giving nature a home BirdsEye Newsletter of The RSPB Local Group Summer 2013

Events for Next Four Months Sunday 17 November - Elmley - 9.00 am (HT 12 noon)

Saturday 23 November - Seaton Gravel Pits - 9.30 am Indoor Presentations See Programme for More Information August - No Meeting **** 17 September - Meetings with Remarkable Birds - Public Events Dominic Couzens

15 October - Transatlantic Travels - Mike Mockler Friday 9 August – Big Wild Sleepout, Northward Hill.

19 November - Little Owl - Ian Rumley-Dawson Sunday 8 September - North Marshes, Wildlife & **** Countryside Fair, Bromhey Farm. Outdoor Visits (Walks) Saturday 12 October - Quiz Night, Wainscott

Memorial Hall. Saturday 20 July - Samphire Hoe - 10.00 am

Saturday 19 October to Sunday 3 November - Wednesday 31 July - Cliffe Pools RSPB Reserve - Riverside Country Park. Evening Walk - 6.45 pm (HT 7.00 pm)

Monday 11 to Saturday 16 November - Sales Stall, Sunday 4 August - - Hempstead Valley Shopping Centre. 10.00 am

GROUP LEADER’S NOTES Sunday 18 August - -

8.30 am (HT 10.00 am) Many of you will be aware of some changes that are

being made by the RSPB. The change you will Thursday 29 August - Botolph’s Bridge/Royal notice first is the slight change to the RSPB logo and Military Canal Hythe - 10.00 am new strap line of “Giving Nature a Home”. I’m

assured that the onus is still very much on bird Sunday 8 September - Cley Marshes NWT Reserve conservation! However the organisation wants to Coach Trip make everyone aware that in order to keep bird

populations viable we need to focus on the Thursday 12 September - Dungeness RSPB Reserve - conservation of wildlife and the environment. 10.00 am

By making more people aware of the RSPB’s Sunday 22 September - Hastings Country Park, East conservation aspirations it is hoped that our Sussex - 10.00 am membership will increase as, let’s be honest, it is the

one million membership that carries weight with the Saturday 5 October - Sandwich Bay/Pegwell Bay - government. If anyone thinks nature is not in trouble I 9.00 am recommend they read the State of Nature report

recently published by RSPB in partnership with the Thursday 17 October - Mote Park Maidstone - other wildlife organisations including the Wildlife 9.30 am Trust, BTO, Marine Conservation Society and

Butterfly Conservation, to name just a few. I found it Sunday 27 October - Reculver Country Park - a startling alert as to the real state nature in this 9.30 am country! 1 If you wish to view this document, which has a Continuing on the note of volunteering, David Low, forward by David Attenborough, then go to who has valiantly been in charge of the raffle since www.rspb.or.uk/stateofnature . June 2005, has to stand down due to other commitments, so we are looking for someone to It was my pleasure at the last indoor meeting to replace him. present long service awards to some of our volunteers. Carole and John Nixon were presented The work is not onerous and involves displaying with a Golden Eagle pin badge for 40years service. goods, selling tickets and organising the draw at They are two of the founder members of the RSPB Indoor Meetings. The raffle is an integral part of our Medway Group and have worked hard for the RSPB fundraising so if you feel you could take this on then over the this time and I’m pleased to say they please speak to me about it. continue to do! Sue Carter was awarded a Silver Avocet for 25years service and, as many of you Please note, at present we no longer accept know, was my predecessor as Group Leader. I’m secondhand books as we have no volunteer for this. pleased to say Sue is still on the committee and The books need to be brought to indoor meetings, produces our very successful Outdoor Walk priced, displayed, sold and those remaining stored Programme. ready for the next Indoor Meeting. If you are interested in volunteering for this please talk to me or Helen Hall, who is Des and Carol’s daughter, was one of the committee. awarded a Puffin for her 10 years volunteering with the childrens craft table at our outside events. Marie Tilley Giuseppe Raffa was presented with a Swift for five years service. Guiseppe has helped out on some of our outdoor events and therefore a welcome addition OUTSTANDING LONG SERVICE AWARDS to our volunteer base. Finally George and Margaret Wise a Swift for their five years of volunteering. I haven’t yet had a chance to personally thank the What with Rob and my 15 years Kingfisher badge the volunteers on the list below. If your name appears evening represented 160 years of volunteering for the please contact me to arrange the receipt of you award. RSPB. My grateful thanks go to all the above and all our volunteers. 20 years volunteering (Silver Osprey) - Pam Cetera Des Felix 15 years volunteering (Kingfisher) - Tony & Sue Urwin and Robin West

10 years volunteering (Puffin) - Adrian Olsen

5 years volunteering (swift) - Noel & Pat Boulting, Elaine Carlsen, Elaine Chance, Carol Coulthard, Jennetta Foss, Janine Hewlett , Grahame & Sue Mills, Christine Munns, Edward Towne.

Marie Tilley

CONDITIONS AND RULES FOR 2013 PHOTOGRAPHIC COHPETITION

The subject is Wildlife in the RSPB Medway Local Group Area, i.e. ME1 – ME12. (This includes The Medway Towns, Hoo Peninsula, Sittingbourne, From left : - Giuseppe Raffa, George Wise, Marie Tilley, , etc.) Rob Tilley, Carole Nixon, John Nixon, Sue Carter and Margaret Wise Wildlife includes living creatures as well as plants and trees etc. There are still some of our volunteers who have not received their badges. Further on in the magazine All entries will be submitted to one email address as you will find a list of these volunteers. If your name follows:- appears then please contact me and I will arrange for [email protected]. you to receive your award. 2 The maximum entry per person will be three pictures. We will be staying at the Holiday Inn Bristol Airport Hotel, located at the foot of the Mendip Hills in the All entries must be accompanied by date taken, the beautiful Somerset countryside, and is our perfect subject matter e.g. blackbird, venue e.g. Riverside base for trips to Blagdon Lake, Slimbridge WWT and Country Park and the competitors name and contact Chew Valley Lake. telephone number. We will observe native, migrant and captive wildfowl All entries will be uploaded by us, minus the (ducks, geese and swans) and get the chance to meet competitors name and telephone number, onto a the resident Slimbridge otters. The price is £179 per Medway Local Group FLICKR account to which person and this includes two nights hotel everyone has access. accommodation, all meals, entrance to Blagdon, Chew Valley and Slimbridge reserves, an after-dinner Viewers will be invited to 'like' as many of the photos quiz (with prizes) and the use of the hotel mini-gym. as they wish. Further details can be found by contacting Richard Hanman on [email protected] or All entries to be submitted as above by the 22nd of 07785 707 797. September 2013. Five days Bargain Birding in Morocco: (from £599 The 'likes’ will be totted up and the top 13 will go per person) forward for inclusion in the 2014 Medway RSPB Local Group Calendar. The Bargain Birding Club is now running five day bird-watching trips to Morocco. So if you fancy The most ‘liked’ will go on the front cover and the adding greater flamingo, Eurasian spoonbill, black- remaining 12 will be spread throughout the calendar winged stilt, little bittern, glossy ibis, northern bald as befits the month. ibis, black-crowned tchagra, Moussier's redstart, black wheatear, blue rock thrush, marbled duck, The subject, venue, time of year and photographer’s Audouin's gull and Barbary partridge to your year/ name will appear at the bottom of the photo. lifer-list then this is the trip for you. Full details are available on www.bargainbirdingclub.com. In the event of any photos tying the committee will decide which one/s will go forward. Richard Hanman

Entry will be free and open to any member of The

RSPB Medway Local Group. MEDWAY LG QUIZ NIGHT In order not to exclude those without access to a Saturday 12 October 2013 computer, if it is not possible to email as above please Wainscott Memorial Hall call David SAUNDERS on 07788202445 or ask someone to email me on [email protected] This years Medway Local Group RSPB Quiz Night and we will make every effort to make alternative will be, as before, at the Wainscott Memorial Hall in arrangements. Wainscott Village near Frindsbury, Rochester.

