Please note that :-
We have added an Orchid Day to the calendar on 15th June
We may combine the Nightjar and Glow-worm nights on to the night of 25th June depending on a recce of the proposed area.
Category Archives: Latest News
YNU Conference 2019 Abstracts
The YNU conference this year was all about the use of technology in helping to manage and record wildlife. Below are the abstracts from the various presentations if anyone is interested.
The full presentations are now available on www.ynu.org.uk/conference2019.
Happy reading
Bat survey dates confirmed for 2019
The bat survey dates for Hutton Buscel, Brompton, Deepdale, Low North Camp and Keldy ponds have now all been agreed and details are being posted in the calendar. Anyone interested is asked to contact Nick Gibbons on 07790 113025 or by e-mail.
There may be an additional survey which we will try and fit in near Terrington where an ice house is being repaired and there is interest in what bats are using the site. Information will be posted when we have an agreed date.
Land at Newby
The Coast and Vale Community Action group have been offered a small area of land near the cut at Newby and are wondering what to do with it. SFNS have been asked to comment on the ecological value of the site. We have had an initial meeting with David Stone to provide more background and have done a brief vegetation survey of the site which will be passed on to them when written up. The botanical interest does not appear great but does provide a ‘wild’ area within the town and is part of a nice corridor along the cut through the town. Whilst the land does not quite border the cut anything done there may well affect the overall value of the corridor. The land between this site and the water is probably managed/owned by the Environment Agency and we have advised CAMCA to make contact with them. During the visit Grey wagtail, Dipper and Kingfisher were noted using the waterway and other more common birds such as Blackcap were present on site.
Betton verge survey
We have done a vegetation survey of the verge adjacent to the SSSI. The verge holds a number of species of orchid an also some other nice patches of chalk grassland. The hope is that between the Parish Council and the DoT we can get the site managed better to sustain this valuable habitat.
Ravenscar tunnel bat survey completed
We have now done all three roost visits planned for the tunnel and the results have been written up and passed to Elspeth Ingelby at NYMNP. We found both Myotis and Common pipistrelle bats using the tunnel on the main three visits and a final check of the tunnel found a Brown long-eared bat roosting on the ceiling. The data from the spring/summer visits seems to ask as many questions as it answers and there are indications that the bats may even be using the tunnel as a ‘route through’. Certainly there is no ‘major’ roost present but it is being well used. The winter hibernation visits did not add anything to the single record we have from 2016 of a single bat hibernating there. We will wait and see what proposals come forward for the future of the tunnel but thanks to the help of all the volunteers we now at least have a much better knowledge of its use by bats. Thanks to everyone involved.
Rosedale walk 21st April 2018
Six people headed off on the Rosedale walk to look for Ring ouzel and Redstart. From the car park Red grouse were calling and throughout the day were plentiful and amazingly tame. A lot of displaying and chasing and calling by numerous males were witnessed. Surprisingly there were no Wheatear present around the kilns but it was not long before we found two males in pristine condition on a meadow. At the same time a Redstart was singing from the hanging woodlands but refused to show itself. While attracted to the Redstart a pair of Ring ouzels were spotted at the far end of the meadow, Rob picking up their distant song. Before we could get really close they were disturbed by some other walkers and cyclists but did not go far and we then closed up and had better views. An odd call was bothering us which we eventually confirmed as the call of a Ring ouzel when later in the day we watched on calling from a clump of heather. As we walked a further pair of Ring ouzel was then detected further north with much better views. Golden plover were calling and a singleton and a pair were seen as we progressed along the track and a further pair of Ring ouzels flew out of some rushes to the east of the track. Greylag geese came flying over from the south, not quite a moorland bird! Just as we approached our lunch stop near the mine shaft it started to rain and waterproofs were donned. During lunch a Sparrowhawk put in a brief appearance on the southern crest of the hill. The walk was a bit swifter in the wind and rain but stopped before we got back to the cars giving us ample time for further good views of Ring ouzel, one of which had a yellow ring on its left leg. Redstarts were again singing but as before there was no sign of them. A great day out.
Reptile day Cropton Forest 8th April 2018
I think we were all thrilled at the wonderful day in Cropton. Andrew and his friends with a few additional SFNS eyes found total of 38 male adders, 2 Slowworms and a juvenile Lizard despite the weather not being ideal. The colour variation in the adders was quite dramatic from almost black to a pale green/cream background. The colder weather seems to have kept the Lizards and Slowworms a bit lethargic and had not come out to ‘sun’ themselves. Apart from the reptiles frog spawn was found in many of the shallow pools and wheel ruts and a male toad almost got stood on. The birds were also quite impressive with a quite good numbers of Siskin and Repoll, including a flock of 40-50 of the latter species. We were surprised to have a Raven cr0aking mid morning and the day was rounded off with a chattering Goshawk and also a group of 11 Crossbills, including 2 juveniles, that came and sat in a small dead tree right above our Well done Andrew – we thought we would be lucky if we saw 2 or 3!
Betton verge management
The verge at Betton is part of a RIG site for its geological interest. The verges also have considerable botanic interest with both Pyramidal and Bee orchid populations as well as other chalk flora. There is some current management of the grassland on the south side of the road but none on the north where the grassland is becoming very rank and hawthorn and catoneaster are invading. We believe that most of the orchids and best of the flora is on the north side of the verge rather than the south side. Discussions with the Parish council have been very positive re modifying the management but there appears to be little formal information to base any decisions on about where and when to cut etc:.
The proposal is that SFNS carryout a botanical survey of the verges in early summer plotting the areas of greatest botanical interest to allow meaningful discussions on future management to take place. Keep on the web site or your e-mails for a date when this will take place if you are interested in taking part.
Cropton bat boxes
The production line for the new boxes at the Cropton Cabins funded by FC has been going well and the 20 boxes from fresh cut larch have been successfully made. These will be installed after the survey there in August.