The stunning array of wildlife living in Salford will go under the microscope in a new photography competition launched by the Lancashire Wildlife Trust.
The Trust, which nursed back to health large areas of Irlam and Cadishead mosslands devastated by peat extraction, wants to show off the very best shots of the city’s resident birds, mammals, reptiles and insects.
The contest is open to all ages, and to both amateur and professional photographers.
The winning picture will be featured at the region’s newest nature reserve: the 100-hectare Little Woolden Moss near Cadishead.
Rare and protected species, including the bog brush cricket, wading avocets, sandpipers and the evasive stone curlew – last seen in Salford in 1963 – have all been spotted frolicking on the moss’s wide open spaces.
Elsewhere in Salford recently, photographers have captured exotic species on camera, such as the hummingbird hawkmoth and the barking deer.
And to whet your appetite the Trust is holding free guided tours of Little Woolden and Cadishead Moss on Friday 7 August at 8.30am and 2pm, and Tuesday 11 August at 7.30pm.
Each session lasts two hours and you will have the chance to explore areas normally restricted to the general public and snap as many pictures of the local landscape and wildlife as you can.
To book a place on the guided tours, or to enter the photo competition, email Sam Summer at ssummers@lancswt.org.uk
The closing date is 26 August 2015.
