Kenn Village

The most exciting local news concerns a very late Barn Owl nest in YACWAG’s Littlewood reserve. This was discovered by volunteer warden John Croxton at the end of September and five owlets were duly ringed by Chris Sperring MBE from the Hawk & Owl Trust early in October.

The persistent rain mid month was a major concern but we believe that at least four of  the young survived this and hopefully will have fledged by the time that you read this. It has been a great year for our owls: this nest box has  already produced two Tawny Owls and then Stock Doves nested in it. Three species in one season must be some kind of record.

Staying with owls a trip to the sea wall during the very high tides produced a lovely Short Eared Owl, no doubt on migration.  A flock of 40 Goldfinches was less impressive but a welcome sight after reports of few of these birds in gardens.

A Peregrine was seen (unsuccessfully) chasing a curlew at the old Kenn estuary and another was feeding on a pylon near Yatton where it successfully saw off two Ravens that were coveting its kill.

Wheatears were still to be seen along the estuary in good numbers mid month with hundreds of Meadow Pipits on their way south. Four clouded yellow butterflies was a nice sight as well.  There seems to be a few more Grey Wagtails around this autumn, perhaps reflecting a more productive breeding season: Sheila Naish saw one in her garden and there was another on Stowell’s buildings viewed from Wemberham Lane with some Pied Wagtails.

A Kingfisher caused a surprise when it flew out over the road near The Bridge Inn and another was by Wemberham rhyne : this species has also had a productive year. Kestrels too seem more abundant ound Kenn Moor for the same reason and at least one stonechat was back on winter territory there by the 23rd.

Jill and I visited Chew Valley Lake to see a Great Skua.  This brute of a bird was living on a Coot a day and had probably been driven inland by bad weather. Certainly ex-hurricane Gonzalo played a major part in 305 Great Skuas being recorded of the North Cornwall coast.

Trevor Riddle 01934 835208

PS – MEGA – Eleanora’s Falcon seen over Bullocks Farm, Kingston Seymour 26th 

The Raven’s nest on the pylon visible from Lampley Road seems to have been deserted. Ravens often build several nests and abandon them – last year’s pylon nest on Congresbury Moor doesn’t appear to be active currently either. This year there is a Rookery survey and more seem to be nesting close to busy roads now. Whilst observing a Rookery at Wick St Lawrence recently a pair of Ravens approached and caused mayhem. I wonder if Rooks are adopting road side nesting as a defence against Ravens who don’t (yet?) like to be close to fast traffic?

Early in the month a walk along Wemberham Lane produced six Stonechats in a loose group. They were gone the next day – perhaps they were in course of moving to their upland breeding territories. A Kingfisher nearby was an added bonus. A Wheatear was present along the sea wall on the eleventh, my first spring migrant of the year and a couple of Short Eared Owls have been reported from the Kenn Estuary recently.

The cool weather seems to have delayed arrival of spring migrants and the departure of wintering birds. The first Chiffchaff was singing in Wemberham Lane on the 19th, ten days later than last year. The next day a flock of 200 Fieldfares were on Kenn Moor – a late date for such a big number.

I was interested to see what effect, if any, the solar eclipse had on the local birds. At the peak of the eclipse the bird song continued but seemed more muted – I didn’t see any go to roost – I think that the TV exaggerated that a bit.

Jill and I paid a visit to the Forest of Dean where we were able to watch a Great Grey Shrike (they aren’t very big!) These birds store prey on a thorn bush known as a larder but whilst we were watching it only caught a small insect which it consumed immediately. It had caught two lizards earlier and a photographer was able to show us a picture of one capture. Presumably the lizards were just coming out of hibernation and perhaps weren’t fully awake.

Trevor Riddle 01934 835208

As the berries disappeared from the hedgerows so the Fieldfares and Redwings moved on and by mid month there were few to be seen locally.

In fact the only abundant wintering birds are starlings and I feel sure that these provide prey for the local peregrine falcons. They are often taken to the top of one of the electricity pylons where the falcon can feed without being pestered by crows.

There are quite a few Stonechats on the moors, but Snipe numbers are down and there are no Siskins, Redpolls or Bramblings due I believe to there being plentiful seed supplies in Scandinavia and Scotland.

However, lots of ducks and waders have arrived on the Somerset Levels, with 100,000 birds on West Sedgemoor, comprising 50,000 Ducks, 30,000 Lapwings and 20,000 Golden Plover. There was also a record count of Wigeon at Shapwick Heath this month; 3,400 on one lake there last week.

A bit out of our area, a Dartford Warbler is wintering in a public park in Cheltenham. ‘Darties’ breed on gorse and heather moors so to find one in a park (and it has survived cold and snow) is astonishing. It is frequenting a wildflower meadow area – full marks to the local council for providing this.

