News archive
September 2009
Saturday, 12 September 2009
NEWSLETTER SEPTEMBER 2009
LOCAL GROUP NEWSLETTER
No 55 September 2009
The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) is a registered charity: England and Wales no. 207076, Scotland no.SC037654
The RSPB speaks out for birds and wildlife, tackling the problems that threaten our environment. Nature is amazing - help us keep it that way
We belong to BirdLife International, the global partnership of bird conservation organizations.
LEADERS COLUMN
Welcome to the 2009/10 season of indoor meetings and field trips.
Bruce Painting, with a little help from a sub committee, has put together an interesting and varied programme of talks for the indoor meetings. The season opens with Oliver Smart "Bird Migration - Lesbos" on September 17th. Many of you will recall that Oliver stood in for Pete Coe at less than 24 hours notice in December 2008. On that occasion the talk was on the Grizzly Bear. Pete Coe will now give his talk entitled "A Celebration of Birds" on 17th December. The season concludes on 15th April 2010 with the Annual General Meeting and a talk by Weymouth Reserves Manager Nick Tomlinson entitled "The Weymouth Wetland- The changing face of Radipole Lake". Please note the increase in the admission fee (as agreed at the AGM) and the change of venue to St Georges Church Hall Fordington, Dorchester for the January-April 2010 meetings. Full details of the Indoor Meetings programme can be found on pages 10 and 11 of this newsletter.
The Field Trip Programme for 2009/10, devised by Phil Standfield and Mary Robins contains some innovations as well as old favourites. On Wednesday 10th February the group will make a first visit to Chard reservoir led by Don Cotton and on Sunday May 9th (the day after the plant sale) the group will visit to Titchfield Haven led by Mary Robins. This will be the first occasion that the group has ventured east of the New Forest. The field trips will obviously involve considerable car mileage so please share cars whenever possible. This year we have added the name of the trip leader (where known) to the trip details. Please note the altered field trip contact details. If neither Phil Standfield nor Mary Robins is available phone me on 01-305- 772678. Full details of the Field Trips programme can be found on page 9 of this newsletter.
9th July. Bempton Cliffs RSPB reserve. Blackcap, Whitethroat and several Yellowhammers were heard during the 20-30 minute walk from the station. The visitor centre is similar to Radipole Lake and paths lead to a feeding station and 5 observation points on the cliff edge. From these a "seabird city" of thousands of breeding seabirds can be seen, and smelt. I was told that some Guillemots and Razorbills had fledged and left the ledges but both species were still very numerous. Chicks of Guillemots Razorbills, Kittiwakes and Fulmars could be seen. Many Puffins, which here nest in holes in the rocky cliff face rather than in burrows as they do for example on Skomer and Fair Isle, were visible. However the stars of the show are the Gannets. Bempton is the only breeding site for the Gannet on the British mainland. Gannets were nesting on the cliff top and on small stacks at the base of the cliff. Young Gannets some still covered in down were numerous. Some Gannets were riding the up draught at cliff top height, seeming almost to hover, and giving excellent close binocular views. I spent about three hours watching seabirds and then visited the feeding station where a Tree Sparrow was the last bird of the day. I can recommend Bempton Cliffs to anyone visiting Yorkshire April-July.
Enclosed with this newsletter is the Group Membership application form for the 12 months from the 1st September 2009. Please note that the subscription (£3) is due on that date.
I hope that you will enjoy the newsletter, the indoor meetings and field trips.
Andrew Parsons
FIELD TRIP REPORTS FOR SPRING 2009
BLASHFORD LAKES—25th Jan 2009
Our first visit to Blashford Lakes started under overcast skies as fourteen members left the car park and walked along the footpath towards the visitor centre. Along the path we had various finches and tits flying around a coppiced area. At the end of the path are some feeders and we stopped a short distance past them and waited to see what came to use them . We had Great, Blue and Long Tailed Tits, Greenfinches, a nice Nuthatch and also a couple of Siskins and Redpolls.
We then walked the outer path to Ivy Lake North Hide which in winter is a pretty reliable site for Bittern. As we sat down and made ourselves comfortable Don said that a Bittern was coming out into a clearing cut into the reeds. Everyone in the hide had great views including two members that had not seen a Bittern before. Also on the lake were Gadwall, Pochard and Tufted Duck . We left the hide and walked back along the inner path to the Woodland Hide. On the feeders outside the hide were tits including a Coal Tit and plenty of Chaffinches and after a while a couple of Bramblings showed well along with Great Spotted Woodpeckers which were seen on the feeders.
We then walked to Ivy Lake South Hide and along the way Malcolm found some Redwings in the trees. From the hide we found Wigeon, Teal, some very light Cormorant's and also had a couple of fly pasts from a very close Kingfisher. We then left the hide and walked clockwise around the path over Dockens Water back to the car park. We had early dinner in the cars as a heavy storm went through .
