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.

25 Years of Surveying Birds on the Strawberry Line

A video recording of Trevor Riddle's talk on 25 Years of Surveying Birds on the Strawberry Line, given on 21st November 2024 at Horsecastle Chapel, Yatton, North Somerset. If you missed this interesting talk, or would like to experience it again it is now available on YouTube. The talk is…
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An Early Christmas Present!

YACWAG is delighted to announce the acquisition of land to extend the charity’s nature reserve off Kenn Moor Road in Yatton.  Tony Moulin at Kenn Moor Road in Yatton 2024 With the support of local residents, and thanks to two recent bequests, YACWAG has been able to purchase the field…
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Bird News: November 2024

The low water levels in the Wemberham Rhyne system attracted several Little Egrets, Herons and a Great Egret as well as a Grey Wagtail and a couple of Green Sandpipers. Two Goosanders on the River Yeo (2nd) were early winter arrivals. A few Redwings and Meadow Pipits were around in…
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Bird News: October 2024

At least four Cetti’s Warblers were singing on Congresbury Moor and adjacent sections of the Strawberry Line with a couple of Chiffchaffs restricting themselves to quiet calls. A pair of Stonechats were present on the YACWAG fields with a Heron and a flock of 15 Meadow Pipits nearby on the…
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Bird News: September 2024

On the 2nd, two Hobbies were perched on a T-pylon visible from Lampley Road, Kingston Seymour before flying off towards Kenn and there was a repeat performance two days later with a flock of a dozen Mistle Thrushes also present on that occasion. The unsettled weather on the 5th saw…
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Bird News: August 2024

A young Sparrowhawk was still calling continually by Yatton railway station on the 3rd and another was chasing a frisbee (yes really) in a garden in Congresbury. This was also likely to be a young bird. A Chiffchaff was singing its Autumn song on the Strawberry Line. Unlike Robins, Chiffchaffs…
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Bird News: July 2024

There was still some song early in the month, with Chiffchaff, Blackcap, Reed Warbler and Whitethroat all singing at the Yatton end of Wemberham Lane on the 5th. The far end of the Lane produced a Hobby flying purposefully south east (purposefully is a Hobby’s slowest speed). It may be…
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Bird News: June 2024

The meteorological first day of summer (June 1st) dawned sunny but two Cormorants on a pylon near the railway were Autumn birds! Both Common and Lesser Whitethroat sang briefly by Wemberham Lane. The earlier Springs mean that song diminishes sooner and most breeding birds just sing briefly and intermittently. Not…
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Bird News: May 2024

Two Red Kites flew south over the Little River on the 5th, the first Yatton record for several weeks. On the same day three Siskins were still visiting a garden in Congresbury. The birdsong walk on the 6th produced the expected seven warbler species but Lesser Whitethroat was only heard…
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Bird News: April 2024

An early House Martin was over Derham Park on the 4th and on the same day four Lapwings were on the Wemberham maize stubble field with around 20 Linnets nearby. There was lots of song on the Strawberry Line including two Willow Warblers and a pair of Kestrels were together…
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Bird News: March 2024

A walk along the Congresbury section of the Strawberry Line on the afternoon of the 29th February (Peter Grainger) produced calling Little and Tawny Owls as well as a Kestrel, Green Woodpecker and Water Rail of note. The count at Kenn Moor Reserve on the 2nd recorded an impressive 73…
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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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Window Wanderland: 15th – 17th February 2024

Decorate your windows or gardens and let’s light up our community with the theme ‘Nature is our Neighbour’, celebrating 25 years of Yatton and Congresbury Wildlife Action Group. It is easy, free and fun and open to everyone!Please see the flyer for full detailsBelow is a video of the amazing…
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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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