Species surveyed during BioBlitz events
VOLUNTEERS at the New Cut Heritage and Ecology group have been delighted with the results of their contribution to the annual national BioBlitz campaign.
They have been carrying out in-depth studies on the Paddington Meadows, Warrington, counting and identifying different species.
The count is particularly important to the group, who have spent many hours converting grassland pasture into a wildflower meadow to the western end of the meadows in the hope that it will create an environment to attract more moths, butterflies and insects which will in turn attract more birds and wildlife.
The team were rewarded with some 30 types of moth specifically identified and others awaiting expert identification; 10 butterfly species and 35 species of birds. Elephant hawk, lunar thorn and drinker moths were especially noted while the stars of the show were the colourful butterflies that arrived including holly blues, small tortoiseshell, ringlet and the ever popular red admiral.
This is a good reward for all the hard work members of the team have put into converting this meadow.
The strategy is to reduce the grassland and replace with a speciesrich environment, encouraging expansion at the base of the food chain.
This will provide plenty of insect life which will in turn attract increasing numbers of birds and hopefully new or rare species.
Contact the New Cut Heritage & Ecology Trail Group info@newcuttrail.com birding@newcuttrail.com www.newcuttrail.com Facebook – New Cut Heritage & Ecology Trail Group
Paddington Meadows is an area of Warrington created by a massive meander of the River Mersey which was the original course of the Mersey and Irwell navigation. The meander is truncated by the New Cut canal opened in 1825 to speed up the transport of goods to the growing city of Manchester. The former towpath is now a very important cycle and walking path running parallel with the busy A57 Manchester Road.