The RSPB is a registered charity in England and Wales-207076, in Scotland-SC037654. It is the country’s largest nature conservation charity, inspiring everyone to give nature a home.

Chorleywood and District Local Group Newsletter No. 80 February 2015

www.rspb.org.uk/groups/chorleywood

Dear Members Group News A reminder to write to your bank, if you Following a generous donation of a new gazebo by have not done so, to change your an anonymous donor, we have now received two further donations from members who have helped Standing Order from £3 to £5. us to buy exhibition display boards. This means that we are ‘all systems go’ in the future when we want to represent the RSPB at events or give talks at schools. We will now be able to hold a stall at Chorleywood Day, which will be on Saturday, 11 July. A big ‘thank-you’ to all three donors!

The Committee wants to maintain our annual An otter was seen at donation of several hundred pounds to the RSPB Maple Lodge in a climate of rising speaker costs. It is hoped that Artwork: Robin Carter with the increase in the membership fee, from £3 to rspb-images.com £5 per annum, we can still retain the high quality of our speakers who are charging around £50 to £80 plus travel expenses these days. on occasions to serve tea and coffee at the indoor With this in mind, we would like to ask those of you meetings. Please volunteer when you arrive. who have not written to your bank to change your standing order, from £3 to £5, to please do so. The superb series of talks are planned and organized by Gordon Caw. Unfortunately for us, he In January 2015 we have been able to make a wants to retire from this ‘job’ from the end of 2016 donation of £400 to RSPB funds. and so in the coming months we will need to start looking for someone to take over from him. At the request of Damien Weller, the Ranger of the , some of us helped to Thank you for your continued support. run a guided walk to show the public the wildfowl The Committee on the three lakes at that site. 27 people turned up on a freezing December day, many very keen, with CONTENTS their own binoculars. Member Peter Harman’s News Items……………………… ...... 2 telescope was much appreciated. Local and National Events ...... 3 Names of Committee members are on your Local Reserves News ...... 4 programmes. Please speak to any member if you Your Photos ...... 5 could help at Chorleywood Village Day. It is a lot of Birds of Book Launch .... 6 fun spending a few hours running a stall to promote Outdoor Meetings Reports ...... 7 our Group and the wider RSPB. Also we need help

1

Disappointing Uptake of Skylark Plots Support of the ATF is thus helping both birds and by Farmers, So Far people.

Through bringing your stamps to Judith Allday, we As reported many times in Birds magazine, skylarks are helping in this work. We have made only a are doing well at Hope Farm, the RSPB managed small contribution of £27. but this goes towards the Cambridgeshire farm, following the great success of £3,000 overall sent to help the Albatross Appeal by leaving bare patches in fields of cereal crops - so local groups. Judith was told that now there are called ‘skylark plots’. Ian Dillon reports that skylark fewer letters bearing stamps there is more demand fledging success has increased by around 50% and in other countries for British stamps. Please the breeding population of skylarks rose from 10 carefully separate foreign from UK stamps. The territories in 2000 to 43 in 2012. If replicated across value of foreign stamps is reduced when sold in the land, this red-listed bird would receive a bulk if the buyer detects a few UK stamps. tremendous boost. So far, sadly, few farmers have chosen to have the plots on their land as part of an agri-environment scheme. Although they remain part of the new agri-environment scheme that will Monk Parakeet Numbers Reduced start in 2015, they are an optional extra and not by DEFRA compulsory. This is disappointing. An update has been published by the Department Similar research is ongoing at Hope Farm to for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs conserve corn buntings. Here the species prefers (DEFRA), on the monk parakeet removal the opposite conditions - denser areas of crops - programme. This controversial subject is a local perhaps because their nests are better hidden. So issue, with many birds taking up residence over the denser planting will be trialed at Hope Farm. This last few years in Borehamwood and also in the Isle research is in its early stages. of Dogs. Many residents love the addition to the local avifauna and a petition was organized against the cull.