After dinner we made our way along the path to Rockford lake to see if we could find a Great White Egret that had been around for a while but had no luck finding it.
We then crossed the road to the Ibsley Water side of the reserve. We walked the outer path to the Lapwing Hide which is the furthest hide from the visitor centre and we had just got into the hide when it went very dark and poured down with rain. Through the rain we could see hundreds of birds on the lake, Mary found a Black Necked Grebe and we also saw Goosander, Pintail. Goldeneye and hundreds of Black Tailed Godwits. On the way back to the car park I took the group to the other hides to show them the layout of Ibsley Water and at the Goosander Hide and we saw a Sparrow Hawk fly low across the water.
A very good day at a new reserve for the group, good level paths , good new hides, and a visitor centre with toilets and plenty of good birds. We will be going back in Jan 2010. We had 55 species
Stan
BOWLING GREEN & EXMINSTER MARSHES—22nd March 2009
It was a nice sunny morning as we met in the car park at Topsham with Goldfinches and Greenfinches calling when 14 members set off for the Quay to look over the river Exe.
Black-tail Godwits, Curlews, Redshanks and a Little Egret were recorded before we made our way to the Goat Walk past the old Dutch merchant houses.
Here 6 Avocets were seen many Shelducks, more Godwits and in a garden behind us a Chiffchaff was singing.
We then made our way to the viewing platform overlooking the river Clyst where our telescopes came in useful to scan for birds and we were also joined by 3 more members who had picked a very busy coastal route and were delayed.
A Small Tortoiseshell butterfly was flitting about, a Greenshank was a new bird for the day but no sign of a Firecrest that had been reported.
Leaving here we went to the hide which was rather crowded. Large numbers of Wigeon were on the grass, Teals in the pools and also Little Grebes noted.
SOMERSET LEVELS April 25th 2009
A nice morning at Ashcott Corner car park found only 7 members present for the visit which was the lowest total from our records for this site meeting in April.
Around the car park Blackcap and Cettis warblers were singing and a short distance away we could hear Sedge and Reed warblers and a Great spotted woodpecker flew over the drain.
I rushed back from the board walk to tell the group that I had just seen a Garden warbler a bird that was seen later at Ham Wall.
We then walked down to the scrapes and on arriving Sally called out that she had seen a Garganey. Telescopes focussed on the pools and there was a male duck showing. Waders were also there and we recorded Little Ringed and Rringed Plovers, Ruff, Black-tailed Godwits, Dunlin, Redshank, Lapwing and a Snipe.
However the most excitement for us was to see our first Swifts of the year followed by Hobbys
flying over the reed beds.
Moving on to Noahs Lake we had our first Whitethroat in the brambles by the bridge over the drain and a Hobby swooped down to land on a dead tree close by to give excellent views.
At the hide as we were only a small group we were able to sit inside to look over the lake and 4 Whimbrels flew past and we noted Great crested Grebe, Greylag and Canada geese, many Hobbys and then amongst the swifts Cliff spotted an Alpine Swift which unfortunately was not seen again.
Soon it was time to return to the car park for lunch and then we decided to go to Laxton Heath along the old railway track to check if Bitterns were booming but no sound was heard I then suggested that we crossed over the drain and walk up the path back towards the first viewing platform at Ham Wall.
Suddenly a Bittern came out of the reed beds giving a brief glimpse and then much to our amazement another bird came out and flew upwards and over us trying to make headway against a strong wind giving tremendous views as it crossed the drain and the track to the far side Walton Heath.
This was a fitting end to the visit with a total of 62 species recorded .
Reports by Don Cotton
FIELD VISIT TO MARTIN DOWN NEAR SALISBURY 17 May 2009.
It was pouring with rain when I woke up this morning; would anyone else go on the trip? I was due to pick up Charmian and could not leave her stranded, so we set off in very unpleasant conditions. However by the time we arrived it was dry, but only 6 group members were brave (foolish?) enough to turn up. From the car park we saw Yellowhammer and Skylark, then crossed the road to the woodland opposite, noticing on the way that the cattle grid was full of tadpoles - nature finds its niches however unlikely. The birds were singing enthusiastically after the rain with a constant background of Chiff-chaff and Willow warbler. The leaves made it difficult to see them all, but we were able to compare the similar songs of Blackcap, Garden warbler and Whitethroat. To my ears the Blackcap has the 'sweetest' song and the Whitethroat produces the most scratchy notes, with the Garden warbler in between. A Garden warbler sang loudly in full view only a few feet away, this plainest of birds has a wonderful voice. In the background we could pick up the shy purring of the Turtle dove, and eventually we all had a view of this increasingly rare migrant. Several Lesser whitethroats were chattering away, typically too deep in the bushes to be seen, and we heard a distant Cuckoo. The woods were full of wildflowers, we found early purple and butterfly orchids, twayblade, cowslips, wild garlic and woodruff.
