Winter Wetland Bird Blitz

Mark B-Seifert · Status: Offline

Winter Wetland Bird Blitz

James Richardson · Status: Offline

Mark B-Seifert wrote:

Is the flood basin open to the public yet. If it isn't, does anyone know when it will be?

I had a meeting with the EA and MMU students there the other day, they say it won't be open 'til the autumn' and they admitted that was sufficiently vague to allow it to run into winter.

They're having issues with Canada geese eating the establishing wetland vegetation, as well as a bad batch of seed meaning several areas of the bunds need spraying and re-sowing. So don't hold your breath.

That being said there were plenty of gulls and other interesting things on the wetland.

Mark B-Seifert · Status: Offline

Is the flood basin open to the public yet. If it isn't, does anyone know when it will be?

GM Local Record Centre · Status: Offline

Apologies, the booking was temporarily closed overnight. It should be working again now. Mike

GM Local Record Centre · Status: Offline

Last minute but exciting news: I have been able to arrange a site visit to the new wetland flood basin at Castle Irwell in Salford on Saturday 21 Jan for our Winter Wetland Bird Blitz survey volunteers. We have a few spaces left so I am widening the invite.

The landscaping to turn it into a wetland is now complete but it will not be open to the public until the summer. I am hearing good things about the birds already making full use of this brilliant new habitat. This is an opportunity for us to carry out the first bird survey of the finished wetland (that I know of).

Zoe Barrett has kindly agreed to lead the visit as an experienced birder who knows the area. We now also have Gary Morris from the Environment Agency and Will Horsfall from Salford Council.

Numbers are limited so if you want to come along please book yourself and any companions onto this Eventbrite event that I have created:
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/flood-basin-nature-reserve-visit-tickets-31094226669

Bookings close 2pm Friday. I will send details of when and where to meet to those who have booked.

Mike

-- Edited by GM Local Record Centre on Thursday 19th of January 2017 11:37:01 AM

GM Local Record Centre · Status: Offline

Hello everyone,

I am writing to ask for your participation in an important voluntary wetland bird survey across the River Irwell catchment within Greater Manchester. The method will be the same as the BTO/JNCC/RSPB Wetland Bird Survey (WeBS), will use the transects that they have provided to us, and the data will be entered into the WeBS systems for them to use as well. The difference is that this will be an annual blitz rather than a monthly commitment throughout the year - trying to simultaneously cover as much of the rivers within the catchment as we can but initially focusing on the lower reaches of the Irwell. In many ways this is similar to the rivers of Greater Manchester survey carried out in 1998-99 and published in the Birds of Greater Manchester County Report 1998.

This "Winter Wetland Bird Blitz" will enable a more accurate snapshot count of the Irwell catchment, and give us a clearer idea of where the birds are congregating in winter. In at least one location the catchment regularly hosts significant numbers of wintering ducks. However, the rivers within the catchment are a dynamic environment, with both natural and man-made changes occurring, so the survey will assist us to better understand the impact that these changes have on the bird population.

This winter the survey will start at 8 am on Saturday 21st January 2017 and we expect it will take no more than two hours. We are seeking to recruit additional volunteers who are confident in their water bird ID skills and knowledge of the WeBS survey method. For this year we have decided to not hold the count on a WeBS core count day to enable WeBS counters from outside the area to come and assist.

{Click here to see a map of the survey sites.}

The sites that we need surveyors for are:

Littleton Road Bridge to Agecroft Bridge (originally part of Cromwell Road Bridge to Agecroft Bridge and not yet split on map)
Agecroft Bridge to Philips Park
M60 Clifton to Ringley Rd Bridge
Close Park to Dumers Lane

Please see the attached document for further information, and also the attached site preference form. If you want to take part in the survey, please complete and email the form to myself and Steve Atkins by the morning of Tuesday 10th January.

mike.beard@tameside.gov.uk; stephen.atkins@tameside.gov.uk

This survey will be initiated as part of the Natural Course LIFE IP project. Natural Course is a ground-breaking collaborative water management project which brings together the Greater Manchester Combined Authority, the Environment Agency, Natural England, United Utilities and the Rivers Trust. My role within the project is focused upon ecological data - with volunteer assistance that will enhance community engagement with conserving the rivers. More information is available {by clicking here.}

Thank you for your interest in this survey.

Mike Beard
Natural Course Project Officer
GM Local Record Centre