North West Urban Jungle

centre and behind me there seems to be a bit of fuss going on. What are

they looking at? Well, they're all hoping to see this beauty, the

peregrine falcon. The fastest creature on the planet and in the

heart of this city. Getting your wildlife fix has never been easier.

I'm about to show you, so come with me through the urban jungle of the

North West. Coming up - Birds in Salford and

bats in Manchester. I cast my eyes to the skies.

Will Rani Phillips stay focused as she tries her hand at wildlife

photography in Liverpool? They're really fast! And I join the fight to

save the hedgehog and go looking for badgers, in Warrington.I'm known as

The Urban Birder, because I love birding and I love cities. So I

could never pass up the chance to go birding in Greater Manchester, which

has so many fantastic locations. It's also a great place to watch

other flying creatures that aren't birds. But first I'm going on an

They say that if you want to search for urban wildlife the best place to

start looking is your own doorstep, and that's exactly what we're going

Salford Quays may be home to the BBC these days, but it's also a top spot

for wildlife, especially birds. I'm taking a trip on the water, courtesy

of the Irwell Pride, the unlikely looking vessel which helps monitor

water quality here. My guide is local birder James

Walsh, who's devised his own bird and in Salford Quays we've got a big

five too. We've got cormorant, lapwing, grey heron, mute swan and

kingfisher. And how many of those do you think we'll see today? I think

we've got a good chance of seeing all five. We've got a cormorant

flying over there. They roost here and catch fish. They're here all

year round. That's one down! It isn't long before we've ticked

off two more. Wherever there's fish to be had you'll find a Grey Heron.

And everyone's favourite, the Mute Swan, is another bird you can pretty

much guarantee. But I'm pleasantly surprised to see many others,

including this Goldeneye, a rare sight in the English summer. And

check out this Buzzard - a bird of open country searching for food in

the heart of the city. It's a very urban environment. I'm surprised you

get so many species here. We've recorded over 100 species. We've

been recording warblers, waders, different species of ducks, birds of

prey. It's still a bit of a secret wonderland for birders. It sometimes

feels like your own private nature reserve round here. We used to get a

lot of fly-tipping around here. It was one of the worst polluted water

courses in Europe at one stage so it's taken a lot of time and

dedication to bring it back to how we are at the moment. The more

organisms there are in the water, the more animals there are in the

periphery of the watercourse feeding off them. Such as the wagtails

taking the insect life, the small muddy beach provides my

highlight of the day - a Little Ringed Plover. Not a bird you see

every day but one which has started to move into urban areas. We also

tick off the fourth of our big five. We've also got a Lapwing which we

haven't spoken about yet. I'd say Lapwing is probably, as well as the

Kingfisher, it's the most iconic species we have here on the Quays.

you can count me in every time. There's wildlife everywhere -

there's a couple of Mallards over there. I must say, James, I'm liking

your patch. Cheers, mate!And as we head back to base, look what our

cameraman spots - a tantalising glimpse of blue. The elusive

Platt Fields Park lies between Fallowfield and Moss Side, bang in

the middle of inner city Manchester. As the day draws to a close, the

skateboarders give way to other visitors. And I'm joining them, on a

bat watch. Perfect conditions - warm all day,

overcast but it's dry and not too windy so should get a lot out

feeding tonight around the lake and around the tree lines. Steve does a

lot of work helping to get injured bats back into the wild so he's able

to show me a couple up close. First the tiny Pipistrelle. The mythology

which surrounds these fantastic mammals means they tend to be a bit

unloved, even feared. How can you be scared of this? He is quite ugly.He

is stunning. A fantastic animal. He is just interested in feeding on

insects. He will eat about 3,000 a night. When he's flying close to

people it's cos of the midges. up is an injured Noctule, Britain's

largest bat. See the mouth going? She's echo locating. She's shivering

but that's just her warming up as if she was ready to fly off and get

hunting but she doesn't need to. She gets a supply of food from me, of

course. Four different species have been recorded in the park. As

darkness falls, Steve's team gathers by the lake. Once people get to see

what they look like up close, they get really interested in them.

They're a species you can sit in your garden with a glass of wine and

watch. They come to you, more or less. What do people feel when they

see a bat for the first time? think when they actually see it and

they know it's a bat, it tends to get people hooked. I think, wow,

look at them fly. They're very A bat detector is just a tool to let

us hear the bats. It's got two dials. The first dial, turn it right

up, you're going to hear even the quieter bats. The other dial is the

frequency range. I normally suggest setting around about 45 kilohertz

that's where we'll find most bats tonight. Detectors usually cost from

�60 upwards but if you join a bat I got a bat! I got a bat! The sound

haven't got a head torch or a bat detector - you've got a fishing rod!

Do you fish here often? All the time. And do you see bats?I see

them every night. What do you think about bats. They're fantastic.

