Final push to raise money for wildlife cameras

Edward and Amanda Bevan said Heronwatch was loved

A wildlife group is looking to raise another £11,000 this autumn to pay for new nest cameras on a lake.

Ellesmere Heronwatch began 34 years ago and its current cameras are 10 years old and in need of replacing.

Chairman Edward Bevan said they had missed out on a large amount of match-funding and wanted the cameras installed before the breeding season started in February.

He said the project made birdwatching fun and accessible to a lot of people who might otherwise have no interest in nature.

"It's easy birdwatching, it's low-level science. There's nothing academic about what we do, it's for fun," Mr Bevan added.

There are 15 cameras monitoring 13 nests on Moscow Island, where the grey herons go every year.

They give visitors to the nearby Boathouse cafe in Ellesmere the chance to see the herons hatching and rearing their chicks.

But as a result of their age and the weather, the majority give no images at all and only one produces good images.

The project has grown over the past 34 years, but the cameras now need replacing

Amanda Bevan, a volunteer who helps visitors use the cameras, said: "It's a very easy opportunity for the public to meet wildlife face on and people are amazed by how easy it is to see."

She said it was "so good for mental wellbeing" and it would be a disappointment for a lot of people if it could not continue.

The group aims to raise £35,000 to buy four new cameras and has reached £24,000, thanks partly to £10,000 from Shropshire Council.

Its aim is to have the cameras installed this autumn, before the birds arrive in January.