No 481 Summer 2016

Spotted Flycatcher at our Belvide Reserve - Photographer Nigel Talbot This front page is sponsored by the Birder’s Store, Worcester

New June 2016.indd 1 07/06/2016 09:29 WMBC News Is published in March, June, September and December each year to link members with each other, what’s been happening, current issues and forthcoming events on the birding scene in our area and further afield together with a selection of your articles and a comprehensive summary of the recorded bird sightings in our area As promised this issue contains the Club 2016 audited annual accounts and our Chairman’s Annual Report. I have also included a rather informal but I hope accurate account of our AGM meeting for the benefit of those who didn’t attend. As the change to the constitution of our Executive Committee was approved by the AGM a copy of the Club rules incorporating this change is also given. The Executive Committee have decided that in future a copy of the rules will be sent out to new members as part of their membership pack . A new copy will only be sent to the general membership if a change to the rules is made at a future AGM. The rules are printed in the centre of your newsletter for ease of removal should you wish to keep them for reference. Many people think these summer months are a rather quiet time for us Birders so I am particularly grateful to Jim Winsper for his article on pages 4-5 which gives plenty of ideas to fill our days until the autumn migration period begins. For those of you who look forward to the ‘My Patch’ feature I apologise that this issue does not contain one. I could tell you that this is because I have to limit myself to 40 pages so that we don’t go over the 100g second class postage weight and this is indeed true but it is also, sad to say, true that I currently don’t have any ‘My Patch’ articles in hand. Please Please if you bird a regular patch write an article for inclusion next time, there are fans of this feature out there waiting for it. I hope you enjoy this issue of your Newslettter. Until next time have a lovely summer and happy birding. Sue In this issue Page 3 Membership Matters - John Hoyle Page 4-5 Birding June to September - Jim Winsper Page 6 West Midland Bird Club Annual Report Pages 8-10 Mudsoup and Mussels - George Reiss Page 11 Digitised Annual Reports - Jim Winsper Page 11 Calling all Photographers Page 11 Print v Digital Page 12-13 Blithfield Reserve Update Page 14 Belvide, A Brief Update on Water Levels - Sue Judge Page 15 This Month’s Cartoon - John Crawford Page 16 WMBC - AGM Feedback Pages 16-17 Treasurers Report and Audited Annual Accounts - Andy Thomas Page 18 Our Chairman’s Annual Report - Kevin Clements Pages 19-22 West Midland Bird Club Rules (Including change adopted at 2016 AGM) Pages 24-25 Club and Branch Indoor and Field Meetings Pages 26-28 Bird Notes - February to April, Humphrey Miller Page 30 Christopher Cook - A Tribute Page 31-33 WMBC Field Trip Reports - Ray Davies Pages 34-35 Feedback from Staffordshire Birders Conference - Geoff Sales Page 36 Midland Peregrine Group Launched - Dr Stefan Bodnar Page 37 One of my Favourites - Lesser Whitethroat - Colin McShane Page 38 Unusual Bird for my Garden at Castlecroft - Bob Jones Page 39 Officers of WMBC and their contact details 2

New June 2016.indd 2 07/06/2016 09:29 Membership Matters We are pleased to welcome the following new members of the Club, who have joined since the last list was published. Please note the names shown are as on the membership forms but that all family members at each address are included in this welcome. Mr B Higson of TAMWORTH, Mr S Richards of TIPTON, Dr P Yeo of LICHFIELD, Mr I Butler of BILSTON, Mr N Nandan of TELFORD, Mr M Dawson of WEST BROMWICH, Mrs E Syer of BURTON ON TRENT, Mr B Allan of STAFFORD, Mr D Holds of WOLVERHAMPTON, Mr W Thorneycroft of ATHERSTONE, Mr K Throneycroft of TAMWORTH, Mr N Duggan of REDDITCH, Mr A Robed-Ube of STAFFORD, Mr I Robinson of RUGELEY, Mr H Morgan of DERBY, Mr A Weilds of BURNTWOOD, Ms C Jones of BIRMINGHAM, Mr D Hulme of WOLSTANTON, Mr P Darby of MADELEY, Mr G Cullen of COVENTRY, Mr M Widdop of COVENTRY, Mr D Low of BIRMINGHAM, Mrs N Longmore of STONE, Mr M Bevan of STOKE ON TRENT, Mr B Earp of BURTON ON TRENT, Mr P Longshaw of STOKE ON TRENT, Mr R Mullard of BRIDGNORTH, Mr S Wilson of STAFFORD, Mrs U Wills of BURNTWOOD, Mrs K Leigh of STAFFORD, Mr T Firmstone of TELFORD, Mrs J Hudson of STOKE ON TRENT, Mr R Stevens of WOLVERHAMPTON, Ms L Hodson of TAMWORTH, Mr J Kenny of BIRMINGHAM, Mr G Morris of STAFFORD, Mr R Parry of WOLVERHAMPTON, Ms A Cooper of DUDLEY, Mr I Whitehouse of OLDBURY, Mrs S Bagnall of TAMWORTH, Mr G Knibbs of SUTTON COLDFIELD, Mr W Partridge of WOLVERHAMPTON

We would be really pleased to see new members at any of the indoor or field meetings so please come along and introduce yourselves to the Branch Officers. John Hoyle Membership Secretary 16 Brendan Close, Coleshill, Birmingham,B46 3EF Email: [email protected]

Advance Notice - Works at Gailey Reservoir The Canal & River Trust are planning to undertake reservoir repair works to Gailey Upper and Lower Reservoirs, this will require the lower reservoir water level to be drawn down to undertake the repairs. A section of the woodland along the toe of the lower reservoir dam will have restricted access along with other sections around the upper reservoir to allow further works to be undertaken.

These works are planned for October 2016 and CRT hope that they will not have too great an impact on Club members movements around the reservoir. Any further information we receive regarding these works will be posted on the Club Website.

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New June 2016.indd 3 07/06/2016 09:29 Birding June to September - Jim Winsper Spring migration is now a memory consisting of a collection of written and pictorial records concerning summer resident arrival dates, movement through the region and sightings of scarce or rare passage migrants. The excitement of this spectacle has now ended and before things get going again in late summer when return passage builds, we enter a period that some consider as birding doldrums. Other than their self preservation the most significant action in the life of birds is their reproduction, the act of breeding. Monitoring this activity provides vital information concerning population changes within the UKs breeding birds, revealing any increase or decrease which is also fundamental to bird conservation. Breeding by resident species can commence early in the year with birds such as Tawny Owl, Mistle Thrush and Rook being on eggs during March, others begin in April and May and many continue throughout the summer months as being double or triple brooded. Triple brooded birds such as our logo species, the Black Redstart, can produce young as late as the end of August or early September, so this summer period need not be inactive as far as we, the observers, are concerned; getting involved with the monitoring of breeding birds is of huge importance and can continue throughout the summer months. You don’t have to find birds nests and run the unnecessary risk of disturbance to carry out your observations. As the summer progresses so juvenile birds become noticeable and the recording of these in your garden, local patch or reserve is extremely useful information, particularly so when detailed accounts are added to your records. Such detail may consist of observations of an abundance of certain species in comparison with previous years records or, evidence that using a comparison reveals that certain species have not faired well with their breeding activity. When offering such information then providing numbers of birds as supporting evidence to the record is obviously a most vital statistic. Such information may be very localised but if and when similar detail occurs over a much wider area it takes on a whole different meaning. The BTO Breeding Bird Survey (BBS) is an established and vital study of the UKs birds and getting involved in this survey is a positive move. Alternatively, if you would prefer to do your own thing, then why not. If you decide on the latter option then, as previously mentioned, please be sure to provide as much detail with your records as possible. By offering meaning and comparison to your record will transform it into something with greater use and this will be much appreciated by our County Recorders. Our Club reserve at Harborne provides an ideal location to study and monitor local breeding birds. Despite the near Birmingham city centre location of Harborne, don’t be surprised to find Common Buzzard on your regular species list. The return passage of post breeding birds and those that are failed breeders from northerly climes can commence in our region as early as June and the momentum of this event will gather by the week as juvenile birds (birds of the year) join the hoards in undertaking their first migratory move to their wintering grounds. Any of the regions geographic land marks are a good place to pick-up this movement and particularly the regions water bodies and wetland areas where shorebirds might congregate. Among these wetland areas our reserves at Blithfield, Belvide and Ladywalk provide the ideal stop-over habitat to a wide variety of birds on the move and a summer visit to any one of these is guaranteed to be a very enjoyable experience that might just produce something special. Why not get close-up and intimate with the birds by visiting a bird ringing demonstration. Use the Club’s website Links page and select Brewood Ringers to view their summer ringing 4