They're fun, nice to see and they're fantastic. You sound like a prime

candidate to join the bat club. had an amazing day. I've travelled

around and seen so much urban wildlife and here tonight, all those

bats, fantastic. Just imagine what's Many of us who like natural history

fancy ourselves with a camera. But you don't need to go far and wide or

spend loads of money. And to try and prove it, Rani Price spent a day on

her home patch, to see if she could When I was growing up here in

Liverpool, I never thought of it as a haven for wildlife. But it seems

I've been walking round with my eyes shut. All across the city there are

places where flora and fauna thrive, and I'm going to try and find some

of them. Helping me to appreciate the finer points of all things

natural is Steve Round, a professional wildlife photographer.

basic skills of his trade. Poor fella - he hasn't got a clue what

he's let himself in for! I'm not the best photographer. I'm

closer to the worst. Sometimes heads missing, don't always catch the shot

and I'm not very patient. Am I going to be a great wildlife photographer

today, Steve? It takes more than a day to become a great wildlife

photographer but I can certainly show you the first steps to getting

there. When we talk about being in the city, where are we going to find

wildlife? Any parks, gardens, anywhere where there's water will

attract wildlife. The M62 isn't what I'd call green

but right next to where it arrives in Liverpool, and not many people

know this, is the fabulous National Wildflower Centre. It's a showcase

for Britain's wild flower heritage and about as green as you can get.

This was a derelict building site when we took it on. This has all

been planned and planted to deliberately look like this.

you've actually planted wild flowers? Yes, all of these were

planted. Once you've planted wild flowers, how much do you need to do

to keep them maintained? Or is that the idea, they just grow wild?

do grow wild but they do need some sort of management. They will need

cutting every year but they are left pretty much to their own devices.

The centre is popular with local schools and I soon become an

honorary member of 1D, Hope Primary school in Huyton. This lives in the

water. It's called a newt. Look underneath, it's got a spotty belly.

Oh, no, it's going to jump! The frog was quite soggy and slimy.

spotty! Is that what you remember about it? Did he have big eyes?

Middle size! Middle-size eyes! As much as I'm enjoying the chat

with my new mates, Darcy and Wade, I am actually here to learn the first

lessons of wildlife photography.Sort out which camera you're going to

use. This is a digital SLR. When you look you'll see a small square in

the middle when you look through the viewfinder and if you get that small

square on the point you want to take the picture of, whether it's a

flower or a bird or a squirrel or whatever. I'm thinking we're going

to start small, start with things Move a little bit closer. Right. Oh,

yes, that looks nice. Take a few, you can always delete ones you don't

predict the next flower it's going to and then be ready. Where are you?

I'm clicking and it's out of focus. I got the bee on the flower. Bee on

Just fire any time? If you see something worth taking a picture of.

Here's a couple of hawk moths. not sure I know exactly what I'm

taking the picture of. I'm just snapping away, it's my technique. If

it works, hey ho. Look at me, check It's time to leave the security of

the Wildflower Centre and head out into my own Urban Jungle, a

Just about every town and city has a park and Liverpool has one of the

best. This is Sefton Park, a magnificent 235 acre oasis of green,

between Toxteth and Mossley Hill. And the place is teeming with

There's tonnes to see here - all sorts of animals and birds,

including woodpeckers and even parakeets! It is fabulous for

wildlife. It is a great asset. And all this and to think we're just ten

or 15 minutes from the city centre, from the thriving metropolis of

Liverpool. And we've got all this wildlife here and it's living in

perfect harmony. On the lake at the moment, we've got our swans, our

baby cygnets, which are absolutely beautiful. Little grebe, crested

grebe, coots, moorhens, which are nesting at the moment. Ducks galore.

And for wildlife photography as Grebe but have to admit they are

stunning. The mother is carrying two tiny chicks on her back. How cute is

that! Unfortunately they are a bit far away.

This is somewhere I want to get wet and get right in there. What can I

do? A bigger lens. Only answer is a big lens. You need a proper big

lens. Apparently this is a 500. I've Swans are just as lovely and Steve

gives me another top tip. You don't want to be taking a shot straight

down. You want to be at their level. The closer you are to water, the

better. You're sort of going into - the fast-moving squirrels. But I

have a cunning plan - I've brought monkey nuts!

Here's one! Don't get excited! Take the picture, Rani!

Where have you gone? They're really fast. I'm ready.

Oh my goodness. I've got half of one, an action shot.

Here's one right behind. Go for the eye. He's scratching! He's gone.

My day complete, it's time to get Steve's verdict. I've learned a lot.

Simple things like just try to get very low and get them in focus.

you've done it. Thank you. I look forward to seeing the best ones.

His top tips - no matter what your standard.

Choose your backgrounds carefully - avoid distractions.

Compose your shot - try to isolate the subject.

Try to get down to animal eye level, Now Rani and Steve had some pretty

nifty gear there but you don't need to spend a fortune to get good

images. If you want some tips, or better still, if you'd like to send

us some of your pictures - then go to bbc.co.uk/summerofwildlife.

There's some great information there for you.