Albatross Appeal - Some Exciting But DEFRA, in agreement with RSPB, feared the News from the Albatross Task Force spread of this invasive species due to its habit of Manager, Sarah Yates communal nesting on power pylons with the risk of bringing about disruption to supplies. In England, nests have already been built on mobile phone In 2014, there has been a 99% reduction in the masts. In USA and Spain these invasive parakeets number of albatrosses caught in the South African cause millions of pounds worth of damage. deep-sea trawl industry and a 90% drop in all seabird bycatch in this fishery since 2004. Around 18,000 birds were being killed in 2008, but the introduction of TORI lines, a deterrent of coloured streamers that deter the birds, has dramatically reduced this number. Monk parakeet In Namibia an estimated 23,000 seabirds, mostly Photo: Mark Trott albatrosses, are killed each year, making this country one of the most destructive in the world. This year the albatross task force has developed a proposal for Namport, the port authority in Namibia, to manufacture the bird-scaring lines in cooperation with a local women’s empowerment group, Meme Itumbapo. The project also provides educational £259,000 has been spent on control measures publicity materials to improve environmental since 2009/10. Methods of control include cage awareness. The Namport Social Investment Fund trapping, whoosh netting and capture by hand and has pledged N$ 350,000 (£20,000) towards this egg destruction. In total, so far, 62 birds have been project, financing it for the next two years, so that caught and 212 eggs and 21 nests removed. Most the fisheries support locally made products. captured birds were rehoused in captivity, but 30% needed to be put down.

2

2015 Local and National Events

15 February Wildfowl walk, Stockers Lake Meet on the Causeway at 10am See Fosl website for more information

21 March Herts. Bird Club Conference, Affinity Water, Tamblin Way, Hatfield, Herts. 2-5pm. See their website for details later in month 26 March AGM Friends of Stockers Lake, Rickmansworth School. 7.30pm. Guest speaker to be announced 27- 29 March RSPB Members’ Weekend, York University Whole weekend of talks and excursions

Tel: 01767 680551

9 May-4 October RSPB Weekly Seabird Cruises, Bridlington

Bookings taken from March (see article below)

RSPB Seabird Cruises, Bridlington

Aboard the Yorkshire Belle, off Bempton Cliffs, on a Puffin and Gannet Cruise Photo: Chrys Mellor, RSPB volunteer photographer

Bookings taken from March 2015 Also a new Seabird Heritage Centre is opening at Bempton Cliffs in Spring 2015

Puffin and Gannet Cruises Sail aboard the Yorkshire Belle from Bridlington Harbour through

Bridlington Bay, around Flamborough Head and along to the base of the 400ft high Bempton Cliffs to see the thousands of nesting seabirds that make their home there during the spring/summer each year.

The boat will then return to Bridlington via Breil Newk, giving the opportunity for another very close encounter with the seabirds. These cruises in 2015 will last 2½ hours and cost £20 per adult, £10 per child (aged 16 and under) with discounts available for groups over 10 people. These cruises are in May, June and early July.

Skua and Shearwater Cruises* This time, once the boat has sailed across Bridlington Bay, it will head up to 3 miles out into the North Sea to watch for migrating seabirds as they fly south for the winter. ‘Chum’ (rotting seafood) will be thrown overboard to attract birds to come closer to the boat for better views. These trips can last up to 3½ hours, with prices the same as the Puffin & Gannet cruises and are in September and early October.

*Note we are trying a new cruise this year on Saturday, 8 August, where the search for migrating seabirds is being combined with attracting (via the use of ‘chum’) diving gannets to the boat. If this proves popular we will almost certainly run more of these cruises in future years.

News from Local Nature To book contact Kim Smales, Reserve Administrator, RSPB Bempton Cliffs (Tel: 01262 422206) Reserves 3

News from Local Nature Reserves Each year Andrew Moon writes a very detailed Bird In this new section of our Newsletter we hope to Report, which is available on the Friends of give you a summary of the year at Stocker’s Lake Stocker’s Lake website. The 2014 report is not yet and Maple Lodge Nature Reserves in available. However, in 2013, 88 species were found Rickmansworth. Those of you who are members of to use the Lake. From the sightings page of the Friends of Stocker’s Lake (Fosl) or Maple Lodge website we can see some highlights of 2014, which Nature Reserve will already have received some of are listed here. this information in the newsletters of these organisations. Their Chairmen are happy for me to In December 2014, 16 goldeneyes were seen. In show you what fantastic species can be found so June and July, a goldeneye with young was seen near to Chorleywood. on nearby Springwell Lake. Little owls were around in November and December and 60 redwings estimated in November. A lesser spotted woodpecker was seen in the months of September, March and April (including a sighting by our honorary member, Janet Moore) and hobbies in August and September. Nesting rafts for common terns are provided and 30 were around in July with 21 adults and 9 juveniles. Oystercatchers with young were seen in June and July. As many as 50 sand martins were seen in April.

Raven in flight Chris Gommersal, rspb-images.com

Maple Lodge (www.maplelodge.org ) Contact: [email protected] Lesser spotted woodpeckers are seen still at Keith Pursall, the Chairman, says that 2014 was a Stockers Lake bumper year for wildlife at Maple Lodge Reserve. Artwork: Mike The most exciting event was an otter sighting on Langman 5 September in front of Teal Hide. Increasing rspb-images.com numbers of invertebrates are being reported all the time.

