Kemerton Conservation Trust Kemerton Clippings Issue 19 January 2017 Appeal for Help! Winter Waterfowl Watching at The Trust is looking for volunteer help in the following: the Water’s Edge Hide Our Monthly Reserves © Kate Aubury Our final event of the year was a bird watch- Work Parties: ing walk around Kemerton Lake Nature Do you enjoy the Great Reserve led by our Governor, keen birder Outdoors? Are you looking for some exercise to keep Brett Westwood, on 7th December. We were you fit in 2017? Do you delighted to be able to share Brett’s want to learn more about knowledge with our members, many of whom our reserves and the will be familiar with his natural history work wildlife on them? If you answered yes to the above, Brett & attendees bird watching as a BBC 4 radio presenter, author and then why not consider join- during the winter walk naturalist working on BBC’s Springwatch. ing our friendly team of work party volunteers! The primary focus of the walk was the large © Kate Aubury Our reserves work party numbers of waterfowl that arrive at the lake team meets once a month in late autumn/early winter to overwinter on a Saturday throughout here, although we were also on the lookout the year (except December) for other winter migrants such as Snipe, Red- to assist with a variety of wing and Fieldfare. We also hoped to see a habitat management tasks on our reserves, all in or display of murmurating Starlings, although around Kemerton and because of the mild weather, the large flocks Brett & attendees on the new Bredon Hill. The work we normally get had not so far materialised. Water’s Edge Hide boardwalk parties run from 10am till 1pm and tasks suit a range of fitness levels. The walk started at our new Water’s Edge Typical activities include Hide, where attendees could enjoy views of planting trees, repairing Pochard, Wigeon and large numbers of Teal, tree guards, cutting back as well as the usual Coots, Greylag Geese and overgrown paths, raking Mute Swans. A Grey Heron on one of the up hay, painting hides and litter picking. All tools and nearby islands proved popular as well. We safety wear are provided. © Kate Aubury then continued around the north edge of the Mute Swans & other waterfowl on lake where we saw Snipe in the scrapes, If you are interested and the lake during the walk small flocks of Redwing & Fieldfare, Meadow would like more details, please contact Support Pipits flying up from the grass as we walked Coordinator Kate Aubury by and even heard a Water Rail, a very shy reed bed bird that is almost on 07765 334776 or email impossible to spot. There were the usual Cormorants and Oystercatchers [email protected]. along the lake edge, a few Lapwing flocking and we were treated to a The Trust is dependent lovely flying display from the hundreds of Teal which were disturbed by upon the assistance it our presence. The walk ended at twilight, with the fine weather resulting receives from its many in a stunning sunset over the water, and a small number of Starling volunteers to continue managed a mini murmuration for our viewing pleasure. its important work in the local area, so please let us know if you can All in all it was a fantastic way to finish the year and everyone who came assist in any way. enjoyed themselves. Thank you to Brett for bringing his expertise. PAGE 2 KEMERTON CLIPPINGS ISSUE 19 Bountiful Fruit Harvest ensures Annual Apple Day Success! was quite poor and as a result garden which we encourage there weren’t many apples to them to look after in a nature juice, but thankfully 2016’s friendly way. harvest was plentiful and there were queues down the path for In addition to the apple press- the press! Children in particular ing, stands selling KOW’s © Kate Aubury love helping to throw the apples calendars, greeting cards and Local children filling the Apple into the Scratter to pulp them tea towels and our own Scratter outside the hall and then to turn the handle on information stand, visitors the press to squeeze out deli- could also enjoy some tasty Kemerton Orchard Workers’ cious, golden liquid. Freshly treats including apple cakes Annual Apple Day was held squeezed apple juice tastes and scones washed down with at Victoria Hall, Kemerton on wonderful. a cup of tea. All in all a lovely Saturday 15th October 2016. afternoon of orchard fun. The event raised £434 for the The Trust was there to support © Kate Aubury group, which manages Trust our sister organisation with an owned Daffurns Orchard in information stand highlighting Kemerton for the community. the work we do locally restoring and maintaining traditional The highlight of the event is orchards. It was