News

Sunday, 5 October 2008

MESSAGE FROM THE CHAIRMAN

I am delighted to say that the Group continues to be healthy and to forge ahead. Healthy is a relative term, as it seems half the committee have been in hospital over the summer. I'm glad to say they are all out, and well on the way to a full recovery.

I started my last message with reference to the bad weather. It has again featured strongly in some of our trips through the "summer" and once again the Troup Head/Portsoy Boat Festival was a complete washout. There were trips with much better weather, the Glen Lethnot trip sticking in my mind as particularly pleasant.

We were joined on the Rattray Head/Strathbeg trip by the BBC who stayed with us throughout the day, they being ever prepared to whip a microphone in front of us at the drop of a hat to catch the pearls of wisdom dropping from our lips! I believe it was broadcast at 7 am the following Saturday, a little before my time shall we say?

The spring trip this year was to Spain and the Coto Doňana, a vast wetland to the west of Seville. Accommodation was unusual in that we stayed in mobile homes this year, but they were air conditioned and quite adequate.

The birding was superb in the boiling hot weather. Food was excellent, Imperial Eagles showing well from the restaurant. We stayed in El Rocío where the streets are sand and a great many people ride about on horses and goods are delivered by mule cart. It is well worth a look.

It is proposed that the Spring trip in 2009 will be to the Greek island of Lesbos. See newsletter for further information.

We have a new RSPB Aberdeen Local Group website which can be found at www.rspb.org.uk/groups/aberdeen.
Thanks to Graham Cooper for getting this set up and running.

Another batch of thirty-five Red Kites has been released to the west of Aberdeen and a release of more White-tailed Sea Eagles has been made from "somewhere in Fife". Still hard to get a sighting of some of these but it can only get better.

Still time to make a donation to the Chairman's Appeal for Meikle Loch. The negotiations are dragging on a bit, but I am sure there is going to be a happy ending. Cheques made out to The RSPB, Aberdeen Local Group to Graham Cooper please. At the last count we had £6950 given to the appeal.

Christmas is coming and the geese are getting worried! Please remember Duncan Pennett who handles the Group sales for us. We benefit greatly from the purchase, through Duncan, of items from the RSPB catalogues or website. So please contact him if you are thinking of an order.
[Telephone: 07821 859877]

A new round of Bird Atlas is coming up. Make sure you have your new squares registered.
Any problems, Graham Cooper, Aberdeenshire South (grm.cooper@btinternet.com) and Paul Doyle, Aberdeenshire North (paul@albaecology.co.uk), your BTO representatives will help.
Rodney Payne