.
Pictures were taken on the New Cut Heritage & Ecology Trail, hedge laying and reed cutting with members of the Carbon Landscape, their trainees and volunteers from the New Cut group. A really good, productive day benefited from fine weather. (These pictures were taken before the coronavirus social distancing restrictions came into force.)