New June 2016.indd 4 07/06/2016 09:29 programme, you will be fascinated with the information that the group will offer while at the same time getting a close-up of the bird that you would not normally experience. As ever, the WMBC Field Trip facility offers great scope to visit some of the UKs favourite birding locations, offering a great opportunity to see birds that do not usually occur in our region. Visit the Club’s website WMBC Field Trips page and view the 2016 summer programme. Bookings on our Field Trips should be made as early as possible, this is a very popular Club activity that offers great opportunities. August is an excellent month for those of you who take part in, or fancy, a ‘sea watching’ session. During this month seabirds become active in moving from their breeding grounds and there is a huge dispersal of juvenile birds too around our coasts. Visits to coastline promontories might well reveal a selection of rarer gulls with shearwaters and skuas to add to the excitement. Weather conditions are an important factor when considering a ‘sea watching’ trip with onshore winds and a strong sea pushing birds close in being favourable but not necessarily comfortable. Experiencing a visit to Bardsey Island at any time of year during the Observatory operational calendar will, I promise, have you clamouring to make your next booking. This very special place offers all that I have had to say in this article and more, it is this entire package suggestion all rolled up into one magnificent summertime environment. We do not have to wait until autumn arrives before we can busy ourselves in the many birding activities that make up the year, there is plenty to do throughout the summer months and lots of facilities to take advantage of in order to pursue and further our interest.

Woodland glade at our Harborne Reserve - photo’ Jim Winsper Jim Winsper 5

New June 2016.indd 5 07/06/2016 09:29 West Midland Bird Club Annual Report Members will have recently received their copy of our 2013 Annual Report – the Club’s 80th edition! At about the same time, searchable pdfs of all of our previous reports were added to the archive section of our website www.westmidlandbirdclub.org.uk/archives.

Annual Report No. 1, comprising just 32 sides, was published by our founding Birmingham Bird Club in 1934 and covered just the counties of Warwickshire and Worcestershire. South Staffordshire was added the following year, with the rest of that county included by the newly renamed Birmingham and West Midland Bird Club in 1948. The club changed its name again to the current West Midland Bird Club in 1959 and the three shire county system remained until 1975, when the newly formed West Midlands metropolitan county was recognised as a separate recording area in its own right. Recent discussions amongst the Club’s Annual Report team and Management Committee have consistently and unanimously agreed to retain the four county system, rather than try to revert back to three shire or vice counties. Members of the current Annual Report team met on 12th March to discuss various aspects relating to bird records across our region and the production of the annual report. The County Recorders continue to welcome bird records in any format, though their preference would be by means of an electronic spreadsheet and ideally submitted through BirdTrack www.bto.org/volunteer-surveys/birdtrack Smart phone apps are also available, so you can even enter records in the field. BirdTrack enables each County Recorder to access and analyse the records for their respective county and also allows the British Trust for Ornithology to use the data, without any duplication of effort on anyone’s part. The region and county lists of Category A or description species are being reviewed to take account of recent declines or increases in numbers and/or distribution of species. Details of these changes will be published on the Club’s website and in future issues of the Newsletter. It was unanimously agreed that any record of a Category A species without sufficient supporting information would not be accepted. So, please ensure that you include all necessary details, photographs, etc when submitting such records. Compiling the Annual Report is a mammoth, yet rewarding task. Over 300,000 records from some 1,000 contributors across the four counties, plus various articles, photographs and images are condensed into about 280 sides. To help streamline the process, bird records need to be submitted via BirdTrack or directly to the appropriate county recorder in good time; else they may not be included. Late submissions cause extra work in that species accounts, etc may have to be revised, thereby delaying the final publication. The latest annual report was published in February 2016. The team have committed to publish future reports two months sooner each forthcoming year in order to bring the publication date closer to the year in question. To that end, the Country Recorders have agreed to complete their accounts for 2014 by this September, so that the report may be published by December. So, if you have any outstanding records from that year or 2015, please submit as soon as possible.

Thank you. Annual Report Team 6

New June 2016.indd 6 07/06/2016 09:29 The Team - From left: Nick Pomiankowski, Dave Emley, Steve Haynes, Jim Winsper, Steven Payne, Kevin Clements and Tim Marlow.

The new security gates installed at our Ladywalk Reserve

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New June 2016.indd 7 07/06/2016 09:29 Mudsoup and Mussels Birding and wildlife on the Alvor marshes On a coastline where many habitats have been ravaged, the Alvor Marshes of the Algarve stand out as a place where humans and habitats co-exist despite the pressures. George Reiss from Tettenhall takes inspiration from a stroll around the wildlife haven that visitors and locals have helped to save George Reiss photography by Ben Porter and George Reiss Below the white churched village on the is no bigger than an orange segment. hill we cross the main Algarve highway and Fish ponds beyond are fenced off, but up drop down a dusty track to a crossing which on the tall fence poles Cormorants sit like marks out our choices. We will arrive back stylites, and an Osprey is lost in meditation. here at the end of our walk but for now we The latter is wintering here, avoiding the turn right for the western marsh. risks of crossing the ocean and the desert.

