January 29, 2025
Newton and Noss Mayo Parish Council has funded the installation of owl and kestrel boxes in Newton Ferrers and Noss Mayo. Devon Birds also provided a grant towards the installation of house martin boxes and as well as some spare nests they had left over.
The idea behind this was that in the dry summer weather the birds were collecting salt laden estuarine mud to build their nests. When baked in the sun, the mud disintegrated, leaving the chicks vulnerable. Some chicks died, however some were hand reared and others were transferred to existing empty nesting boxes where the parents then fed them. This was done by Jonathan Rundle who also built the birds of prey boxes.
In other news, two land owners have created leaky dams, one in Noss and the other at Court House n Newton. These were funded by Park Life. The Newton project resulted in one really good pool which attracted damsel and dragonflies within a week of construction.