Several of our resident species are now singing on sunny mornings and more birds will start to claim their territories as we go through February.

Trevor Riddle 01934 835208

John Pockett phoned me mid month to say that whilst returning from Kingston Seymour, a pair of Cranes flew over and landed in the field next to the junction with the Yatton to Clevedon road.

There is a large reintroduced population in Somerset now and whilst most stay in a single large flock, a few are quite adventurous birds checking out potential new territories.

The next day Jackie Huxtable contacted me to report an albino Blackbird in Cooks Lane and a Song Thrush singing nearby. I heard a Song Thrush five days later along the Strawberry Line. I always welcome reports to include in KN&V.

November, has seen the return of a Great Spotted Woodpecker to our garden feeders and by mid month a male Blackcap was back. Also a Chiffchaff paid a visit and on a couple of days two Goldcrests, the first here for several years. This species has arrived in large numbers from mainland Europe this winter. Also in good numbers are Stonechats, noted at Kenn Moor, the Strawberry Line, Wemberham and the Sea Wall.

The prize find at the Sea Wall however was a flock(?) of four Short Eared Owls more migrants from Scandinavia. This trumped my sighting of a single bird along Wemberham Lane a few days earlier. Will they stay or move on further south? Lots of Meadow Pipits were present at the sea wall with 100 Lapwings and a Peregrine.

Winter Thrushes were slow to arrive but I saw 100 Fieldfares at Wemberham and today (22nd) 180 Redwings along the Strawberry Line. I have received reports of this species being heard calling at night over Yatton – has anyone heard their weak cheeps over Kenn?

Also at the Strawberry Line a Water Rail was calling persistently. A couple of passers by thought it was a creature being eaten and were pleased to realise there was no need for concern.

Trevor Riddle (01934 835208)

A visit to Poets Walk, Clevedon at the end of July confirmed that the peregrines had indeed nested successfully. Two juveniles were in flight with one of the adult birds so I was able to include that information in the national peregrine survey.

Hobbies have been seen much less this year, but now is the time when any youngsters are flying around and the birds are generally more visible. If you do see one please let John Croxton or myself know.

The barn owls on Congresbury Moor have five owlets in their second brood, that’s nine this year, a record for the site. They were ringed by Chris Sperring MBE from the Hawk and Owl Trust and he pronounced them to be well fed and developed. On an evening visit to Herons Green, Chew Valley Lake, a pair of barn owls were out hunting, no doubt to feed their young. 2014 has certainly been a productive year for our owls.

A few migrants have started to appear along the sea wall : there were 100 ringed plover there during the big tides, mid month, along with dunlin, turnstones – some in lovely summer plumage still – and whimbrel.

The first south bound wheatears had arrived and the numbers of migrants is likely to increase as we go into September.

Trevor Riddle 01934 835208

Once again, there is some local news to start. Following on from Jasper, Isaac and Esme’s sightings last month, John Croxton saw three young Kestrels near the Village Hall box anda Little Owl nearby. Let’s hope that the Little Owls are as successful as their neighbours. With the decline in Kestrel numbers this is especially good news. On the subject of owls, here are pictures by Noah Croxton taken when chicks were ringed from a box near the Strawberry Line. Chris Sperring MBE who normally rings Yacwag owlets was away, so we were fortunate to secure the services of Ed Drewitt, a professional naturalist and licensed ringer from Bristol to do the job. You may hear Ed talking on natural history topics on Radio Bristol from time to time.

We are hoping that with the fairly early nesting and the settled weather (at time of writing) that our pair may have a second brood. Reports I am getting continue to suggest that both Tawny and Barn Owls are having a very good year. Indeed, this comment applies to many species. I have never heard so many Wrens singing or seen so many young birds. Indeed it’s not only birds, there has been an abundance of small fish on the Avalon Marshes, so much so that the nesting Bitterns can walk from their nests to catch fish and consequently there are less feeding flights. This is great, but makes monitoring (volunteers watch for and map feeding flights) more tricky. Cuckoos have also been present in better numbers than for many years, John Croxton and I were surprised to hear one calling in Littlewood – the first that I have ever heard there. The Cuckoo at Mendip Spring Golf Club was still being seen and heard in mid June.

Trevor Riddle 01934 835208

Stop Press!! 27.6.14 John Croxton reported seeing at least two Little Owl owlets together at Kenn Village Hall field.

April has produced fairly typical weather this year, so migration has been pretty much on track and many of our resident birds have got on with nesting without delay.

The first Strawberry Line bird survey (3rd) recorded plenty of singing Chiffchaffs and Blackcaps. There were none until the end of April last year.

