Herefordshire Ornithological Club .-___-- -~I~. ---_ .. '- Hoopoe atSt. Margarets A R ORT 1996 Vol. 5 No. 6 £5.00 HEREFORDSHIRE ORNITHOLOGICAL CLUB Founded 1950 ANNUAL REPORT 1996 Volume 5 No. 6 Edited by I.B. (Ifor) Evans CONTENTS Officers and Committee 310 Editor's Report 311 Bird Calendar - Paul Downes 316 The Yellowhammer - Ifor Evans 319 Athene Bird Sanctuary - Beryl Bayliss 331 Rarities Sub-Committee - Keith Mason 332 Darvic Rings - Chris Wells 333 Herefordshire Nature Trust Nestbox Scheme - Cyril Sheldrake 334 Llancillo Ringing Group Report No. 13 - Dr. Graham Geen 335 Ridgeway Wood Nestbox Scheme 1995 & 1996 - Dr. Peter Holmes 337 Systematic List 341 County Birdwatching Sites 379 Wild Birds and the Law - Jeremy Russell 382 BTO Garden BirdWatch 386 County Rarities 1977 - 1996 - Paul Downes 389 Escapes and "Snippets" 395 List of Contributors 397 Report Exchanges 398 Affiliated Associations 398 H.O.C. Income and Expenditure Account 399 "All maps based upon the Ordnance Survey Map with the permission of The Controller of Her Majesty's Stationery Office. © Crown copyright. C4/85-88" Published: May 1997 by The Herefordshire Ornithological Club Price - £5.00 Illustrated by G.R. Parker © H.O.C. 1997 HEREFORDSHIRE ORNITHOLOGICAL CLUB Vol. 5 No. 6 OFFICERS AND COMMITTEE 1996 Acting President J. Vickerman Vice President I.T. Stone Chairman J.R. Pullen Hon. Secretary C. Wells 42 Queens Wood Drive, Hampton Dene, Hereford, HR1 1AT Tel: 01432 358345 Hon. ']}easurer & Membership R.E. Mellish 6 Acacia Close, Putson Hereford, HR2 6BP Tel: 01432 359924 Hon. Recorder & Field Secretary K.A. Mason (B.T.O. Representative January - July) Treetops, The Leeway, 14c Tillington Road, Hereford, HR4 9QJ Tel: 01432 273167 Hon. Bulletin Editor P. Gardner Holly Bank, Dilwyn, Herefordshire, HR4 8JG Tel: 01544 388216 Hon. Editor I.B. Evans (R.B.PB. Representative) Tel: 01432 265509 Committee G.S. Bilbao C.E. Lankester (Press Officer) S.P. Coney (YO.C. Leader G.R. Parker (co-opted! and B.T.O. Rep. from August! J .R. Russell S.G. Dodd K.P. Tillett P.J. Eldridge 310 EDITOR'S REPORT 1996 his is the 46th. Annual Bird Report to be published by the T Herefordshire Ornithological Club. The first Annual Report was published in 1951 with a systematic list of 73 species including breeding Wood Lark and Red-backed Shrike, the records were submitted by 21 contributors from a total of 93 members. We are still lacking records, particularly breeding records, for many species including Kestrel, Stock Dove, Tree Pipit, Marsh Tit and Willow Tit. Your records may seem insignificant to you but your sightings will add to the data collected and help to build up as complete a picture as possible of the status and trends of Herefordshire birds. During 1996 a total of 163 species, 4 sub-species and 8 ferals or escapees were satisfactorily identified by 101 contributors from a total of 350 members. All records of rarities that appear in the Systematic List were submitted to and have been accepted by the H.O.C.'s Rarities Committee. There were 2 new additions to the County List, the Ring­ billed Gull found by Gerry and Maureen Bilbao on the Lower Lugg Meadows on 30th. March and the Rock Pipit found by Paul Downes at Wellington Gravel Pit on 13th. Oct. There were no national rarities but the year was exceptional with a number ofuncommon species recorded including Red-throated Diver, Black-throated Diver, Little Egret, Common Scoter, Red Knot, Little Stint, Black-tailed Godwit, Wood Sandpiper and probably the most memorable the European Bee-eater seen by Frankie Bradley on 21st. May. During July the first record of breeding Oystercatchers in Herefordshire was confirmed on the River Wye in the west of the County. Acknowledgement is due to the Recorder and Editorial Committee for their efforts in gathering the information and preparing the Systematic List which was compiled by: Paul Downes Little Grebe to Ruddy Duck Chris Wells Red Kite to Peregrine Gerry Bilbao Red Grouse to Common Tern Ifor Evans Stock Dove to Redstart Steve Coney Whinchat to Treecreeper Peter Eldridge Great Grey Shrike to Corn Bunting Keith Mason Reading and commenting on the whole text. The mild start to the year was followed by a bitterly cold spell during the last week of January. Due to the very severe weather the Government introduced an order prohibiting the shooting of Birds on Schedule 2 Part 1 to the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, including 311 wild ducks and geese, from 10th. February until 20th. February in England and Wales. Powers to make such an order are contained in the Protection of Birds Act 1967 