The month started damp and very mild with Song Thrushes singing everywhere and a Chiffchaff in full voice along the Strawberry Line (Yatton). Meanwhile, at Congresbury, a Heron visited a small garden pond. The Kingston Seymour survey on the 2nd produced a very encouraging 35 species including all five regular finches. The following day a Great Egret was the star bird on the Clevedon Moor survey.
There were two Kingfishers and two Grey Wagtails by Wemberham Lane also on the 3rd with a Green Sandpiper on the Yeo. A feature of this visit and the two survey walks was the low number of winter thrushes. A Red Kite low over a Congresbury garden first thing on the 5th was a surprise and what was probably the same bird was over Churchill later. The Song Thrushes were still vocal along the Strawberry Line and there was a Kestrel in Moor Lane near the bridge. Also on the 5th a Great Egret and a Kingfisher were spotted by Jon whilst he was undertaking maintenance jobs on the Congresbury Moor Reserve.
There were at least seven Firecrests at Cadbury Hill on the 6th, a record count for the area – thanks to Rowan and Milo. The first Snipe count of the winter at Kenn Moor Reserve produced eleven birds plus half a dozen Meadow Pipits. The new field, Maslens, had lots of vole runs – all we need are some Barn Owls now. A Red Kite over the Co op in Yatton being mobbed by Jackdaws must have been a sight!
The winter bird survey at Congresbury Moor on the 11th recorded five Goosanders on the Yeo while on the same day Peregrine and Kingfisher were highlights of the Kenn Moor count.
Emily Lomas
We checked the bird boxes in Stowey on the 16th ( at least the ones that weren’t surrounded by flood water.) Seven of the ten boxes had nests , a good occupancy rate and in line with evidence that tit species are doing better in or near urban environments. We heard a lengthy altercation between a Kestrel and a Jay, and Jon spotted a Chiffchaff on site. A Firecrest was a welcome visitor to a garden in Barn Owl Road, Yatton.
A Red Kite was over our Congresbury Moor Reserve on the 19th and a Treecreeper on the Strawberry Line, Yatton end, was unusual. A Kite low over Horsecastle the next day scaring the Feral Pigeons was probably the bird seen yesterday and before that around Congresbury. Our Littlewood Reserve was home to plenty of birds on the 22nd with Jackdaws predominant, perhaps the Yatton flock are roosting there. There were good numbers of Redwings and Goldfinches with smaller flocks of Siskins and Fieldfares. A Water Rail squealing away in one of the Strawberry Line ditches remarkably came into the open and posed for Mark Savage’s photo.
The River Yeo at Congresbury must have plenty of fish as Grey Heron, Little Egret Cormorant, Goosander and Kingfisher were all seen there in the week before Christmas.
The cold weather by Christmas brought more winter thrushes and a flock of 200 Lapwings over the Little River, Yatton, heading south on Boxing Day. This was spectacularly eclipsed on the 29th when a huge flock estimated at 2,000 birds passed over the same area.
Thanks to everyone who has sent records and or photographs in 2025, they were most welcome and will be equally welcome in 2026 to [email protected]
Trevor Riddle