It is a bright balmy morning; there are citrus orchards, small holdings and a robust A path branches off across the marsh and smell of chicken poo. The fields are very a gentle breeze enhances the sense of green and all nature is in renewal, whereas space and light. For a couple of hundred the mud walls along the lane have simply yards there is relatively little to see except continued to crumble since I was last here Stonechats and Whinchats sitting up on twelve years ago. In the field to the right an prominent scrub. The marsh is dry after elusive Hoopoe is calling; you would know months of summer and now autumnal Upupa epops if you met him. drought, with bare extents of earth washed flat, clumps of thyme, and dense mats of the The track turns and more of the marsh invasive Hottentot Fig (Carpobrotus edulis) comes into view. In a small squalid drainage ditch a young terrapin is passing the day; it 8

New June 2016.indd 8 07/06/2016 09:29 locate its first ever field centre here. That it is still relatively unscathed is thanks to their skill and dedication. A Rocha groups can now be found across the globe working from city slums in Lima to coastal rainforest in Kenya. In Portugal they have worked with scientists and non-scientists alike, pioneering bird- ringing programmes, environmental education for children, and achieving EU conservation status for the Alvor marshes. It is three years now since they won a landmark A perimeter earthen dyke some ten feet high court case against property developers who separates the marsh from the tidal area. The were trying to make a quick killing from the footpath on top of the dyke has a wide open area’s tourist potential. vista: on the one side the Odiaxere River laps at high tide, on the other the marsh’s Continuing along the perimeter wall the water level is controlled by sluices. More salt unique features of the estuary system come water on the marsh is generally better for into view. Two rivers converge around the the specialist plants and wading birds, but headland, but instead of flowing directly is less beneficial for the local farmers’ cattle. into the ocean they empty into a lagoon which is separated from the Atlantic by a Rectangular salt pans, filled with water, long sand bar with just a single opening. are about the size of two tennis courts laid The lagoon is rich in nutrients, and cockles end to end, and attract gulls and waders including Redshanks and Greenshanks. Black-winged Stilts live up to their name, tottering like supermodels on the catwalk; their legs are so long that they protrude beyond the tail when the birds take flight.

have been counted here in the hundreds per square metre. Mexilhoeira the local village takes its name from these ‘mussels’ and local The survival of this prime ornithological site people come daily to harvest shellfish and was described as a miracle some 30 years dig for bait. As we walk along the narrow ago, when the A Rocha charity chose to strip of beach the tinkling of shells washing 9

New June 2016.indd 9 07/06/2016 09:29 in and out on the wavelets is as audible as had lodged it at the University of Faro not the water itself. far away, but when their botany department was subsequently closed the record proved In spring and autumn the marshes provide hard to find. Eventually it was traced by a the avian equivalent of a motorway service diligent researcher to the University of the station for birds migrating to and from the Azores some one thousand miles out into Moroccan coast of Africa which lies exactly the Atlantic. Winning that case has brought 200 miles to the south east. a new advocacy role as A Rocha helps other charities facing similar problems. Best of all the marsh has now recovered from the trauma and seems better than ever for birdlife. Walking back along this memory lane I reflect on the countless volunteers, staff, donors and academics who have kept the vision alive. To some it will seem ironic that nature can only thrive here because of the vigilance and intervention of humans. The mudsoup menu in the estuary has Many nature lovers value habitats more attracted Flamingos in recent years. We highly when they are seen as pristine and watch a pair fly in, all limbs and neck, and located in a separate wilderness untouched of a brittle quality as if made of porcelain. A by humans. But the interplay of avian and few metres further on some Kentish Plovers other wildlife found on these beautiful have formed a loose alliance with other marshes has some similarities to the human small waders as they wait for the tide to co-existence of sluice managers, cockle retreat and reveal their next meal. Perhaps collectors, lawyers and birders. Like it or not, they feel safer in groups for two Booted we are all closer to nature than we think. Eagles, a Marsh Harrier and a Kestrel all fly © George Reiss & Ben Porter over in the next ten minutes. The A Rocha Centre at Cruzinha provides displays, ringing demonstrations and talks, and is open free of charge to visitors every Thursday morning. Their good value guided birding holidays in southern Portugal help to fund their conservation work - Information can be found at www.arochalife.pt A Rocha also offer conservation volunteering opportunities for all ages, and have guest accommodation at the Centre We have reached the headland, where the and at a beautiful 4 bedroom house with purple flowered Thymus camphoratus once garden and pool in the attractive nearby had an outpost. The court case against the village of Mexilhoiera Grande. For more destructive developers hinged on retrieving information see http://www.arocha.pt/en/ a record of this plant, which one of A Rocha’s centre/accommodation/ botanists had made years previously. He 10

New June 2016.indd 10 07/06/2016 09:29 Print v Digital? A Club member has recently been in touch to say that now the Newsletter is published on the Club website he would be happy to read it there and would prefer the Club to put the money used to post it to him to better use. It is possible to create a system to send you your copy of the Newsletter direct to your email inbox. Once this system is up and running members could then individually opt out of receiving their paper copy, should they so wish. I stress that the Executive have absolutely no plans to change the system for those who still wish to receive their paper copy. I would welcome members thoughs on this suggestion please on [email protected] Sue Calling All Photographers Our Club has many talented photographers and Jim (Mr Website) Winsper and I have been delighted to publish the work of many of them but we can only do that if we know about you. Club Secretary, Mark Rickus, is currently compiling a list of Club members whose work could be included in future projects. If you would like your photographs either of club reserves or birds taken in our club area to be considered please send your contact details including an email address to Mark,, even if Jim and I are aware of you, at [email protected] Digitised Annual Reports By now you are aware that the entire set of West Midland Bird Club annual reports 1934 - 2012 inclusive are now on the WMBC website Archive page for viewing. The 2013 report is with the membership and can also be purchased from the Club but not yet available online. To purchase 2013 please visit the WMBC website Our Publications page for details. Putting this collection together online has, as fully expected, had its difficulties and had it not been for the generosity of some members in donating or loaning their reports for this cause I may well still be in a position of searching for copies. With this in mind I would like to pay special thanks to Eric Clare, Mike Inskip and George and Margaret Morley without whose generosity the task would have been so much more challenging. Jim Winsper 11

New June 2016.indd 11 07/06/2016 09:29 Blithfield Reserve Update If you have visited our Blithfield Reserve recently you couldn’t fail to be impressed by all the improvements

The Forward Hide at Tad Bay has been extended to double its size. From that hide members can obtain closer views of the birds in the bay and also see part of the shore that cannot be seen from the Stansley Wood Hide. Please note that the Forward Hide can be reached via a locked gate to the right of the Stansley Wood Hide so a Blithfield key is required and can be obtained either from the Engineers Office or through [email protected] A Tern Raft has been placed off Beech Tree Point and can be viewed from the hide on the point. The Tern raft is provided as a jointly funded project involving the West Midland Bird Club and South Staffordshire Water PLC while the hide extension is fully funded by our club. The photographs opposite show before and after shots of the new Gull Hide which overlooks the Deep End and complete with name plate is yet another advancement in bird watching facilities at this reserve. This hide will provide much welcomed shelter while watching the gull roost in poor weather conditions. This entire project has been funded by the West Midland Bird Club and the hide has been constructed by Club members who are involved in the Blithfield Birding Group. The Blithfield Management Committee are extremely grateful to all those involved in their efforts to promote the Club. Finally a bench has been installed on the western side of Stansley Wood by the SSWC following a request from a Club member who was finding the incline back to his car a little difficult. This project being entirely funded by SSWC to whom we send our thanks.

The construction of the Tern raft and possible ‘tenants’ awaiting completion. Opposite page - Work in progress on extending the Forward Hide at Tad Bay and the competed Gull Hide - photographs Roger Broadbent. 12

New June 2016.indd 12 07/06/2016 09:29 13

New June 2016.indd 13 07/06/2016 09:29 Belvide - a brief update on water levels - Sue Judge It has always been a cause of frustration at Belvide that water levels are outside our control. Last autumn a meeting took place between representatives from the Belvide management team, Natural England and our landlords the Canal and River Trust which included their hydrologists . The Belvide reps put forward their request that the reservoir water levels were drawn down each spring to gradually expose fresh mud for the spring migration. CRT emphasised that their brief was to store water for canal use but that they would do all they could to support us and as a gesture of goodwill they reduced levels after the meeting to ascertain our exact requirements and then went away and began their number crunching to ensure that this would not affect the water supply for the canal system adversely. We also asked that the water levels were reduced for the autumn migration but not necessarily gradually as fresh mud was less immportant and they agreed to use water from Belvide to make this happen. This spring we were delighted to learn that after much number crunching CRT would be able grant our requests and promptly did so. You only need to check out Steve’s Belvide Birding blog to see how many waders have dropped in this spring to rest and feed up to the delight of us all. The Belvide Team send HUGE THANKS to the CRT TEAM for making this happen. Sue

Brambling - Hanchurch Woods, 10th April 2016 Photographer Steve Seal 14

New June 2016.indd 14 07/06/2016 09:29 Photograph from member Gordon Wright who had up to 5 Lesser Redpolls visiting his garden in Lower Gornall between 24th and 29th January, 2016.