We returned to the cars for lunch when unfortunately the rain started again. After a short damp visit to the grassy area it was obvious the birds were keeping a low profile so we went home. It was well worth the trip for the close views of some woodland species and the chance to study their calls.
Do try to join the field trips next season, you never know what we might find.
Mary Robins
We then decided to make our way to Exminster Marshes There was very heavy traffic over the canal at Countess Weir and unfortunately we lost Roger on route to the RSPB car park. At future field meetings we will try to avoid a repeat of this by offering to accompany new visitors to a site.
A nice walk led us to the canal and the ferry crossing for Topsham but due to the amount of cars on the track to the car park for the Turf Hotel we decided to return back and recorded Shoveler ,Grey Heron, Kestrel, Reed Bunting and Canada Geese.
As we prepared to depart we watched a Peregrine with its prey on the pylons being chased by corvids as it flew from one pylon to another.
A list of 46 species for the day
WAREHAM FOREST May 6th 2009
An excellent day, both in terms of weather and birds, was enjoyed by eight of us, including Jan a new member to the group on her first trip. Starting from Sherford Bridge, on the path through the woods we saw a Treecreeper, a pair of nesting Nuthatches and a brief sighting of a Great spotted woodpecker. A distant Cuckoo could be heard as well as a Skylark and Pheasant. As we came out onto the open heath, a Tree pipit put on a wonderful parachuting display and we saw a male Stonechat .We then detoured off the path to the lake where we had a brief view of a Hobby (more later!), at least six Little grebes, some Swifts and a Grey wagtail.
From the lake we made our way back to Morden Bog and in the trees around the old cottage we first heard, and then saw a male Redstart. Two more were seen and this started a real purple patch of sightings. First another Tree pipit was found and then we heard the bubbling call of a female Cuckoo before we saw the bird fly out of the trees across the heathland. As we made our way out into the open we saw a pair of distant Ravens, and then the hoped for sight of a Woodlark. A male rose up and hung in the air above us giving its beautiful fluting song. It dropped down onto a nearby tree giving us a great view of this lovely bird. It later flew off with a mate leaving us wondering what was going to show next. We didn't have to wait long before a number of Hobbies were spotted hawking around the decoy pond. We counted at least four, then saying the only target species we hadn't seen yet was Dartford warbler, as if on command, one gave us a brief view before it dived into a gorse bush!
Well content with the morning's walk we made our way over to the Sika Trail car park for lunch. Here Jim was waiting with his ladder and he and Don then led us round the sponsored nest boxes they had put up in the Coldharbour area on behalf of the group. On inspection of the eleven boxes, seven were found to be occupied by Great or Blue tits. One surprise was finding eleven blue tit eggs in one box. A singing Willow warbler, Siskin and a Green woodpecker were seen in the area bringing the total number of species recorded on the day to 51.
Malcolm
NIGHTJAR WALK 17th June 2009
The final field trip of the 2008/09 season was as usual the Nightjar walk at Oakers Wood. During the afternoon it didn't look promising with rain over Dorchester but by 6 o'clock the rain had stopped. I arrived at Oakers Wood at 8. 45pm and had a quick walk along the bottom track to see what was about . The sun was shining on the trees and heath and not much wind either, making it a very pleasant evening. At 9.15pm there were only 4 members (including one who had driven over from Beaminster) so we set off along the lower path towards the corner where we waited for it to get dark. Along the path we could hear plenty of birds calling from the tree line but just could not find any. At about 9.45pm we could here Nightjars starting their churring noises, and just afterwards one flew over us and then we had to wait 10 minutes or so before we saw another one and then that was it.
A very pleasant evening weather wise but a very disappointing evening with low numbers of both members and Nightjars
Stan
THE FIRST GREAT BUSTARD CHICKS IN UK
For the first time since 1832, the Great Bustard - one of Europe's most threatened birds - has this week, nested in the UK with two females successfully hatching chicks. This milestone has been greeted with euphoria by the team striving for several years to bring back the world's heaviest flying bird to the UK.
For security reasons the nest sites, on Salisbury Plain in Wiltshire, are being kept secret.
David Waters, founder and Director of the Great Bustard Group, said: "This is a tremendous step forward for the Great Bustard Reintroduction Project, the wildlife of the UK, Great Bustards and for me. It has been a hard struggle to get this far. I am exhausted and nearly broke, but to see Great Bustards breeding after an absence of 177 years is brilliant".
