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No. 1076362

News & blog

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Here you'll find latest news and feature articles.
Please see the calendar for upcoming events and the newsletters for past news.

Bird News: February 2024

The month started with a sunny calm day but the second winter bird survey on Congresbury Moor and Gang Wall was fairly uneventful. It was good to see a hunting Kestrel and a pair of Linnets by the River were equally welcome. The two Green Sandpipers remained by the Little…
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Bird News: January 2024

Some late news from December, Christmas night in fact, please see the video of a Barn Owl at one of our reserves below. On New Year’s Day morning Emily reported a Kestrel and three Buzzards from Ham Lane and Kenn Moor as well as three Stonechats and good numbers of…
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Bird News: December 2023

Following the sighting of a Short Eared Owl on Kenn Moor near our Littlewood Reserve further vigils on the 2nd and 3rd were unsuccessful but a Grey Wagtail was a nice surprise on the 2nd and a Peregrine on a pylon in sunshine above the mist on the Moor was…
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A ‘Populist’ View

When my friend Sue told me about a project to identify rare native black poplars in the 1990s, it was right up my street. I still haven’t really quite got round to a serious survey, but I can share with you a little associated story. Near the cross-roads with Ham Lane,…
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Bird News: November 2023

Two flocks of Woodpigeons totalling 2,000 birds were reported heading south over Kingston Seymour on the 3rd. A pair of Ravens were mutual preening to strengthen their pair bond on a nearby pylon. Redwing seen on the Strawberry Line Yatton 29 November 2023 by Mark Savage A Green Sandpiper was…
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Grasshoppers and Crickets: a successful return to in person talks

A packed room greeted YACWAG’s speaker in the Chapter House, Yatton, in early November 2023. It was the first talk YACWAG had held in person for three years and members showed their support by coming along to learn about a fascinating subject.Fred Giles presented a very interesting talk on Grasshoppers…
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Bird News: October 2023

A Peregrine was over Smarts factory on the 1st and that evening a Barn Owl was out at dusk on Congresbury Moor. At Dowlais Farm, Kenn, a Hobby made an unsuccessful attack on a Meadow Pipit, there were 70 Oystercatchers roosting at high tide with good numbers of Redshank, Curlew…
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Bird News: September 2023

 The Swallow roost at Wemberham Lane dispersed and on the 1st Pied Wagtails were roosting in increased numbers, at least 40 gathered on Smart’s factory before dropping into the reeds. Three Whinchat were on Congresbury Moor (4th) along with a Barn Owl and sadly the remains of three Kestrels in…
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Bird News: August 2023

It was unsettled at the beginning of August but a Little Owl was calling in the late evening of the 1st in Claverham and the next day a juvenile Sparrowhawk put in an appearance in a members garden in Yatton. Whinchat on Congresbury Moor 3rd August 2023 by Mark Savage…
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Bird News: July 2023

The month started with reports of lots of House Sparrows and House Martins on the Chestnut Park Estate and good numbers of Swallows with young at the stables in Wemberham Lane. Chiffchaff and Blackcap were singing there intermittently with  a Song Thrush in full voice late evening. A Mistle Thrush…
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Bird News: June 2023

The month started with three Swifts over Cadbury Hill where young Great Spotted Woodpeckers could be heard in a nest. A Red Kite was over the centre of Yatton early in the month and by mid month at least five has been seen. Parties of House Martins were active in…
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Bird News: May 2023

The early morning bird walk along the Strawberry Line and Congresbury Moor on the 1st attracted 25 attendees, and eventually we heard each of our seven regular warbler species in song, with most of them visible at times. One of our resident Kestrels and a couple of Skylarks put in…
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Bird News: April 2023

The month opened with two Linnets in a Kenn garden, not a usual garden species. It was a case of the quiet and the noisy in the churchyard at Kingston Seymour with a Goldcrest and a Ring Necked Parakeet. Three of the latter had been seen, interesting but probably not…
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Nature Friendly Farming

Watch an illustrated talk followed by questions and answers given to YACWAG by Eleanor Higginson who is a Land Management Consultant. Topics covered include: What's going on in farming right now? (including UK Government schemes and Regenerative Farming), Essential Natural Processes (nutrient cycle, water cycles, species interactions), 5 Principles of…
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Bird News: March 2023

The Starling murmuration ended abruptly at Tesco’s in Clevedon at the beginning of the month, one wonders what triggers thousands of birds to change their roost site as one.  The Reserves were even drier than last month and it was a surprise (a pleasant one) to find 11 Snipe at…
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Bird pictures from Norfolk

Mark Savage visited East Anglia at the end of February 2023 and has kindly provided these pictures of scarce species. Shorelarks at Holkham Gap, Norfolk (photo by Mark Savage. 26 February 2023) These birds are well named, they are winter visitors to the UK, always on the coast and only…
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Tell it to the Bees

The fourth in a series of blogs about YACWAG’s fields and their secrets. You can view the previous entries here.Part 1: Fields Hold SecretsPart 2: A Small Field with a Big SecretPart 3: From Nags to Niches – Having a Field Day Sue Clifford of Common Ground, the conservation charity,…
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Bird News: February 2023

There was a mixed flock of about 80 Fieldfares and Redwings at the Stowey Reserve and also evidence that Barn Owls have used both the new box and the repositioned box. The adjacent fields produced a pair of Stonechats, a couple of Little Egrets and a Kingfisher. Just outside the…
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Bird News: January 2023

The Kenn Moor Reserve Snipe count on the 2nd produced 28 Snipe with a few Meadow Pipits, a pair of Stonechats and an overflying Little Egret. On the same day a mixed flock of 200 Redwings and Fieldfares was by the Gang Wall. Snipe on the Congresbury Yeo (16 December…
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Get ready for the 2023 Wildlife Window Wanderland!

After the success of the last year's Window Wanderland we are pleased to announce it's return. Last year in February 2022, 60 households, groups and businesses in Congresbury, Yatton and Claverham partook in creating wonderful wildlife displays for their street-facing windows for the 'Love Your Local Wildlife' Window Wanderland event.…
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