THERE have been confirmed reports of rare great crested newts on farmland in Mickle Trafford.

The land on land behind Cedars Close is farmed by the Rowlands family, known for its herd of rare breed Red Poll cattle.

The farm has been in Natural England’s Higher Level Stewardship Scheme for the last ten years and is farmed in an environmentally way.

Farmer Huw Rowlands said: “I am delighted by this find, and it shows that farming and wildlife can go hand in hand.”

Cheshire Wildlife Trusts Ben Gregory added: “We’ve been working with landowners such as the Rowlands in the River Gowy corridor for a number of years now and it’s always great to hear good news stories like this one. Great Crested Newts are our largest native newt species and get their name from the long-jagged crest found on the back of the males which develops during the breeding season.

“Great crested newts are a good indicator of the health of a pond and tend to only be found in fairly undisturbed ponds with lots of weeds and no fish. Leading up to breeding the newts come up to the pond margins at night time where the males do their courtship display”.

Dog walkers using public footpaths in the vicinity are asked to keep their dogs on leads and to keep strictly to the marked footpath to give great grested Newts a better chance of breeding.

Great crested newts are extremely rare throughout the Britain, and are threatened by an invasive fungus which devour their skin, and which has led to the collapse of populations of salamanders and newts in mainland Europe.

Anyone who finds a dead or injured amphibian (newt, frog or toad) is asked to report their find online at https://www.gardenwildlifehealth.org/gwh-database/

Photographs are especially useful.