News
Saturday, 31 October 2009
Snipe in the rain, RSPB Images
OCTOBER ROUND UP
Congratulations to our monthly 100 Club winners for October:-1st Helen Simpson, 2nd Janet Green. Don't forget to contact Geoff Brown if you would like to join our fundraising club, using the 'Contact us' link above. (If you would like to join from our November draw, the cost is £7 - (that is £5 plus a one-off £2 admin charge) Last season a total of £535 was raised by club members for various RSPB projects. You have raised over £2,700 since the club was formed!
GROUP MEETING 27th OCTOBER
Bill Coster visited us again, with 2 audio-visual presentations on 'the Amazon Rainforests of Peru' & 'Galapagos - The Enchanted Isles'. With music, wildlife sounds and excellent photography, a very different type of talk! Next month, Tuesday 24th, we welcome Roy Croucher with his talk on 'The Wildlife of Northern France', we also have some bring n' buy tables, which we hope you will support.
LOCAL BIRDS
At Rye Meads, kingfishers have been seen really well over the last couple of weeks - great views from the Moorhen and Draper Hides. A peregrine has been seen on the pylons by the visitor centre over the last couple of day, so remember to look at them when you visit. From the Draper hide green sandpiper, common sandpiper, snipe, kingfisher, teal and shoveler have all been seen really well. A buzzard flew over on 16 October, and a garganey was spotted on the 18 October. Two pintails and a yellow legged gull were seen on the 3 October at the lagoon (Tern and Gadwall) hides. Some of our winter visitors are starting to come in - redwings were first spotted on the reserve on 16 October.
At Cornmill Meadows, Waltham Abbey, we saw our first large flock of siskins on Wednesday morning. We also saw our first redwing and fieldfare of the autumn. Skylarks, snipe, teal and shoveler were also seen. Kings Mead, Ware has had good numbers of snipe, also stonechats. Amwell has had little egrets, redwings, fieldfares, and the red-crested pochards are still around!
We have had some unusual visitors this month in our Waltham Abbey garden. A lone brambling was seen briefly earlier this month and in the last 10 days, we have had a marsh tit feeding on our sunflower hearts and peanuts each day.
E-NEWSLETTER
If you would like to receive our new E-Newsletter, with up to date news of events and the group, please send your details to us, using the 'Contact us' link above, subject title 'E-Newsletter' and we'll put you on the list!
COMING EVENTS:
We have a local walk at Fishers Green tomorrow, which looks likely to be a wet one! Come along and say hello at the Open day at Rye Meads on Sunday 15th, 10am to 3.30pm. We have a coach trip to RSPB Elmley Marshes, Kent on Sunday 22nd, don't forget, you can book your coach seats now with Barrie (01992 584133) for any of the coming trips. Still only £15 - a bargain!
NEWS FROM THE RSPB
Have you signed the RSPB Letter to the Future? Visit http://www.rspb.org.uk/lettertothefuture/ for more details.
HELP WANTED
We would be very grateful for any donations for the sales table on November 15th at our 'Meet your Group' event at Rye Meads Reserve, please bring them along on the day. If you'd like to help during the day, please email us at the 'Contact us' page above.
See our events listings for more details. We look forward to meeting you at one of our events soon.
Terry Smith
Group Leader