During May a female Great Bustard was observed incubating a clutch of eggs. A few days ago they hatched and two chicks were seen following their mother and being fed. A day later another female was seen feeding a chick.
Prof. Tamas Székely, of the University of Bath - a partner of the Great Bustard Consortium - said: "The Great Bustard is a difficult species to reintroduce as it is a long lived, slow maturing bird, but this is a very encouraging sign that the reintroduction trial will be successful".
The RSPB has recently joined the project group. Dr Mark Avery is the RSPB's Conservation Director. He said: "This fantastic news marks another chapter in the struggle to bring back England's lost wildlife".
"The Great Bustard is the only bird nesting in the UK that is facing global extinction. Establishing a new population here should ensure a brighter future for this Globally Threatened bird, which continues to decline across parts of Europe".
The successful hatching of these eggs marks a huge milestone for the project to reintroduce the Great Bustard to Britain. The last wild Great Bustard chick to hatch in the UK was in 1832, when a female Great Bustard was seen with a single chick in Suffolk.
The Great Bustard Group was formed in 1998 and is a UK Registered Charity. The reintroduction began in 2004 with annual releases of between six and 32 birds each autumn. The birds are released under a licence issued by DEFRA to the Great Bustard Consortium (the Great Bustard Group and the University of Bath).
The reintroduction trial, led by the Great Bustard Group, began in 2004 using Great Bustards reared from eggs rescued from cultivation in Saratov Oblast, southern Russia. The chicks are reared in the Russian Federation in a partnership with the A.N. Severtsov Institute of Evolution and Ecology - a branch of the Russian National Academy of Science. When the chicks are about six weeks old they are imported into the UK and after a period of quarantine they are released on to Salisbury Plain, Wiltshire.
The first known nest from this project was in 2007, and there was at least one further nest in 2008. However, the eggs from these clutches were found to be infertile, most likely due to the young age of the males. It is widely considered that male Great Bustards become fertile at an age of four or five years, so 2009 is the earliest that eggs were expected to hatch.
David Waters added: "The Great Bustard is a slow bird to mature, so it has been a long wait to get this far, but this could not be speeded up. A small UK population of about 18 birds has been built up, but it is only when this population begins to produce its own young and becomes self-sustaining that the project can be judged as successful. The indications are extremely positive".
Great Bustard Fact File:
Great Bustards (Otis tarda) are the heaviest flying birds in the world with weights of over 20 kg reported.
The males are much larger than the females and the sexes live apart for most of the year. They do not pair, but are a lekking species. The males gather in traditional areas and perform an incredible display, showing the undersides of all their feathers. The spectacle is visible for huge distances and the females are attracted to the largest and heaviest males.
After mating, the females carry out all the nesting, incubation and chick rearing activities without the help of the males.
Great Bustards are long lived birds with males living for over 20 years. Though the chicks are vulnerable to a range of predators, adult birds have few, if any, predators.
Through hunting and agricultural intensification the range of the Great Bustard has been much reduced since the Second World War. Populations in Europe occur in Germany, Austria, Hungary, Slovakia and the Czech Republic as well as Spain and Portugal. The Distribution extends further east to Ukraine, across the Russian Federation to Mongolia and China.
The extinction in the UK is understood to have been brought about by changes in agriculture which led to both the collection and the destruction of eggs and by the habits of ornithologists who desired to collect specimens for their collections.
FIELD TRIP PROGRAM FOR 2009 -2010
2009
Sept Sun 27th Durlston CP Swanage -meet in carpark at 9 30
SZ 032773 Leader: Phil Standfield
Oct Wed 14th Portland Ferrybridge-meet in car park at 10am
SY 668754 Leader: Don Cotton
Sun 25th Stanpit- meet in Stanpit Lane car park, Christchurch at 10 am
SZ 172925 Leader: Phil Standfield
Nov Wed 18th Axe & Seaton Marshes- meet in layby by river bridge, Seaton at10am
SY 254902 Leader: Don Cotton
Sat 21st Swineham (Wareham) meet in Bestwall road, Wareham at 10am
SY 927874 Leader: Malcolm Doughty
Dec Sun 6th Somerset levels (Greylake--Catcott--Ashcott meet in Greylake carpark at 9 30am
ST 399347 Leader: Phil Standfield
2010
Jan Wed 13th Fleet and Chesil - meet at Moonfleet Church at 10am
SY 634806 (morning only) Leader: Cliff ??????