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New June 2016.indd 15 07/06/2016 09:29 WMBC - AGM 2016 - Feedback Humphrey Miller took minutes at the meeting and these will be presented to next year’s AGM. This is a brief personal view for the benefit of those who could not attend. Vice-President, Graham Harrison, took the chair and welcomed members present. Apologies were received and the minutes of the 2015 AGM were approved. Club Chairman, Kevin Clements, then gave his annual report which is reproduced in full on page 18. Hon Treasurer, Andy Thomas gave his report and presented the meeting with the audited accounts, as shown. He explained that the principal feature of the surplus for the year was the legacy of £30370 from the estate of Eileen Munns. Principal items of expenditure were a new hide at Belvide and a tractor at Ladywalk. Acceptance of the accounts was agreed unanimously and the auditors, Messrs Griffiths and Pegg, were re-appointed. The current Trustees were re-elected unanimously. The proposed change to the Club rules as shown in the Spring Newsletter was accepted unanimously. Roger Broadbent had been nominated for the position of Deputy Chairman of the Club and was elected unanimously. The following executive members were reappointed unanimously: Kevin Clements – Chairman Mark Rickus – Secretary Andy Thomas – Treasurer John Hoyle – Membership Secretary Paul Bateman – Harborne Reserve rep. (formerly Birmingham branch rep.) Sue Judge – Belvide Reserve rep.(formerly Elected Member) Under Any Other Business a member enquired how the reserve representatives on the MC. would be selected. It was explained that each reserve would choose their own representative. As the management setup at each reserve was individual the way this was done would vary accourdingly. Where there was a warden, as at Ladywalk, that person would be the representative or alternatively they could appoint someone in their stead. The Belvide Management Team and the team at Harborne would be asked if they wished Sue Judge and Paul Bateman to be their representatives. If so they would remain as full Executive members. If not, or if they chose to stand down, the reserves would elect a new representative who would be co-oped to the committee until being formally adopted at the 2017 AGM. Roger Broadbent has for some time not only represented the Blithfield reserve but has led on the Club’s response to HS2 in our area and Staffordshire County Council’s plans for Cannock Chase. As our newly elected Deputy Chair he is stepping down as leader of the Blithfield group to concentrate on his new role together with these two important issues. A meeting of the Blithfield team has been arranged where they will be able to elect a new representative to be co-oped to the Executive until the next AGM. I hope that this rather informal report answers any questions you may have. Sue

Hon. Treasurer’s Report Annual Accounts Members will be pleased to see from the Accounts that the club made a surplus of nearly £34,289 in 2015. The majority of this was a legacy from the Estate of Mrs Eileen Munns of £30,370. The Club is currently looking into an appropriate use for the generous bequest. The surplus for the year excluding the legacy was £3,919. On the income side, membership subscriptions remained at the same level, and there was an increase in the amount received from Eon for the Ladywalk reserve from £6,250 to £7,750. With regard to outgoings, the Club erected a new hide at the Belvide reserve, and at Ladywalk a tractor was purchased. The combined cost of these assets was nearly £38,000. The costs of the bulletin and annual report, together with the amount spent on the branches, remained at a similar level to last year. Andy Thomas (acting Honorary Treasurer) 16

New June 2016.indd 16 07/06/2016 09:29 Income and Expenditure Account Incoming Resources 2015 2014 £ £ Membership Subscriptions...... 43950...... 43163 Permit Sales...... 501...... 2147 Fund-Raising (Sales)...... 990...... 349 Field Meetings...... 12377...... 11309 Tax Recoveries...... 8260...... 8349 Interest...... 480...... 394 E.on - Ladywalk...... 7750...... 6250 RPA - Belvide...... 4257...... 18232 Legacies...... 30370...... 0 Insurance claim...... 0...... 9306 108935 99499 Statement of Resources Utilised 2015 2014 £ £ Conservation Expenditure: Belvide 11468...... 34810 Blithfield 3000...... 3000 Harborne 875...... 519 Ladywalk 3937...... 7500 19280 45829

Education: Membership Support 2821...... 3042 Publications 22002...... 20978 Field Meetings 12111...... 11353 Expenditure on Primary Objectives 56214 81202 Cost of Income Generation: Charity Administrative Costs 7977...... 7769 Depreciation 10455...... 5263 Total Resources Expended 74646 94234 Statement of funds as at 31st December 2015 2015 2014 £ £ Total Incoming Resources ...... 108935...... 99499 Total Resources Utilised...... 74646...... 94234 Net Incoming Resources...... 34289...... 5265 Funds at the Beginning of the Year...... 184535...... 179270 Total Funds at the End of the Year 218824 184535 Represented by: Land and Buildings ...... 37309...... 18929 Tractors and Equipment...... 11574...... 2574 48883 21503 Investments (Short Term Deposits)...... 38000...... 38000 Working Capital...... 60547...... 60339 Cash (Including Restricted Funds)...... 73875...... 84957 Debtors and (Creditors)...... (2481)...... (20264) 218824 184535 17

New June 2016.indd 17 07/06/2016 09:29 Annual Activities Statement 2016 Chairman’s Report Kevin Clements

During the course of the last year, the West Midland Bird Club has continued to progress on a number of fronts. A recent exiting and innovative project has seen each of our Annual Reports from 1934 to 2012 uploaded in searchable PDFs to the website www. westmidlandbirdclub.org.uk. Thank you to all those who kindly loaned their precious copies of our historic annual reports and to Jim Winsper for overseeing both this initiative and the continued development of the website.

The recent publication of our 2013 Annual Report marks our 80th edition. Thanks to David Emley (Editor), the County Recorders and their respective teams, and the circa thousand contributors for submitting hundreds of thousands of records from across the four counties.

WMBC News has become full colour and quarterly under Sue Judge’s editorship. There is a real opportunity for members to contribute, by submitting articles about your local patch, recent trips or birding anecdotes.

Management work continues at each of our reserves – thank you to our wardens and teams of enthusiastic volunteers, to all of whom I am most grateful. The Countryside Stewardship scheme at Belvide Reservoir has seen the creation of a number of bunded lagoons and planting of Phragmites to extend the reedbeds. At Ladywalk, new fencing and gates have been installed to improve access and security, with new fencing also installed by Birmingham City Council at Harborne Nature Reserve. At Blithfield Reservoir, in liaison with South Staffordshire Water, a new Gull Hide has been built in Ten Acre Bay, with the Tad Bay Hide extended, and a new tern raft off Beech Tree Point.

Due to insufficient interest, we have reluctantly closed our Tamworth Branch. However, our other branches at Kidderminster, Solihull and Stafford,and coach trips from Birmingham remain strong. Thanks to all involved for your continued efforts.