and were first used in January 1979 at the request of the RS.P.B. The bitter winter weather was experienced again in mid February and it was during this month that a few, possibly some 25 birds, of the influx of Waxwings to Britain were seen in the County. Nationally this was the largest irruption of Waxwings since 1966. It was also in February that we heard of the farcical disaster of the ill-fated Sea Empress, a very large tanker which had gone aground at the entrance to Milford Haven spilling over 70,000 tons of oil into the sea. Over 7,000 oiled birds were washed ashore, around 5,000 dead birds and an uncertain future for the rest. The true total will never be known as many birds, hundreds perhaps thousands, were carried out to sea. Over 27 species of birds were found, the chief casualties were Common Scoter with nearly 3,000 birds found dead and 2,000 oiled and Guillemot with over a 1,000 dead and over 200 oiled. 43 Red-throated Divers were killed and 19 rescued. The RO.C. sent a donation to the Dyfed Wildlife Trust to help with the cleaning up operations. The early spring weather was generally unfavourable to our summer migrants with the unusually cold weather in May delaying breeding until the warmer weather of June. Many of our garden birds with early broods suffered huge losses as a result of the wintry May weather. Later broods fared better with increased numbers of insects and July rains making it easier for birds to find natural food. The autumn began with unusually dry weather in September due mainly to easterly and north-easterly winds. High temperatures were experienced in October followed in November by westerly gales and unsettled weather conditions. December was much colder with some snow, the year ending with a severe cold spell freezing ponds and lakes. Fieldfares and Redwings were first noted at their normal time during the first two weeks of October while a wintering Blackcap on the 19th. November was the earliest to be recorded at our Tupsley garden. During the year the H.O.C. has again taken part in the River Wye Wintering Bird Survey, organised a winter survey of Finches and Buntings, continued surveying Newton Coppice Wood and, with finance from Hereford City Council, agreed to erect nestboxes in the wood. The Club continues to liaise with Leominster District Council on the future development of Bodenham Lake. A sub-committee has been appointed to prepare a definitive Herefordshire List. The Recruiting Sub-Committee held a recruiting drive at Holme Lacy Agricultural 312 Show on the 4th. May and in High Town, Hereford on the 20th. September. Once again Keith Mason planned an excellent series of field meetings throughout the year beginning with a visit to Ashleworth Ham and Bredon Village on 13th. Jan. led by Chas. Lankester. The next meeting, on 21st. Jan., was along the River Teme at Ludlow led by Gareth Thomas. The Cotswold Water Park meeting on the 12th. Feb. was cancelled due to the atrocious weather but, nevertheless, four gallant members braved the elements and enjoyed their day's birding. Ifor Evans led the meeting to Tregaron Bog National Nature Reserve on the 25th. Feb. which ended with a visit to Miss Evans' Kite Feeding Station to see the spectacle of over 30 Red Kites taking advantage of the easy food supply. Peter Garnett led a most enjoyable walk over Midsummer Hill and Ragged Hill in the Malverns on 3rd. March. The meeting at Harley Estate, Brampton Bryan was held by permission of Mr. C.C. Harley and led by Mike Oliver the estate's gamekeeper. The final meetings in March were Letton and Leach Pool on 20th. led by Keith Mason, Haugh Wood First Spring Census on 23rd. led by John Pullen and Brockhampton Park, Bromyard on 30th. led by Peter Eldridge. On 14th. April a 6'/z mile walk at Shelsley Beauchamp was led by Brian Draper. The meeting at Wellington GP and Bodenham Lake on the 21st. April was led by Paul Downes who also led an evening meeting at Shobdon on the 22nd. May and to Borth and Ynys Hir on the 17th. Aug. Nigel Green, secretary of the Shropshire Ornithological Society, took us on a long walk on the Long Mynd on the 27th. April. Tony Eveleigh led meetings at Highnam Wood R.S.PE. Reserve for Nightingales on 2nd. May, Holme Lacy Wye on 31st. Aug. and to the Kite Feeding Station at Gigrin Farm, Rhayader on 7th. Dec. The 2nd. Spring Census at Haugh Wood on 4th. May was organised by John Pullen. Tom Wall and Keith Mason led the meeting at Downton and Criftin Ford Bridge on 11th. May. The meeting at the Cotswold Water Park on the 14th. May was led by Keith Mason who also led the meetings at Pecket Stone on 10th.