Category Archives: Activities

Summer Bird Survey

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A small group, six adults and two children, made the usual tour of the parish looking for as many bird species as could be identified; both by sight and call.
It has been very noticeable that there have been very few Swallows this year. They migrate to Britain over the Sahara from South Africa and travel in daylight up to 200 miles a day.
Being such a small bird they are sensitive to changes and can be affected badly by storms, very dry or very wet conditions and food availability. Their reduced numbers have been been noted throughout Europe.
On the other hand, there were a good number of Wrens calling all around the parish. It’s likely that the relatively mild winter has aided their survival rate.

A total of 42 species were identified (in the order they were seen or heard)….

  • House Sparrow
  • Robin
  • Wood Pigeon
  • Red Kite
  • Starling
  • Lapwing
  • Blackbird
  • House Martin
  • Rook
  • Dunnock
  • Blue Tit
  • Swift
  • Magpie
  • Chaffinch
  • Chiff Chaff
  • Yellow Hammer
  • Wren
  • Crow
  • Buzzard
  • Pheasant
  • Long-tailed Tit
  • Tree Sparrow
  • Jackdaw
  • Greater Spotted Woodpecker
  • Swallow
  • Skylark
  • Lesser Whitethroat
  • Pied Wagtail
  • Mallard
  • Moorhen
  • Curlew
  • Green Woodpecker
  • Goldcrest
  • Goldfinch
  • Black-headed Gull
  • Song Thrush
  • Reed Bunting
  • Jay
  • Great Tit
  • Blackcap
  • Greenfinch
  • Coal Tit

The next (Winter) bird survey will take place in early 2020, the date of which will be arranged this Autumn. Keep an eye on Forthcoming Events above and in the next Newsletter.

Corporate volunteer day

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One of our members works for Network Rail and, on 26th October, he organised a “Corporate Event” in Ox Close with his colleagues. The day was a great success. The day started by filling and lighting one of the charcoal kilns and other activitied included moving logs and using the stock trailer to round up the cows from the Marsh to transfer them to the wood. The burn produced a respectable 41 bags of charcoal.

The kiln is nearly ready for lighting

The Dexters are moved to Ox Close for a few weeks.

The built up environments of East Keswick benefit birds

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On the 18th February we held our annual winter bird survey and recorded 53 species of birds. No Curlew or Lapwings were seen this year but new for the winter bird survey were Little Owl, Mute Swan and Blackcap. The Blackcap is usually regarded as a summer visitor but, with recent warmer winters, our local birds are able to remain in the area along with others that have migrated southwards from the north.

The RSPB’s State of Nature Report, 2016, states 56% of UK species are in decline. We have found that the built-up areas of our villages their gardens, hedgerows, trees and flowers provide valuable habitats for these declining species. In fact, our ten years of annual bird recording have shown that we have a good variety of bird species in the village. This is in contrast to the surrounding area’s intensively farmed land. Whilst some landowners are sympathetic, modern farming practices provide little in the way of suitable habitat, food or shelter.

2017/18 Winter Bird Survey

Our Summer Bird Survey is on 17th June. Please join us. Check out the Upcoming Events box above.

 

New hotel opens in East Keswick!

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Over 50 people spent a glorious sunny afternoon on Saturday constructing a bug hotel under the guidance of East Keswick Wildlife Trust.
The event was hosted by East Keswick Methodist Church on Main Street, East Keswick, with the luxury accommodation for insects being built in the garden behind the church. Melanie Smith from East Keswick Wildlife Trust explained the importance of creating suitable habitat so that the vast variety of insects we are lucky enough to have can thrive. The children then used various natural materials to make a five storey, five star hotel for insects.

Melanie said “It was wonderful to see how enthusiastic the children were and we hope they will go home and make similar habitats in their own gardens.”

After the hotel had been built, the families enjoyed refreshments before tackling a nature hunt. The bug hotel is the first event of many in a programme to create a wildlife haven at the rear of the church involving the local community. The next joint event is a wildflower identification walk on 10 June and then, in the Autumn, seeds will be gathered and sown in pots so that young plants are ready to plant out next Spring to create a wildflower garden. Members of the public are most welcome to visit the garden at any time.

Children creating the bug hotel

For future family events please check out the list of Upcoming Events (above), and to view the article in the village newsletter website visit http://www.eastkeswick.org.uk/latest-news/745-new-hotel-opens-for-bugs

Volunteers relaxing at Elliker Wood

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Lunch in Elliker Wood

Much work has been done recently at Elliker Field and Wood. Now that the cows are removed from the field this has been cut and raked.

The log store (just out to the right of the picture) is completed and we plan to create a pond in the field into which rainwater run-off from the roof will be directed.

Elliker log store. Processed wood is in the crates on the left. Logs on the right are yet to process.

 

 

Only Rain down the Drain… The Yellow Fish Campaign

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Yellow Fish is a national Environment Agency project involving stencilling a Yellow Fish symbol beside surface water drains to remind us all that any waste entering them may go directly to the nearest stream, river, lake, canal, beach or bathing water, causing pollution and killing wildlife. Car washing solutions, engine oil, paints, chemical wastes, detergents and even litter entering these drains pollute our watercourses. Pollution can also be caused by ‘misconnected’ household pipework, where foul waste from toilets, washing machines, dishwashers, showers, baths and sinks can enter surface water drains.

The Trust is working with Bardsey Primary School on the Yellow Fish Campaign to raise awareness so do look out for the Yellow Fish symbol highlighting drains which feed directly into the beck. Be aware that, any fluid that goes into a surface water drain, whether it has a yellow fish logo or not, goes into the beck.

Only Rain Down the Drain

New Hedgeline in Ox Close

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During the winter months, the eastern boundary of Ox Close wood has been cut back. Trees that were overhanging the field have been removed or trimmed back to allow more light to the field edge thereby benefitting any growing crops. To maintain a boundary a new hedge has been planted along this side of the wood. Thanks go to The Woodland Trust for supplying the plants, guards and supports.

Planting the new hedge

Planting the new hedge

 

Duke of Burgundy Butterfly

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During March, a group of Trust volunteers visited some Duke of Burgundy butterfly sites to do a bit of habitat maintenance. The food plants of this butterfly are Primroses and Cowslips. Scrub was cleared to allow light to penetrate to the ground to allow these plants, primroses in particular, to thrive.

Habitat management for the Duke of Burgundy butterfly

Following this work members, along with other conservationists, returned in May to see the fruits of their labours and were rewarded with sightings of twenty adult Duke of Burgundy butterflies. Other butterflies seen were five Dingy Skippers, a Small Copper and a Red Admiral.

Robert Parkes organised a site visit to see the Duke of Burgundy Butterfly