We continue to be involved in the ‘Tame Valley Wetlands Landscape Partnership Scheme’. Part funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund, the scheme aims to create a wetland landscape along the River Tame between Birmingham and Tamworth. We have been working with the Environment Agency to co-fund a replacement hide overlooking Coton Pool, which should be installed later this year.

Thank you. Kevin Clements Chairman

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New June 2016.indd 18 07/06/2016 09:29 The Rules of The West Midland Bird Club - May 2016

1. The Name of the Club 1.1 The Club shall be known as The West Midland Bird Club, subsequently referred to as ‘the Club’. 2. Aims 2.1 The aims of the Club shall be to: advance the education of the public in the knowledge, understanding and appreciation of wild birds and wild bird study, and promote the conservation of, and raise public and scientific awareness of, wild birds and their habitat. In furtherance of these aims, but not otherwise, the Club shall have the power to: 2.1.1 Encourage and organise the study and recording of wild birds, especially in the counties of Warwickshire, Staffordshire, The West Midlands and Worcestershire, (the Club’s Area). 2.1.2 Promote the protection of wild birds, the preservation of their habitats, and provide detailed information of the value of such habitats. 2.1.3 Manage or participate in habitat management. 2.1.4 Provide facilities for people interested in ornithology to meet and exchange ideas and information. 2.1.5 Liaise with local and national organisations in the interests of wild birds. 2.1.6 Encourage the promotion of an informed body of public and scientific opinion on wild birds and their conservation. 2.1.7 Publish papers and reports, such as the ‘West Midland Bird Club Annual Report’, and to record, in an appropriate form, information on all aspects of wild bird life in the Club’s area. 2.1.8 Participate in national and local biological surveys. 2.1.9 Do anything else which will further the aims of the Club. 3. Board of Trustees 3.1 The Trustees have responsibility for directing the affairs of the charity, and ensuring that it is solvent, well run, and delivering the charitable outcomes for which it has been set up. 3.2 The Trustees must ensure that the Club complies with the law and the requirements of the Charity Commissioners; that the charity does not breach any of the requirements rules set out in this document; and that it complies with other relevant legislation. 3.3 The trustees must act with integrity and avoid personal conflicts of interest. 3.4 There shall be from 5 to 7 Trustees: 3 Executive Trustees (Chairperson, Deputy Chairperson and Treasurer of the MC) and up to 4 other Independent Trustees. Trustees will be appointed at an AGM by the members. 3.5 Independent Trustees shall be appointed for a maximum of 9 years (3 terms of 3 years). The initial appointments should be for varying periods in order to provide for future continuity at re-election time. 3.6 The Chairperson of the Board of Trustees shall be elected annually, in a unanimous vote by the 4 independent trustees, and shall have a maximum tenure of 5 consecutive years. 3.7 Quorum for Trustee meetings shall be 3. 3.8 If a quorum is not present 30 minutes from the time that the meeting is scheduled to commence, the meeting shall stand adjourned until such time and place as may be determined. 3.9 At the resumption of an adjourned meeting, only the business on the previous 19

New June 2016.indd 19 07/06/2016 09:29 agenda may be discussed, save that the Board may take advantage of later information. 3.10 At any meeting of the Board of Trustees, voting shall be a show of hands. In the event of an equality of votes, the Chairperson of the meeting shall have a casting vote. 3.11 The Board shall have the power to fill any vacancy arising among the Trustees until the next General Meeting. 4. Management Committee 4.1 The daily management of the Club shall be in the hands of the Management Committee (MC), through the delegated powers of the Trustees. 4.2 The MC shall consist of a Chairperson, Deputy Chairperson, Secretary, Treasurer, Membership Secretary, and a representative from each branch and WMBC reserve. Members of the MC shall be elected by the members each year at the Club Annual General Meeting, or, in the case of the branch representatives, at their branch AGM. 4.3 In addition to the permanent members of the MC, as required from time to time, a representative of any other relevant group or external speakers may be invited to attend and report. Only the permanent members shall have voting rights. 4.4 Members of the MC shall all be members of the Club and have paid any subscriptions due. 4.5 All Officers of the MC must be elected annually. 4.6 Nominations for the MC may be made by any ten members and must be received by the Secretary, together with the consent in writing of the nominee, at least 15 days before the Annual General Meeting. 4.7 The MC shall have the power to fill any vacancy arising among the Officers or elected members until the next General Meeting. 4.8 At any meeting of the MC, four members entitled to attend and vote shall form a quorum. 4.9 If a quorum is not present 30 minutes from the time that the meeting is scheduled to commence, the meeting shall stand adjourned until such time and place as may be determined. 4.10 At the resumption of any adjourned meeting, the business on the previous agenda shall be discussed first. 4.11 At the meeting of the MC, voting shall be a show of hands. In the event of an equality of votes, the Chairperson of the meeting shall have an additional vote. 4.12 The MC shall have the power to appoint non-executive officers of the Club. Officers so appointed shall not become members of the MC by virtue of their appointment, nor have voting rights at any MC meeting but shall act with the devolved authority of the MC within the duties of their office. The MC shall also have the power to dismiss non-executive officers. 4.13 The MC shall have the power to co-opt additional members. These members shall serve until the next Annual General Meeting. 4.14 The MC shall have the power to form sub-committees and working parties, to carry out any specific task it may authorise and, for that purpose, to appoint any member of the Club that it shall see fit to serve on that committee. The MC may dissolve any such committee at any time. 4.15 Minutes of the actions and proceedings of all groups, including branches, shall be kept and shall be fully and promptly reported to the MC, at a meeting or via the secretary in advance. 4.16 Minutes of meetings of the MC shall be kept. A summary of actions taken or approved, and other points of interest, shall be made available to members. 20

New June 2016.indd 20 07/06/2016 09:29 5. Membership 5.1 The Club shall consist of an Honorary President, Honorary Vice Presidents, Honorary Life Members and subscribing Members. 5.2 The Board of Trustees, on the recommendation of the MC, may nominate an Honorary President and up to three Honorary Vice Presidents,who shall be granted the same privileges as life members. Such nominations shall be confirmed by a simple majority vote at a General Meeting. 5.3 Honorary Members - in recognition of exceptional service to the Club, the MC may grant Honorary Life Membership. Honorary Life Members shall pay no subscription and shall be entitled to all the privileges of Club membership, including fee admission to indoor meetings. 5.4 Corporate membership shall be open to relevant bodies, for an annual sum determined by the Management Committee. Such membership shall not carry voting rights or access to Club reserves. 5.5 Subscribing Members shall be entitled to attend and vote at General Meetings, and to avail themselves of the facilities provided for indoor meetings and field trips. The categories of membership, conditions for access to reserves, subscription rates and other membership benefits shall be set by the MC. 5.6 Forfeiture of Membership - Any Member whose subscription has not been paid within two months of the due date shall automatically cease to be a member of the Club. The MC may, at the request of any four ordinary/non-committee members and after due consideration, call on any member to resign, if for any reason his or her connection with the Club is considered detrimental to its interests. Such a member shall be afforded a right to appeal in person to a meeting of the Independent Trustees against such a dismissal. 6. Groups 6.1 The MC may at any time set up branches or groups within the Club’s Area. 6.2 Groups, branches and working parties within the Club’s Area may not engage in activities outside the Aims of the Club. 6.3 Each branch shall be administered by as many members as is deemed necessary to achieve its agreed objectives. Such objectives might include bringing together groups of birders, and organising indoor meetings, or field trips, research and ringing within the area. A suitable person shall be nominated to responsible to the Club Treasurer for the disbursement and collection of branch funds. 6.4 Branch officers and committee members shall be elected by members of the Club at the annual AGM of the branch, which should be held before April 1st each year. All branch officers shall be eligible for re-election. Nominations for a branch committee may be made by any two members of the Club and must be received by the branch secretary at least fifteen day before the AGM of that branch. Each branch shall nominate one person to represent that branch on the MC. 6.5 Branches will levy a charge for admission to indoor meetings, as agreed by the MC, no charge being made for those under 16 years of age. 6.6 Each group shall have specific terms of reference, to be agreed with the MC annually. 7. Finance 7.1 The Club is a registered charity and shall comply with the requirements of the Charities Act. It shall also take advantage of all tax concessions due to charities of its size and standing. 7.2 Subject to the above: 7.2.1 The Financial Year shall end on 31st December. 7.2.2 The audited accounts shall be presented to the Annual General Meeting and shall21

