Water lilies carpet the surface of quieter canals and sluggish rivers in the summer months, creating the idyllic image of gently ‘messing about on the river’. Among the myriad of other aquatic plants are the wild water watercress, the semi-submerged water starwort and the water crowfort, the latter displaying white, buttercup style flowers. Far less desirable is the invasive knotweed encountered on numerous waterways nationwide. Along the towpath or riverside path you’ll encounter wildflowers aplenty. Primroses, violets, bluebells and dandelions are among them, generally found close to or under hedges. Next to lock-gates you may discover the distinctive cow parsley plant, with its white, umbrella-like flower heads.
British Waterways wildlife surveys
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For most of us, feeding the ducks at the local park or down by the canal is one of our fondest childhood memories. Fortunately the tradition continues to this day, as evidenced by throngs of families clutching bags of bread at popular waterside locations throughout the land. The most common recipient of all this nourishment is the mallard, followed by the Canada goose and the graceful mute swan. Other everpresents include the red-beaked moorhen, the great-crested grebe and the curious coot, with its extra large feet and white beak. Britain’s favourite waterside bird may well be the kingfisher, at least judging by the number of boats named after it. With its gorgeous bright blue plumage and long beak, it may be observed perched on a branch overhanging the water. It will then suddenly dart and swoop low over the water before snatching its fish meal from canal or river. Another accomplished fisherman is the stately heron. It stands, solitary and motionless, at the edge of the water before shooting its neck and powerful bill forward to take its prey. The heron is a good friend to the boater, often languidly flying just in front of a boat for a mile or so, before peeling off and returning whence it came. But other birds are drawn to the waterways too, representing as they do a ‘green corridor’ of opportunity, being rich in food and nesting sites. As just one example, try mooring just below Haywood Lock on the Trent & Mersey Canal. In the woodlands adjoining the canal you may well see (or hear) owls, woodpeckers, jays and buzzards, as well as more everyday species such as sparrows, starlings, thrush, blackbirds and robins. Migrant birds will come along too and put on a spectacular show, skimming low over the water to take insects in mid-flight.
ROBIN SMITHETT
Birdlife
Beautiful black swans on the Grand Union Canal.
Creating vital habitats for threatened birds Last year British Waterways received a share of a £10,000 grant from The Waterway Trust’s Small Grants Scheme to support a number of important wildlife habitat improvements. The annual awards support community-led environmental, access, education and activity projects taking place along Britain’s waterways. The grant was used to help projects focussed on the waterway birds that rely on our network of rivers and canals to live and breed, and was shared between seven new projects: the installation of barn owl and kestrel nesting boxes at Naseby Reservoir on the Grand Union Canal; a volunteer project to create a floating island at Fradley Junction on the Trent & Mersey Canal to provide additional habitat for reed nesting birds, in particular the reed bunting; in partnership with the West Midlands Bird Group, the creation of floating reedbeds around the heronry at Gailey Reservoir on the Staffordshire & Worcester Canal to allow reed buntings to nest and to protect the heronry island from erosion; the installation of barn owl nest boxes at Tunnel End Reservoir, Marsden on the Huddersfield Narrow Canal; the creation of nest boxes for various species of waterway birds along the Kennet & Avon and Bridgwater & Taunton canals; a project
As part of its commitment to protecting and preserving wildlife through the network, BW organises an annual wildlife survey to record sightings of all manner of animals, birds and aquatic life. Between March and September last year, nature enthusiasts recorded more than 40,000 sightings, the data being subsequently collated and refined by BW’s ecological experts. The results showed that kingfishers, newts, toads and otters had all been spotted in record numbers on Britain’s waterways. Sightings of these species soared, with kingfisher recordings increasing by more than 20%. The survey also revealed: several endangered birds were spotted by canals, including curlews, merlins and song thrushes; the number of water voles sighted increased by 33% on 2009; mink sightings fell by 36%, perhaps due to increasing numbers of otters which are able to outcompete mink for territory. The top 20 sightings for 2010 were as follows: mallard 6,779; Canada goose 3,354; moorhen 1,758; swan 1,702; house sparrow 1,641; starling 1,456; rabbit 1,329; damselfly 1,055; bumblebee 1,007; butterfly 993; roach 882; frog 873; coot 783; stickleback 606; heron 601; kingfisher 596; ladybird 585; robin 567; dragonfly 547; perch 427. Anyone wishing to take part in BW’s 2011 wildlife survey should visit www.waterscape.com.
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