Hello ducky - wildlife gets new home
3 August 2010
Birds living on the Rochdale Canal have been given new homes as part of a plan to help wildlife flourish in the city centre.
A brightly coloured duck house, along with a ramp letting ducks and ducklings in and out of the water, has been set up by the canal near Whitworth Street West.
It was built after concerns from some residents about ducklings who had sat on a low ledge near the lock before slipping down an overflow grid where the current is too strong for them.
The duckhouse and ramp have been painted bright colours to fit in with the boats that travel along the canal, and were also based on designs used in a similar scheme further upstream in New Islington, Ancoats.
The project was developed by Manchester City Council with British Waterways as part of a wider scheme boosting biodiversity along the stretch of canal running through the city centre.
Large birds such as mallards and geese can also use the house, while bat boxes have also been set up along the canal, as well as other nest boxes for smaller birds such as blue tits and robins.
Meanwhile, floral planters have been placed along the canal, attracting insects to provide food for birds and bats.
The project has been set up as part of the Waterways Trust's Rochdale Canal Festival, aimed at attracting people to stretches of the canal, and the International Year of Biodiversity.
Local resident Denise Drury said: "Having the duckhouse on the canal is great news and we can't wait to see our new neighbours move in. Many of the residents in the Bridgewater Bank development provide bird feed and flowers to attract the birds and bees and help swell the wildlife population."
Councillor Nigel Murphy, Manchester City Council's Executive Member for the Environment, said: "People who live in or who visit the city centre get a real boost from seeing all the wildlife we have on offer. This scheme is going to be a big help for our feathered friends and will make this important stretch of the canal even greener and more vibrant."