New June 2016.indd 21 07/06/2016 09:29 be sent to all members within six months of the year end. 7.2.3 The Club is empowered to acquire and hold land in the furtherance of its Aims. The title to the property shall be vested in the name of the Official Custodian for Charities. 7.2.4 The Club is empowered to hold such investments as permitted under the Charities Act. These investments shall be held in the name of the Club. 7.2.5. The MC will set subscription levels annually. 7.2.6 Subscriptions shall be payable by a date deemed desirable by the MC and publicised to all members. 7.2.7 New Members joining after 30th September, and signing a standing order, shall not be required to pay a further subscription for the following year and shall be entitled to the appropriate privileges of Membership. 8. General Meetings 8.1 Subject to the provisions of Rule 10, the following rules shall apply to the holding of General Meetings: 8.1.1 The Annual General Meeting of the Club shall be held before 30th June each year. Extraordinary General Meetings may be held at any time as required. An Extraordinary General Meeting may be called by the Trustees, on the recommendation of the MC, or by a request in writing to the Secretary signed by at least 10% of the total membership. 8.1.2 The Membership shall be given a minimum of 28 days notice of the date, venue and agenda of any General Meeting. 8.1.3 A quorum for a General Meeting shall be not less that 20 members. 8.1.4 All votes at a General Meeting shall be carried by a simple majority of members present and entitled to vote. In the event of a tie, the chairperson shall have an additional vote. 9. Alteration to Rules 9.1 Proposals for any alteration to these Rules may be made by the Board of Trustees, MC or 10% of the membership. They will normally be considered at the next Annual General Meeting of the Club, but the MC may recommend their consideration at any General Meeting. 9.2 Such proposals shall first be submitted to he MC, by them to the Board of Trustees, and then, subject to their agreement, shall be circulated to the membership by the Secretary not less than 28 days before the General Meeting at which they are to be considered. 9.3 Such alterations shall be incorporated into the Rules of the Club provided they are approved by a simple majority vote of those members present and entitled to vote. In the event of a tie, the chairperson shall have a casting vote. No alteration shall be made to these Rules which would cause the Club to cease to be a charity in law. 10. Dissolution of the Club 10.1 If the Board of Trustees and the MC decide that it is necessary or advisable to dissolve the Club, they shall call a General Meeting of all Members. The notice of the meeting shall state the terms of the resolution being proposed. 10.2 If the proposal is confirmed by a two thirds majority of those present and having voting rights, the Trustees and MC shall have the power to realise any assets held by or on behalf of the Club. 10.3 Any Assets remaining after the satisfaction of any proper debts and liabilities shall be given or transferred to such a charitable institution or institutions having objectives similar to those of the Club as the membership may determine or, failing that, shall be applied for some other charitable purpose. 22

New June 2016.indd 22 07/06/2016 09:29 WMBC Field Trips Formerly Titled Birmingham Branch Field Trips Although our Birmingham Branch ceased to organise indoor meets some time ago Ray and Judith have, continued to organise their very popular and excellent field trips and birding weekends. As the Birmingham title could be misleading it has been decided that these field trips will now be know as WMBC field trips to emphasise the fact that they are open to ALL our members and their families. Why not check out their programme for the remainder of 2016 on the next page? News from the Solihull Branch Humphrey Miller Branch Committee At the branch A.G.M. on 4th March, all three existing Committee members (Humphrey Miller, Raymond Brown and Anthony Reynolds) were re-elected to serve for the forthcoming year. It was announced that they would all be standing down from the Committee at the 2018 branch A.G.M.

The future of the branch beyond March 2018 is therefore dependent on the willingness of its members to step forward and form a replacement Committee. The branch is a going concern, with a generally decent level of support for both indoor and field meetings, so (based on current levels of support) new committee members will not be faced with the task of resuscitation. Interested members please contact any of the present Committee. Every assistance will be given by the present Committee members in effecting a smooth changeover.

Please note that it will be necessary for the identity of future new Committee members to be known by the end of July 2017, because of the need to firm up the dates of hall bookings with Knowle Parish Office, and to know whether the hall will be required after March 2018.

2017 Cannock Chase Bird Survey

The Stafford Branch of our Club wishes to conduct its 5 yearly bird survey of Cannock Chase in 2017 and would appreciate your help.

As you may know Staffordshire County Council is proposing to change its management arrangements of the Chase and Chasewater as well as the Sevens Road Picnic site. It is therefore perhaps more important than ever for there to be an up to date record of the birds of Cannock Chase. You don’t have to live in Staffordshire to appreciate how precious this environment is and this is your opportunity to help collect the evidence to protect it for the birds and future generations.

If you can help please send an email to the Chairman of the WMBC Stafford Branch, David Dodd, on [email protected] together with your email address and other contact details and if you know of anyone else who might be interested please ask them to get in touch with David also.

Details of the methodology will be announced this autumn together with the specific areas of the Chase that you may be asked to cover. The size of those areas will depend on how many volunteers there are. 23