One hundred A5 desk calendars will be printed and The date is Saturday the 12 October 2013. will be available at the RSPB Wine and Wisdom Quiz Night on the 12 October 2013 for only £3.00 William Wallace will once again be the Quiz Master each, and the subsequent indoor meetings. aided and abetted by his lovely wife Carol.

David Saunders 10 teams of six are invited to apply.

Entry will be £5.50 PER PERSON all profits to go to BARGAIN BIRDING CLUB (OVERNIGHT the RSPB. STAYS) Please will Team Leaders submit their entries and Three days Bargain Birding Winter Wildfowl team names to [email protected] Weekend (£179 per person): Nibbles will be provided, please bring your own The Bargain Birding Club is running a 'Winter drinks. Wildfowl Weekend' trip from Friday 1st November to Sunday 3rd November 2013. David Saunders 3 HELP - INFORMATION NEEDED Butterflies have been slow to get going, surveyed by CHRISTMAS SALES STALL volunteer Roger Kiddie, but a male clouded yellow HEMPSTEAD VALLEY SHOPPING CENTRE was seen in mid June. Marsh frogs are filling the air.

This event will be 35 years old this November. Marsh frog Please could members let us have the names – including your own – of anyone who has helped organise and/or run the stall any year/s during the last 34 years, particularly in the early years.

Des and Carol Felix

40th BIRTHDAY THE RSPB MEDWAY LOCAL GROUP

As many of you will know the Group will be 40 years old next year and amongst other things we would like to run stories on “What The Members Did” over these 40 years in the three 2014 Birdseye. Therefore, Chris Shields (RSPB-Images) please let us have lots of your stories about the Group to make this possible. We also need to know At Cliffe Pools we came out from an unprecedented approximately when they occurred. If you are not winter for migrants and welcomed 22 singing happy to write these down we may be able to arrange nightingales a breeding pair of long-eared owls. 57 for you to borrow a tape recorder. pairs of avocets and double the number of common terns – at least 83 pairs bred on site, and there are Well get going all you story tellers. almost 1,000 black-headed gulls of all ages filling the skies at the moment! Breeding lapwings and Des and Carol Felix redshanks suffered a little because we were unable to prepare the meadows as we would like due to the wet weather last year. NORTH KENT MARSHES RESERVES- (, Great Bells Farm, Elmley, The The site is very important for invertebrates, the short River Medway, Cliffe Pools, Northward Hill and spur beetle was found by the RSPB’s national Shorne Marshes). invertebrate expert, shrill carder and brown-banded bumblebee (nationally important species) are resident At Northward Hill the late start to spring meant that on site and retired RSPB warden (and legend) Bob the expected spring arrivals were here but took longer Gomes discovered the Maid of Kent beetle, an to build in numbers and this was endorsed by the extraordinarily rare and beautiful insect that lives in regular BTO bird ringing on the site. A lesser-spotted fresh cowpats; this is only the fourth record for Kent/ woodpecker was heard early in the year but UK in recent decades. Bob continues to conduct disappeared with the greening of the trees; a singing wildlife surveys for the RSPB across the region and grasshopper warbler was also encouraging. at the end of June returned great news from Shorne Nightingales were slightly down on last year and the Marshes where 21 lapwing chicks were counted, the last were heard singing in the middle of June. Only best productivity for the species to date; 25 pairs of one pair of turtle dove bred. Hobbies and long-eared redshanks also nested successfully on the reserve. owl bred in the woods. The small team of reserve wardens remain extremely The new scrapes brought in avocets in good numbers busy with infrastructure improvements at all sites, and new islands are being created to support breeding improving water management, predator control, and for next year. 23 pairs of breeding lapwings were an preparing for the installation of a new bird hide at improvement on 2012 and 23 pairs of redshanks was Northward Hill. At Great Bells Farm on the Isle of typical. Three marsh harriers bred on the reserve and Sheppey the new habitat has attracted good numbers there were at least 84 herons and 57 egret nests. A of birds in its first year, and the battle against mink loan cattle egret and black-necked grebe were seen on and floating penny wort continues at Seasalter with the reserve in breeding condition – who knows? The success. With the ending of the lease at Elmley rare shrill carder bee was found for the first time by Marshes the reserve is now back with Elmley BBCT volunteer Paul Larkin, who conducts bee Conservation Trust with whom we are working surveys on our reserves. closely to see a smooth transition of visitor services. 4 We are as ever, indebted to our residential volunteers, We are grateful to Owen Sweeney (of the Medway Amy Winchester and Nico Vilela. The team also RSPB group) and other local birders who informed welcomed Stephanie Lawrence, the Greater Thames the Council of the nightingale interest on the site Futurescape community engagement officer, and she prior to 2010 and who have championed their cause is actively promoting our work in Kent and Essex. so vociferously; our thanks also go to those who sent The RSPB presented the State of Nature Report in letters as part of the public enquiry. The case of May and launched the Giving Nature a Home Lodge Hill has had national exposure and sends a campaign this month; our inspiring TV advertisement clear warning to other authorities wishing to develop will hit your screen very soon. We are planning a Big brown field sites with high environmental value that Wild Sleep Out event for RSPB Northward Hill and government policy must be adhered to. Rainham Marshes for August 10 and the Wildlife and Countryside Fair is well progressed for September 8 Rolf Williams in the capable hands of our new administrator Marie Communications NKMR Calvert.

Sir Howard Davies visited Northward Hill with the NATURE IMPROVEMENT AREA (NIA) Transport Committee in May where the RSPB’s head GRANT of conservation policy and Rolf Williams explained why a Thames Estuary Airport is a bad idea for The RSPB, under Julian Nash at Northward Hill, will people and nature. The Committee were surprised by be responsible for £100,000 of the Greater Thames the rich tapestry of land use and number of people Estuary NIA grant. This will be used for the living on the Hoo Peninsula. restoration of 159 hectares of grazing marsh at Higham Marsh in North Kent on privately owned In a significant victory for the region’s RSPB case land that is currently not managed for conservation, work officers, Medway Council’s Local Development but which would provide a critical connection Framework, including the proposed development of between RSPB managed core habitats at Shorne Lodge Hill (on the Hoo Peninsula), was found to be Marshes and Cliffe Pools. ‘unsound’ by the government inspector. For the time being that protects the site, which has been notified as This money is destined to bring the hydrology up to a SSSI by Natural England for its habitat and 85 pairs the standard of Shorne Marshes and Northward Hill. of breeding nightingale. Three staff members will be funded with an Nightingale equivalent amount of money for two to three years, a project officer to co-ordinate everything with our Greater Thames Futurescape and drive the NIA project forward, a farmland advisor to work directly with farmers and help them to manage their land more sympathetically for wildlife, and a community engagement officer (CEO) to bring the work to the attention of the wider public in the NIA region. The CEO, Stephanie Lawrence, is now in post and will be available to come along to one of your meetings to tell you more about this project and its role in the Futurescapes initiative.

Julian Nash – Site Manager, North Kent Marshes

John Bridges (RASP-Images)

Medway Council are openly blaming the RSPB, claiming that we only informed them of the NEWS FROM DUNGENESS endangered birds at the eleventh hour, and that 17 years and £35 million have been wasted. In truth, the The second week of February started well with the inspector states very clearly in her letter (available news of two penduline tits on Denge Marsh. They online) that the Council’s approach was ‘inconsistent were seen from the Springfield Bridge in a thin strip with the National Planning Policy Framework’; and of reeds between there and the Denge Marsh the RSPB, and Medway hide. Elsewhere on the reserve, seven barnacle geese Countryside Forum have been warning the council of were still near Boulderwall Farm, 40+ curlews were that for at least a year! The facts of the matter have in the fields alongside the entrance track and a pair of been summarized in Andre Farrar’s blog of June goldeneyes were on Burrowes pit. 27th. 5 Bittern The wet fields were also full of hundreds of wigeon, lapwings and golden plovers, whilst curlew numbers reached double figures. In addition to the marsh harriers that regularly hunted over the area, we were also treated to the regular sight of a visiting common buzzard, which could often be spotted sitting atop a favourite fence post.

