News Flash Archives.

Christmas Bird Survey 2007 (Christmas Eve to 2 January).
Thanks to all of the 76 garden bird watchers who completed survey forms - this was an excellent response.

52 different species were recorded in gardens with 5 more seen flying overhead.

The Blackbird was our most widespread Christmas bird being recorded in 75 out of the 76 gardens - did anyone notice more male (black) blackbirds than females (dark brown)? There seem to be more males around - probably birds from the continent. The Robin came second in 71 gardens. The rest of the top ten were Blue Tit (65), Starling (62), House Sparrow (58), Collared Dove (53), Chaffinch (51), Great Tit (48), Magpie (48) and Dunnock (38). There was only one change of species in the top ten this year compared to 2006 - the Dunnock replacing the Crow at number 10. Some others changed position - most notably the Magpie dropped from 4th to equal 8th place.

One surveyor quoted a lack of Greenfinches. It seems that there has been plenty of natural food in the countryside so they have not visited gardens so much. There was a flock of 70 at Kingston Seymour sea wall and 20 at Wemberham Lane, Yatton.

The Song Thrush records were quite encouraging - 18 gardens. According to the British Trust for Ornithology (BTO) they are most common in gardens around Christmas - it is thought this is due to their need to come into gardens to obtain sufficient food during the very short winter days.

18 gardens had Blackcaps - a bird generally thought of as a summer visitor. Scientific studies have shown that our winter Blackcaps come from Germany and return there in the spring whilst our summer birds are from Southern Europe or North Africa. Surprisingly no one recorded a Chiffchaff, another warbler species which winters, often in gardens, in small numbers.

The Marsh Tit (2) and Nuthatch (1) records reflect the populations on Cadbury Hill and the A370 woodlands. Reed Buntings (6) obviously find more food in gardens than in the wider countryside in winter.

The BTO has asked for a copy of our results which will be added to other garden bird data which provides a very useful indication of garden bird populations.

The winner of the prize draw was Peter Kehoe. Special thanks to the children who sent in their surveys - Belinda, Helen, Finn and Merryn.

Please click here to see the results of our Christmas Bird Survey 2007.

Please click here to see the results of our Christmas Bird Survey 2006.

New Reserve for YACWAG - Footmead (November 2007).
Yatton and Congresbury Wildlife Action Group (YACWAG) is celebrating its 8th land purchase in as many years, following the acquisition of a field on Biddle Street Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI).The field is historically part of the Northmarsh, and situated near to Gangwall, an ancient sea defence that partly forms the parish boundary between Yatton and Congresbury.

Biddle Street SSSI is nationally important for wetland plants and insects and YACWAG already owns four fields there, which it manages for the benefit of wildlife. YACWAG's work in partnership with the Hawk and Owl Trust has seen the return of Barn Owls to breed within the area and has also encouraged Snipe to overwinter and Reed Buntings to breed.

YACWAG Chairperson Tony Moulin said, "We have seized an opportunity to claim and protect another small part of the North Somerset Levels and Moors. The purchase comes at a time when the Government is threatening to cut the work of Natural England and I think that demonstrates how important it is for local communities to take matters into their own hands and do what they can to preserve biodiversity within their own parishes".

The 2.4 acre field is named as Footmead on 200 year old maps, and was part of the Glebe lands of Yatton (owned by the Church Commissioners to provide income for the Vicar of Yatton through rents etc). The Church sold it in 1856 to the Society of Friends (Quakers) who have owned it ever since, letting it to farmers for grazing and hay. Tony Moulin said, "We know that 20 years ago Footmead was exceptionally rich in wildlife and we will work with Natural England to restore the ditches to their former glory".

Cadbury Hill Dew Pond Project Wins Award (September 2007).
YACWAG has been successful in winning the Tranformation Category of the Community Service Volunteers national awards for conservation projects. John Howard the project leader said that the award of £300 would help pay for the tools and materials required for the re-pointing of the pond. Earlier in the year Yatton Parish Council also supported the project by giving a grant of £350.

For a history of the dew pond restoration go to Archives page.

Kenn Moor Open Day (4 August 2007).
All who attended had a thoroughly enjoyable time and were enthralled by the large number of creatures and plants found on the reserve. Both young and old helped to create a giant dragonfly using recycled scrap materials - an amazing sight as you can see!

Bug Hunt and Pond Dipping (31 July 2007 and 6 August 2007).
Two very successful events were organised for children in St Mary's churchyard, Yatton, and on Congresbury Millennium Green to coincide with North Somerset Library Service's 'The Big Wild Read'.
At the churchyard the children searched for all kinds of bugs and creepy crawlies, the highlights being finding a slow worm and a frog! They also learnt a little about bats and moths.