New June 2016.indd 23 07/06/2016 09:29 Club and Branch Indoor Meetings and Field Trips Please note: All WMBC members and views of gannet, kittiwake, puffin, guillemot and their families are welcome to join all razorbill. Blacktoft offers estuary reserve good for WMBC field trips and attend any Branch waders, rarities, bearded tit, and raptors - most indoor meetings or field trips. likely Marsh Harrier and hopefully Montagu’s breeding again! WMBC Field Trips Sunday 11 Sep 2016 Titchwell RSPB Coaches for these depart from Cambridge Street, Depart: 07:00hrs Expected return: 19:30hrs Birmingham City Centre, promptly at the time Cost: min £17, max £27 stated. Food and drink should be brought as Seek seabirds, waders, wildfowl and migrants at required. Appropriate clothing and footwear to a peak migration time at this prime RSPB reserve. guard against the elements is recommended. Another opportunity also to see how effective Contact: To book or for further information recent major changes and improvements (made please contact either: to combat the effects of predicted higher sea Ray Davies 0121 682 4375 or 07762 061603 levels, and to upgrade viewing facilities) have [email protected] been. Judith Gerrard 0121 427 3779 or 07975631430 [email protected] Sunday 09 Oct 2016 Spurn Head Please Note: the coach can become fully booked Depart: 07:00hrs Expected return: 19:00hrs (48 is possible) but non arrivals on the day can Cost: min £17, max £27 prevent those on a waiting list the chance to Jutting out into the North Sea a peninsula that enjoy the day. Could members please contact attracts passage migrants and vagrants. Expect Ray or Judith, however late, if they have to cancel anything! their booking. On Sunday morning ring Ray’s mobile: 07762 061603 with any delays or late Friday 04 Nov 2016 Norfolk Weekend Cost is £69.00 per person per night. Full payment cancellations, Thank you. of £138.00 for the 2 nights will be required to Sunday 19 Jun 2016 confirm a booking. Cheques to be made payable Fowlmere RSPB / Paxton Pits to West Midland Bird Club (WMBC) and sent Depart: 07:00hrs Expected return: 19:00hrs to Ray Davies at 140 Bradbury Road, Solihull, Cost: min £16, max £24 West Midlands, B92 8AL, to be received no later Another new venture. Fowlmere’s reedbeds and than 31st September. This is the latest date for pools are fed by natural chalk springs and are bookings to be taken. These conditions are surrounded by woodland to provide excellent necessary to meet the terms and conditions of habitat for many warbler species and more the hotel and assist our administration of the especially Turtle Dove! In the afternoon we visit cost. Paxton anticipating Nightingale and summer Sunday 04 Dec 2016 Newport migrant warblers, in an area offering scrub, woodland, pools and marsh habitats. Finish the Wetlands, RSPB, South Wales day with a well earned drink and a biscuit! Depart: 07:00hrs Expected return: 19.00hrs Cost: min £13, max £20 Sunday 10 Jul 2016 The Goldcliff pools offer waders and wildfowl. Bempton Cliffs / Blacktoft Sands After at the Wetlands more waders on the estuary Depart: 07:00hrs Expected return: 19:00hrs and around the lagoons seek Cetti’s Warblers and Cost: min £17, max £26 Bearded tits in reedbeds, hope for Bittern. With The spectacular cliffs at Bempton RSPB offer close any luck finish the day with the spectacle of a Starling murmuration! 24

New June 2016.indd 24 07/06/2016 09:29 SOLIHULL BRANCH break as follows Branch contact on 0121 705 8507 Email: [email protected] Wednesday 28th September 2016 Jim Almond Indoor meetings Memorable Birding Moments. Indoor meetings are held in the Guild House, Jim has gathered together his truly exciting days Knowle B93 0LN, commencing at 19:30hrs of Birding and Photography. Admission: WMBC members £2.00, non- members £2.50. Wednesday 26th October 2016 Please note: Access from the eastern car park Keith Offord - Chasing the Day Some of the remarkable journeys and intriguing via the churchyard is unlit and those who are not behaviour in birds is triggered by Light from confident about their night vision should either the Dawn Chorus in springtime onwards. bring a torch or take the slightly longer route via the High Street. Wednesday 23rd November 2016 Details of the first meeting after the summer Colin McShane - Birds of Belvide break are as follows: A study of the many birds who visit the WMBC Friday 7th Ocotober 2016 Reserve at this premium site in Staffordshire. Gerry Griffiths Wednesday 7th December 2016 Ohio – Magee Marsh Ashley Grove – Lammergeiers of the This area, on the southern shore of Lake Erie, is a prime stopover for migrating birds in the spring. Spanish Pyrenees Exciting times with this awesome bird. Field Meetings Christmas Buffet to follow the talk. Sunday 18th September STAFFORD BRANCH Blithfield (SK055236) Branch Contact: 01543 490096 Meet at 10.00hrs at the car park on the causeway. Email: [email protected] Don’t forget to display your Blithfield Sticker. Autumn migration will still be in progress when Indoor Meetings we visit one of our principal reserves. These are held at the Perkins Sports & Social Leader: Roger Broadbent. Club, Tixall Road, Stafford. ST16 3UB. Drive past Roger, as well as having been elected Deputy ‘Reception’ and follow the road to the wooden Chairman at the Club’s A.G.M. last month, has building on your left. Park on the Club site. Meet for a long time been the leader of our Blithfield at 19:30hrs for a sharp 19:45 start. Birders’ Group. We shall benefit greatly from his extensive knowledge of the reserve. Field Meetings While the Stafford Branch has no formal field KIDDERMINSTER BRANCH trips arranged at present for 2016/17 the Contacts 01562 824615 (Branch Chair, Brian Committee is aware that there are new members Rickett, 1 Russell Road Kidderminster) or 01384 who consider themselves as beginners or 839838 novices and who would like the opportunity to go birding with more experienced bird watchers. Indoor Meetings This also applies to more experienced bird Meetings are held at St. Oswald’s Church Centre, watchers who may wish to come along as well off Broadwaters Drive, Kidderminster DY10 2RY to share the social chat and, maybe, excitement. commencing at 19.30hrs. A charge of £2.00 per Some members have made contact and we are person for WMBC members and £2.50 for non- trying to enhance their birding experience. If you members is made, which includes refreshments would like to join in please let us know. The meetings recommence after the summer 25

New June 2016.indd 25 07/06/2016 09:29 BIRD NOTES February to April Compiled from your records by Humphrey Miller These notes cover the end of the winter and the first part locality in Stoke-on-Trent was considered to be of the (notably chilly at times) spring migration period. in suitable breeding habitat. The only birds not My thanks to all correspondents, writers of blogs and mentioned above which are understood not to Twitter users from whose records this article has been have featured on sightings blogs or social media compiled. are two near Earlswood and one at Pendeford Mill RARITIES N.R. It is intended to provide an update of the There was a report of a Montagu’s Harrier in the survey’s findings in the next Newsletter. vicinity of Napton Reservoir on 16th April. A W.M.B.C. RESERVES Richard’s Pipit was reported from the Hoopoe site BELVIDE at Wall Heath on 15th March. ThatHoopoe was A Eurasian Bittern visited from 18th-20th last seen on 31st March, and there have been other February. A Hen Harrier was recorded on 19th sightings of the species at Romsley (21st-26th April. There were several sightings ofOsprey and April), Branston golf club and the upper Leam a few of Red Kite. A Hobby was seen on 28th- Valley. A Red-throated Diver was on the river at 30th April, and there have been a few reports of Worcester on 21st February, and a Black-throated Merlin. First dates of summer visitors included: Diver visited Blithfield on 10th April. There have 22nd March Barn Swallow and Sand Martin, been two differentRing-necked Ducks – a female 23rd Little Ringed Plover, 26th House Martin, 1st at Tittesworth from 12th-19th February and a April Willow Warbler, 2nd Yellow Wagtail, 5th male at Chasewater from 21st-27th March. An Northern Wheatear, 7th Common Redstart, 9th American Wigeon was recorded at Aqualate Common Sandpiper, 10th Common Tern, 12th between 21st February and 19th March. Three Grasshopper Warbler and Sedge Warbler, 13th Bean Geese visited Draycote Water on 17th April. Lesser Whitethroat (the reserve’s earliest record), Reports of Bearded Tit came from Brandon Marsh 14th Reed Warbler, 15th Common Swift and 17th and Middleton Lakes. Three Common Cranes Common Whitethroat. Wader species included were seen at Chasewater on 21st March, followed Jack Snipe, Whimbrel, Black-tailed Godwit and by two near Shustoke of 25th April. White Storks Common Greenshank. Up to seven Little Gulls were recorded at Holt Heath and Rugeley. have been recorded, and there were also sightings BLACK REDSTART SURVEY of Caspian Gull, Iceland Gull, Mediterranean Gull The story so far: Jim Winsper has sent the following and Kittiwake. A long-staying Greater Scaup was details of records received so far: last seen on 25th March. There was a count of Staffordshire Six records and birds, four wintering 117 Common Goldeneye on 13th March. Four and two passage. Common Scoters were recorded on 11th April. Worcestershire Five records and birds, all passage. BLITHFIELD West Midlands Six records/ seven birds, all A Lesser Spotted Woodpecker was recorded on passage. 20th March. There have been several reports of Warwickshire None. Osprey, a Marsh Harrier was seen on 11th April, Birds have been found in a variety of habitats – and Red Kite has been reported twice. Reports of migration watchpoints (Bredon and Clent Hills), Yellow Wagtail included a bird of the Blue-headed gardens (Hagley, Kings Norton and Bournville), race and a “Channel Wagtail” hybrid. There were farms and associated manure heaps (Hixon, a few reports of 1-2 Whinchats in mid-April, Penkridge: the latter bird was caught by ringers), a Common Redstart on 4th April and several water (Edgbaston Reservoir, discovered by Jim) records of small numbers of Northern Wheatears. and inner cities, where one bird at an unnamed A Tree Pipit was seen on 13th April. A Lesser 26

