£10,000 grant allows cameras to be used to watch Shropshire heron colony
Webcams have been installed on an island to allow birdwatchers in Shropshire to watch a colony of herons.
A grant of £10,000 from the Big Lottery Fund has paid for the 10 cameras which have been put on Moscow Island in Ellesmere.
The webcams have been installed high up in the tree-tops ready for the 2015 season.
Now images from the HD cameras, which are equipped with infra-red lights for night viewing, are being streamed live to the Boathouse Visitor Centre.
A colony of around 25 pairs of herons nest on the artificial island.
Waste from the construction of a road in 1812 was used to create the island, which stands in a natural 116-acre lake.
This year is the 25th anniversary since Heronwatch in Ellesmere was set up.
Edward Bevan, from Ellesmere Heronwatch, said visitors were treating the life of the birds in the colony as a "soap opera".
He said: "Everyone is really enjoying watching the herons.
"It has generated a lot of interest.
"A big thank you to the Big Lottery Awards for the grant. The cameras were positioned in the trees by the experts from Tree Dynamics.
"The installation of the cables and computer wizardry was done by Aaction Electronics, so thanks go to Ron and Paul for their part in the project."
Heronwatch, based at the Boathouse in Ellesmere, is looking forward to an exciting year ahead using the new equipment .
For more about the scheme go to www.heronwatch.org.uk
