Archived News
The Blagdon Lake Birds website has been on the internet for over 13 years, with a near-daily news blog bringing you all the latest wildlife observations made by people, like myself, a naturalist who is particularly interested in the comings-and-goings of birds and bats, as well as all other flora and fauna to be found at this remarkable site. I always welcome news from those of you who take the trouble to share your sightings too, and you can do this by using the contact page, if you don't already have my mobile number or email address. I have carried out countless surveys and have been helped and assisted by many knowledgeable friends and acquaintances, not least the team who conduct the monthly Wetland Bird Survey (WeBS) counts, some of whom have been doing so for upwards of 30 years. Then there's the small, but enthusiastic, team of bat workers conducting trapping surveys as part of the Bat Conservation Trusts National Nathusius' Pipistrelle Project, plus regular bat box checks and emergence surveys. I hope you find something of interest within these pages, and please do share your observations because Blagdon Lake and its wildlife, although already partially protected, is under increasing threat from all manner of anthropogenic pressures, and the bottom line is our declining native species need somewhere to thrive and exist as their natural habitats become ever more degraded and fragmented. Your observations today, may be of critical importance in the years ahead, helping to inform the conservation effort of present custodians Bristol Water, and Natural England, the government's adviser for the natural environment.
The Spillway, 7th Nov. 2010.