Pilgrims Way 2013 Workshops and Pageant

Nightingale Valley – by Richard Bland

A massive thanks to Richard Bland who led a brilliant early morning bird walk this Saturday. he’ll be back to help out with the Bioblitz on the 29th May. In the meanwhile, this is what he’s got to say about our lovely local gem!

“We are so lucky in Bristol that at the end of the last ice age the sea level was 150 feet, that is 50 metres, lower than it is now. The result is that even very small streams run through very deep valleys, and Brislington Brook is no exception. Steep sides are hard to cultivate, and difficult to build on, so as Bristol expanded the developers usually left them alone. Brislington Brook rises in Hengrove Park, cuts through the village below the church, and then starts to fall very rapidly through Nightingale Valley and past St Annes wood to join the Avon just above Netham Lock. There are, alas, no Nightingales now, but a morning walk began with a Mistle Thrush, these days uncommon, and a Song Thrush in loud song nearby. Nearby a Great Spotted Woodpecker started drumming as we went past the grand old London Plane that must be two hundred years old, and dominates the valley. A silted up pond, probably filled in the great flood of last November led on to an ancient bridge alongside which was huge old coppiced Small-leaved Lime. A Chiffchaff sang, and then four Jays appeared, chasing one another. In the blue sky above a Sparrowhawk was flap- gliding across the valley, looking for breakfast, and a Green Woodpecker gave its call that gives it its name of Yaffle. At the flood relief site, where, after the 1967 floods, a tunnel was cut through a hundred metres of rock to reach the River Avon on the other side, a Goldcrest was gathering moss from streamside stones, and a London express thundered past into one of Brunel’s many tunnels. To make the day a pair of dainty Grey Wagtails posed briefly on a streamside thorn, and a Grey Heron made its graceful way across the valley to the Eastwood Farm heronry.”

Something for the Easter Holidays?

Forage and Feast Photographs

Have a look at this wonderful photo montage produced by Paul Blakemore and Karen Dews with help from children and their parents at St Anne’s Park Primary School! These were taken at the Forage and Feast event we had back in October and were a pilot for a youth photography project that Karen and Paul will be leading at the school in the new year…Watch this space!

Wildlife In The Brislington Brook

I’ve been hearing more and more reports lately of the wonderful wildlife that the Brislington Brook supports and gives refuge to. Several people have voiced concern that the kingfishers have disappered but don’t worry! Apparently they’ve just moved a bit further upstream beyond Allison Rd. Someone suggested this might be due to the rubish clear-up we did earlier on the year…apparently one of the plastic garden chairs we hoiked out had become a favourite fishing perch for the birds. Oops. Another suggestion comes in evidence collected on the biennial invertibrate sample taken by Bristol City Council; although further upstream we found a healthy abundance of fish (mostly sticklebacks), Nightingale Valley was rather lacking in organisms larger than the usual fresh water shrimp, leeches, mayfly and caddisfly larvae.

However, despite this there have been a number of unusual wildlife sightings reported to me lately. Firstly the local Cub-Scout leader reported finding a Brook Lamprey! These rather gruesome, prehistoric-looking creatures look a bit like eels but are technically jawless fish and belong to an ancient order of vertebrates, the Agnathans! See the photo below nabbed off of a Welsh wildlife site for the Gower peninsula…Let us know if you see any more.

The second interesting sighting was from a local bird enthusiast of a Water Rail down near Tesco’s Brislington. It’s not a particularly rare bird nationwide but it’s quite unusual tho see one on the Brook and they are more common over on the East coast…Well spotted Barry! Take a look at the picture below!

For more exciting wildlife adventures, come along this Monday (26th November) for an Owl Prowl 7-8:30pm meeting at the bottom of Alison Rd where it meets Hill lawn (follow link for map) http://goo.gl/maps/pJVDi

Find us on facebook for more details by following this link http://www.facebook.com/events/113352812161700/

 

Happy wildlife spotting everyone!

 

Practical Woodland Workshop this Saturday!

This Saturday, the 10th November, 10am-12:30pm, we will be meeting up to learn about and do a bit of practical woodland conservation in Nightingale Valley!

Are you interested in wildlife and conservation? Want to learn a little bit about woodland management?

Come along and find out how to prune and coppice trees, thin saplings and make dead-hedges with expert tree man Justin Smith! All tools and gloves provided.Please wear sturdy footwear, warm clothing and bring waterproofs in case of rain.

Meet at Hill Lawn just off Allison Rd Brislington
https://maps.google.co.uk/maps/ms?msid=201683487501003304794.0004cb101f325fdb20edb&msa=0

Find the event on facebook and let us know if you’re coming by following this link: http://www.facebook.com/events/552118024814996/

Half-term activities!

Looking for something fun and active to do with the kids this half term?

We’ve got 2 exciting family friendly events coming up!…

Forage and Feast Thurs 25th Oct 1-5pm:
This is a super exciting event for all the family led by an expert forager (wild food gatherer!). Meet at the gates of St Anne’s Park Primary at 1pm for a walk; Bring a dish for a shared pot-luck afternoon tea back at the school; Discuss thoughts on local and global food! Please book a place as they are limited and going quickly! Email ubillington@oxfam.org.uk
Here’s the facebook link: http://www.facebook.com/events/400361383365546/?fref=ts

Night-time Creatures  has been rescheduled to Mon 29th 5-8:30pm:
Come on a guided night-time walk. Meet Owls, bats and moths.
Learn how to use a bat detector and how to make owl calls!
Followed by a campfire, hot-chocolate and stories in the woods ready for Halloween!
If you’re on Facebook here’s the link to let us know if you’re coming
http://www.facebook.com/events/290510414388057/

Both events are completely FREE!

Please spread the word!

Look what we did!

Sorry it’s a few months late…

…Have a look at this wonderful little video put together by one of the writers themselves of the Pilgrim’s Way Pageant that happened in July this year. A huge thank you to all involved and looking forward to seeing more of you next year!

Autumn is here!

Autumn has definitely arrived!

I’m always surprised and amazed how the 1st of September arrives and suddenly it feels like Autumn; a nip in the air, misty mornings, a quality of light that is very different from Summer (particularly when the summer sun is obscured from view by brooding black rain clouds!).

It’s my favourite time of year! I love the seed pods and the dry grasses, the blackberries and the mushrooms…and the feeling of getting ready for the winter, doing things closer to home, enjoying evenings by the fire with friends and neighbours.

Discover Brislington Brook is gearing up for an Autumn and Winter of activities. Watch this space for our new programme of events to include a Forage and Feast on Sunday 21st October, some work-parties coppicing, thinning and hedgelaying in Nightingale Valley, a community Owl Prowl and lots of events for local primary schools.

Facebook

Hi All,

I’ve just set up a facebook page – please have a look and hit the “like” button so that you can follow us! Happy funning in the sun!!

www.facebook.com/DiscoverBrislingtonBrook