| To
support Ely Wildspace, join
today!
A green corridor buffering the
eastern edge of Ely, properly protected from harmful development and
managed for the combined benefit of wildlife and local people.
With its spectacular cathedral,
gentle pace of life, and delightful riverside setting, Ely is a
special place to live. But its rapid growth has put increasing pressure
on the city’s remaining green spaces.
The
quiet backwaters of Roswell Pits and the nearby wetlands and meadows
along the River Great Ouse are now the
last fragments of nature around Ely. Over 1200 people have joined
Ely Wildspace (originally called LCPRE) to keep these places wild
for the animals, plants and people to whom they matter.
The area is so important nationally
it’s recently been designated as a Site of Special Scientific
Interest. We are now working with agencies,
landowners and our community to safeguard this wonderful place,
enhance its habitats still further, and help people enjoy them in
a sustainable way. |
------- Latest News -------
A bird in the hand - two in the bush
07
May 2012 For the third year running a male nightingale has
set up territory overlooking Roswell Pits - in fact this year there
are two. They arrived from their African wintering grounds in mid-April
and for much of the day and night can be heard singing alongside
Kiln Lane - below the Environment Agency car park and just above
where the vegetation opens out onto the two pits. Both birds have
been mist-netted and ringed by Dr Stuart Sharp, who has special
permission to catch nightingales. One of them is a first-year bird,
which suggests that they may have bred successfully here last year
(most first-year males return to breed in the area where they were
born). With a bit of luck, now that the birds are ringed we can
find out whether it’s the same individuals that are arriving
each spring. Listen to a nightingale call by clicking
here (recorded at Roswell pits just before midnight on St Georges'
day, April 23rd).
|