Sat 23rd Blashford Lakes—meet in car park at 10am
SU 151082 Leader Phil Standfield
Feb Wed 10th Chard Reservoir - meet in car park A30 Oaklands Drive at 10am
ST 335095 (morning only) Leader: Don Cotton
Sun 28th New Forest - Pitts Wood meet Godshill Ridge car park at 10am
SU 187156 Leader Phil Standfield
Mar Wed 10th Upton CP - meet car park 10am SY 992928 Leader: tbc
Sat 27th Bowling Green meet in Holman Way car park (charge) Topsham by railway stn at 10am
SX 968882 Leader Phil Standfield
Apr Wed 14th Holt Heath & Whitesheet Plantation meet in Car park at 10am
SU 048036 Leader: tbc
Sat 24th Somerset Levels (Ashcott meet Ashcott corner Natural England car park at 9 30
ST 450398 (off B 3151) Leader Phil Standfield
May Sun 9th Titchfield (Fee payable on entrance) meet visiter centre at 10am
Car parking at Hill Head sailing club SU 535023 or along beach road Leader: Mary Robins
Wed 19th Wareham Forest (sika trail for nest boxes) meet Cold Harbour Carpark at 10am
SY 906892 Leader: Don Cotton
Jun Wed 16th Oakers Wood (Nightjar) meet with torch at 9 pm SY 811912 Leader Phil Standfield
Sept Sun 26th Keyhaven 10am meet layby by seawall at 10am
SZ315920 Leader: tbc
All field trips start at the advertised time most are all day unless otherwise stated
Please bring food and drink if you require refreshment
Please make sure you wear/bring suitable clothing & footwear
Stan can be contacted on 07840610098 about WEEKEND trips evenings only
Mary can be contacted on 01305 871408 about MID WEEK trips evenings preferred
BITTERNS HAVE A FANTASTIC YEAR ON SOMERSET'S WETLANDS
A project to encourage the bittern - one of Britain's rarest birds - to establish a breeding population in Somerset has met with success for a second year as seven bittern nests have been found in the Avalon Marshes just to the west of Glastonbury. This is the second consecutive year the birds have bred after an absence of 40 years and the population has already more than trebled from just two nests last year.
The bittern, a member of the heron family, nests entirely in reedbeds. Male bitterns are known for their evocative booming call that they use to attract mates, a sound now increasingly common in spring around the Avalon Marshes.
Of the seven nests, six were at the RSPB's nature reserve at Ham Wall and one at the adjacent Shapwick Heath National Nature Reserve owned and managed by Natural England.
The whole area has seen huge investment over the past decade to re-create reedbeds, investment that is now paying off with the return of the bittern alongside many other wetland animals such as otter.
The RSPB first purchased land at Ham Wall in 1994, and has gradually been increasing its land holding in the area and re-creating the reedbeds. Throughout the RSPB has been supported by many organisations, including the EU Life Fund, Heritage Lottery Fund, Leader+ and SITA trust through the Government's Landfill Communities Fund.
Steve Hughes, site manager at RSPB Ham Wall nature reserve said: "All the staff and volunteers are delighted. We were hoping for a repeat of last years success with two nests but to have six is way more than we could have hoped for and means that the future for bitterns in this part of the country is looking up."
Phil Holms, senior reserves manager at Shapwick Heath National Nature Reserve said: "It's fantastic to have Bitterns nesting at Shapwick Heath and we share in the RSPB's delight at establishing a healthy population of these fascinating birds. Our visitors will now have the twin pleasures of watching otters while seeing bitterns fly overhead!"
This success is important for the UK. RSPB research biologist Simon Wotton, national organiser of the Bittern Monitoring Programme said, "The long-term survival of the bittern in the UK depends on shifting the core breeding population from vulnerable coastal sites to new areas that are capable of supporting breeding females. The development of a breeding population in the Avalon Marshes is very good news."
The last confirmed bittern breeding record prior to 2008 in the current county of Somerset was 1969, but breeding was suspected in 1971, 1975-8 and finally in 1980
Extinct in Britain between 1886 and 1911, the bittern reached a second low point in 1997, when the bird's population dropped to 11 males. Over the past decade numbers have increased and in 2008 there were there were 39 nests at 20 sites across the UK.
NOTE: There are field trips to the Somerset Levels on Dec 6th 2009 and April 24th 2010. Why not come along and enjoy the very best chance to see Otters and Bitterns.
WHAT'S BEEN BRILLIANT AT RADIPOLE & LODMOOR
With huge upheavals in the retail environment (recession looming and all that), making money was never going to be easy. So, it is fantastic that the retail team at Radipole brought in over £170,000 in income, which, although slightly down on last year's sales, brought in broadly the same level of net profit, which is fantastic news. To put that in context, the net profit of the retail operation at Radipole pays for pretty much all the conservation spend (eg fuel, materials, equipment etc) on the reserves, a real tribute to the work of the retail team of staff and volunteers. But, as we all know, Radipole is more than just a shop and, if you add in membership recruitment then Radipole achieved an income of just under £200,000 for the region, really quite an achievement and due to a huge effort by the team.