Numbers of goldeneye and smew remained high throughout the month, with peak counts of 12 and 19 respectively, while a single goosander and red-crested pochard were also of note.

Andy Hay (RSPB-Images) Bitterns were seen regularly, especially on icy days when they ventured out of the frozen reedbeds to find Bitterns were seen occasionally on Denge Marsh and open water to feed in. Meanwhile, numbers of great at the ARC site all week, up to four great white egrets white egrets present varied from just one to an were still around and smew numbers reached 19 astonishing eight – presumably including some of the (including two drakes) on 7th. Other sightings birds that have been seen across the marsh during the included peregrine, kingfisher (at the ARC site), 20+ winter. fieldfares, a few chiffchaffs and goldcrests and a raven. Seventeen species of wader were recorded, the most notable being jack snipe and woodcock – both seen at

the Hanson-ARC site. An excellent few days birding began on the afternoon th of the 14 with the arrival of four bean geese in the The first spring migrants – four sand martins – were fields to the right of the track as you drive down from spotted over Burrowes pit on the 10th. Unfortunately, Boulderwall Farm. It took me a good half-hour to see this was just a day before a dreadful blizzard so let’s one but eventually I caught sight of a single dark hope they had managed to move on before the head popping up from a distant ditch. The freezing conditions hit us. It was not until the 24th intervening time was not wasted - as I scanned the that the first wheatear of the year was seen, whilst fields I was also able to spot the seven barnacle swallows, sedge warblers and yellow wagtails did not geese, at least 90 golden plovers and a common appear until the second week of April. buzzard. The weather improved a little in April. There was no The 16th dawned bright, calm and beautiful and the more snow and although the easterly breeze that had good weather brought visitors out in numbers. There been around for much of the year still made its was plenty to see - the bean and barnacle geese were presence felt, the sun came out and at times it felt as though spring might finally have arrived. still present, smew, great white egret, bittern and kingfisher all gave good views and several lucky folk The number of summer migrants arriving gradually were able to find a firecrest. Our visitors from increased as the month moved on and the weather Sussex Ornithological Society were even luckier calmed down. However, some winter wildfowl, such however, finding a penduline tit at Hooker's pits. The as smew, stayed until the second week or so of April, birding remained good throughout the following days which shows how unseasonably cold it was for the with 12 ruff, the common buzzard, merlin, firecrest time of year. and raven all spotted and two Egyptian geese joining the hundreds of birds on the wet Boulderwall fields. Smew

What a month March was - wet, windy and cold! Unsurprisingly, our landscape was still dominated by wintering birds, with only a handful of spring migrants putting in an appearance and probably wishing they hadn’t! Mike Langman (RSPB Images)

The fields near Boulderwall Farm attracted particular attention from our hardy visitors, not least because of the presence of up to six bean geese – quite an unusual sight. 6 From the middle of the month, sedge warblers, Highlights among the smaller birds included common whitethroats and reed warblers were in fine voice all redstart, whinchat, garden warbler and two singing over the reserve and there were sightings of willow nightingales. warblers, blackcaps and wheatears, whilst a flash of yellow indicated the presence of yellow wagtails. Christine Hawkins (Visitor Centre Manager)

Large groups of swallows and house martins, together with the occasional sand martin, could be seen flying NEWS FROM BLEAN WOODS low over Burrowes pit, trying to feed on what insect life had dared to emerge over the water! One Staff and volunteers continued to cut well into March particular highlight was a red-rumped swallow that this year with it being such a late season. We was seen towards the end of the month. Common completed the work by cutting down four-year-old terns were spotted over Denge Marsh and so the tern chestnut trees in some areas as part of our work to rafts were positioned in the water. It didn’t take long reduce its dominance in the woods. for the birds to show an interest in using them, so fingers were crossed for a successful breeding season, The Kent Reptile and Amphibian Group (KRAG) with no choppy water this year! placed a number of reptile refugia (tins and felts) around the reserve over the winter ahead of a survey In the reedbeds, a booming male bittern could be this spring/summer. Ideally this survey will prove the heard most days, and a couple of birds were presence of adder on or at least around the reserve frequently seen. Above the reedbeds the marsh following several claimed sightings over the years. So harriers gave some great displays of sky dancing. far no adders, but we have had slow worms and The late arrival of spring was reflected in some common lizards to record. unseasonable sightings during May, including a hen Common lizard harrier on the 12th, a merlin for several days mid- month, a red-breasted merganser and three scaup (all usually winter visitors).

However, some of our residents finally got down to the business of nesting and we watched intently on our nestcam as great tits built their nest in the box provided for them, eggs were laid and the first chicks hatched. Meanwhile, eight of the tree sparrow nestboxes around Boulderwall Farm were occupied and the first chicks fledged towards the end of the month.

The reedbeds at Hooker’s pits and Denge Marsh remained lively with a male bittern booming both day and night – surely he can’t have failed to attract a Lyndsey Record mate (or two!). Marsh harriers and hobbies hunted over the reeds to a soundtrack of singing reed and The spring/summer series of guided walks were very sedge warblers and calling cuckoos. popular and successful. People braved the cold evenings and wet mornings to attend either early bird Of the 20 species of wader seen, the highlight was a walks or nightingale/nightjar evenings. Our last early pectoral sandpiper that turned up on Denge Marsh on bird walk was a particular success. After thinking no the 11th and remained for three days. There were a one would turn up as it was looking pretty grizzly small number of other rarities that paid us a flying out, we had about 25 people who all enjoyed the walk visit during the month namely green-winged teal, ring and then got back to the car park to coffee and -necked duck, red-rumped swallow and red-backed croissants provided by the Red Bean Machine. shrike. Nightingales were very obliging singing on each walk and the first nightjar of the season was heard on the There seem to be at least 17 common tern nests 4th May - a week earlier than normal. dotted across two of the rafts at Denge Marsh, slightly up on last year’s figure. The third island is It has been a very unusual spring this year in that it occupied by a single pair of common gulls, which has been so quiet. At least part of the reason for this seems a little greedy as, due to continuing high water could be due to the terrible weather earlier in the levels, island space is once again at a premium this year. Many of the birds just arrived very late or, year. quite possibly, failed to complete their migration. 7 However it is not just birds, heath fritillary, the Rolf shared some great photos taken with basic butterfly Blean Woods is very well known for, has equipment (compact camera held up to his only just started to make an appearance with the first binoculars), which included Ortolan bunting, red- ones being spotted just in time for our heath fritillary throated and tree pipits, yellow, white, grey and blue- walk! It will be interesting to compare this year’s headed wagtails, squacco heron, crested lark, hoopoe, monitoring results with the previous few years as little stint, curlew sandpiper, isabelline, woodchat, red numbers seemed to be on the up. -backed and masked shrikes, stonechat, whinchat, blackcap, chiffchaff, whitethroat, garden, great reed, RSPB Arne Jason Mitchell spent sedge, barred and Upcher’s warblers, common, pied some time making and black-eared wheatears, redstart, spotted safe quite a few flycatcher, bluethroat, blue rock thrush, rufous bush dangerous trees that and white-throated robins, European and blue- were dotted around cheeked beaters, rollers, collared pratincole, nightjar, the reserve. These turtle and Namaqua doves, hobby, common and lesser trees are monitored kestrels, booted and lesser-spotted eagles, sand for a long time before martins, red-rumped and bar swallows, slender-billed anything is done, but and Pallas’s gulls, Sandwich, white-winged and sooty as soon as they are terns, Arctic skua and finally ..... a first for the deemed unsafe region .... long-tailed skua. overhanging branches are cut off or the tree The sheer number of birds seen in a small time itself is cut down, window was very impressive and hinted that there especially those near was a rich, food-abundant habitat further to the north pathways. in the wetlands of Iran/Iraq. Further evidence came David Kjaer (RSPB-Images) from the populations of “bird food” (dragonflies, When the weather did insects, flies, wasps etc.) which were occasionally finally warm up enough, our group of dedicated blown south from the marshes over the Arabian Gulf volunteers set to work with the never-ending task of and onto the offshore oil platforms. cutting back the vegetation along the pathways to keep them clear for visitors. As soon as they This unique location certainly justifies formal complete all the routes it is time to start at the scientific research and we all hoped that the beginning again, but they do keep going! regeneration of the marshes on the Iran/Iraq border would continue and restore them to their former Lyndsey Record, Site Manager glory.

