TERNS

The two Common Terns found by somebody on the ski lake this morning.

Spring Newsletter

The Spring Newsletter has just been emailed to everyone listed as a member on 30-4-2018 ......... with a gentle reminder that subs are now due for the year 2018-19. [family memberships get only one email, so we hope you share!]

If you haven't received your copy please check that you haven't blocked newsfromcromwellbottom@gmail.com. If that doesn't work please send an email to that address and confirm your current email address.

Happy reading!

Chair's Report 2018

The Chair's report given on April 25th 2018 is shown in full here.

This picture of a Blackcap was taken at the bird feeding area by Mick



It was nice to see at the feeders

                      WE NEED ALL THE HELP WE CAN GET

Hi All

We are picking up 1000 Haw/blackthorn plants on Wednesday and we need help to plant them 
we will be meeting at 9.30 every Thursday and also on Saturday the 14th of April, if you could spare an hour or two that would be great.

This latest planting will complete the hedge on North Loop and mark the end of one of our largest projects in the last few years.

HOPE TO SEE YOU SOON 
DAVID. L 

Thank You

  I'd just like to say a Big Thank You to all the hard working
  volunteers at Cromwell Bottom, I love walking down by the
  riverside looking for Kingfishers and Dippers but I always
  did it with some trepidation as I was always looking at the floor
  in case I slipped or stood in a puddle of mud, but now its a pleasure
  to walk on there and you can now get nearer to the river without
  being attacked with nettles and brambles.
  Fantastic job you should all be proud of yourselves.
  Well Done.

    Birds seen today were Blue & Great Tit, LTT,  Bullfinch, Blackbird, Robin,
    2 Buzzard, Cormorant, Goosander, Dipper, Mallard, Wren, Heron, Magpie,
    Jay, Nuthatch, Reed Bunting and Kestrel.

Steps and Bird Hide

Jen and David built steps to our new hide. Meanwhile,

Dave, Alistair and Graham completed our new hide in very blustery conditions.

More Images HERE

May we point out that the hide is not available to the public at the moment.

New Bird Box

We recently installed a new bird box. We have around 50 replacements to fit within the next few weeks.

More images HERE

The Beast from the East....

It has been a challenging time for wildlife in the weather we've been having - and a challenging time for the hardy volunteers on the bird feeding rota too! So, a big thank you to all the regular feeders. We've hardly missed a day I think.
Thank you also to the many visitors who arrive with seed, mealworms, peanuts etc to add to the menu. Your efforts are really appreciated and we hope you enjoy the reward of a good view of the bird life around the feeding areas at the cabins and in the reserve. The robins are now forming a queue on the shelf as we arrive!

Nice Day Out On The Reserve

     A Good day out on the reserve yesterday, plenty of
     people and plenty of Bird life, bumped into Dave L
     while I was there and its always a pleasure talking
     to Dave and deserves a lot of credit for all the work
     he does for the group.

     Blue, Great, Coal and Long Tailed Tits, Bullfinch,
     Reed Buntings, Robin, Dunnock, Jay, Grey Heron,
     Goosander, Teal, Mallard, Nuthatch, Goldfinch,
     Wren, 2 Buzzard overhead also Mute Swan on canal.

   

AVIVA NEWS!

Bums on Seats at the Bottom.......

Here’s some unexpected good news – your votes really did make a difference!

the AVIVA Community Fund got back in touch as one of the winning projects wasn’t able to go ahead. So….. We got our grant after all! Huge thanks to you all, and thanks to AVIVA too.

We are now in the process of finding a supplier for the benches and deciding exactly where to put them.

The committee has some ideas for where they think the benches would be sited, but we’d like to hear your views on this too.

• Do you have a favourite spot to linger in?
• Is there a place where you like to stop for a breather?
• Do your knees need a rest somewhere along your walk?

There will probably be three benches. We can't promise they will go exactly in your preferred places for reasons of practicality and safety, but your ideas will help us make the final decisions. 

You can get in touch via this blog - leave a comment below, or email cromwellbottom@gmail.com or leave a comment on our Facebook page. Also, if you are a Sunday cabin visitor talk to one of the team there and leave your comments.

Many thanks!

Recent Birds this week at the Bird Viewing Area.

                                                           Long Tailed Tits

                                                                 Nuthatch

                                                             Bullfinches (m)

                                                                   Blue Tits

                                                                  Chaffinch (F)

At the Viewing Area

A few images from yesterday afternoon.  A dozen or so bullfinch, great tit and blue tit along with long-tailed tit, chaffinch and robin were around for most of the time.  A jay put in a very quick visit, too.

Great Tit

Blue Tit

Bullfinch

Chaffinch

Robin

Ric Jackson

Otter Cub rescued

I don't know a lot about this, but it seems a young Otter were picked up along the Calder in Hebden Bridge a few days ago. It has been taken to an otter sanctuary, with intentions expressed to release it in Calderdale eventually

See Calderbirds.blogspot. (picture)

Originally it was posted by Matt Bell that two cubs had been rescued but it turns out this was due to a misunderstanding on Facebook.

Thank you to the Colliers.....

   ...... for rescuing our meeting! We were very grateful to you and your regulars for welcoming us and enabling us to hold our committee meeting in the bar after the power supply failed at our cabin.

A couple of photos from yesterday morning.

Was nice to see the Bank Vole and, although heavy cropped, good to get a few shots

Treecreeper in feeding area

Welcome visitor to the feeding area this morning

THE LAST SATURDAY WORK PARTY OF THE YEAR

Saturday the 9th is our last work party of the year and we could do with some help. We are planting trees on North Loop and many hands make it easier.
We are also running a strimmer course.

Meet at the cabin at 9.30 start with a brew and a chat.
If you intend staying all day bring along some lunch.

AVIVA - no luck this time!

Sadly we didn't get into the final group of lucky projects to get a grant this year, but there's always next time!

Many, many thanks to everyone who took the trouble to cast votes for our project "Bums on Seats at the Bottom!" - and it was trouble!!
AVIVA have sent a very apologetic email out to all the entrants about the difficulties with their website and in recognition of all the hassle they have given us £100, which should go some way towards realising our plans.
So, onwards and upwards as they say.....

Thank you SUMA!

We had a good surprise when David found several sacks at the gate last week - our friends at SUMA Wholefoods had left us a very generous donation of sunflower seeds for our winter bird feeding supplies.

We - and the birds - are really grateful, so thank you very much!

A sunny, chilly work day

Well the sun was shining, but it didn't ever really shift the frost. Despite that we all got stuck in - working to keep warm I suspect!

Welcome to new volunteer Martin who soon got busy with filling the bird feeders at the cabins and at the viewing area. Some work also got done down there to tidy up the logs and feeders.

We did a big clean up around the cabin, inside and out, which all makes it a welcoming place for Sunday visitors and weekday volunteers alike.

David and his team were occupied with their usual assortment of drills, hammers, wheelbarrows etc on "major works" to improve our storage and organisation.

A litter picking walk was also a good chance to see five Hooper swans fly over the reserve and to spot the giveaway signs of a sparrowhawk kill on the wildflower meadow.

Finally, the wildlife is now moving in.... 

More volunteers are always welcome - when are you coming down?

Cheeky Visitor to the Feeding area