Notable Recent Sightings

05/03 Firecrest 1, Lake Vyrnwy
05/03 Short-eared Owl 1, Lake Vyrnwy
14/01 Pink-footed Goose 1, Dolydd Hafren
03/01 Waxwing 20, Meifod; also 5 Welshpool by canal on 01/01. Last: 6 Bwlch-y-Garreg 17/03
23/12 Waxwing Newtown College, first arrivals 04/12, 47 on 23/12, 67 on 01/01, 30 on 04/02
09/12 Cattle Egret 1 roosting with 8 Great Egrets and some Little Egrets, Llyn Coed-y-Dinas
02/12 Waxwing 21 Guilsfield, 12 Montgomery, 1 Welshpool, and 1 on 01/12 Llanfyllin
16/11 Dotterel 3, just west of Dyfnant Forest on RSPB land
16/11 Great Grey Shrike 1, on edge of Dyfnant Forest on RSPB land, last reported 19/01
15/11 Waxwing 25 or 30, just west of Lake Vyrnwy along the Dinas Mawddwy road
08/11 Great Northern Diver A juvenile was found near Anchor, rescued and released
30/10 Black Redstart 1 in garden at Hendomen, near Montgomery
06/10 Hawfinch 5 in treetops at Powis Castle, by main car-park
04/10 Cattle Egret Dolydd Hafren, a flock of c.30
29/09 Red-flanked Bluetail Dyfnant Forest: a county first
23/09 Manx Shearwater 1st year bird grounded in Llanfyllin; released at coast
03/09 Cattle Egret 10 at Cors Dyfi, rising to 32 on 05/09
01/06 Turnstone 1 at Caersws with Little Ringed Plovers
03/05 Wood Sandpiper 1 at Dolydd Hafren
18/04 BLACK-WINGED KITE 1 video-ed at Glan Mule, near Kerry: a likely FIRST for UK
07/04 Black Redstart Female on Carno roof
07/04 Little Ringed Plover Llandinam Gravels
25/03 Osprey Female 5F 'Seren' arrived back at Llyn Clywedog
25/03 Pied Flycatcher An early migrant near Llanfechain
22/03 Hen Harrier Female in flight near Berriew
15/03 Sand Martin 5, Dolydd Hafren
15/03 Golden Plover c.50, Heldre Hill, Long Mountain, nr Welshpool
05/03 Whooper Swan 1, between Caerhowel (Montgomery) and The Gaer, with Mute Swans
05/03 Pink-footed Goose 1, Caersws, with Canada Goose flock
05/03 Jack Snipe 2, Caersws
05/03 Hawfinch 24, Powis Castle, feeding behind orchard
28/02 Pink-footed Goose c.25, flying north over Welshpool
26/02 Merlin 1 male, chasing Meadow Pipit, Long Mountain near Welshpool
26/02 Pintail 3, Llyn Coed-y-Dinas, 1 since 14 Feb
14/02 Hawfinch 1, Powis Castle car-park, very vocal
23/01 Jack Snipe 1, Moel-y-Garth near Guilsfield
17/01 Brambling 80, in beeches at Pen-y-Waen near Cefn Coch with Chaffinches
07/01 Hawfinch 2, bathing in puddle, Cwm Lane, Castle Caereinion
   
See Sightings Archive for older records

Thursday, January 10, 2013

Proposed Hedgerow Removal at Chirbury

A friend of mine forwarded an email regarding proposed hedgerow removal at a farm just outside of Chirbury.  Some of you maybe already be aware of this, but here is a summary and some relevant links to further information.


Hedgerow removal at Chirbury

An application has been lodged with Shropshire Council for the removal of over 11km (7 miles) of hedgerow at Chirbury, close to the Welsh border.  Thirty-seven individual fields will be lost if permission is granted, which will result in one vast 150-hectare field. 

Hedgerows are one of the defining features of the countryside and are vitally important to wildlife.  A recent survey of a single stretch of an English hedge revealed the presence of 1,671 species including butterflies, moths, bees, birds, small mammals and numerous invertebrates.

The hedgerows also form part of the distinctive character of the landscape.    The Vale of Montgomery has great beauty and historical interest and the field network is one of its most valuable elements.

Loss of hedgerows would have an adverse impact of the Camlad river.  Increased siltation would occur and further pollution be caused as a result of pesticide and phosphate run-off.

You can access further details on our website from this link: further details.

Make your views known
Shropshire Wildlife Trust has lodged a formal objection to this application.  If you share our concerns for these hedgerows, please send your comments to Dougald Purce, the planner dealing with this case, dougald.purce@shropshire.gov.uk, by Thursday 17th January.  It would be particularly useful if you quoted some of the policies and legislation mentioned in our objection. 

For further information about this case see the relevant page on Shropshire Council’s planning portal.

3 comments:

  1. The farmer at the centre of the planned Chirbury hedgerow and wildlife massacre apparently likes the vast vistas of Idaho where farming is done on the grand scale. Hopefully the opposition of the people and councils of Wales and Shropshire will stop him turning his new farm (bought last year and now one of seven) plaything into a mirror image of the mid west of the USA.
    Andrew Sceats

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  2. So,he has seven farms. What's that got to do with it?

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  3. Nicole and Brian Foster16 January 2013 at 17:53

    Nicole and Brian Foster.16 January 2013.
    It seems an abomination that 11.393 kilometres of hedgerow near Chirbury could be removed for the convenience and the profit of a commercial entreprise. Friends of the Earth, ramblers, farmers, and any nature lover will have a poorer quality of life once this valuable landmark is destroyed: wildlife is thriving within its rich domain, bringing peace and harmony to the Vale of Montgomery.This landscape is unique.
    Please, stop the planning application !

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