Richard Hanman INDOOR MEETINGS 16 April 19 March Water Voles and Otters +AGM Crossing Boundaries John Bramley Rolf Williams Following out short AGM John spoke to the Group Tonight’s talk by Rolf was well attended and about water voles and otters, creatures which are thoroughly entertaining, enlightening and fascinating! clearly close to his heart. His slides left something to be desired but this talk was so informative and his Rolf began with a little background as to his time as a knowledge about these creatures so extensive it Royal Navy Reservist in March – July 2008 when he hardly mattered. was stationed on HMS Chatham in the North Arabian Gulf, assigned to protect the off-shore oil platforms Water voles are more plentiful in Kent, Sussex and from terrorist attack. He described the oil platforms Surrey whereas otters are rare. The reverse situation as a valuable man-made habitat, used by birds exists in the rest of the country. The reason for this is migrating north from Eastern Africa and India to the unclear. Since the 1950 numbers of both mammals marsh wetlands between the Euphrates and Tigris have declined drastically, in some area almost going rivers on the borders of Iraq and Iran. extinct. John explained there seem to be several reasons for this, hunting in the 50s, 60s and 70s With humour and a down-to-earth demeanour, Rolf (otters were not a protected species until 1977), reeled off bird after bird (75 species in total) that used pollution by pesticides used extensively following the the oil platforms as a vital stopping off place for a bit Second World War, loss of habitat, escape and of R and R to break their long journey north. release of mink from mink farms etc. 8 Both species have suffered greatly from the shoring From his presentation it was obvious Conor has a up of river banks with concrete and metal and the use great respect and reverence for the scientific way she of culverts for rivers and ditches, which prevents brought proofs of her concerns before the public in voles from digging their burrows into the banks and general and to the government in America and gives otters fewer areas suitable for building their ultimately to the rest of the world. holts and making rivers fragmented. John explained Goshawk Mike Langman (RSPB-Images) that by tracking otters in England it was discovered that some of them have territories of 25 miles or more, not the five or six miles as previously thought.

The audience were shown ways to identify where there were otters and voles, we were given pots with otter and vole droppings and the remains of their food to aid this (probably a first for Medway Group – the audience are not often offered the chance to smell poo to aid identification of a species!).

The good news was that numbers of otters and water voles are slowly increasing but they are by no means back to that of the 1950s. In Kent otter sightings are rare and John asked that if any are seen he be informed so he can quickly go to confirm the sighting – a photograph would be a real asset to assist him. The second half of Conor’s talk was about the Carol Felix. Goshawk, how it has adapted to living in cities such as Berlin and yet is so rarely seen in this country. 21 May The birds in Berlin are closely monitored and we Silent Spring Revisited were shown how they were trapped for ringing. They Conor Jameson are now regularly seen in Brussels and other cities on the Continent. The book Silent Spring was written by Rachel Carson in 1962. Conor explained that Rachel had written the Carol Felix book in response to blanket spraying, often by plane, of crops resulting in wholesale destruction of any 18 June creature living in or around the sprayed area. These Birding in Iberia creatures were, in turn, consumed by predators, such Ernest Garcia as birds of prey, resulting in failure to breed as egg shells became so fragile they were unable to support Ernest began by explaining that he had been born in the weight of the incubating birds. She highlighted Gibraltar but had been brought up in Britain. the damage the sprays were causing to the However, he still visits Iberia on a regular basis, environment and people especially as more and more particular Gibraltar where his Mother lives. of the chemicals were consumed on food and the poisons were building up within their bodies. He began by showing maps of the area and pointed out how mountainous Spain and Portugal are, Her book received great condemnation as it was felt providing ideal habitats for raptors, including eagles – spraying was the only way to eradicate diseases like he showed pictures of short-toed and booted eagles. malaria but it also brought to people’s attention the need to consider environmental issues brought about The Gibraltar Straits are such an important crossing by man’s interference with nature. Unfortunately for migrating birds between Africa and Europe the Rachel died shortly after publication of Silent Spring variety of birds which turn up there is huge. Ernest and was, therefore, unaware of the great impact her has seen and photographed many of these, including work had on future generations concerned with caring white storks, cranes and huge flocks of black kites, to for the environment. name but a few.

Conor explained he has written a book about the Ernest’s presentation was very informative and resulting awareness of the need to conserve and try to interesting, the numbers of birds shown ranged from work and develop ways of working with nature and the small - blackcap - to the large – great bustard, the highlighting how this has impacted on the majority of them birds which would not be seen in environment since Rachel’s book was published. this country. 9 Judging by the number of images shown, Iberia is the We were all keen to carry on though, because even if place to visit to see a huge variety of birds, especially we knew that the footpath would probably get worse, during times of migration!! that was the part of the reserve where spotting a hen harrier was more likely. Unfortunately, this did not Carol Felix. happen, nor did we manage to add much to our list - apart from a flock of lovely long-tailed tits - while OUTDOOR MEETINGS walking to the viewing mound at the Grove Ferry end. We were all hopeful, as this part of the reserve Saturday 23 February has always been a good spot for harriers, not to Stodmarsh/Grove Ferry mention that waders and ducks can be found in that Leader Giuseppe Raffa sort of lake on the left hand side. While we enjoyed dunlins, redshanks, one common gull and a few more The light snow forecast was not enough to discourage lapwings, reaching the mound did not help at all to seven members of the Group, who gathered at the improve our raptor list. Stodmarsh reserve car park. There was only one more thing that we had to try to The pre-visit at the beginning of February had made save the day: to get to the marsh hide, where water clear that dealing with extremely muddy footpaths pipits had been reported regularly over the previous would be as unpleasant as inevitable, but given the three weeks. I must confess that I was a bit reluctant list of recent sightings – which included both male to walk to that part of the reserve, because we had and female hen harrier – it seemed a price worth been warned that it could be far too muddy, but paying. In addition, the reserve had lately been in the Richard (there was a rugby match at 5.00pm and spotlight after the report of a penduline tit – whose getting back to the car park by 4.00pm would have range has spread towards NW Europe in recent been ‘appreciated’…) brought me round to a different decades – inevitably attracted a countless number of opinion. In truth, there was nothing to be particularly birdwatchers. worried about, as the very low temperatures had turned the mud into an uneven but solid terrain… the When I got to Stodmarsh for the group outing though, trouble was that – exactly as the penduline tit! – the the half-empty car park sadly revealed that the water pipit simply was not there. Totally worthless? penduline tit had moved somewhere else, which was The answer is ‘no’, because the last hide produced the obviously rather disappointing. But off we went and best views of marsh harriers that we had during this after close encounters with robins, chaffinches and outing. Marsh harrier great tits, a flock of siskins promptly lifted our spirits, as it does not happen very often to see so many of At 4 o’clock we these nicely-coloured and agile birds. We then reached the car park, carried on towards the two bridges (boardwalk area) ready to get back and we could add herring gull, jackdaw and carrion home. It is crow to our list – the last two species clearly very undeniable that our busy before roosting. list could have been significantly longer, Spending a bit of time in the area where the penduline but I hope that this tit had taken up residence was the very least we could will stimulate us to do, but not surprisingly our small, feathered friend – get out even more classified as vagrant in the UK – was nowhere to be and enjoy the seen… Staring at the bushes though was not totally wonderful reserves fruitless, as we all heard a peculiar scream, for which of our county. Chris Gomershall a water rail was probably responsible. (RSPB-Images) Giuseppe Raffa A trip to Stodmarsh without seeing a marsh harrier would be unusual to say the least and, in fact, at the Sunday 10 March beginning of the footpath leading to the tower lake Cliffe Pools RSPB Reserve hide, a distant female was spotted by two members, Leader David Saunders who were quickly joined by the others. Walking by the lake allowed us to enjoy cormorant, great-black- Despite the cold and dull weather seven souls braved backed gull and nearly all the usual wintering ducks, the elements to enjoy a most exhilarating mornings with good numbers of teals and pochards in birding. It is always nice to see Alan and Terry make particular. The hide itself did not live up to our the effort all the way from Abbeywood, also the expectations, but at least we found shelter to have appropriately named Cliff along with stalwarts Sue, lunch. Steve and Warren. 10 Well protected, off we set just after nine. Shoveler Oystercatchers, tufted ducks, pochards and black- headed gulls were first onto the list, quickly followed by a sparrowhawk and a bullfinch. We trekked high up onto the pinnacle to get an overview and could see the spectacular numbers of birds we were to have closer encounters with a little later. Over towards Alpha Pool Canada and greylag geese fed on the grass.

