Managing Our Churchyard For Tranquillity & Biodiversity

The Green Team is always pleased to welcome new members, especially to help with the monthly Community Churchyard Work Parties. These are held on alternate Saturday mornings from 10.00 am to 12 noon. No experience needed; tools and gloves provided (if you would prefer to use your own, please do bring them along); mid-morning refreshments; a variety of tasks to suit all ages and abilities.

Just come along or contact Christine Khullar in the Parish Office 0113 274 4322.

RSPB Big Garden Birdwatch at St Chad’s 2024

Peter Henderson kindly counted the birds in the St Chad’s churchyard for the 2024 RSPB Big Garden Birdwatch on 27th January. Peter reports seeing 5 blackbirds, 1 robin, 3 magpies, 2 bullfinches, 4 blue tits, 2 great tits, 1 long tailed tit, 4 wood pigeons, 2 jackdaws, 2 mistle thrushes, 5 redwings on the cricket pitch and a small flock of goldfinches, numbering at least 10 birds. This is a slight increase in the number of birds and species seen since last year. There was also a slight increase in the number of nests built from 2022, but at least one of the nests probably hadn’t actually been used.

Three more of the wooden bird boxes made by members of the St Chad’s SCY club over 15 years ago have needed to be replaced with new boxes. We have also placed an open-fronted box in the holly hedge round the garden of rest and we wait to see if a robin takes up residence there.