Don’t forget the Woodland Hide

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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

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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

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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!

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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

Groundworks update

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Following on from the fencing work undertaken in January, Conservation Group members have been clearing the newly designated meadow area of scrub, shrubs and low level tree growth.  This is why you will see piles of cut branches, twigs and bramble around the Reserve.

cvcg_scrubmar16

There is quite alot of this debris around the site at the moment; some of this will be left or moved to create ground habitats, some will be reserved for charcoal-making at a later date, and some will be safely burnt off.  Over the next few weeks we will be strimming down the top layer of the new meadow area to give meadow-loving plants a chance to get established without quicker growing plants competing for light and nutrients.

If you are interested in joining in, come along to our next meeting (14th March in the Clara Vale Village Hall at 7pm) or keep an eye on our Upcoming Events section of the website and come along on a task day (which is usually a couple of hours). No special skills required!

Spring is Here…

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The next few weeks are a great time to take a walk around the Reserve, which is stirring into life after winter slumber. The trees are coming into leaf, crocuses and snowdrops are already present with lots more early spring flowers to follow.

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The rough ground churned up by machinery used for installing the new fencing will soon settle and grass over again.

The pond is coming to life and there are pockets of interesting fungi to be found. The birds are very busy and there are lots of sounds to take in on stroll around the Reserve.  If you walk through regularly, now is the time to take it slow and observe the sights and sounds of Spring!

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We Want Your Feedback !

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We are interested to hear your views about how you use the Nature Reserve to help us shape its future and here is your the opportunity to tell us. Just complete the survey by clicking the link below, it will take just a couple of minutes. You don’t have to give any personal details.

We are running the Survey until the end of March 2016 and will report back soon after on feedback received.

Clara Vale Nature Reserve User Survey

 

 

New Fencing and Gates

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Contractors have just about finished the new perimeter and paddock field fencing in the Reserve, the infrastructure element of the Flowers in the Vale project.  New, wider access gates have also been installed, along with a stock pen.

Whilst the galvanised gates may look bright against the wood while new, they will weather and dull down over time.  Compacted ground where machinery has been working will also recover as we enter the Spring and Summer.

newgates

Clay Figures Appearing in the Reserve

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Sixty children from Crawcrook Emmaville Primary School visited the Clara Vale Nature Reserve on Wednesday 10 February to explore the environment and learn more about textures and colour.

The children visited the bird hide in small groups and saw many birds including a Kingfisher and Heron. In the grassland and woods they spotted spring flowers, catkins and sticky buds.

If you see trees decorated  with clay faces, these were made in the Village Hall during the childrens’ visit. Have a walk through the Reserve and see if you can spot them, along with the other signs of spring!

 

 

catkins

RSPB Big Birdwatch Results

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Thanks to everyone who took part in our 1 hour Birdwatch on 31st January, we’ve submitted our results for the Clara Vale Reserve to the RSPB.

We recorded a total of 19 species from both hides:

Blue Tit
Robin
Blackbird
Chaffinch
Coal tit
Yellowhammer
Tree sparrow
Bullfinch
Nuthatch
Greater Spotted Woodpecker
Great tit
Dunnock
Moorhen
Long tail tit
Magpie
Woodpigeon
Wren
Kingfisher
Treecreeper

birdwatch