Another positive weekend for the Clubs Conservation Team led by John Olley & Joe Hughes, with farm visits in the Southern section of our recording area.
These guys have quietly worked away, for many years now, with a large network of contacts having made a Real Tangible Difference for Wild Birds in Co.Durham.
Club Conservation Volunteers aka "The Shovellers" come from all backgrounds & band together to perform a range of tasks, from nest box erection & physical habitat management through to site surveys & guidance for landowners.
This weekend boxes were erected for Barn Owl, Kestrel, Little Owl & Tree Sparrow. 📦 🔨 With the landowners delighted to assist us with the JCB Telehandler.
The visit continued with further site assessment, noting target species of Kestrel & Snipe etc
The Freezing Fog & limited visibility didn't hinder our efforts as a secret weapon in the form of a Thermal Camera was deployed.
This allowed us to find other targets around the farmland -
a Woodcock roosting in a wooded thicket was a delightful find, but perhaps more excitingly the thermal was used to confirm a heat source in an Ash tree cavity, where we noted white splash & owl pellets...
Through binoculars we could make out the cast pellets as belonging to Barn Owl & the heat source picked up was very likely to be emanating from a Barnie inside.
NB: If you would like to get involved please contact the DBC's Conservation Teams John or Joe - or come down & see us on SUNDAY 5th FEB (9am) at our Castle Lake Nature Reserve, Bishop Middleham.
Reed Planting & Hedge work will be undertaken - if any members would like to come to find out about the site & hear about plans for its future then everyone is welcome.
Park near the church, at Church Street X in the very south west corner of the village - dont forget to bring wellies & binoculars, our hide provides a good panoramic view of the lake.
*DBC - Studying & Conserving the Birds of County Durham.