Bird News: February 2025

A Kingfisher was on the Little River on the 1st and the next day 31 Snipe ( and one Buzzard) were counted on the Kenn Moor Reserve. A Mistle Thrush singing by Horsecastle Chapel on the 3rd was most unexpected but very welcome. A Barn Owl was out by the Strawberry Line at 9.20am on the 4th just prior to the start of the winter bird survey there. 40 Redwings and 30 Meadow Pipits on Congresbury Moor were recorded with eight Little Egrets on the Wemberham side of Gang Wall.

A Barn Owl by the Strawberry Line near the Golf Course at Congresbury was hunting mid afternoon on the 5th and two days later a flock of around 20 Siskins was feeding on the Millennium Green. The next day a Short Eared Owl was over our Congresbury Moor Reserve. A Kingfisher a Water Rail were by the River Yeo on the 9th with seven Goosanders. Three each of Siskins and Stonechats along with a Barn Owl were nearby.

On the 12th a Red Kite and a Short Eared Owl were observed from the Strawberry Line at Congresbury and the next day a Redpoll was an unusual visitor to the Yatton stretch of the Line. A flock of 25 Greenfinches nearby was notable. A Little Grebe on the river by Moor Lane bridge was unusual on the 17th as was a flock of 50 Linnets on Congresbury Moor.

Milder conditions arrived on the 20th and this precipitated higher song levels on the Strawberry Line with a couple of Cetti’s Warblers tuning up. By the 22nd it was sunny and mild. Four Song Thrushes and two Skylarks were singing at Wemberham, a Kingfisher was on the Little River and a small rookery was developing by Wemberham Lane.

The group of 16 Teal seen on the January count on Congresbury Moor were still present on the 24th and Chris got a good picture of ten of them, and another flock of 20 were on the Blackditch by Kenn Moor Road a couple of days earlier. Four Cranes were spotted flying over Congresbury, they do sometimes commute between the Somerset Levels and Slimbridge and on the 27th a Red Kite was seen by several members flying over Claverham, Cleeve and Yatton.

By the end of the month House Sparrows were preparing to nest at Chestnut Park

Finally a picture by Emily of two very confiding Black necked grebes at Cheddar Reservoir.

Your sightings and pictures are always very welcome at birds@yacwag.org.uk.

Trevor Riddle