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ISSUE NO. 125 | WINTER 2014/SPRING 2015 | £5.00 ESSEXBIRDING • Swifts • Cornwall • Jordan • BTO Nest Record Scheme • Collins App review • RSPB Pulborough Brooks & Rainham Marshes www.ebws.org.uk Registered Charity Number 1142734 EDITORIAL LESLEY COLLINS And so another year over and, for us at least, plenty of to Two-Tree Island reserve in September and for a new birds have been seen this year. Steve and I had a non-coach trip it was well attended. Mark Bridges took few days sea watching in Cornwall in September. It us on a tour of the reserve that he is a warden for, and was fantastic to see such huge quantities of birds flying was very informative about the history of the site. I past in the glorious sunshine one day, although sitting didn’t even know the reserve was there but will on a cliff in the pouring rain the next day did somewhat certainly be going back again. Mark has written an damped my enthusiasm to repeat the experience. I update of the Avocet breeding story that featured in have decided I must be a fair weather birder! Please Essex Birding issue 123. let me know of your experiences birding, the good and Following the BOP conference in March it is good to the not so good, days. see that Kestrels have been making use of the nest boxes We have been extremely lucky in having Paul Griggs, already up and that other boxes have been distributed, from the Southend Ornithological Group, to help us to so hopefully even more will do so next year. We also have get the website up and running again. It was good to see a follow up of the Turtle Dove conference and the work Paul attend our indoor meeting in October and I would in hand getting sites sown with the seed we purchased. like to thank him again from us all. I am glad to say that Help is still needed with this work on 8th March so please we can now update the news and forthcoming trips and speak to Gerry if you have some time to spare. indoor meetings. There are more sightings and photos And to satisfy those of us that like to read about being posted which is great news all round, and I have other’s birding trips, Marilyn and Mark Bridges have sent plenty to chose from for the ‘photo of the month’! So in a write up of their ‘pager’ trip to Cornwall and John please do visit the website, put on your Essex sightings, & Louise Sykes have written about their trip to Jordan. check out what is happening and what has been seen Everyone has interesting stories and you are great www.ebws.org.uk storehouses of birding experiences with many personal And so to this issue. We are planning to tie in some anecdotes and recollections. Past memories of specific of the articles with future trips and talks, so with that species sightings; trips, local or elsewhere will be of great in mind I hope that you enjoy reading about the BTO interest and enjoyment to our readers, why not share yours? nest recording scheme and that you will then join us Please let me know if you would like to submit something when Carl himself comes to talk more about this for a future issue of Essex Birding, or if you have suggestions subject at the indoor meeting on Friday 6th February. for articles, we are always on the lookout for new ideas. We also have an interesting write up of the RSPB Lastly, you will have found a merchandise form Pulborough Brooks reserve which we will be visiting enclosed with this issue. We have sourced a supplier on 15th March, if you would like to join us then please that will embroider our logo onto clothing as required. let Gerry know to reserve your place on the coach. This is so much better than having to bulk buy up front John Smart has written a great article and poem about and being left with sizes and colours that no-one wants, Swifts and Richard Allen, just one of our wonderful also a percentage of the money from every item you artists, has again produced a superb piece of artwork for purchase goes to the Society. Steve has offered to this front cover. If you would be interested in submitting collect any orders once a month and we can bring we some art work, or photographs, for future issues then can bring them with us to the indoor meetings/field trips, please contact me at [email protected] alternatively you can arrange to have them delivered to EBwS’s first field trip of the season was a lovely visit your door direct by contacting the supplier. Gannets by Steve Grimwade 2 WINTER 2014/SPRING 2015 Editorial A ‘little’ time for Essex Lesley Collins..............................................2 Conservation Chairman’s Watchpoint Gerry Johnson ..........................................29 Gerry Johnson ............................................5 Meetings Programme: News & Information............................6 Winter/Spring 