Water rails bred and showed off their young in front Also each year butterfly and dragonfly surveys are of Rotunda Hide. Treecreepers bred in the Mike undertaken. The pattern of total counts since 1997 Foulkes Hide. Sparrowhawks nested and raised reflects the decline nationally in total numbers of three young in the Plantation. Barn owls had two butterflies. 1079 individuals were seen in 1997 with chicks in the Barn Owl box. 497 in 2014 and 687 in 2013, a good year for Amazingly, two white storks flew over the Reserve butterflies. The full report is available on the on Open Day and also ravens have overflown the website. Reserve for the first time. There have been breeding pairs of mistle thrushes, tawny owls and Cetti’s warblers.

Stockers Lake (www.fosl.org.uk) Friends of Stocker’s Lake undertakes Contact: Dick Beeden (Tel: 020 8421 9958) various tasks to improve the lakeside Ian Watson, Chairman of Fosl, reports that much habitats, such as hedge laying or scrub needed tree work is being undertaken both for clearance on the lakeside, usually monthly safety reasons and to improve habitat. Some large in the winter on a Sunday morning. hybrid black poplars are being felled and replaced Similarly, voluntary conservation work can by alders which provide seed for wintering birds be undertaken at Maple Lodge Reserve, such as siskins. Cattle are to be used for grazing on usually on a Saturday morning. the meadow from next spring. Please see the websites for more details.

4

Your Photos Please send photos to Newsletter Editor, Carol Smith - [email protected]

Egyptian geese are clearly visible, with their dark eye ring, in this tomb painting from 1,350 BC. They are 3,500 years separate these two images of Egyptian swimming in a pool in the garden of Egyptian scribe, geese. The one above is a photo taken in 2014 at Nebamun, alongside fish and lotus flowers. In the Rickmansworth Aquadrome by John Swainson garden are identified figs, date palms, flowers and trees. This wall painting is a treasure of the British Museum and is famed for its accurate observation of nature. Photo: Carol Smith

Brown pelican at Santa Barbara, California. This Black skimmers, September 2014, on Santa Barbara small pelican is one of two species of pelican to Beach, USA. There are three skimmer species, living dive beak first for food. Photo: Tony Wright either in Africa, the Americas or Asia. All three have a specially adapted beak in which the lower mandible is longer than the top one. They fly along the water surfaces, cutting the surface with the lower New RSPB Guidelines on Feeding Fat beak, thus finding fish or crustaceans. They also to Garden Birds forage along with gulls in estuaries and coastal waters. Photo: Tony Wright The RSPB is urging people to put on a feast to fatten up garden birds each winter, but to avoid putting out the potentially fatal contents of their meat joint roasting tins. Turkey fat is especially dangerous to birds for several reasons and can have catastrophic consequences for your garden visitors because of infection risk and toxicity. The fat remains soft even when cooled and can easily be smeared on to birds’ feathers ruining their

5

waterproofing and insulating properties. This layer including rubbing in salt to crisp the skin and add of grease would make it virtually impossible for extra flavour. High levels of salt are toxic to garden birds to keep their feathers clean and dry, which is birds, so the RSPB is urging people not to put out essential if they are to survive the cold winter any content from meat roasting tins. Richard weather. The fat in roasting tins can quickly go James, RSPB Wildlife Officer, says, “it may seem a rancid when left with other meat juices in a warm good thing to do, but you could be killing them with kitchen before being put outside. This forms an kindness. Only pure fats such as lard and suet ideal breeding ground for salmonella and other food should be used to make home-made fat balls to poisoning bacteria that could prove fatal for birds at give the birds the energy needed to survive the this time of year. It is also a popular habit to add winter cold.” other ingredients to a joint of meat before roasting,

Birds of Hertfordshire now published

Birds of Hertfordshire is a full county avifauna covering all the species ever recorded in the county. The species accounts detail the records and patterns of occurrence for all our common garden birds through to the most exotic Herts. rarities. The book presents the results of the most recent atlas surveys of breeding and wintering birds, together with analysis and comparison with the two previous atlases. It also draws on results from Breeding Bird and Wetland Bird Surveys in the county.

It is written by Herts. Bird Club experts Ken Smith, Chris Dee, Jack Fernside and Mike Ilett, with invited chapters by Tom Gladwin and Graham White.

The book is in an A4 format, hardbound, with about 300 pages, colour photos by local photographers, distribution and abundance maps in full colour and beautiful paintings by Alan Harris.

