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.