Unusual Species Found In Rochdale Canal

Photo of an Otter

A nationwide survey of waterway wildlife by visitors to canals and rivers during August produced sightings of over 60 different species, including rare and protected creatures such as water voles, bats and otters.

Over 1,100 sightings were recorded in the online survey on Waterscape.com, the online guide to visiting Britain's waterways and over 10,000 people logged on to Waterscape.com in August to find out more about waterway wildlife.

The information gathered will be used by British Waterways, which cares for 2,000 miles of canals and rivers, to help manage and protect the rich array of wildlife in its canals and rivers, and will be incorporated into the national species database, which records biodiversity on the inland waterways.

As well as the more common birds, animals and insects you’d expect to see by the canal including hundreds of people recording herons, mallards, swans, coots, geese, moor hens, toads and dragonflies, 32 people spotted the nationally endangered water vole, 39 saw bats, 58 spotted grass snakes, 69 glimpsed kingfishers, 16 recognised terrapins and eight people reported spying an otter.

Jonathan Brickland, British Waterways’ national ecologist, says: “Britain’s beautiful canals, rivers and lakes are havens for all sorts of wildlife from birds, fish and mammals to insects, reptiles and amphibians. They reach into the heart of most of Britain’s larger towns and cities and often bring a unique cross-section of the countryside right to urban doorsteps for all to enjoy. It’s important to monitor the wildlife that inhabits our waterways, especially native species whose numbers may be declining or in some cases making a comeback.

Sightings of rarer species include:

• Water voles on the Shropshire Union Canal near Nantwich in Cheshire, the Leeds & Liverpool Canal near Burnley in Lancashire.
• Bats on the Rochdale Canal near Littleborough in Greater Manchester, the Leeds & Liverpool Canal near Bootle, Aire & Calder near Knottingley, the Shropshire Union near Wardle in Cheshire.
• Otters on the Rochdale Canal near Rochdale.
• Grass Snakes on the Shropshire Union Canal near Wardle in Cheshire.
• Newts on the Aire & Calder near Knottingley, Rochdale Canal near Rochdale.
• Kingfishers on the Leeds & Liverpool Canal near Wigan, Leeds & Liverpool near Burnley, Rochdale Canal near Littleborough

Sightings of non-native species include:

• Terrapins on the Trent & Mersey Canal near Barrow on Trent.

To see the results of the wildlife survey, find out more about waterway wildlife and visiting Britain’s waterways visit www.waterscape.com.