Jackie Huxtable phoned to report her first Swallow and told me that she had seen two Kingfishers regularly at Cooks Lane.

Rob Treble recorded a Willow Warbler singing in his garden – an unusual record and almost certainly a passage bird singing whilst feeding up to continue its migration.

The Willow Warbler population has moved north west to be replaced by Chiffchaffs which have moved the other way. Then on the 22nd Jo Batten heard a Cuckoo at Ladye Bay, Clevedon.

On the same day I was told of one at Mendip Springs Golf Club, Congresbury. The next day John Croxton and I walked the Strawberry Line to listen and not only did we hear it, we were treated to lovely views, firstly perched and then in flight.

Red kites are on the move – one was over Nailsea (15th) and another over Yatton (20th).

Indications are that two of Yacwag’s boxes have Barn Owls resident and one or two others are inhabited by Tawny Owls. Both species could really do with a productive breeding season to restore their numbers following lack of success in 2012 and 2013.

Migrants will continue to arrive and pass through until the end of May so please keep looking and listening. As always your reports are very welcome.

Trevor Riddle. 01934 835208

The book group met on the 23rd February 2015 to discuss ‘Scoop’ by Evelyn Waugh.

This is a fast moving satire on the newspaper industry.  We acknowledged the un P.C. aspects of the novel and discussed it within the context of its time. Then it seemed we could not stop laughing!  We quoted our favourites bits to each oth-er and collectively decided this was a book we all enjoyed.

Next we are going to read ‘London Fields’ by Martin Amis.

As always anyone is welcome to join us.

We will meet in The Drum on March 30th 2015 at about 7.30.

Due to work and family commitments I have missed the last two book groups.

Since the last book group update we have read three books. On Monday 29th Sep-tember we met at The Drum to discuss ‘Saturday’ by Ian McEwan. This story takes place over a 24 hour period and chronicles a day in the life of a neurosurgeon. We admired McEwan’s meticulous research and the twists in the plot. However we agreed we could marvel at the writer’s skill without liking the book.

On Monday 27th October the group met again to discuss, ‘Hokkaido Highway Blues’ by Will Ferguson. This is about Ferguson’s hitch hiking Journey from South to North Japan. He is following the progressive Spring flowering of the Cherry blossom. An interesting witty read. It did not provide insights into Japanese culture that might have been hoped for.

Last night on the 24th November we gathered once again to discuss ‘The Woman in Black’ by Susan Hill. We enjoyed this well written book. Discussing the themes of loneliness and isolation. It is a ghost story billed as ‘heart stoppingly chilling’. Maybe we have watch too much telly! None of us where struck with terror and instead read it as a parody of the thriller genre.

The next book group falls on the last Monday in December 2014. This will be between Christmas and New Year. We have decided to miss this one out and convene again on the last Monday in January. That will be Monday 26th January 2014.

We will discuss Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel.

Many thanks to Mike and Kelly who make us very welcome at The Drum.

We had been warned and blithely ignored the advice. A well wisher told us we would not finish ‘One Hundred Years of Solitude’ by Gabriel Garcia Marquez in one month and that we had set ourselves a task too big for book group. We met on the 30th June 2014. We each in turn, except one, owned up that we had not finished the book. We are prepared to persevere. So this month is a roll over and we will continue to discuss this book and its magical realism again. Our opinion so far is that we love the book even if the genre is challenging. We are also going to read a graphic novel ‘Fun Home’ by Alison Bechdale. We will meet again on Monday 28th July 2014. As usual at about 8pm. In the last News and Views Colin wrote a very probing article about the book group and our activities. A question was left hanging in the air: So how could the book group be better? The last sentence has been suspended in cyberspace since last month. Here it is now.  Probably the best way for it to be a better group would be if YOU would come along and join us!

Book Group II We met again, last night, on the 28th July 2014. We continued to discuss ‘One Hundred Years of Solitude’ by Gabriel Garcia Marquez. A thoughtful exchange of opinions and insights on the book was had. Reflecting on the poetic language, characterisation and concept of time in the novel. We wondered if the emergence of a utopian village, its economic development and demise was a metaphor for the rise and fall of Columbian wealth. Or maybe it wasn’t. The discussion meandered in and out of the novel’s themes. In stark contrast we then discussed ‘Fun Home’ by Alison Bechdale. This is a graphic novel about a young American woman’s evolving sexuality. The central relationship is her understanding of her father and his complex sexuality. Although the graphic novel is a genre unfamiliar to us we loved the brevity of words and detail of the drawings. We are welcoming a new member to the group. She has chosen our next book. It is ‘The Return’ by Victoria Hislop. We will meet on the last Monday in the month. That will be Monday 25th August.

