News archive
April 2006
Saturday, 29 April 2006
Report of Sponsored Birdrace 28/29 April
Highlights:
Buzzard at Amwell & Fishers Green, hobby also seen at these sites and also at Rye Meads, woodcock & lesser spotted woodpecker at Broxbourne Woods, greenshank, Cetti's warber & arctic tern at Amwell, sandwich tern and stonechat at King George reservoir, nightingale at Fishers Green and Chingford plain also tree pipit at the latter site, whinchat at Cornmill Meadows, corn bunting at Allens Green and ring-necked parakeet at Stewardstone.
9 Species of Warbler: sedge, reed, lesser whitethroat, whitethroat, garden, blackcap, chiffchaff, willow, Cetti's.
11 Species of Duck: shelduck, mandarin, wigeon, gadwall, teal, mallard, shoveler, pochard, red crested pochard, tufted & ruddy duck.
7 Species of wader: little ringed plover, lapwing, snipe, woodcock, redshank, green sandpiper and greenshank.
Also seen: little egret, water rail, little and tawny owl, yellow & grey wagtail, wheatear, nuthatch, bullfinch and yellowhammer
Winners:
The Derrick Clayden Shield was shared by Laurence Sinden and Phil Blatcher for raising the most money for the RSPB.
Prizes were also given to the winning team of Russell Wood & Phil Blatcher who saw the most species (94) and Ian Kendall who saw 90 species.
Special congratulations go to Ted Bell, Julie Paice, Ian Kendall and Barrie Stockwell who all raised over £100 and to Dorothy Blatcher, Heather Selwood & Ruth Martin for a splendid supper.
Finally......
Our thanks to Phil Blatcher for organising this event which has raised in excess of £21,000 for the RSPB's funds over the years.
Tuesday, 25 April 2006
Report of the Annual General Meeting
Minutes of the 2005 AGM were read out and agreed.
REPORT
Terry reported that the group continues to run a full programme of events and thanked Angela Dobson for organising several successful events during the past year. He reported that the local walks and coach outings had been well supported and thanked Derrick Ling, walks organiser, Barrie Stockwell, outings officer, and all the leaders for all their hard work during the year.
Terry said that the 2006/7 programme was almost complete now, and thanked his wife Ann, who has booked the speakers, edits both the newsletter and the website and takes your money on the door!
He reported that the group was replacing the Annual Bazaar with a `meet the RSPB group' event at Rye Meads on November 12th, with RSPB Sales goods, Tombola, light refreshments, guided walks etc. Full details will be in the new programme. We are still looking for sponsors for our programme and newsletter, last year the cost of printing etc was approx. £400. He also thanked the refreshment team, Chris, Jim and Ken and everyone else who helped make the group a success.
ACCOUNTS
Treasurer Paul Coppi gave a brief report, fundraising had gone well, £4166 was donated to the Society during the year and the group had another £2000+ to donate for 2006/7 projects. The Quiz, Bazaar, Raffles and Christmas Draw had all proved very successful. Our 100 club was proving popular, and the refreshment sales at meetings had increased greatly. Terry Smith had raised £297 from his monthly walks and a futher £200 had been raised from plant sales and other fundraising events.
Paul informed the group that he would be retiring next year, after 5 years as Treasurer and asked for a volunteer to take over the post.
COMMITTEE
Terry Smith expressed the groups thanks to Ruth Martin, who was retiring after 3 years service.
Margaret Hodge was re-elected as 100 Club organiser for a further 3 years, and we welcome Ian Kendall who was elected to the committee.
The meeting ended at 8.12pm
The AGM was followed by a very interesting talk `Hen Harriers - Englands next extinction?' by Julian Hughes, RSPB head of species protection.
Saturday, 22 April 2006
Coach trip to Grove Ferry & Stodmarsh NNR, Kent
Total of 81 bird species seen.
Numerous migrants were seen with at least 9 hobbies flying around together being the highlight. A fine male garganey was seen by all from the mound near Grove Ferry also a little ringed plover here. Overhead were swift, swallow, sand & house martin. Nine warbler species were seen: chiffchaff, willow warbler, whitethroat & lesser whitethroat, reed, sedge & Cetti's warbler, blackcap and garden warbler.
Other migrants: common tern, nightingale, cuckoo, yellow wagtail, wheatear and last, but by no means least, a HONEY BUZZARD was seen by one group.
Other highlights: little egret, water rail, brilliant views of marsh harriers, sparrowhawk, buzzard, snipe, greenshank (2), stock dove, bearded tit, linnet & bullfinch.
Mammals:
Brown hare, rabbit
Butterflies:
orange tip, green-veined white, small white, speckled wood, small tortoiseshell, brimstone, comma & peacock.
Not forgetting the very vocal marsh frogs!
Sunday, 2 April 2006
Local morning walk at Waterford Marsh and Heath, near Hertford
A total of 40 species were seen, highlights were:
3 treecreepers, 5 chiff chaff, nuthatch (heard), sparrowhawk, stock dove, kingfisher, bullfinch, linnet, blackcap, coal tit and jay.
Both Comma and Red Admiral butterflies were seen.
Mammals seen were Rabbit and Muntjac.