2021 Bird Survey – can you help?
In spite of coronavirus restrictions, we were able to keep an eye on the populations of key bird species last year through members recording what they had seen during their daily exercise or while on essential journeys.
This year, we are hoping that restrictions will be eased sufficiently for our normal surveys to resume. We are always looking for new volunteers to cover our entire area. Full details of what’s involved and why we do the surveys can be found here.
AGM 2021
Normally at this time of year we would be looking forward to our Annual General Meeting. The situation being as it is, there is no possibility of us having a meeting that would comply with the prevailing lockdown rules (or any new ones that might succeed them). Instead, we are proposing to send a report in lieu of an annual meeting.
Please let us know by emailing camladvalley@shropscwgs.org.uk if you have any feedback on this suggestion, and if you have any suggestions for events you would like us to run during 2021. Hopefully, the COVID vaccination programme will enable life to return to some sort of normal, but it might be as well to consider digital as well as real world options!
Camlad Valley Bird Report 2020
Like so many other aspects of life in 2020, our plans to repeat our annual survey of the local curlew population were knocked somewhat out of step by the coronavirus pandemic and the restrictions arising from it.
However, our members kept their eyes and ears open, and many incorporated hunting for curlews into their allowed daily exercise. As a result, the project organiser, Leo Smith, has been able to put together a very respectable report into the numbers of curlews – and other species – to be found in our locality this year.
Welcome
About us
The Camlad Valley Community Wildlife Group (CVCWG) was set up to help local people help local wildlife. The group provides a chance to learn and get that little bit closer to some of our most fascinating plants and animals.
Participating in the group provides an opportunity to find out about the distinctive wildlife of the Camlad Valley and the area surrounding Corndon Hill and to share your local wildlife knowledge. You will receive free expert training and a chance to engage in local opportunities to perform valuable conservation work and have fun at the same time.
An annual report is issued each year, summarising the activities and accomplishments of the past twelve months and laying out plans for the forthcoming period. You can read our reports here.
Alongside other local wildlife groups, we participate in an annual survey of Curlew and Lapwing, and there are projects to protect and enhance diversity of the local flora.
Area of Interest
The geographical extent of the CVCWG’s activities is shown on the map adjacent (please click to enlarge), expressed in terms of tetrads (the 2 km x 2 km squares used in surveying many types of wildlife).
The area includes Churchstoke, Hyssington, Priest Weston and Chirbury, so lies partly in England and partly in Wales. As a result, we have ties not only with the other Shropshire Wildlife Groups but also Powys-based bodies such as the Montgomeryshire Wildlife Trust.
More information
To join the Camlad Valley CWG or to get more information, please contact:
Sandy Scott (Secretary) or Peter Fenner (Website Minder) at camladvalley@shropscwgs.org.uk
Follow us
Area of Interest
What we do
Curlew Surveys
Although we must of course abide by the Government’s instructions, it doesn’t mean that our efforts to monitor curlew numbers have to cease entirely. Find out more how you can help.
Future Events
This link is currently inactive as all upcoming group events have been postponed for the time being.
As soon as normal service can be resumed, we’ll let you know.
Reports
Click through to view or download our annual reports from 2014 -2019.
Here you can find out about our findings during the year and what we hope to achieve in future.
See what we’ve been up to
Past Events
2020 AGM
We held our AGM at Churchstoke Community Hall on 12th February. After the requisite AGM admin covered the Group’s Chair, Mary Napper, we had reports from Leo Smith and Rob Rowe on the respective activities of the Bird and Plant Groups. After a refreshment break, we...
Bird Walk, 26 May 2019
Leaden grey skies and the occasional shower did not deter the twenty people who joined our birdwatching walk around Roundton Nature Reserve. In fact, the weather had more of an impact on the birds we hoped to see, as they were generally staying sheltered and being...
Bird Group meeting, 18 March 2019
The Bird Group met at the Horse and Jockey in Churchstoke to plan this year’s survey of curlew, lapwing and other bird species. The survey is carried out by volunteers being allocated a tetrad made up of four kilometre squares. Volunteers for most of the Camlad...
Interested in joining?
Anyone who lives or works in the area, or has an interest in its wildlife, and who wants to actively contribute to local knowledge and conservation, is welcome. Membership is free.
Enthusiasm and interest in the area are far more important than specialist knowledge. Group members are assisted by experts in the relevant fields: they provide training to anyone who wants it on such topics as species identification, how to carry out a simple surveys and how to record the results. Survey work is easy and enjoyable, and members will learn new skills.
Join
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Support
The Camlad Valley Community Wildlife Group received financial support from the Stiperstones & Corndon Hill Country Landscape Partnership Scheme, which is funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund. The lead organisation for the Scheme is the Shropshire Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) Partnership, and the Scheme is hosted by Shropshire Council. Please see www.stiperstonesandcorndon.co.uk