2015..........................30 A Year at Pulborough Brooks Recent Indoor Meetings Anna Allum ................................................7 Gerry Johnson ..........................................31 EBwS Archivist Update ......................9 Recent Outdoor Meetings Jordan – Petra and Wildlife Gerry Johnson ..........................................34 John & Louise Sykes................................10 Recent Reports & Bird News ......38 Friedrich Herman Otto Finsch ......12 Abberton Reservoir Bellamy at Brightlingsea Weekend David Wimpress ......................................38 Gerry Johnson ..........................................13 Foulness Review of the Collins Bird Guide App Dr. Chris Lewis ........................................41 Steve Grimwade ......................................15 Hanningfield Reservoir Where the Pager Takes Us David Acfield ............................................42 Mark Bridges ............................................16 Langdon Hills & Thameside RSPB Rainham Marshes Nature Park Howard Vaughan......................................19 Andrew Cox ..............................................44 An Update on Two Tree Mersea Island Island’s Avocets Steve Entwistle ........................................46 Mark Bridges ............................................22 Metropolitan Area Kestrel Nest box presented to Howard Vaughan......................................48 Southend School for Girls North-East Essex Louise and John Sykes ............................22 Dr. Simon Cox ..........................................49 BTO Nest Record Scheme Organiser Rainham Marshes RSPB Reserve Carl Barimore ..........................................23 Howard Vaughan......................................52 CONTENTS Radar Angels – The Swift Southend Area John Smart................................................26 Paul Baker ................................................53 Wethersfield Turtle Dove Wat Tyler Reserve and Vange Gerry Johnson ..........................................28 Marshes Bird Counts at Abberton Andrew Cox ..............................................57 J Thorogood..............................................29 Please note that opinions expressed in this publication do not necessarily reflect those of the Society, Trustees, Officers or Executive Committee. Printer Healeys Print Group, Unit 10, The Sterling Complex, Farthing Road, Ipswich, Suffolk IP1 5AP Tel: (01473) 461122 Fax: (01473) 464154 email: [email protected] www.healeys-printers.co.uk Publisher The Essex Birdwatching Society Front Cover illustration: Black-headed Gull by Sam Shippey Society logo: Barge and Brent skien by Richard Hull Editor details: Steve & Lesley Collins, 37 Springham Drive, Colchester, CO4 5FN Tel: 07733 003048 (after 7pm) Email: [email protected] or [email protected] 3 ESSEX BIRDWATCHING SOCIETY Annual General Meeting Friday, 6th March 2015 in the Hall at the Quaker Meeting House, Rainsford Road, Chelmsford Commencing at 19:30 AGENDA 1. Apologies for absence. 2. Minutes of Annual General Meeting held on the 7th March 2014 to be ‘read’, agreed and signed (Proposed: !!!!!.!!!!. 2nd !!!!!!..!!!) (In favour !!......Against !!....! Abstain !!....!) 3. Matters arising from the 2014 Annual General Meeting minutes 4. Report of the Executive Committee for 2014, presented by Chairman 5. Presentation for approval of the audited accounts for the year ending 31st December 2014, presented by Treasurer (Proposed: !!!!!!!!!!2nd !!!!!!......!!) (In favour!.!...... Against..!...!.. Abstain !.....!.) 6. Election of President for 2015 – 2016: Nomination: Margaret Mitchell (Proposed: !!!!!!!..!..!2nd !!!!!!!...!!) (In favour!....!... Against..!!.... Abstain !.....!.) 7. Election of Hon. Auditor for 2015 – 2016: Nomination: Connah Goldsworthy (Proposed: !!!!!!!!!! 2nd !!!!!!!!!...) (In favour .!....!. Against !!..... Abstain !.....!) 8. Election of Hon. Solicitor for 2015 – 2016: Nomination: Andrew Bryce & Co (Proposed: !!!!!!!..!!.. 2nd !!!!!!..!!.....) (In favour .!....... Against !!..... Abstain !.....!) 9. Election of Officers for 2015 – 2016 - Nominations: Hon. Chairman G. Johnson Hon. Vice-Chairman S. Collins Hon. Treasurer A. Harbott Hon. Secretary Mrs L. & J. Sykes Membership Secretary P. Dwyer Assistant Secretary (Gift Aid) J. Thorogood Assistant Secretary (Minutes) Position Vacant Indoor Meetings Organiser Position Vacant Outdoor Meetings Organiser G. Johnson Sales Goods Organiser P. Dwyer Editor “Essex Birding” Mrs L. & S. Collins Editor “Essex Bird Report” G. Smith Senior Recorder L. Steward Recorder(s) T. Jeffreys and M. Tracey Recording Team Co-ordinator Position Vacant Social Media Co-ordinator S. Collins (Facebook) T. Jeffreys (Twitter) Archivist T. Jeffreys Outdoor Events Organiser Position