The six main chapters cover:- Alongside the book, online access will be provided  The Hertfordshire landscape to all the species distribution maps from the three  The history of Hertfordshire ornithology atlas projects 1967-73, 1988-92 and 2007-12, and  The results of the Herts. Bird Club surveys where available, to the summer and winter over the last 40 years abundance maps from the 2007-12 atlas.  Detailed accounts for each of the 308 species recorded in the county Why do we need another book on the birds of this  The changes in the county avifauna and well watched area? The simple answer is that bird their causes populations are changing all the time, and even  The conservation of birds in Hertfordshire over the 30 years since the last avifauna was published, some remarkably big changes have taken place. It is important to take stock periodically.

See www.hnhs.org for more details.

6

Outdoor Meeting Reports

Chess Valley Walk abdomen brushed the water surface and her eggs Sunday, 21 September 2014 were washed off onto the surface of the water. This process, where the eggs are laid directly into water, The effects on the wildlife of a remarkably warm is known as exophytic behaviour and is used by the and dry September were very apparent during our darters and emerald dragonflies. Other types lay walk through Chorleywood House Estate and along their eggs directly onto vegetation - endophytically. the lower reaches of the Chess. We may not have seen the number or variety of The absence of small birds was striking, with just an birds we had hoped for, but we were enriched by at occasional view of robins, a glimpse of a blue tit least one spectacle of the airborne world. and the song of wrens to indicate their hidden Tony Wright presence. Buzzards, kites and house martins provided some relief overhead and good numbers Thurrock Thameside Nature Park of jackdaws occupied the woodland areas. The riverside vegetation was more abundant than in Saturday, 18 October 2014 previous years and we spotted a solitary heron prowling the banks. Our most interesting views David Attenborough commented in May 2013 that were of a jay foraging on the field margin and a little ‘this site is a miracle!’ We could see what he meant grebe in the company of a few coots and mallards. after a few minutes in the car park, from where we However, the Odonata (dragon and damsel flies), saw more skylarks in one view than we had seen elsewhere all year! Yet this unfinished reserve was, until recent years, the huge Mucking landfill site. It is the largest project ever undertaken by the Essex Wildlife Trust.

Diversity is helped by the large number of different habitats. Most noticeable on arrival is the muddy bay, an inlet of the River Thames, just west of DP World Gateway Port. On here are found internationally important numbers of ringed plovers and avocets and nationally important numbers of grey plovers, dunlins, godwits and redshanks. What a pity they were not on site when we visited - all too Dragonfly wood carving on the Chorleywood House often the case unfortunately! We did see some Estate, one of many Photo: Tony Wright avocets, curlews and godwits in the distance, but were making up for the lack of avian interest. A the tide was far out. pond in the estate grounds had been recently restored and was surrounded by an astonishing The largest area of the landfill reclamation provides collection of wood carvings. The one of a giant rough grassland and scrub on which we saw the dragonfly reminded us of the size these creatures skylarks (one of the best sites in the country we would have reached in the oxygen rich air of the were told by volunteer Brenda). There were also carboniferous era. This one had attracted a pair of many meadow pipit flocks. Short-eared owls hunt somewhat smaller, but still impressive, emperor here too and, alongside the brook, many kingfishers dragonflies that skimmed over the pond. can be seen (but not on our visit). Adjacent to this reserve is the Stanford Warren Nature Reserve, The greatest spectacle was still to come at the which holds several bearded tits. It consists of the extremity of our walk. An area beside the Chess largest reed-bed in Essex and must be re-visited on had remained flooded all season and over it were at a calmer day. The wind was very strong and these least a hundred pairs of bright red common darters rarities were keeping down low amongst the reeds. dancing in the sunlight. Many were flying in pairs However, it provided a good circular walk leading with the male holding the female, while the tip of her back to the Nature Park where we visited the wonderful visitor centre. 7

a tall tree from another bridge over the canal, redwing could at last be added to our tally.

Passing by a small lake, Tumbling Bay, which had two great crested grebe juveniles on it, we saw a long-tailed tit, goldfinches and possibly a treecreeper. We doubled back to take the reserve's path that skirted the north end of Hollycross Lake, seeing shoveler, coot and other birds. A redwing, and a song thrush again singing - we had heard him in the distance earlier - were in trees here. A tit we saw could have been of the marsh or willow type.