I have always been erratic in my reading habits. As a child I read stories when I had to. When I was a student I read all sorts of novels, that were fashionable at the time, when I should have been spending my time studying. As an adult, with children, I read when I could, and when I could keep my eyes open for long enough. Otherwise I have been mainly a holiday reader. However in the last few years, and especially since I retired, I have found renewed interest and reward in reading and being part of the book group. I don’t have any literary skills, or any ability to analyse books, but I have learned that a book group doesn’t need that. The group works well because the members react to books in different ways.

So how does the book group work?
I would say that it works in a relatively chaotic and unstructured way. The conversation at the Drum meanders in and around the plot, the characters, the situations, the setting of place or time, and most interestingly the way these things impact on us as individuals. Our reactions to a book depend on our own particular values and life experiences. Often the context of the book is challenging. Reading gives you the opportunity to put yourself in the shoes of another human being faced with a unique set of threats and possibilities. I think reading stimulates the imagination more than watching or even listening if we can find the energy and the space to let that free. Sometimes we appreciate the lyricism of the writing. At others we admire the seemingly simple or stark narration of an engaging plot. As we talk about a book we may learn to see more than we at first recognised, not just about the book but about other people. Reading can make us more broad-minded and tolerant. I think within the group there is a sense that a good book can change us in small but useful ways.

So how do we choose books?
Sometimes a book seems to suggest itself…perhaps it has been a prize winner (We recently read a book of short stories by Alice Munro who had just won the Nobel Prize in Literature). Sometimes we read a book from an author who is somebody’s favourite. Sometimes a book idea comes up from something in our conversation. Otherwise we take it in turns to suggest a book. This way we have read an extraordinary selection of books. For example we have read “The Help”, which was about being a black servant in the American South. We read “Round Ireland with a fridge” which was one of our rare excursions into non-fiction. We have read two book about Africa, “Half of a Yellow Sun” (about Biafra) , and “The Poisonwood Bible” (about a missionary family in the Congo). We have read books in a fantasy or science fiction genre such as “The Night Life of the Gods” and “Oryx and Crake”.

We liked Margaret Atwood so much we went to see her in Bristol when we got the chance. We have read thrillers and detective stories. We have read contemporary fiction and some “classics”. Recently we read Dickens’ “A Tale of Two Cities.” That is not to say that we have enjoyed all we have read. There was one book that none of us went on to finish because we all thought it so bad! There have been one or two books which most of us finished it but without liking it much and one, which I suggested, where I was the only one who liked it. If you are in the book group you don’t have to waste your time reading a book you don’t like; life is too short!!

So how could the book group be better?

Colin Bedford

Nothing locally as exciting as the Red Flanked Bluetail this month but a Great Spotted Cuckoo was on a golf course near Tenby for a fortnight. This species nests in Southern Europe so presumably it ‘overshot’ on its migration from Africa. Perhaps it will nest further north with a warming climate. It parasitizes crows and magpies, but unlike ‘our’ cuckoo does not destroy it’s hosts eggs. The young cuckoo is raised with the young crows or magpies. If a predator threatens the nest the juvenile cuckoo emits a noxious smell which deters the assailant and preserves both the cuckoo and its host’s young; so it might be a welcome addition to our UK breeding species.

Nearer to home Terry Stamp reports two regular Kingfishers on the Kenn River and also an Otter. Chris Blake mailed me to say that Siskins had arrived on his feeder and I received similar news from a Yatton garden. Siskins seem to often turn up in late winter (or early spring) but they have been rather uncommon this year.

John Ball has seen a pair of birds that he thought were Kestrels at the box by the village hall. Field voles have proliferated in the last few months, despite the wet weather and it could be a (much needed) bumper season for Owls and Kestrels if we have a fine spring and summer.

The warm weather in early March persuaded one of my local Blackcaps to sing on the 5th and it was joined by a Chiffchaff on the 9th. Both were record early dates for me: last year I recorded record late dates to hear these songs.

The Ravens that I mentioned last month at St Mary’s church in Yatton have moved to a pylon on Congresbury Moor where they have built a large nest. Bryan Thompson said that there were another pair around Kenn Church, but they too seem to have moved on.

There were large flocks of Dunlin at the sea wall early in the month, on one occasion being chased by a very optimistic Sparrowhawk, but by mid month they had moved on, with hardly any left.

A Short Eared Owl was reported perhaps attracted by the aforementioned abundance of voles and the first Wheatears and Sand Martins arrived by the 19th but quickly passed through.  April is the prime arrival month, with Swallows and House Martins being the most visible, but lots of rarer species will be heading north.

Trevor Riddle  01934 835208.