All across the North West, wildlife is making its home in urban

locations. Did you know there's a colony of terns in Preston? Or that

there's a nature reserve in the shadow of Heysham Power Station? And

then there's Warrington, a town with more than a few surprises, lots of

badgers, and also home to a woman on With a population of almost quarter

of a million, Warrington is one of the biggest and busiest towns in the

North west of England. It's also got plenty of wildlife to enjoy.

However, not everything in the garden is rosy. Despite the fact

most urban wildlife appears to be on the increase, there is one

traditional town dweller that appears to be in a bit of trouble.

This little fella is among our favourite garden visitors but

they're fast disappearing. 60 years ago, there were 35 million

hedgehogs in this country. Today there is only one million and that

number is falling. They could disappear in this country by 2025.

Virginia Jones was so upset by the plight of the hedgehog that she

decided to do something about it. She's been running a rescue centre

from a garage in Fearnhead for the past five years.

I get approximately 250 hedgehogs through here every year. About 85%

of those make it and are rehabilitated back to the wild.

Just days before I went to meet her, Virginia took in a very special

delivery - six baby hoglets, abandoned by their mother when their

nest was destroyed by dogs. I've got the scary job of feeding one of

these tiny, vulnerable creatures. This is not cow's milk, it's a

special formula. Hedgehogs are lactose intolerant. They should

never be given cow's milk. Get the point in. Now gently, gently,

depress the plunger. Very gently. Very hungry. How you finding it?

It's a big responsibility. I'd probably be a nervous wreck after a

couple of days of doing this! I have to stress, please don't try

this at home. If you find an injured hedgehog take it to the vet or a

rescue centre. The babies may look cute but we always have to remember

that they are wild animals and they should be living out in their own

environment. Seeing a hedgehog in your garden is a great buzz and it's

still not too late to help them. Try putting out food - Virginia

recommends cat or dog food and water, but definitely not milk. It's

also crucial to leave gaps in, or under, your garden fence. Hedgehogs

need to cover about eight gardens a night to get enough food. And try

installing a night vision camera - you'll love the hedgehog shots, and

as Virginia found, you may even get But there are success stories too

and close to the middle of town, I've made a fantastic discovery.

This is a typical sand martin colony, set up on a steep sand bank

close to water. Now they normally like to live in rural areas but this

colony have chosen to live outside a chemical factory in Warrington.

There's heavy traffic on land and on water. But somehow these tiny

visitors who've come all the way from southern Africa have slipped

under the radar, of even the most watchful eyes. Have you noticed

anything interesting terms of the birds and wildlife here? Mainly the

ducks, the swans, foxes definitely. Have you ever noticed that, that

embankment, and nesting in that sandbank are a few pairs of sand

martins, like brown swallows? Have you ever noticed them? No, no, no.

A party from Rumworth School in Bolton is on an educational visit to

the factory. I don't think they were expecting a natural history lesson

about bird migration. They must be exhausted cos look have far they've

travelled from Africa to here! astonished that a species of bird

could live so close to an industrial area and still fly there without

being affected by it. Look behind you, there's a buzzard. That big

bird of prey, see it now? Ddid you know they're the most common bird of

prey in Britain? Have you ever seen buzzards before? I've heard of them

but never seen one. I invite the lads to get a closer

look through my binoculars but our view is interrupted by one of the

more unusual hazards of urban birding! That's a sand martin, and

here's another one heading left, and here comes a big ship to ruin our

pictures were taken? In a forest? In the heart of the country? No, all

this footage was shot in suburban gardens in Cheshire. Badgers and

foxes are closer than you think. Especially if you live in

Warrington! I'm really keen to see an urban badger so I'm going to meet

the Lynch family. They've been getting regular visits for over

three years. The first time I saw the badger he was in next door's

garden in the compost heap and I ran and grabbed my camcorder. I couldn't

believe what I was seeing and I captured the footage here - you can

see. He came through the fence into our garden. I couldn't believe it.

I'd never seen badgers here before. Sometimes we're almost blase about

the fact that we have badgers coming every evening almost. It's

brilliant, isn't it? Yes, cos when they come and it's quite early I can

usually sit for ages watching them. Very occasionally they've had more

than one badger feeding on the patio but usually it's just one, normally

around 9pm. Paul and Joe find that peanuts are the badgers' favourite

food and tonight I'm hoping they'll still no sign of the badger. Joe's

she came! She was here so briefly. She came right to the patio. The

thing is we have a cameraman at the top of the patio, she might have

detected his presence. Maybe smelled the hide or something and ran

straight off, but we got the shot! wildlife can be a brilliant thing to

do, but it can also be highly unpredictable. That's why these

things are really useful. They're called trail cams and basically they

start filming whenever something passes through the beam. They're

relatively cheap and very easy to use. Even I can work one!

In fact it was a trail cam which captured our Warrington badger,

returning for her peanuts at 2.26am, long after we'd all gone to bed!

Well, we've come to the end of our trip round our very own Urban Jungle

and I really hope you enjoyed it. Remember, if you want more tips and