Out on the reserves the team have had an equally amazing year, with a gargantuan effort seeing some of the biggest improvements in many years. With around 3.5 Ha of reed cut and loads of invasive scrub removed we are getting ever closer to our dream of breeding waders at Radipole, and the cattle that are coming on shortly will make sure that the newly growing reed does not take over. The 1.5 km of newly installed fencing will help that, as well as allowing us to manage our grazing much more effectively. Work on some sections of the river edge has improved the diversity of the habitats available on the reserve, as well as creating a very pleasing and open vista for our visitors. Work in opening up and re-juvenating one of our largest blocks of monoculture scrub continues, with the open areas and newly created pools really starting to look fantastic, and two nationally rare water beetles added to the reserve list was a nice bonus.
However, the headline story from the Weymouth Reserves is the scoop regarding the arrival of Radipole's Marsh Harrier fledglings over the second week of July. This was the first such occurrence for the reserve and likewise for West Dorset, as well as first in the entire County for almost half a century.
We all endured months of expectant pacing and nail biting from the first signs of courtship behaviour in early-April, through nest building, food-passing, incubation and then finally the immergence of three fledged young in mid-July. As the nest site was adjacent to North Hide, (although well concealed within the reedbeds) the entire 'gestation' was well documented by staff, volunteers and visitors alike - many of whom shared our parental concerns and fears! It is a joyous spectacle to see the youngsters in flight over the reeds, just a few hundred metres from Weymouth town centre as the Harrier flies!
It is probable that the restoration of the ditches in the southern reedbeds has encouraged this development, which certainly bodes well for the more extensive reedbed restoration of the 'Top End' that is shortly to commence. Watch this space!
COMMITTEE
Group Leader:
Andrew Parsons, 15 Kellaway Terrace, Weymouth, Dorset, DT4 0HW
Tel: 01305 772678
Treasurer: John York
Press and Publicity Officer:
Sue Hampson, 22, Vespasian Way, Castle Park, Dorchester, Dorset. DT1 2RD
Tel: 01305 265882
Membership Secretary:
Chris Wyeth, 25 Westhill Road, Wyke Regis, Weymouth, Dorset. DT4 9NB
Tel: 01305 771197
Field Trip Leader:
Phil Standfield, 16 Middlemarsh Street, Poundbury, Dorchester, Dorset DT1 3GD
Tel: 07840610098
Assistant Field Trip Leader:
Mary Robson, 8 New Road, Portesham, DT3 4HD
Indoor Meetings Secretary:
Bruce Painting, 18 The Woodpeckers, Broadwey, Weymouth, Dorset DT3 5RS
Tel: 01305 816360
Newsletter Editor: Chris Wyeth
Events Coordinator:
Charmian Jones, 13 Lynmoor Road, Weymouth, Dorset DT4 7TW
Tel: 01305 839649
Minutes Secretary:
Mary Robson, 8 New Road, Portesham, DT3 4HD
Committee Members:
Janet Marlborough, 10, Milton Close, Weymouth, Dorset. DT4 7NB
Sue Gannaway, 51 Coburg Road, Dorchster, DT1 2HN
Don Cotton, 14 St Mary's Close, Axminster, Devon, EX13 5BW
Tel: 01297 33021
INDOOR MEETINGS
As agreed at the AGM the cost of indoor meetings has had to be slightly increased to £2.50 for members and £3 for guests. This increase is needed to meet the rising cost of speakers and accommodation.
INDOOR MEETINGS PROGRAMME FOR SEPTEMBER 2009 - APRIL 2010
Meetings are held on the 3rd Thursday of the month.
Doors open at 7.00pm for a prompt start at 7.30pm
Coffee/teafree in the interval.
Admission Group Members £2.50 Visitors £3.00
Please share cars if possible
2009 INDOOR MEETINGS WILL TAKE PLACE IN DORCHESTER TOWN HALL
(First floor of the Corn Exchange)
Thurs September 17th 2009 Oliver Smart A Birding Migration - Lesvos
Thurs October 15th 2009 Dr Ian Rowlands Scotland - The Wilderness At Your
Doorstep
Thurs November 19th 2009 Marek Borkowski Pole Position - Wildlife and It's
Protection in NE Poland
Thurs December 17th 2009 Pete Coe A Celebration of Birds - Bird Images from Around the World
2010 INDOOR MEETINGS WILL TAKE PLACE IN St GEORGE'S HALL, FORDINGTON, DT1 1LB Please see the map below for the location of St George's Hall.
Meetings are held on the 3rd Thursday of the month.
Doors open at 7.00pm for a prompt start at 7.30pm
Coffee/teafree in the interval.
