top of page

Standard Riverfly sampling techniques are used, 3 minute kick sample (using a 250mm by 500mm deep net with 1mm mesh size) and a 1 minute hand search, followed by an in field sorting and identifying to the 8 Target groups  - Cased caddis, Caseless caddis, Mayfly, Blue winged olive, flat bodied stone clingers, Olives, Stoneflies and freshwater shrimp. The Extended Riverfly Project has also been incorporated which includes 33 invertabrate groups and takes into account water quality, silt levels and flow rates. 

19787489_10213604870305777_3778354585051
Ians corixa DSC_2109_edited.jpg
Chemical test
Anglers against polution AAP50x50cm300dpi_trans-300x300.png
Epicollect5_edited_edited.jpg
EA Samples

Environment Agency
Chemical River Tests Results

Species list inverts

Species found consisted of ; 

River / Brook

Still water only 

EA Identified

146 Species

Utube Video links by  kind permission of John Davy-Bowker

Mayflies (Ephemeoptera)

       Baetis - 5 species

       Heptagenids - 3 species

       Ephemerellid - 1 species

       Leptophlebiidae - 2 species

  • Turkey Bown - Paraleptophlebia submarginata

  • Claret Dun - Leptophlebia vespertina (Adult only)

      Caenidae  - 1 species

  • Anglers Curse - Caenis horaria

Stoneflies (Plecoptera)

       Perlodidae

  • Perlodidae sp

  • Common Yellow Sally - Isoperla grammatica 

       Nemouridae​

  • Nemoura  sp.

  • Small Brown - Nemoura avicularis

       Taeniopterygidae

       Leuctridae

  • Needle stonefly - Leuctra  sp.

Sedges (Trichoptera)

       Caseless caddis

       Rhyacophilidae

       Hydropsychidae​

       Polycentropodidae​

       Cased caddis 

       Hydoptilidae

  • Hydroptilla sp.

       Limnephililidae​

  • Cinnamon sedge - Limnephilus lunatus

  • Large Cinnamon Sedge - Potamophylax rotundipennis 

  • Micropterna sequax

  • Caperer - Helesus radiatus

  • Caperer - Helesus digitatus

  • Chaetopteryx villosa

       Lepidostomatidae

  • Silver sedge - Lepidostoma hirtum

       Leptoceridae​

  • Brown Silverhorn - Athripsodes bilineatus

  • Brown Silverhorn - Athripsodes cinereus

  • Ceraclea annulicornis

  • Triaenodes bicolor

  • Mystacides azurea

  • Athripsodes aterrimus

       Brachycentridae​

       Psychomyiidae​

  • Lype reducta

       Phryganeidae

       Glossosomatidae​

       Goeridae​

       Sericostomatidae​

Freshwater shrimp (Malacostraca)

       Gammaridae

       Crangonyctidae​

  • Crangonyx pseudogracilis / floridanus

       Asellidae​

       Astacidae​

Dragonfly (Odonata)

Other Orders

​

Alderflies (Megaloptera)

       Sialidae

True Bugs (Hemiptera)

  • Lesser Water Boatman - Corixa punctata

  • Lesser Water Boatman -  Corixa panzeri

  • Lesser Water Boatman - Hesperocorixa linnaei

  • Lesser Water Boatman - Sigara falleni

  • Lesser Water Boatman - Sigara limitata 

  • Water Boatman - Notonecta glauca

Beetles (Coleoptera)

       Diving Beetle - Dytiscus sp

       Water Beetle - Haliplidae sp

       Riffle beetles

True Flies (Diptera)

      Tabanidae sp

       Crane fly - Tipulidae  

       Phantom Craneflies - Ptychopteridae

  • Ptychoptera contaminata

  • Ptychoptera lacustris

       Simulidae sp

  • Black fly - Simulium equinum

  • Black fly - Simulium ornatum 

  • Shore Flies - Ephydridae sp

  • Aquatic Danceflies - Clinocerinae sp

       Non Biting Midge - Chironomidae spp.

  • Prodiamesinae sp

       Chironomini sp

  • Cricotopus trifasciatus

  • Orthocladiinae sp

  • Tanytarsini sp

  • Tanypodinae sp

       Biting Midge - Ceratopogonidae sp.

       Phantom MidgeChaoborus sp

       Mosquitoes - Culicidae spp.

  • Mosquitoes - Culiseta annulata (Adult only)

Leeches (Hirudinea)

Flatworms (Tricladidea)​

Worms (Oligochaeta)​

Snails (Gastropoda)

  • Common Bithynia - Bithynia tentaculata

  • Common River Snail - Viviparus viviparus

  • Wandering Snail - Ampullaceana balthica

  • Common Ram’s-horn snail - Planorbis planorbis

  • Nautilus Ram’s-horn - Gyraulus crista

  • European valve snail - Valvata piscinalis

  • Common Bladder Snail - Physa fontinalis

  • Whirlpool Ramshorn Snail - Anisus vortex

  • Jenkins' Spire Snail - Potamopyrgus antipodarum

Limpets (Gastropoda)

Bivalves (Bivalvia)

Water mites (Hydracarina)​

  • Water mites - Hydracarina Spp

  • Hydrachna sp.

Springtails

  • Podura aquatica

Water Fleas (Daphniidae)

  • Daphnia Sp

Copopods (Copopoda)

  • Copopoda Sp.

Ischnura elegans Blue tailed Damselfly n
DSC_4346_edited.jpg
DNA Barcoding

Environmental DNA barcoding (eDNA) Fish Survey 2021

Great thanks to Mike Duddy and the Mersey Rivers Trust for this information

DNA Results for Bollin Mike Duddy birkin
Electro fishing

Electro Fishing Survey

Electro fishing survey taken on Birkin brook beat 1. August 6th 2017

DSC_2837a_edited.jpg
20689658_10155595076744439_6059188376731

Both generator and backpack methods were used and resulted in a number of Perch upto 6 inch and Gudgeon to 6 inch, along with healthy populations of Bull head, Minnow and Stickleback. Also found were 10 Eels upto 2 foot  in length and a Brook lamprey of about 5 inch.

  • Fish Species Found

  • Brown Trout

  • Perch

  • Gudgeon

  • Bull head

  • Stone Loach

  • Minnow

  • Stickleback

  • Eel

  • Brook Lamprey

DSC_2829b_edited.jpg
DSC_2835a_edited.jpg

Species found consisted of ; 

River / Brook

Still water only 

17 Species

Fish

       Game fish - 2 species

  • Wild Brown Trout  - Salmo trutta, 

  • Greyling - Thymallus thymallus

       Course fish - 5 species

  • Grass Carp - Ctenopharyngodon idella

  • Perch - Perca fluviatilis,

  • Chub - Squalius  cephalus,

  • Tench - Tinca tinca,

  • Bream - Abramis brama

  • Roach - Rutilus rutilus

 

     Predatory - 2 species

  • Pike - Esox lucius,

  • European Eel - Anguilla anguilla,

​       Others 

  • Gudgeon - Gabia gabia,

  • Dace - Leuciscus leuciscus, 

  • Minnow - Phaxinus phaxinus, 

  • 3 Spined Stickleback - Gasterosteus aculeatus

  • Bullhead - Cottus gobia,

  • Stoneloach - Barbatula babatula

  • Brook Lamprey  - Lampetra spp.

Short video on the Mayfly life cycle

bottom of page