RENOWNED Warrington Ornithologist Brian Martin is about to realise a lifelong ambition of getting an area of Westy designated as a Cheshire Local Wildlife Trust Site for its Swift colony.

His evidence, recorded over several decades of bird counts and associated records, was submitted a while ago and has now been verified. He has the support of Warrington Borough Council’s area manager for wildlife sites, Angus Lord, local housing association Torus and the Cheshire Wildlife Trust (CWT). Two colleagues, Karl Green, who makes swift boxes and Wayne McLaughlin, who helps him install them, have been working to halt the national decline by creating new homes and putting them high up on house walls in the Westy community. Brian describes the project as a great collaboration.