Admission Group Members £2.50 Visitors £3.00
Please share cars if possible
Thurs January 21st 2010 Dr Tom Brereton Whales, Dolphins & Seabirds - Marine
Wildlife Migration off the Dorset Coast
Thurs February 18th 2010 Martin Phipps & Mary Fox Texas and New Mexico in Winter
Thurs March 18th 2010 John Eyre The Changing Fortunes of Hampshire Birds
Thurs April 15th 2010 AGM followed by Nick Tomlinson The Weymouth Wetlands - The
Changing Face of Radipole Lake
Thurs Sept 16th John Wyatt Pharaoh's Birds
(The location of this meeting is to be decided—details in next newsletter)
NATURE OF FARMING AWARD
The RSPB has joined forces with BBC Countryfile Magazine, Plantlife and Butterfly Conservation to look for the top farms for wildlife from across the UK. Now in its second year, the Nature of Farming Award celebrates the efforts of farmers providing for wildlife. Why not vote for your favourite farm and help to decide the winner?
As you know, worrying declines in our farmland bird populations over the last decade or so have affected many species, including lapwings, linnets and yellowhammers. Habitat loss through the intensification of agricultural practice is thought to be a major factor in the declines, and it has fallen on the shoulders of the farming community to help. An increase in awareness of the problems faced by our farmland birds has given rise to a great number of farmers managing their land in a sensitive way. Tree sparrow and reed bunting populations are recovering after years of massive losses, and others will hopefully follow suit. It's for this reason that The Nature of Farming Award is celebrating the fantastic work of wildlife-friendly farmers across the UK for the benefit of a whole range of plants and animals.
It takes particular dedication and care to run a farm that creates terrific wildlife habitat - and be economically viable. That's why we're delighted to work with farmers who are making great efforts and who act as ambassadors for wildlife in the farming community.
Vote for your favourite!
The 2009 winners have been selected from each region and country across the UK. Each was put forward to an expert judging panel and a short-list of four has been drawn up to face a public vote to decide the UK winner.
Now the hardest part, deciding on the overall winner, is up to you! By voting, you will be entered into a prize draw to win some fantastic prizes. Time is running out however, as voting closes on 28 August 2009. If you haven't voted yet, please take a little while to read the profiles of the four farms at www.rspb.org.uk/farmvote and cast your vote!
Juliet Simms, Volunteering Development Officer , RSPB South West England Office, Keble House,
Southernhay Gardens, Exeter, EX1 1NT,
T (01392) 453757
VOLUNTEERS NEEDED FOR BIRD SURVEYS IN GLOUCESTERSHIRE AND DORSET
I need volunteer bird surveyors for the 2010 survey season (April-June) for the Volunteer & Farmer Alliance (V&FA). http://www.rspb.org.uk/ourwork/farming/vandfa/index.asp
TheV&FA is a national RSPB project working with farmers, conducting free bird surveys on their land using our dedicated band of volunteers.The project has been running for 10 years and has surveyed more than 4,250 farms across the UK.
TheV&FA is a national RSPB project working with farmers, conducting free bird surveys on their land using our dedicated band of volunteers.The project has been running for 10 years and has surveyed more than 4,250 farms across the UK.
If you have the necessary bird identification skills, don't mind getting up early,would like to take part, I would love to hear from you.
I already have a dedicated volunteer-base, but I am expecting a higher number of farms in Gloucestershire, Wiltshire and Dorset; more farms than I have volunteers for, due to the launch of the South West Farmland Bird Initiative across those counties.
If you, or somebody you know, might be interested, please contact me for more information.Please ask around your friends and family.And remember the project is national, so if you know someone outside of the south west who would like to take part, do let me know and I can put you in contact with the relevant Project Officer.
The surveys would not take place without volunteers, so your help will be greatly appreciated.
I look forward to hearing from you.
Felicity Clarke, Volunteer& Farmer Alliance Project Officer , The RSPB, South West England Regional Office,
Keble House, Southernhay Gardens, Exeter, Devon, EX1 1NT
Tel: 01392 453774Fax: 01392 453750 E-mail: felicity.clarke@rspb.org.uk
NOTICES
IMPORTANT INFORMATION REGARDING LOCATION OF INDOOR MEETINGS
The Dorchester Town Hall is being refurbished next year and will be closed for four months between January and April 2010. As a consequence the indoor meetings for January to April will be held in St George's Hall in Fordington .
FIELD TRIPS
This newsletter contains details of our exciting field trip program for the coming season. Recently, the number of members attending field trips has been disappointingly low compared with previous years. You do not have to be an expert to have an enjoyable day and field trips are a fantastic way to improve your ID skills. Indeed I for one learned most of my bird recognition and knowledge of birdsong from field trips! The field trips are for your enjoyment so please come along and make all of the organisation and planning worthwhile. The first field trip of the new programme for 2009/2010 is at Durlston country park Sept 27th if you have any ideas about field trip locations or any comments about field trips please let Phil Standfield know. 07840 610098 (Evenings and Weekends only please)
STAMPS
You can help us raise money for the RSPB by sending us the used stamps from your post, which we can sell. We can raise money from ALL types of stamps - whether they are used or un-used, UK, foreign or even first day covers.example, we raise £1.50 per kg for UK stamps and £12.50 per kg for foreign stamps.