great to chat to the apple pressing, where for lots of visitors about the a small fee you can bring your importance of orchards as a wild- own apples to be pressed into life habitat, especially as many juice using KOW’s lovely attendees have at least a couple KCT’s information stand manned by volunteers David & Lottie Aubury press. In 2015 the harvest of apple trees in their own members. The scheme is look- ing for more members so if Funding Update you buy oil and want to know more and get great prices, We are delighted to confirm check out their website that our funding proposal for www.sesame.me.uk. The a Facilitator for the Carrant more members the group has Catchment Area Restoration CCARP - along with various from Kemerton, the more Project (CCARP) was offshoot projects - is currently money the Trust receives! successful, with Jenny Phelps the main focus for the Trust, starting in the post in last alongside our ongoing Long -term local supporter September (see page 7 for reserves management etc. so Bredon Forest School donated more details). Natural no other grant funding work an incredible £1100 to the England has agreed funding was completed in the second Trust in the second half of for 5 years for this part-time half of 2016. 2016. These are unrestricted post and additional funds funds which are used to help aimed at supporting The Trust has been chosen as with general costs including restoration work and learning one of the recipients of a volunteer tools and materials opportunities within the dividend from local oil buying for reserve management. We project area. Jenny is looking club SeSaME, which began in are very grateful for their to recruit more partners to Sedgeberrow but now has generous support. this important and ambitious members in 12 local villages. project so we hope it will We will receive a dividend of Thank you to all who have continue to grow. £0.25ppl from Kemerton supported us this year! PAGE 3 KEMERTON CLIPPINGS ISSUE 19 KCT Governors’ Annual Board Meeting 2016 At least once a year KCT volunteers for the work parties © Kate Aubury Governors meet for a Board as numbers have slumped Meeting to review the past recently. year’s work and set goals for the new year. In addition to One particular concern for our the governors the meeting is Governors is the impact that also attended by John Clarke Brexit may have on the Trust’s and Kate Aubury, who both income stream, as a significant report on their activities for portion of our unrestricted funds the year. come from agricultural subsidies KCT’s Chairman, Governors & key which are currently paid by the volunteers outside the new hide 2016 has seen grant funded EU. Unfortunately at this stage restoration work carried out we do not know what changes autumn light. Brett’s eagle on a remnant apple orchard the government will make to eyes spotted a pair of male in Eckington, the completion farming subsidies and whether Pintail in eclipse plumage on and Grand Opening of our that will negatively impact us the lake, Snipe in the Scrapes, new Water’s Edge Hide at so all we can do is wait for more Redpoll in the woodland and Kemerton Lake Nature details. the holes of an emergent Reserve following a big fund- Hornet Moth at the base of a raising effort in 2015, and the Following the meeting and large Poplar tree in Kemerton expansion of CCARP after a lunch, the governors visited Park. Not a bad haul for one successful funding application Kemerton Lake and the new afternoon! for a Facilitator (see page 6 hide for a spot of bird watching, for more details). although as Kate had brought The 2015/16 Chairman’s her noisy toddler along there Report, Annual Accounts, After reviewing the past year, were less birds to be seen than Conservation Officer’s Report the governors identified their usual! However, the governors and Support Coordinator’s priorities for 2017, which were delighted with the hide Report are all available to include focussing on CCARP and enjoyed a lovely walk read on our website now in and its associated projects, around the reserve, which the ‘News & Events’ section. and recruiting more looked stunning in the golden © David Keen 2016. A fantastic photographer, News in Brief David Keen managed to capture the wonderful shot Our new hide is proving popular shown here. The bird was only with members and new visitors at the reserve for a day, so a alike. Regrettably it has already brilliant spot! been targeted for petty vandal- ism, with damage done to the Crayfish Monitoring was door, the noticeboard and items carried out at the lake in 2016 such as binoculars and bird ID as part of the ongoing Ark sheets stolen.