A Great Family Picnic Success!

/ claravaleconservation / Leave a comment

The sun shone, the wind was gentle and most importantly, adults and children came along with their picnics!  As more people arrived, the Reserve took on a fete-like atmosphere and all of the activities we put on were of interest to visitors.

The art area was very popular with the children, as was kitemaking and facepainting. We had baby newts in water trays and a huge haul of moths, over 60 species, trapped the night before and released after viewing and cataloging them.  The flower walk was well received too as were the scything demonstrations.  There was an interesting collection of fossils, stone age tools and clay pipes all found locally.  And under a canopy, there was interactive storytelling to a very young audience.

More details and pictures will be put up soon.   A big thank you to everyone who came along for the Family Picnic, you made our efforts worthwhile!

Three excellent kitemakers!
There are baby newts in there, really!
Just a few of the dozens of moths captured and released

 

Family Picnic – tomorrow!

/ claravaleconservation / Leave a comment

The weather is looking promising for the weekend and the Conservation Group are looking forward to welcoming you to our fun family event on Sunday 17th!

What’s on?
11:00 – Moths! See what we caught the previous night, before we release them.
11:30 & 2:00 – Hand scythe demonstrations – how we cut crops by hand before machinery.
1:30 – Guided Flower Walk around the Reserve.
2:30 – Children’s storytime (2 stories)

Plus:
Guided bird watching in the hides
Facepainting
Pond dipping
Kite making
Painting and drawing area

Organised by the volunteers of the village Conservation Group, this event is part of our Flowers in the Vale project, an initiative to encourage more local people to appreciate, enjoy and engage with our fantastic local nature resource.

Come and support us this Sunday, 11 till 3 !

Flowers in the Vale Family Picnic Day – more info

/ claravaleconservation / Leave a comment

Details are being finalised for our Family Picnic to be held in the Reserve on 17th July 11am – 3pm. The aim of this event is to encourage local people to come and discover more about the wonderful resource right on their doorstep and actively engage in it.

The volunteers of the Conservation Group have put together a programme of fun events for all the family to choose from and take part in. Just bring a picnic and something to sit on, relax, enjoy and take part in anything that interests you.

Below is a list of planned activities. Some will be on a timed basis and more may be added prior to the Picnic.

  • Guided flower identification and walks
  • Pond dipping
  • Painting and drawing area (to be confirmed)
  • Kite making (£2 discretionary materials contribution)
  • Facepainting
  • Hand Scythe Demonstrations
  • Guided bird watching in the hides
  • Storytime (for under 8’s)
As with any outdoor event, please note all activities are weather-dependent!

CVCG AGM 4th July

/ claravaleconservation / Leave a comment

All are invited to the Conservation Groups’ AGM on Monday 4th of July, when the Committee will report on progress and new officers will be elected.  We’re a friendly bunch and the atmosphere will be relaxed! The meeting will take place at Clara Vale Village Hall at 7pm.

We are always looking for new people interested in helping us maintain our wonderful resource for relaxation and enjoyment.  We carry out mainly practical tasks in the Reserve and have montly meetings lasting about an hour. No special skills are required and tools are provided.

Why not come along and see what we are up to?

Orchard Tree Damage

/ claravaleconservation / Leave a comment

The CVCG has recently been made aware of damage being done to apple trees in the Orchard.  This is usually in the form of chewed bark from ground level up to about 0.5 metres:

20160508_123413 (1)_web

Example tree damage in Clara Vale orchard

We believe this may be caused by Muntjac deer. There is not a lot that can be done to discourage them, except for protecting the trees from ground level up to about 2′ (0.6m). Some residents have used wire or plastic netting to protect their trees:

Muntjac Deer

Why not pop down to the orchard soon and check your tree if you have one? The orchard is just coming into blossom and soon will be very photogenic. On a sunny day its a very nice and peaceful spot to have a picnic or just take some time out.

You can find out more about Muntjac deer by visiting the BBC Wildlife page here

It’s nesting time…

/ claravaleconservation / Leave a comment

Spring has arrived in the nature reserve and the first swallow in Clara Vale was spotted on Sunday 17th April. Warblers and chiffchaffs can be heard and will continue to arrive over the next few weeks from the Mediterranean and West Africa. It’s a very busy time for the resident and visiting bird population and we want to give them the best chance to raise their young.

Please can you keep dogs on leads and keep to paths in the reserve in the next few months to make sure that we give our visitors a good chance to breed successfully.

Posters are also on the entry gates.

Don’t forget the Woodland Hide

/ claravaleconservation / 1 Comment

With the Nature Reserve and particularly the bird sanctuary becoming more popular, the Alex West hide in particular can be busy at times. The Committee are aware that sometimes visitors can be a little put off by large numbers of other people and equipment in there. A poster has been put up in the hide to encourage visitors to share the best positions at busy times.

But, don’t forget the Woodland hide. The outlook does not get as much light as the Alex West hide and therefore it is less popular with photographers, yet it offers close-up views of many birds found at the Alex West hide (Kingfishers apart).

Here’s a list of recent sightings from the Woodland hide, situated to the left of the playing field gate:

Greenfinch
Bullfinch
Chaffinch
Blue tit
Great tit
Marsh tit
Long tailed tit
Female black cap
Blackbird
Robin
Dunnock
Moorhen
Greater spotted woodpecker
Stock dove
Wood pigeon
Yellow hammer
Jay
Chiffchaff
Tree sparrow
Nuthatch
Grey squirrel
Pheasant

The (not so common) Common Crane

/ claravaleconservation / Leave a comment

There was excitement amonst lucky villagers in early May who spotted a Common Crane flying over the village early one evening. It is very unusual to see one this far north and the first time one has been observed from the village.  Here’ s what the RSPB says:

‘The crane is a huge, graceful, mainly grey bird with long legs, a long neck and drooping, curved tail feathers. Small numbers pass through Britain in spring and autumn, and there is a tiny breeding population in eastern England. Numbers in Europe have declined over the last 300 years because of disturbance, shooting and drainage.’

Although we didn’t get any great photos, here’s a video to give you an idea what all the excitement was about:

 

Survey Results

/ claravaleconservation / Leave a comment

The Conservation Group committee was pleased at the outcome of the small survey that we recently undertook, on the use of the nature reserve.

Respondents said they enjoyed the peace and quiet, nature and wildlife in the Reserve. Photography and walking are also key reasons to visit.

Improvements in access and paths were the most popular changes that people would like to see. People also wanted to know about other walks and activities in the area, along with more information about wildlife and what you can expect to see when you visit the Reserve.

The recent funding from the Flowers in the Vale project has helped with new gates for the Reserve, which offer better access for people with buggies or wheelchairs. Going forward we will be looking for new funding opportunities to help improve the paths.

The feedback about wildlife information and walks will be useful when we update the leaflet about the Reserve.

Thanks to everyone who took part!

Sparrowhawk!

/ claravaleconservation / Leave a comment

Recent visitors to the bird hides in the Reserve might have been treated to a glimpse of this impressive predator, skimming and dodging obstacles at low level, ferociously chasing its prey at high speed.

The agile Sparrowhawk is a handsome bird with distinctive barring across its front and long, thin yellow legs. It is an expert in short fast low level flying over short distances and like other birds of prey will also soar looking for targets. It feeds on smaller birds, mice, frogs and insects.

sparrowhawk-juvenile

With thanks to Bill Cowing for capturing these photos of both an adult Sparrowhawk (above  and juvenile Sparrowhawk (below) in the Reserve during March 2016.

sparrowhawk-juvenile1