Several feeders hung from a meadow tree, a lump of something white wedged into its trunk had The Nature Park, Thurrock. These photos, supplied attracted a male great spotted woodpecker. Was by Essex Wildlife Trust, show a ‘before restoration’ this a coconut half or a lump of suet? Goldfinches, a scene and the new visitor centre with its spiral greenfinch, a hen chaffinch, blue and great tits were walkway to the roof on the cylinders and a cock pheasant and seven

female consorts foraged beneath them. A robin In the week when the Stirling Prize for Architecture appeared in a nearby bush and a jay flew across was awarded, some of us commented on this and screeched. We retraced our steps and headed building’s brilliance. Matching perfectly into the for two hides with, for the first time, a little blue sky surrounding semi-industrial landscape of dock behind us. As well as the birds seen earlier, there cranes and pylons, it fulfilled its purpose well. The were a wigeon, tufted ducks and a grey heron on ramp that spiralled around the circular building led Great Hardmead Lake. Just before we left, a little easily to a rooftop viewing area, while indoors the egret flew in. reserve could be seen from the café’s glass walls. We all thought that another visit must be made one We had seen plenty despite poor weather, but day. would have benefited from more companions to see Carol Smith and identify even more wildlife. Andrew Case Amwell - Herts. & Middlesex Wildlife Spade Oak Nature Reserve Trust Reserve Saturday, 13 December 2014 Saturday, 22 November 2014 This was a great morning’s stroll with several I don't like to go birdwatching in the rain or poor sightings of special birds. The bright sun helped! visibility, yet here I was at the Herts. & Middlesex The lake was an old gravel pit now surrounded by Wildlife Trust's lake, river, marsh and open woodland. The closest view of the day was of a woodland reserve! redwing eating ivy berries from just a yard away! Some of us saw fieldfares and blackbirds in the The railway and the bridge over the parallel River woodland. On the lake were many species: Lee Navigation safely crossed, we then paused to Egyptian and greylag geese, great crested grebes, watch some lapwings, shovelers, great crested coots galore, herons, cormorants, many tufted grebes, gadwalls and many teals on Great ducks and black-headed gulls. Hardmead Lake. Also swimming on it were a few cormorants, mute swans, a cygnet, coots and There were perhaps 150 lapwings standing on the several black-backed gulls among the black-headed muddy spit, all of whom took flight occasionally and gulls looked stunning in the sun. Further on, the lake shore path nears this spit and from there close Near here there were good close up views of a views of the lapwings were possible. Also from here wren, a dunnock, hen chaffinch and great tit and I we could see as many as 24 foraging snipe. heard a snipe's drumming. A kestrel perched atop a tree. It later obligingly performed its signature The woodland was of alders, grey poplars and hover. A Cetti's warbler sang and, as we scanned silver birch interspersed with spindle bushes. The

8

robin seemed to be enjoying eating the spindle lake, screeching as usual. The sparrow colony at berries, which are poisonous to some species. In the canal bridge over the Grand Union near the trees we saw treecreeper, long-tailed, blue and Stocker’s House seemed thankfully as healthy as great tits, goldcrest and a male bullfinch enjoying ever, making for yet more noise! the seeds of silver birch. Buzzard and red kite were seen overhead. We continued along the Thames Other species seen were treecreepers, long-tailed, path, but saw few other birds, only some pied blue and great tits, chaffinches, robins, great wagtails on the grass. spotted woodpecker, magpies, carrion crows, grey Carol Smith herons and finally a flying kingfisher on the adjacent Inns Lake! Carol Smith Stockers Lake, Rickmansworth Our Traditional New Year’s Day Walk

Most of the ‘usual bird suspects’ were present, which is always a relief given the dismal fortunes of Email Address many of our bird species. This lake is important for If you have recently changed your email address or overwintering shoveler especially and there were have one for the first time, could you please advise many present, though in fewer numbers than in Lynda Wright ([email protected]). many previous years. Recently several islands in the middle of the lake have been cleared of scrub in The RSPB produces an excellent monthly order to encourage nesting and several lapwings newsletter, which is forwarded to everyone who has were resting on these. The lake was packed with supplied an email address. black-headed gulls making for a noisy stroll.

Other winter water fowl included goldeneyes, tufted ducks, wigeon, gadwall, pochards, coots, great crested grebes and mallards. Alas, we did not see any goosanders, though they were reported by others this year. Perhaps when the weather gets worse, more will travel down from the north to the safety of Stockers Lake.

Some of us are trying to learn the key ID features of the different gulls so we were pleased to identify a common gull amongst the black headed (no dark head spot in winter and yellow legs - see picture.)

The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) is a Common Gull Mike Langman, rspb-images.com registered charity: England and Wales No. 207076, Scotland No.SC037654 Amongst the smaller birds, it is always a delight to see the mixed flocks of siskins and goldfinches Any advertisements enclosed with this newsletter are not eating alder seeds and we had a good sighting of specifically endorsed by the RSPB or the Chorleywood and this. Lots of ring-necked parakeets flew around the District Local Group 9