Welcome
About us
The Severn-Vyrnwy Confluence Community Wildlife Group was set up in February 2018 to find out how many pairs of Lapwing and Curlew there are in the area bounded in the north by Crosslanes in the west to Nesscliffe in the east, and in the south from Winnington in the west to Stoney Stretton in the east. It includes Alberbury, Melverley, Pentre and Westbury.
As well as the two main target species, participants are asked, if they want to, to record up to 22 other target species. This is an optional extra, so only do it if you are confident. The primary objective is to find Curlew and Lapwing, and if that’s what you want to do, you will be very welcome.
Anyone interested in birds can join in. You don’t need to be an expert. Simple survey instructions, and maps to record your observations, are provided, and there will be a practical fieldwork training session if you feel that would help you.
Area of Operation
The group’s area is divided up into 27 survey squares, each 2×2 kilometres on the Ordnance Survey National Grid, known as tetrads. The total area covered is 108 square kilometres.
Map showing the total area, divided into these squares is available adjacent (please click to enlarge).
2024 Survey
In 2018 we found only 7 pairs of Curlew and 7– 8 pairs of Lapwing. We found fewer and fewer in each year since. Are there more to find? This is a big decline in our area, and we want to help reverse it. We will repeat our survey this year totry and find them all.
We need more helpers. It’s easy to do, and only takes 3 half days between March and June. If you can help, or you’re interested in finding out more about these birds,
please come to the meeting!!!
Community Wildlife Group Meeting
7.30pm Wednesday 20th March 2024
Alberbury Village Hall
(Signposted, in the middle of the village on the B4393 road)
All welcome: you don’t need to be an expert
Want to help but can’t make the meeting? Contact Tony Comley beforehand
If you know where any of these birds breed, please tell us
For further Information, contact
• Tony Comley 079408 17300 svccwg@shropscwgs.org.uk
• Leo Smith 01694 720296 leo@leosmith.org.uk
The meeting is supported by Shropshire Ornithological Society Save our Curlews Campaig
Contact us
If you would like to help, but can’t attend the meeting, or you would like more information, please email the group organiser at svccwg@shropscwgs.org.uk.
Plans for 2022
We intend to repeat the lapwing and curlew surveys, and would like more helpers. If you can help, or you’re interested in finding out more about these birds, please email us at svccwg@shropscwgs.org.uk.
Area of operation
SVC Survey area map
Activities & Achievements
Survey results
‘Save our Curlews’ Campaign
Together with 10 other Community Wildlife Groups, our results contribute to monitoring the Curlew population across the whole County.
The campaign is organised by Shropshire Wildlife Trust (SWT) and Shropshire Ornithological Society (SOS). For more details visit the SOS website www.shropshirebirds.com/save-our-curlews/ or visit our Campaign page.
Helping other wildlife
For the time being we want to concentrate on our bird survey and the Save our Curlews campaign, and we don’t want to duplicate, or compete with, the other worthwhile surveys and events organised by other groups.
However, many members are interested in other forms of wildlife. We have therefore produced a leaflet summarising the activities of, and opportunities offered by, other wildlife organisations that operate in our area Time for Wildlife-v1.
