AGM and Talk on managing the ecology of the UEA Campus

Detail from a UEA display board (located at red dot)

All the papers for the AGM are at the end of the June Newsletter to be found here.

Conservation Volunteers June Programme

Yare Valley Parkway in new Green Strategy

UEA Iris has a visitor Photo: Rachel Taylor
Reproduced by kind permission of the Greater Norwich Growth Board

Marston Marshes Ornithological Update

Last year when Tim Hill reported in March on the birdlife he had seen on the marsh it was after the marsh had been under flood water for longer than is usual. This resulted in some new, or rare, wildfowl sightings and some common water birds appearing in larger numbers. Less flooding this year, and so there have been some changes. Tim Hill reports:

“The number of species seen each month, January to May, has been around 50. With winter visitors departing, and summer visitors arriving, a total of 73 different species has been seen so far this year. This is slightly lower at this stage than last year due to the flooding that occurred in February 2024 bringing in additional visitors that year.

Unusually for this species here, a chiffchaff overwintered along Marston Lane and was seen throughout January and February. It started singing in early March. They are now calling all round the perimeter of the marsh. Cetti’s warblers have been here continuously from March 2023 after disappearing for several years.

Another species seen more regularly during winter and spring is the greylag goose. For the second year a brood has hatched at the east end of the marsh, and they can often be seen on the south bank of the river with mum and dad standing guard as they feed.

The swans that previously nested where the river Yare joins the mill stream did not return to that nest site this year. There were issues for them last year caused by flooding. At the east end the pair that successfully raised a family last year has produced a brood of 6 cygnets this year.

The warblers are back in good numbers. Sedge warblers are setting up territories and displaying across the marsh. The scratchy song of whitethroats can be heard in most areas with bramble or nettle patches. There is a single reed warbler around the stile on Marston Lane. It has lately favoured calling near the new seat. A garden warbler has returned to the woods along the riverbank and is usually heard in the central area. There was a brief appearance of a grasshopper warbler, with its mechanical whirring, to the west of the central path from the lane to the river. Blackcaps are widespread and very vocal too. The first was heard at the end of March.

The parakeets seem to favour the eastern end of the marsh a bit more. They may be making use of the many holes in the trees at that end. They do still tend to roost, some evenings, in the poplars near the riverbank where they first appeared. A barn owl was seen regularly patrolling the whole marsh in January. It was out at almost any time during daylight hours, but I have not seen it since the beginning of February. A rare visitor to the marsh was a male marsh harrier in March. It patrolled quite low, on three occasions, showing its wonderful upper wing markings. Another rare visitor for the marsh was a great white egret. One pops in occasionally and is quite spectacular standing in the water at the edge of the river, with its long neck vertical, as it looks for food.

At the time of writing sand martins and swifts have been seen but house martins and swallows are yet to appear. Two other long-distance migrants have also arrived with a cuckoo seen near the boardwalk and a common tern hovering and diving along the river.”

Finally that oft seen sight on the look out for food:

All photos by Tim Hill.

Conservation Volunteers May Programme

Conservation Volunteers Programme April 2025

Conservation Volunteers March Programme

Public access to McCarthy Stone Green landscaped area

Wheelchair access from Leander Court/Daisy Hill Court path. Photo: Hilary Hann

Temporary Closure of Marston Marsh Footpath

Landscaping in the Yare Valley

After much delay planting is now underway on the green space adjacent to the McCarthy Stone development on the Bluebell Road.  The landscaped area will have links to the Strawberry Field and to the Yare Valley Walk and will open up opportunities for new green circular walks.

The planting of trees and other environmental mitigations for achieving biodiversity net gain for the development were a condition of the planning approval. From the start of the development the Yare Valley Society has pressed for the completion of the landscaping of the green space and the other required ecological improvements. It has monitored its progress, and provided reports to the Norwich City Council Planning Department. A recent survey by YVS found that most of the environmental mitigations are now in place. Some, such as hedgehog gaps in the boundary fence, and boundary hedgerow infill planting, are still outstanding, and are being followed up.

At most points of entry to the green space there is fencing, and it is probably as well that general public access is restricted until the planted meadow areas have been given time to become established. People have been seen inside the area already. There are surfaced paths, and it is to be hoped they remain on the paths and treat the newly planted areas with respect. Moles already have access:

A mole explores its new environment