A kestrel hung windward in the distance as we descended. Huge flocks of several thousand birds flew up from the high water roosts, mainly blackwits and lapwings with high counts of dunlins. A stock dove was also seen . Back at ground level we added, off the Radar Islands, Mediterranean gulls and avocets. On the water were shelducks, pintails, coots, moorhens and great-crested grebes, little grebes and little egrets. Overhead were various corvids etc. Andy Hay (RSPB-Images) On a side pool off Conoco we spied long-tailed tits and a goldcrest. Shortly after, a couple of huge flocks As we walked up the road the wet fields and small of dunlin flew directly overhead by about 10 metres, pools had shovelers in good numbers, plus pintails, giving us an audio as well as a visual display with teals and mallards, coots, lapwings, grey herons and their wing beats and whistling. On Flamingo Pool several little egrets. There were greylags including a were gadwalls, goldeneyes, teals and shovelers. couple with a lot of white in their plumage, probably the result of some farmyard liaison. We also saw the Over toward the Thames was a female marsh harrier. first of several marsh harriers. At the scrape we In spite of the weather skylarks with meadow pipits added common and herring gulls to the black-headed took to the air. Redshanks, grey plovers, turnstones gulls we had already seen, and pochards and wigeons and ringed plovers were at the top and beach end of to the wild fowl, plus reed buntings. Flamingo Pool. Gulls were all around as usual in addition to those mentioned lesser-black-backs and As high tide was still some way off we decided to herring gulls. visit the West Hide, and we picked up a few "garden birds" on the way, together with a meadow pipit. Blue tits, great tits and song thrushes flew around us. Most of the teals and wigeons immediately in front of Other species seen were mallards, cormorants, the hide flew off as soon as we arrived but we added dunnocks, blackbirds and robins. mute swans, little grebes, gadwalls, tufted ducks, shelducks and a single curlew. So all in all a brief, cold trip, but we managed to clock up 47 species in three hours and a good time On the way to the West Hide we saw kestrels and was had by all. Being Mothers' Day I wondered how moorhens and from the hide oystercatchers and a many of the female birds would end up being mothers single ruff. There were not the large numbers of next breeding season. Here's hoping for a good year ! waders seen earlier in the winter at the high tide roost, so perhaps they had already begun their David Saunders movement to the northern breeding grounds. Suddenly good numbers of ducks took off from the Thursday 14 March rough grass the far side of the scrape and landed in Oare Marshes KWT Reserve the flood. George quickly picked up the cause of Leader Marie Tilley their movement; it was a ring - tail hen harrier quartering the marsh. Obligingly, it turned and flew It was a lovely sunny, bright, but freezing, early across in front of us, its white rump clearly visible as spring/late winter morning. Maybe it was the cold it flew off towards the creek. that had put people off, for only two of our members turned up - yours truly, present as last minute By the time we reached the creek the incoming tide substitute emergency cover walk leader, and George. had covered a lot of the mud, but there was still Undeterred we embarked on a leisurely three hour enough room for redshanks, avocets, ringed plovers, circuit of the East flood in increasingly balmy dunlins and a single grey plover. There were three conditions. It was up to 5o by the time we finished. brent geese in the creek. 11 We carried on around the circuit, but as we walked We headed out and our first sightings were of a pair along the sea wall approaching the car park, we were of goosanders, lapwings, tufted ducks, black headed greeted by another bird watcher who asked "Did you gulls, pied wagtails, shelducks, cormorants and see the bittern?" We had to confess that we had not. around 25 Snipe! He explained he had been scanning the scrape from near the East Hide when the bittern flew up out of the Walking along the track we had good sightings of reed bed before landing nearer the sea wall. He had siskins, blue, great and long tailed tits and wren as seen the pair of us intently scanning with well as brief glimpses of a treecreeper and goldcrest. the bittern doing its stuff behind us. A good spot from Sue at the Tower Hide was a Bearded tit Mandarin duck which seemed to be pursuing a greylag goose.

It was, it has to be said, a very cold day and there were virtually no other people around, and most of the birds also seemed to have made off to warmer climes, as did we by heading back to the Visitor Centre for a warming cuppa, which we were permitted to drink inside.

The second half seemed even colder after the coffee, but we headed out trying once again for the elusive missing species. Steve spotted a little egret flying past and Sue and Warren spotted the little ringed plover. At the centre hide, we thought there was nothing out of the ordinary until when watching a moorhen on the centre island, a movement made Steve take another look, yes it was an eye and bill Andy Hay (RSPB-Images) sticking out from behind a tree. Moving round the We joined him in looking for it, but all to no avail. hide and training the telescopes, it was eventually But as we looked we heard the call of a bearded tit in made out to be an Egyptian goose, possibly even two! the reeds right next door to the car park. We got fleeting glimpses of not one but several birds moving We carried on aiming for the top field when just short amongst the reeds. Eventually we were rewarded by of the field a strange call was heard, was it a coot? one bird posing in clear view at the top of the reeds, The owner of the call was eventually located round where it was joined by another, then another, until we the bend by the field and it was a female ring-necked had five bearded tits in one binocular view. They parakeet, soon to be photographed by Warren. dropped down into the reeds to be joined by a sixth bird. After a few minutes all six rose up out of the We decided to head back before we froze to death reeds and flew past us "pinging" as they went. and took a route via the tiny Carter Hide in the hope of a kingfisher. We all crammed in and almost No real rarities, but all together the gang of two saw immediately, the kingfisher was spotted. We even or heard 43 species – the complete list is on the managed to see the red lower mandible which website. All in all, we had a very pleasant walk, identified it as a female. with enough birds, the hen harrier and the bearded tits in particular, to make it a most enjoyable visit, missed Elf cup fungus bittern not withstanding.

Warren Mann

Sunday 24 March Sevenoaks Wildfowl KWT Reserve Leader Karen Snow

Having managed to arrive at a very cold Sevenoaks Nature Reserve on time after my night out, I found just four others waiting for me, so thanks to Sue, Steve, Warren and Elizabeth for keeping me company. Warren Mann 12 Also of note, not far from the Carter Hide, was a very Further up the lane we were re-united with Marie and strange fungus possibly called Jews Ear, red and Alan and saw a yellowhammer, common buzzard, weird looking, again photographed by Warren. sparrowhawk and kestrel before climbing up the grassed meadow, where we had skylarks, towards the Just before getting back to the car park, we stopped part of the park which has been planted with off to take a final look for the little-ringed plover and thousands of trees and shrubs. Here eagle-eyed there is was right in front of us, good views were had Joseph (Robin and Elaine's young nephew) spotted by all, it was now definitely time to head home to three linnets in a silver birch and we heard the male warm up. singing to the two females. Joseph has the makings of a good birder and his enthusiasm knows no Karen Snow bounds. It's a shame that we can't attract more youngsters like him to the Group. Wednesday 10 April White Horse Wood Country Park, Detling We left two and a half hours after we had arrived, Leaders Sue Carter/Steve Goodrich determined to return and having seen 23 species. Spring has finally sprung! This relatively new country park has now grown up a little, so I deemed it worthy of a first visit from the Sue Carter Group. After weeks of sub-zero temperatures, high winds and general gloom I was somewhat Sunday 21 April apprehensive, but was pleasantly surprised to find Hanningfield Resservoir, Essex twelve participants had decided to join me as the sun Leaders Sue Carter/Steve Goodrich attempted to break through the mist. Our first visit to this Essex Wildlife Trust reserve no Greenfinch further from home than a trip to Dungeness! We were blessed with a warm, still and sunny day to see the reserve at its best and whilst the 16 participants assembled in the tree-lined car park we were treated to an array of birdsong from goldcrests, chiffchaffs, robins and blackcaps. A sparrowhawk was also seen, intent on catching one of the songsters.