At Congresbury a large number of children experienced the joys of pond dipping, finding many different water creatures and also hunted for bugs in the long grass finding many, many grasshoppers.

Thanks to all the adults who accompanied the children - they seemed to enjoy the events as well!

Owls for 2007!

BARN OWL UPDATE FROM TREVOR RIDDLE on 17 July. The young Barn Owls have now dispersed and we believe that all five young have moved away from the immediate area. Consequently, there is little owl action to see now in the late evenings on Congresbury Moor. However, it is possible that the resident pair are starting a second brood - this happens occasionally when there is a glut of food.

Please report any sightings - particularly of birds around the 'new' boxes on the small fields towards the A370.

Sadly the Kestrels seem to have finally given up on their nesting attempt and we will try to collect any infertile eggs for analysis.

An update from Trevor Riddle on the Barn Owl watch on Wednesday 27 June:- I am delighted to report that all 5 young Barn Owls were flying well and have obviously survived the wet and windy weather of Sunday/Monday. One is starting to fly in a 'quarterly' mode, ready for hunting activity. The male and female Kestrels were seen to change over nest duties, so hopefully (eventually!) there will be young. An added bonus for the watchers was a very close low Hobby which hurtled past.

After the discovery of a dead barn owl on the Strawberry Line on Thursday, YACWAG had to call in owl expert Chris Sperring to check out the owl box and see if the young were in a state to survive. On Monday 4 June Chris was able to visit the box, check and ring the young, andd confirm that we have five baby owls in the box. Two of them are nearly ready to fly. All five were in good condition and had been fed during the previous night.

Dew Pond Restoration (Started April 2007).

YACWAG working with North Somerset Environment and Archaeological departments and Yatton Parish Council and with advice from Mendip Wardens is undertaking the excavation of a filled in dew pond with the aim of restoring it to working order for the benefit of the community and recreating a new wildlife habitat on the side of Cadbury Hill.
The circular dew pond was we believe constructed between 1799 and 1821 and there is a possibility that the cut stone edged and lined pond may have replaced an earlier pond. Most of the stone is still in place apart from a break in one corner for a 1980 drainage ditch. It's filled with soil, is approx 35ft in diameter and between 4- 6ft deep.

Area Before Work Commenced

Once we've cleared the fill we'll be able to see the state of the stone lining. Its likely that the clay puddled liner has been perforated by tree roots and we'll have to remove the stone lining, re-puddle with quality clay and re-lay the stone with the correct mortar. Daunting- but we are able to draw on expert advice.
Once completed we hope to see the pond refilling from rain water, tree and ground run off and hopefully dew forming on the stone lining- providing a source of water for the wildlife on the Hill. If you want to help with this restoration which will take some time please let Bob Young (01934 834623 or John Howard (01934 838309) know. Any information on the pond would also be welcomed.

Clearing the Area 14 April 2007

Excavation of the Pond 6 May 2007 (Sponsored by CSV Action Earth Day).

and with water in it a few days later!

Work continues on 19 May 2007

Removing Tree Stumps on 6 June 2007

What a neat job - just needs fresh mortar to finish off!

Bird Boxes Galore! (22 March 2007).

On the 22 March several students from Churchill Community School presented YACWAG with some bird boxes - Starling and Tawny Owl. These will be put up in the Stowey fields, Littlewood and possibly on the Congresbury station site.        

Thanks to Staddons Timber Merchants in Clevedon for supplying the timber and especially to the students who made the boxes.

YACWAG has a new nature reserve (December 2006).

Two field off Kenn Moor Road, Yatton, have been purchased and will be managed for the benefit of wildlife. The land lies on the Kenn Moor Site of Special Scientific Interest.

Just before Christmas YACWAG completed the purchase and Chairperson Tony Moulin said " We are delighted to have been able to buy two further fields on the outskirts of Yatton for another nature reserve. We are grateful to Yatton Residents Group for their help with funding the purchase. We look forward to seeing what we can do to improve biodiversity on the site, and will be working closely with Natural England (formerly English Nature) and North Somerset Council".

The new nature reserve will be known as Kenn Moor Nature Reserve.

Like YACWAG's other nature reserves on Congresbury Moor, off Stowey Road and at Littlewood on Claverham Drove, public access will be limited to guided walks and open days in order to minimise disturbance to wildlife.