Wildlife along the Wyrley & Essington Canal
The canal is a haven for rich and varied wildlife, becoming microsystems to, and directly influencing, the environment around them. This is mainly due to the rich variety of habitats provided by the canal - from the water itself, its reedy fringes and banks, to the grass verges, hedges and trees.
Some very rare species can also be found amongst the more common dwellers and visitors to the canal. Much pondlife, which loves the tranquility of the canal's waters and its particularly good water quality, can be found here, including marsh pennywort, floating water lilies, branched bur reed and sponges and molluscs. Rare plants along the canal such as floating water plantain and grass wrack pondweed are protected by law.
The creatures living amongst the plant and tree life, and along the banks include kingfishers, white claw-crayfish, dragonflies and herons and even the odd otter and water vole, the latter found especially near Bloxwich and along the Anglesey Branch at Chasewater. All sorts of amphibians and reptiles, like frogs, toads, newts and grass snakes will dip in and out of the waters, loving the wetland habitat. Moorhens, ducks and mute swans glide along the waters here. Swallows, thrushes and tits nest in the trees along the verges.
