Woolston Eyes is a

Site of Special Scientific Interest A Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) in Great Britain, or an Area of Special Scientific Interest (ASSI) in the Isle of Man and Northern Ireland, is a conservation designation denoting a protected area in the United Kingdom and Isle ...

located in the town of

Warrington Warrington () is an industrial town in the Borough of Warrington, borough of the same name in Cheshire, England. The town sits on the banks of the River Mersey and was Historic counties of England, historically part of Lancashire. It is east o ...

, England, alongside the Manchester Ship Canal. The eyes themselves are used for the deposition of dredgings from the Ship Canal under a Waste Management Licence issued by the Environment Agency. The Woolston Eyes Conservation Group manages the site as a

nature reserve A nature reserve (also known as a wildlife refuge, wildlife sanctuary, biosphere reserve or bioreserve, natural or nature preserve, or nature conservation area) is a protected area of importance for flora, fauna, funga, or features of geologic ...

with access by permit only. The rather strange name for the site is from

Anglo-Saxon The Anglo-Saxons, in some contexts simply called Saxons or the English, were a Cultural identity, cultural group who spoke Old English and inhabited much of what is now England and south-eastern Scotland in the Early Middle Ages. They traced t ...

, ''ees'' meaning the land near a loop in a river.

Wildlife

It is the premier UK site for breeding black-necked grebes and a stronghold for the willow tit, and other breeding birds include

little grebe The little grebe (''Tachybaptus ruficollis''), also known as dabchick, is a member of the grebe family of water birds. The genus name is from Ancient Greek ''takhus'' "fast" and ''bapto'' "to sink under". The specific ''ruficollis'' is from Latin ...

, great crested grebe, shelduck, Eurasian teal, Northern shoveler, water rail,

common cuckoo The cuckoo, common cuckoo, European cuckoo or Eurasian cuckoo (''Cuculus canorus'') is a member of the cuckoo order of birds, Cuculiformes, which includes the Geococcyx, roadrunners, the ani (bird), anis and the coucals. This species is a widesp ...

, common kingfisher, common grasshopper warbler and Eurasian reed warbler. Woolston Eyes also supports nationally important wintering numbers of Northern shoveler, Eurasian teal gadwall and common pochard. There are 12 species of herpetofauna recorded, including sand lizard, smooth snake, natterjack toad and all three native British species of newt. It is also home to 21 species of Odonata, dragonflies and damselfies, out of 58 species found in Britain, as well as 26 species of butterfly.

Management

Woolston Eyes Conservation Group, a voluntary organisation formed in 1979, manages the rich and varied wildlife of the deposit grounds with the agreement of the Manchester Ship Canal Company. Its aim is to promote the study and conservation of the wildlife and habitat of the area with particular regard to the ornithology. The group undertakes management work to preserve or maximise the ornithological value of the Reserve, provides and maintains hides for the use of the public and permit holders, keeps the paths open and discourages disturbance. The group produces an Annual Report which summarises the work carried out and the results obtained including the scientific study of the flora and fauna of the Reserve. To carry out this work the group raises funds by the sale of Permits, Annual Reports and by applying for grants from various organisations.

References

External links

{{Commons category, Woolston Eyes
Woolston Eyes Website
Sites of Special Scientific Interest in Cheshire Lakes and reservoirs of Cheshire Geography of Warrington Nature reserves in Cheshire