We received a warm welcome in the visitor centre, with its well-stocked shop and cafeteria overlooking the bird feeders. Then we set off on the trail to the Fishing Lodge, via the various paths through the woods. From the first two hides we saw a displaying Nigel Blake (RSPB-Images) marsh harrier which disappeared into the reeds on the We set off down the lane towards Thurnham Castle far bank of the reservoir, plus several common seeing a couple of red-legged partridges, buzzards being harassed by corvids. Someone greenfinches, blue tits and chaffinches and hearing a spotted three swallows wending their welcome way green woodpecker and a mistle thrush. Some Soay over the water and the array of ducks included tufted, sheep came to welcome us as we looked around the mallards and teals. castle ruins and then it was time to put on my health and safety hat to explain that we needed to negotiate a Mallard cross steep escarpment to reach the North Downs Way beneath.

Marie and Alan decided to take the safer route down the lane and meet the rest of us at the bottom. On the way down the stepped slope we heard a goldcrest singing from an ancient yew tree, but it became obvious that the migrant warblers we hoped to see were not yet in and even the plants had been set back by the cold weather.

Before meeting up with the others we were delighted to see three house martins heading west above us and Richard Hanman there was a chorus of “that's made my day”. 13 At the third hide we saw six male and female red- Thursday 2 May crested pochards, six drake and duck goldeneyes, six Smokes Wood, Hucking Estate, Hollingbourne common terns plus wigeons and gadwalls. Further Leaders Sue Carter & Steve Goodrich round the lake we watched displaying great-crested grebes plus a couple of very vocal little grebes and a Nine members were present on a sunny morning but common pochard. In the trees were numerous with a biting north-easterly wind. We met in the blackcaps, chaffinches, chiffchaffs, blue and great tits Hook and Hatchet car park but drove in convoy the and a great-spotted woodpecker. half mile or so to the newly improved and enlarged Woodland Trust car park on the top of the North We had our lunch in the grounds of the Fishing Downs. From here we could see right across the Lodge before retracing our steps back to the visitor estuary to the Isle of Grain and Southend beyond. centre. We saw 44 bird species plus peacock and comma butterflies. The general consensus was that We admired the ancient beech trees around the car we would all like to return to this little gem in deepest park and Trevor mentioned that he had seen little Essex. owls roosting in them and that undoubtedly tawny owls were also in the locality. We crossed the Sue Carter & Steve Goodrich grassed area with the young plantations and hawthorn scrub and here we saw a splendid male Saturday 27 April yellowhammer and some meadow pipits. Ashdown Forest Hawthorn Leader Glen Peacock

Ashdown Forest was not the warmest place on the planet as 12 hardy souls pitched up for a walk on the 'wild side' in search of avians. As it turned out, hearing birdsong was a wow and viewing one was a shout for joy. Nothing singing, nothing flying, more like early March than late April - be brave and press on regardless.

One of the first to give us some cheer was a willow warbler. It sat on a branch in full view and was acting strangely by flapping then stretching its wings as if trying to draw a predator away from a nest. No Andy Hay (RSPB-Images) adders on the prowl on such a cold day I doubt, so the mystery remains. Into the woods with bluebells, wood anemones, celandines, ladies smocks and flowering wild cherry Redstarts were plentiful and our local Ashdown in abundance. A Kent woodland in spring is a Forest Expert, Michael Scott Ham was on their case magical place, but this year the cold weather had set early on, directing our eyes to where he had heard back the leaves and the cold wind was still keeping their call. Also showing well were tree pipits and the temperature down and subduing the bird song. redpolls, which was a first for two of our party, Sue However, we were fortunate to find several species and Grahame. by sound and these included nuthatches, chiffchaffs, nightingales, green woodpeckers, blackcaps and A cuckoo sighting was an event and we wondered common whitethroats. We also witnessed a pair of what he was doing for meals as the climate was not blue tits mating on a branch. reasonable for furry caterpillar stew. Ravens were busy at their nest site, the anticipated woodlark were We saw or heard twenty-four species in total and only a 'possible' or 'may-be'. those not mentioned above included robins, willow warblers, blackbirds, song thrushes, wren, The big excitement came when Giuseppe got back to chaffinches, dunnocks, black-headed and herring his car and found a willow warbler perched there gulls, jays, magpies, kestrels, wood pigeons and great awaiting his return. His pleasure warmed the day for tits. us. A nice morning spent with good company, some of Despite the inclement weather we notched up 30 bird whom rounded off the trip with a visit to Hook & species and some head colds!!!!! Hatchet!

Glen Peacock Sue Carter & Steve Goodrich 14 Sunday 19 May Skylark gave good voice and nearby sightings which Rye Harbour/Camber Castle rounded off a productive days birding - had we seen Leader Glen Peacock no birds at all, the walk on a fine day is brilliant, but we turned up 63 different varieties which is a goodly Glory be! What is happening to the world, starting a number and we could return home happy. Rye Harbour walk on a fine day and more importantly ending it without a soaking...... great. Glen Peacock However only seven people were persuaded to walk. Wednesday 22 May The Reserve is pretty large, and in previous trips we Northward Hill Evening Walk have kept to a more regular route. This time the Leader Warren Mann adventure feature kicked in and having started at the usual place at Rye Harbour Village car park, we A dull day had suddenly changed into one with blue struck off down the approach road then out skies and sunshine and maybe that is what attracted a across virgin country to Camber Castle. A new route dozen of us to this evening walk in late spring. for all except the leader. Although it was hard work Unfortunately as the skies cleared the temperature finding different species in the first part of the had dropped and the wind picked up, so although the walk, we did get super views of mistle thrushes, evening may have looked the part it did not feel at all whitethroat and cuckoo. A black swan caught some spring like. There were a lot of people around the car off guard, newly arrived from Western Australia I park at Bromhey Farm, and it became clear that don't think.!!!!! another party were also visiting the reserve when Trevor was asked if he was with Istead Rise Women's Having walked as far as Winchelsea Beach with little Institute. I thought this a silly question as it should to get too excited about, we needed some good birds have been obvious to anyone that Trevor was not on view on the homeward leg across the gravel pits from Istead Rise. and marshlands and we were not disappointed. A sedge warbler was really showing how to draw an Around the car park we saw a goldfinch and the first audience and enabled Richard Hanman to get some few of a number of swifts, plus the inevitable wood great photographs. The hirundines were thankfully pigeon. As we made our way to the viewpoint there back in evidence, but not in any great numbers. were no birds to be seen on the feeders or in the bushes, but eventually we saw a distant kestrel (our Sedge warbler only raptor) and a black-headed gull.

The RSPB have done a great deal of work on the reserve over the winter, with heavy plant used to extend the existing scrape in front of the Marsh Viewpoint and to create several new ones. The large numbers of wintering wild fowl and waders were long gone, however, and at first glance there did not seem much around.