If possible, please separate UK and foreign stamps when you give them to us and leave about 1cm of paper around the stamp. You do not have steam the stamp from the envelope.
RSPB SALES
Please support the Visitor Centre shop at Radipole Lake. There is a good selection of RSPB goods including a range of feeders and seed. There is also a very good stock of field guides, 'where to watch' and general birding books as well as optics and clothing.
SUBSCRIPTIONS
At the end of this newsletter is the membership application form for the coming year. Membership now runs from September to September and remains at £3. The form is included in the newsletter to avoid the extra cost of printing a separate sheet. Prompt submission of your subscriptions will help the committee estimate future donations to the RSPB.
UNUSUAL BEHAVIOUR
Recently a blackbird was in our pedestal birdbath, and I watched for about ten minutes while a 'gang' of about eight sparrows on the lawn took turns in flying up towards the blackbird who lunged at them making them fly back to the lawn. Suddenly a sparrow with a large white feather held crosswise in its beak flew at speed down from the house roof towards the blackbird, who instantly flew off. At once all of the sparrows flew up to the birdbath and spent a long time there splashing about, until they all left together in a moment.
Ursula Preston
Pit your wits and try to find all Reserves on the grid

Compiled by Dana Dare
Instructions
The grid above contains the names of many RSPB Reserves in Great Britain. The names read forwards, backwards, up, down and diagonally but always I a straight line. They never jump letters but where the reserve has more than one word they run together.
Answers are on page 14
F O R S I N A R D L E M D A E H S G A N
M E E R C F O D O O W T A E L I U T I S
I N V E R S N A I D N N K R E O G S S A
L T E N U M R O H M O L O N S T A U D T
L E I Y A N V D O O W H C R U H C B E L
D P N T E T H E L O O N S C G X S E L T
A C R E C S E H S R A M H S N I R I C G
M E R S E H E A D Y R A E A W E H Z D L
R N D U R I W J R S P B M E M H O N H E
E H O P A T R E S E R V E S T C R O E N
T I H G U E H S L W O F N R S O Y T A B
S A D E D R R W D L W I O E A P W E V O
I Y Y F A L O A I N M N B G D I N A S R
B A B S S O P T L R A A C R E N R F A R
B B E G D O L E H T B L R I H S Y N Y O
O E V O S N L N U F E Y M S U A V E W D
H L R H D O O W E R O F D U H Y E L N A
Y A I T T L C M V A N E F A R M K I O L
R D N E N E L G Y R I A F P O T A N C E
O U S E W A S H E S D L A N A R L A B A
SOUTH DORSET RSPB LOCAL GROUP
ANNUAL MEMBERSHIP APPLICATION /RENEWAL
1st SEPTEMBER 2009 TO 31st AUGUST 2010
(Please detach and return to membership secretary)
Membership of the group is open to all members of the RSPB
(Please ensure that your RSPB membership is current)
To: The Membership Secretary, Mr C Wyeth, 25 Westhill Road, Wyke Regis
Weymouth, Dorset DT4 9NB
Please:: Enrol me/us as a member Renew my/our membership
BLOCK CAPITALS PLEASE
Name: (Mr/Mrs/Miss/Ms/........) ..................................................................
Address: ........................................................................................
........................................................................................
Post Code: ................................
I enclose my subscription as follows:
Adult subscription £3.00 Per Person £..........
Donations £..........
Total Enclosed £..........
Please make cheques/postal orders payable to: " South Dorset RSPB Local Group"
If you wish for a receipt please enclose a stamped addressed envelope.
THE COMMITTEE WOULD LIKE TO THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT AND HOPE THAT YOU ENJOY YOUR MEMBERSHIP OF THE GROUP.
Answers to puzzle on page 13
Wood, Church Wood, Coll, Conwy, Copinsay, Dinas, Fairy Glen, Fetlar, Fore wood, Forsinard, Fowlsheugh, Glenborrodale, Hobbister, Hoy, Insh Marshes, Inversnaid, Lake Vyrnwy, The Lodge, Lodmoor, The Loons, Marshside, Mersehead, Mill Dam, Minsmere, Nagshead, North Hill, Onziebust, Ouse Washes, Symonds Yat, Titchwell Marsh, Trumland, Udale Bay, Vane Farm, Wood of Cree, Ynys-Hir.