March issue - Magazine - Page 35
Glenside
News
GlensideNews@mail.com
LOCAL INTEREST
Nature Notes for April
Jackie Murray finds some rare birds right on our doorstep
A very rare, lovely sunny morning in early March, found
me walking around the organic farm in Little Bytham.
With the poor weather, birding has been a little difficult
but that morning made up for it. Guy Turner was
cultivating one of the fields and I spent some time
observing to see what birds would be attracted to a
bounty of newly exposed soil invertebrates.
Black-headed Gulls were quickly on the scene,
looking very smart in their new breeding plumage, their
black heads standing out. They were quickly joined by a
Red Kite. We all see these birds with their distinctive
forked tail soaring above us, but here was a rare chance
to observe this female close by on the ground as she
devoured worms, her red back and sides a contrast to her
lovely grey head.
My route took me past several thick hedges, all just
beginning to show signs of leaf emergence. Socially
distanced along the top of these were male Yellow
Hammers all proclaiming their territories with their
unmistakable 'little bit of bread and no cheese' calls. Their
bright yellow plumage was glowing in the sunshine.
Linnets, Meadow Pipits, Reed Buntings and Goldfinches
were also singing and the first of the returning migrant
warblers, the Chiffchaff, was also calling.
By the end of my walk my list showed a total of 30
species, with many of them being seen in multiple
numbers. Although it should not be, this is in fact an
outstanding total for farmland in the UK these days. At
home I looked at the British Trust for Ornithology
website. I suspected that many of the birds I had seen
would be considered rare. However, I was surprised to
find that, out of my 30 species, 10 were on the red data
list. To put it simply, as it's a complicated list, these
species are in real danger of UK extinction! We must not
take for granted what we have locally!
Talking of endangered birds, by the time you read
this it will be less than a month before we can begin to
welcome back our local population of Swifts. It was
really pleasing that so many of you came to our meeting
in March, and to find there is more interest in providing
nest boxes for these birds. I know there are some people
who could not attend but may wish to know if they have
a suitable site for boxes. This diagram shows how they
must be positioned. We have boxes, if you have a site
that is suitable, please get in touch through the
glensidenews@mail.com email address and they will
pass on your request.
Alternative to stand-alone nest boxes, if you are
building an extension or renovating an existing one,
Swift bricks may be an option. The Action for Swifts
website www.actionforswifts.com has plenty of
information about them.
Midsummer Festival Young Entrepreneurs
The young people from the Bythams area who took part
in last year’s Young Entrepreneur Scheme at the
Midsummer Festival all had a fantastic time, earned
themselves some extra pocket money and learned a lot
about what it takes to run a successful business.
Each participant had the benefit of the knowledge
and expertise of a local businessperson in the run up to
the Festival. They received guidance on formulating
their business plans, acquiring their stock, pricing and
publicising their products, and lots of encouragement
on the day - just like the aspiring entrepreneurs on TV’s
Dragon’s Den receive from their professional
‘Dragons’.
The 2026 Scheme
Now it’s your chance to pitch to our own team of
Dragons for help in setting up a business for the 2026
Festival. Successful Young Entrepreneurs will get a
free stall pitch on the Sunday market at the Festival to
sell their chosen goods, as well as lots of valuable
advice from people who run their own businesses in
and around our villages.
How to Take Part
To take part you must:
Be aged between 12 and 21 years
Come up with a business idea to buy or
manufacture goods to sell at a profit at the
Midsummer Festival Sunday market on June 21st
Ÿ Draw up a business plan and financial forecast
Ÿ
Ÿ
A Young Entrepreneur Business Pack is available to help with your
application. Just email admin@midsummerfestival.co.uk
If you would like to enquire further about the Scheme
please ring the organiser
Kate Goodman on 07808 398800.
Closing date for applications is April 30th
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