But we persevered and eventually tallied oystercatchers, lapwings, mallards, pochards, tufted ducks, gadwalls, shelducks, greylags, Canada geese, mute swans, coots, great crested grebes and several Mike Langman (RSPB-Images) flighty grey herons, plus the usual corvids. We heard (and later saw) a green woodpecker, but despite There was a total lack of raptors. I had a similar hearing the first of several cuckoos, we never actually result when I did the walk two weeks previously. saw one. Where are they? Trevor had arrived at the reserve two hours earlier Our arrival at the gravel pit hides was greeted by a than the rest of us and had spent the time looking for cacophony of screeching gulls and terns. All either the cattle egret seen from the viewpoint earlier in the nesting or wishing they were nesting, but giving good week. He had some frustrating glimpses as the bird entertainment to the punters. Sandwich, little and spent most of its time rooting around in the ditches common terns were much in evidence but the 'aint rather than doing what it was supposed to do - they sweet' factor went to the very new chicks of the following the grazing cattle. We spent a lot of time black-headed gulls, which were nesting close to the checking out each white blob. Egrets? - we had a hide. few, but they all turned out to be little ones. 15 We decided to move on, and as we made our way Clearly in the past the Group was able to make major around we heard wrens and blackcaps, and saw sales both at the HVSC and at other events. swallows and in one of the new scrapes there were a few avocets and a redshanks in addition to the gulls Year HVSC Total Sales and shelducks. We eventually made it to the top of Northward Hill and were rewarded by a great view of 1985 £1470 £2323 the marshes in the late evening sunshine. We also had 1986 £1410 £5580 a good, but distant, aerial view of a really large new 1987 £1555 £4857 scrape, but at the moment it is not possible to get a 1988 £1290 £5416 closer view. On the return walk to the car park the 1989 £2332 £10,196 * scrub was still largely silent, although we did briefly 1990 £1602 £9012 hear pheasants, chiffchaffs, song thrushes and robins. 1991 £2124 £6618 A further scan for the cattle egrets was to no avail. 1992 £1111 £5639 1993 £1089 £4413 In all we saw 30 species and heard seven more. It was 1995 £1162 £3194 a pleasant enough walk, but it was disappointing that 1996 £477 £2885 the unseasonable weather had resulted in us not seeing * RSPB Centenary year or hearing such common birds as whitethroats, let alone the hoped for turtle doves and nightingales. It is worth noting the highest total sales, which were achieved in 1989, exceeded £10,000 and include, for Well, there is always next time. example, £1054 for takings at the Kent Show. In addition at the HVSC event in 1995 bird food sales Warren Mann were £231. So total Group sales were much higher in the past than now and much of this is due to the PUBLIC EVENTS considerable efforts of Carole and John Nixon. I would guess that over the years HVSC sales were Christmas Sales Stall Hempstead Valley Shopping occasionally above £2000 but were usually about Centre 1979 - 2013 £1500. However, judging from other payments recorded, we would have to add bird food sales of Whilst reviewing this event in the run up to our 35th £150 to £300, and note that the event at the HVSC year in 2013, and thinking about the apparent might be only for four days and not a whole week as continued decline in our takings and in the number of now. volunteers available to help, I decided to find out what actually had happened in the past as regards our So looking at the recent data it would seem our taking takings. I asked Warren to scan the archives and this at HVSC have been in slow decline since the mid- is what we have come up with. 2000s and to some degree this matches the reduction in our stall size (hence less variety and quantity of Recent history shows a decline, perhaps linked to the sales goods), the increase in the availability of RSPB economic downturn and changes in shopping habits: goods to the general public throughout the year from garden centres etc., and latterly the declining Year HVSC economic situation and the ordering of goods on line. Des Felix 2012 £1258 2011 £1438 2010 £1822 2009 £2026 2008 £2053 2007 £1451 2006 £2670 2005 £2792 2004 £2788

But how does this compare with the good old days, before our accounts were recorded on a spreadsheet? We have handwritten accounts books which summarise the takings for the years 1979-80 to 2003-4. Here are the numbers that we can identify for the HVSC sales, together with the total sales for that From left: - Janet Adkin, Heather & John Pollard helping year. on the Chistmas Sales Stall in 2012. 16 In fact our takings over the last three years do not Hi Des disgrace themselves when looked at over the past Thank you very much for your email. It is always nice years for which data are available. We obtain our to know that the RSPB events at the Riverside stock from the shop at the RSPB Reserve at Country Park are fruitful - it does not happen every Dungeness, who supply us on a sale-or-return basis day to recruit 15 members. and they were pleased with our results in 2012. For the record the Group’s 34th year of running this annual Giuseppe event was Warren and Elizabeth’s 5th year, Carol and my 8th year and Rob and Marie's 10th year as Hi Des organisers. As we are about to start the run up to our All went well today - I was there for the whole time 35th year in 2013 I must emphasize we do need more with David James and we were joined by Edward for volunteers to help with the manning of the event, and the morning session. in setting it up. Hopefully with an economic up-turn in the next year or so and with enough volunteers to Beautiful sunny day albeit a bit chilly!! - four run the stall we will be able to continue to supply memberships signed up...... Danny much needed funds to the RSPB. PS - Had a very well behaved shellduck which kept Looking at the above sales figures and talking to the children excited!! Carole Nixon about the pre-1985 days when the Group sold goods directly for Sandy which did not go Edited by through the Group’s accounts, we can roughly Des Felix estimate that the Group has sold over £60,000 worth of RSPB sales goods, plus bird food and badges over Friday 3 to Sunday 5 May the last 34 years at the Group’s Christmas Sales Stall Bargain Birding Trip (Overnight Stays) at Hempstead Valley Shopping Centre and all the Gibralter Point, Lincolnshire proceeds have gone to help the RSPB with its work. Long may it continue! For the lucky few who had been to Gibraltar Point Wash Study Centre before it must have been a keenly Des Felix anticipated return. To those of us that had never been With thanks to Warren Mann for all his help before, it was to be a pleasant surprise. 20.06.13 Gibraltar Point National Nature Reserve covers over Saturday 16 February to Sunday 24 February 1000 acres along three miles of the coast from the DwN Riverside Country Park tackiness of the quintessential seaside resort of NKMRs Skegness-on-Sea to the charismatically named area known as The Wash. Habitats include sandy and Hi Des and Carol muddy seashore, sand dunes, salt marsh and Many thanks for your volunteers offer to help us at freshwater marsh with ponds and lagoons. The Riverside, much appreciated and we are now more or reserve is internationally recognised for its important less covered for the week. Can’t remember if I habitats and species. The centre is run by the mentioned it but there will be two telescopes at our Lincolnshire Wildlife Trust. pitch for adults and children. Let’s hope we get some half decent weather and a good footfall of visitors over We drove up separately some leaving as early as the half term. 4.00am on the Friday morning and others less fortunate, who worked as late as 2.00 pm arrived David James much later. An horrendous accident on the A16 just north of Spalding made at least two couples very late Hi Des and Carol arriving at the centre. Many thanks for organising the volunteer help, we couldn’t run an event successfully without your The dinner on the first evening was a superb mouth- volunteer’s co-operation, so please pass on our watering buffet salad with homemade quiche followed appreciation and thanks, especially in view of the by a local Bramley apple crumble with custard. Food freezing conditions that reduced the visitor numbers at featured a lot over the stay and was a really enjoyable the site. part of the experience.

Despite the weather, we still recruited 15 members That first evening was bliss as darkness descended, and had over 50 engagements with the public. leaving the marsh birds to provide a soundtrack unspoilt by any trains, planes or automobiles. Most of David James the group saw a barn owl patrolling the creek. 17 Richard Hanman

As the sun set the only man-made noises were the At the beach car park we turned left along Mill Pond halyards slapping on the masts of nearby yachts on the Road to the hide overlooking The Mere where we saw creek. many fine waders and ducks. Back on the main track we continued on, surveying the shrubbery as we went, Up next morning (some a little earlier than others) and finding sedge and reed warblers. Calling in at Eric’s to a hearty breakfast and a briefing by our guide for Pond and Oval Pond we looked for frogs and toads the morning, Stuart the retired XO of the Trust and etc. Sadly none were to be found, but the skylarks knowledgeable as one would expect. He took about overhead made up for that. 30 minutes to inform us about the history of the area and what we could expect to see on the salt and After a lovely meal, we all ventured out eager to lose freshwater marsh habitat. On the perimeter wall of the no time in this magical part of the country centre a wheatear showed well with goldfinches feeding off the dandelions. A grasshopper warbler had been heard reeling, by the lucky few, in scrub by the Fenland Lagoon, then later So about 10-ish we set off, dressed really for all that evening again in the East Dunes. Out at sea a weathers as we were a little unsure as to how the day hundred and ten seals of all shapes and sizes and both was going to pan out. We didn’t all have Stuart’s species hauled out in the evening sun on a couple of confidence to be sporting shorts! spits. On the marsh below a short-eared owl and a barn owl quartered the same patch getting ever closer Out of the study centre and over The Hump as it’s as they went up and down. Eventually they met, the known and into The Plantation, a bird sanctuary area shortie won, baring its talons as they passed each where a flock of Black Island sheep stared at us wide- other. That was enough for the barnie, off it flew eyed as we trooped past, I imagined how they decided landing in a dead tree, giving great views in the setting who was the black sheep of their family and the sun. endless arguments. Here we saw jackdaws, swallows and house martins and so onto Jackson’s Marsh and If you get a chance to visit this spot, go. If we are Tennyson’s Sands, until recently farmland, where a fortunate enough for Richard HANMAN to book this series of lagoons have been created as water bird again through his Bargain Bird Club book early now habitat. word has got out!

