Thought people would be interested to know that I am doing a university project on this subject.

If anyone has any information that might be useful please post here.

I've been doing research on Peel and found out that they have been involved in the creation of at least 2 Nature areas, Speke and Garston Nature Reserve by Liverpool John Lennon airport (I visited there recently and it's full of Skylarks one of the species affected by mediacity) and I've also read about a Bridgewater Nature Park in the Worsley & Boothstown district of Salford.

Does anyone have any information on or directions to Bridgewater Nature Park as I'm going to have a look there on Sunday

On the BBC's Springwatch website the beeb encourage the general public to help create Breathing Places for nature and to Do One Thing for wildlife - perhaps the BBC themselves can Do One Thing for all the wildlife that the construction of their shiny new buildings has displaced and help create a Breathing Place for nature in Salford.......


-- Edited by EcoBirdRacer at 22:32, 2007-05-29

This article is going to be in the Salford Star summer edition, also sending it to birding magazines, etc: SHOULD BBC SPRINGWATCH HAVE BEEN BROADCAST FROM HERE ? If you'd have taken a walk around the North Wharf area of Salford Quays earlier this year, you would have encountered a scene that could have been a feature on the BBCs Springwatch. A number of birds were gearing up for the breeding season including singing Skylarks & displaying Ringed Plovers & Lapwings, while birdwatchers waited for the arrival of the rare, migratory Little Ringed Plover. How ironic then that this is the proposed location of MediaCity:UK, the BBCs new home, & that environmentally damaging activity has been taking place here all Spring that would send a shiver down Bill Oddie's spine ! The site is derelict land alongside the Manchester Ship canal but, for some years, has been important breeding habitat for several ground nesting bird species, including the Little Ringed Plover - a Schedule 1 species. Being on the Schedule 1 list of the Wildlife & Countryside Act 1981 means they are protected by special penalties at all times. The Act makes it an offense to intentionally kill, injure or take any wild bird or their eggs or nests, & there are additional offences of disturbing these birds at their nests, or their dependent young. The Secretary of State may also designate Areas of Special Protection to provide further protection. Therefore, any evidence of a Little Ringed Plover breeding attempt would have legally halted construction work. Somewhat cynically, it seems that the architects of land owners Peel Holdings set out to make certain this didn't happen. For over 2 months falconers from NBC Bird Solutions have been on site daily with 1 or 2 Landrovers at a time, a Harris Hawk, a Saker Falcon & Terrier & Spaniel dogs. As stated on their website birdsolutions.co.uk (website displayed on their vehicles) these people are employed to control bird populations &, this Spring, many local birdwatchers and conservationists have seen them disturbing birds during the breeding season, & have taken photos. The Chairman of the BBC Trust & Hazel Blears MP have been informed, but so far there has been no response from either. The BBC are a major international organisation rightly famed for their commitment to the natural world, as evidenced by the productions of the BBC Natural History Unit. It is very concerning that the BBC appear to be involved in such irresponsible activity. Many other individuals & organisations share this concern, including Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, local journalists & conservationists. Let's just hope that a positive outcome can be salvaged from this. Perhaps some of the organisations that have been involved in the harassment of breeding birds & destruction of their homes, can provide them with new, more permanent habitat in the future.