A common buzzard rode the thermals overhead and so David Saunders to the West Dunes where we watched and listened to the scritchy-scratchy song of the whitethroats as they SOUTHERN FRANCE IN WINTER flew up and down displaying. Here we saw many examples of the viciously-thorned sea buckthorn, this The British winter had seemed endless so we decided dune bush offers protection to breeding birds and to join Shetland Wildlife on a week's break to warmer orange berries for thrushes and starlings in the winter. climes. 18 We left Gatwick in a snow storm and after a short An “extra” to the itinerary was a visit to Pont du Gard flight arrived at Marseilles, where our tour guides to see the Roman aquaduct which was built in 60 AD collected the two people carriers to ferry us to our base and an ancient olive tree which was planted in 901 an hours drive away. AD. Whilst there we saw the rock sparrows which roost on the edifice, firecrest, blackcap, redwings and Our hotel was a lovely rustic “mas” or farmhouse, common sandpiper plus a sparrowhawk hunting crag surrounded by gardens and fields a few miles outside martins. Arles. It was warm and comfortable, with friendly English speaking hosts and superb French cuisine. Each day we received packed lunches including The week was dry and sunny but for the first two days baguette of our choice, but we also stopped off at the chilly mistral wind was blowing from the north “Cher's” transport cafe (where we had serin and both down the Rhone valley, but undaunted we set off each lesser and great-spotted woodpeckers in the car park) morning, after our buffet-style breakfast, for a day's and Sainte Marie de le Mer (the capital of the birding. Camargue) for hot drinks.

The first birds we saw were white storks, cattle and At Mas Chaevet we had lunch by a smelly pile of great-white egrets and red kites. At Vergieres in La manure, with pilots from the French Air Force Crau, a stony, arid area with lichens and stunted practising take-offs above our heads, but we did see a bushes reminiscent of Dungeness, we saw little male hen harrier, little owl, merlin and four calandra bustards, stone curlews, crested larks, Southern grey larks here, plus a clouded yellow butterfly by way of shrikes, black redstarts and both Dartford and compensation! Sardinian warblers. In the afternoon we headed to the citadel of Les Baux de Provence with its amazing On the final day we had superb views of a long-eared honeycombed limestone cliffs. Here we caught up owl which was sunning itself in a roadside bush and with blue rock thrush, wallcreeper, crag martins and gave amazing photographic opportunities. We also alpine accentors – giant dunnocks which allow close caught up with penduline and bearded tits, plus an approach. exceptionally early whiskered tern. At Scamandre reserve we had fleeting views of a moustached warbler Great-white egret which was singing away, then we drove to Consecaniere where we saw a flock of five hundred red-crested pochards and common buzzards circling with a pale-phased booted eagle, before la crème de la crème, a magnificent great-spotted eagle appeared over the marsh.

In the evening we set off for the Hotel Olive at Les Baux and our quest for the mighty eagle owl which breeds there. Precisely at 6.30 pm it dropped down from the cliff-face onto a boulder, giving excellent views, before flying to a higher rock from which it surveyed its domain. We left it in peace with a sense Steve Round (RSPB-Images) of great satisfaction.

On the second day we set off for Le Parc Naturel Memories of Provence and the Camargue will be the Regional de Camargue at Pont de Gau, seeing a flock chilly mistral, sunshine, black bulls and white horses, of sixty common cranes in flight on the way. Here we vineyards, reed windbreaks and avenues of plantain had massed ranks of greater flamingos overhead, plus trees, plus the variety of habitat – mountains, stony a rarer lesser flamingo, black-necked grebes, Cetti's plains, pine forests and marshes. The bird list total for warblers, kingfisher and coypu. At Mas D'Agon we the week was one hundred and thirty-one and we had spotted a short-eared owl and at least one hundred nineteen life ticks between us. The only birds which glossy ibises in flight - a truly amazing spectacle, we hoped to see but didn't, were pin-tailed sandgrouse, which was capped off with the discovery of a slender- black woodpecker, night heron and the long-staying billed gull at nearby La Capilliere. visitor from across the Pond, the pied-billed grebe on L'Etang des Aulnes. The highlight of the tour was a visit to the snow- capped Mont Ventoux with its beech, juniper and pine We met some lovely people and had a wonderful trees. Here in bright sunshine we saw crested tits, holiday.. short-toed treecreepers, raven, alpine choughs and the delightful European endemic, citril finch. Sue Carter and Steve Goodrich 19 A VISIT TO NORTHWARD HILL 11 It was a male peacock still in summer colours, deep NOVEMBER 2012 red wings with four large peacock-like ‘eyes’ acting as defensive markings. On the way to Northward Hill near the village of High Peacock butterfly Halstow a kestrel hung in the beautiful autumnal blue sky scanning the verges for a tasty meal.

A mile or so on at the RSPBs woodland car park a familiar tinkling from on high in an ash tree came from a dozen or so goldfinches as they fed. Already a green woodpecker could be heard yaffling in the distance, then, almost at the same time came the chip- chipping of a great-spotted woodpecker, and so into the wood proper.

Wood pigeons clattered out of the hawthorns making me look skywards to the source of their alarm, a David sparrowhawk drifted on the breeze overhead, I wasn’t Saunders sure if that was the reason for their fears, but more of that later. A dragonfly alighted on a nearby tree For me that was a highlight but I didn’t know that in a giving me an excellent chance to get in a quick photo couple of moments it would be surpassed. My and identify it as a common darter. attention was caught as a large brown raggedy bird flew up from the base of a nearby tree, obviously Corvids were everywhere, carrion crows, magpies, disturbed by my presence. At the scene was an rooks and jackdaws making their ‘kyak’ call over me. almost eaten wood pigeon and the diner was a Then I saw a buzzard wheeling as it turned in small buzzard! I imagine the moulting raptor had actually circles taking advantage of the scant thermals of the predated the pigeon as opposed to finding it as cooler climes. Robins, chaffinches, blackbirds, carrion. No wonder the pigeons were on tenter- dunnocks and the commoner tits flitted through the hooks ! undergrowth. Always a delight were long-tailed tits si-si-ing from bough to bough foraging for tiny David Saunders insects to fatten up for harsher times ahead.

At the panorama of Northward Hill with the EDITORS NOTES incredible views of Egypt Bay, Essex and the outskirts of the capital I spied a marsh harrier Please let us have your articles ASAP or at the latest quartering a distant hedgerow. A merlin sat statuesque by 18 October 2013 for the winter amongst the reeds close to the WWII communications edition. station as 50 black-tailed godwits spun over the flood, probably in response to the female harrier. I spoke to Editors two couples walking through, about the madness of an airport within a hundred miles of this world class- Editors: Des and Carol Felix, site and they were in total agreement. at 72 Marshall Road, Rainham, Kent. ME8 0AW

or [email protected] A jay flew into a nearby tree catching my attention and a dark-coloured butterfly fluttered round an oak, The RSPB Medway Local Group Website : settling onto a dead log, allowing me time to get a www.medway-rspb.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk good image. Any Advertisements enclosed with this newsletter are not specifically endorsed by The RSPB or The RSPB Medway Local Group.

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