New June 2016.indd 26 07/06/2016 09:29 Whitethroat was recorded on 14th April. Sand Eurasian Bitterns, with the last on 15th March. A Martin, House Martin and Barn Swallow had all Great White Egret was reported on 19th March. Up been seen before the end of March. Two Sandwich to four Little Egrets were recorded on several dates. Terns visited briefly on 2nd April and there have 1-2 Short-eared Owls were seen in late February been a couple of reports of Arctic Tern. 17 Little and early March. A Lesser Spotted Woodpecker Gulls were recorded on 11th April, and Caspian, was reported on 21st February. Common Cuckoo Yellow-legged, Great Black-backed, Mediterranean was first recorded on 13th April. Raptors included and Common are among other gull species Osprey, Red Kite and Peregrine Falcon. Wader reported. There have been a few reports of both species included Woodcock, Black-tailed Godwit, Barn and Little Owl. Wader counts included eight Whimbrel, Ringed and Little Ringed Plovers, Whimbrels and 15 Black-tailed Godwits. A Brent Green and Common Sandpiper and Dunlin. Goose was recorded on 2nd April. Two Garganey were reported on 25th and 26th March. There was SELECTED RECORDS FROM OTHER MAIN a count of 50 Common Swifts on 29th April. SITES HARBORNE BRANDON MARSH A lone Fieldfare which had been feeding with Both Wood Warbler and Firecrest were found Blackbirds on fallen apples finally left in mid- on 21st April, and the former was present the February. At the same time a few Siskins turned next day. Other warblers included Grasshopper up, followed by some Lesser Redpolls, and a mixed Warbler, Garden Warbler and Lesser Whitethroat. flock of about 30 birds was present until the end There were two reports ofWhinchat and one of March. Redwings were regular, and the last two of Common Redstart. There have been several were recorded on 10th April. On the same date a records of Willow Tit. The first Hobby was seen Red Kite went over, and luckily was photographed on 28th April, there have been single sightings of by an allotment holder. On 22nd February two Osprey and Hen Harrier, and Red Kite has been Common Ravens flew over, the first for a few reported twice. A Great White Egret went over on months. On 13th March a Woodcock was flushed, 17th March. The last sighting ofEurasian Bittern and a Grey Heron carrying nest material flew was on 1st March. The first record ofCommon east over the reserve. The first singing Common Cuckoo was on 13th April. Kittiwake, Iceland Gull, Chiffchaff occurred on 6th April, and 13th April Little Gull (six) and Mediterranean Gull have all was the first date for Blackcap. Wintering Grey been reported. ThreeNorthern Pintails visited for Wagtails were present until mid-April. Common a few days at the end of March. Buzzards were present throughout, and on 22nd PRINCIPAL RECORDS ELSEWHERE February one was observed peering into an owl NON-PASSERINES box. Eurasian Treecreeper was a welcome sighting ThreeBewick’s Swans flew over Hollywood on 12th at the end of April. Other birds recorded included February. Records of Whooper Swan include 11 at Stock and Collared Dove, Green Woodpecker, Silverdale on 27th February, and the latest record Song Thrush and Eurasian Jay. was at Ripple on 12th April. On 27th February 150 LADYWALK Pink-footed Geese went through Audley. 51 Brent In the last week of April three passerines associated Geese were reported from Draycote Water on 15th with western oakwoods were all recorded – February. Smew of both sexes have been recorded Common Redstart, Wood Warbler and Pied at Draycote Water, and there was also a brief visit Flycatcher. There was also a report of aSpotted by a redhead at Madeley Pool. There were two Flycatcher on 30th April. Other summer visitor reports of Red Grouse from the North Staffordshire passerines included Yellow Wagtail and Garden Moorlands. Grey Partridges have been reported at Warbler. Up to five Cetti’s Warblers have been Coven, Alvecote Pools, Hixon Airfield, Abbotts recorded. A Siberian Chiffchaff was recorded Salford and the regular site of Whitemoor Haye. regularly until 6th March. There have been several There was a lengthy presence of up to three Great reports of Marsh and Willow Tit, especially in the Northern Divers at Draycote Water, with the winter. There were many reports of up to three last record on 17th April. The species has also 27

New June 2016.indd 27 07/06/2016 09:29 been recorded at Shustoke. Additional records of regularly reported locations were from Hatherton Eurasian Bittern come from Aqualate, Middleton Reservoir and Trent Washlands. Additional Lakes and Kingsbury Water Park. Great White records of Wood Warbler came from Ford Green Egret has been reported from Alvecote Pools and N.R. (from 24th April onwards) and six other sites. three further sites in the Tame Valley. A Slavonian Siberian Chiffchaffs were reported from Kempsey Grebe was at Draycote Water from 31st March- and Powick sewage works. There were plenty of 12th April. Records of Black-necked Grebe come records of Grasshopper Warbler, with counts of six from Shustoke, Branston and Salford Priors. at Doxey Marshes and five at Middleton Lakes. On 20th March there was a count of 8000 Common A Hen Harrier was seen over Bredon Hill on 2nd Starlings at Middleton Lakes. Reports of Dipper April. There have been many reports ofMarsh came from Oakamoor and the North Staffordshire Harrier. A Northern Goshawk was reported Moorlands. from Alvecote Pools on 28th March. Osprey reports have been numerous. Avocets have been From 19th March reports of Ring Ouzel were reported from Upton Warren, Middleton Lakes widespread and numerous. Principal locations and Chasewater, with a flock heard at night over were Bredon Hill (highest count 14 on 2nd Halesowen. An exceptionally early Little Ringed April), Walton Hill and Berryhill Fields. An early Plover was at Sandwell Valley on 22nd February. breeding record of Blackbird was of two recently Flocks of over 1000 European Golden Plover have fledged young at Newcastle-under-Lyme on 9th been reported from Middleton Lakes. Two Grey February. A Common Nightingale was recorded Plover were at Tucklesholme from 5th-9th April, at an undisclosed site in Worcestershire on 12th and there was also an earlier report from Marsh April. Records of Common Redstart include a bird Lane. A Sanderling was reported from Middleton found on 22nd April in a Solihull garden, near the Lakes on 17th April. The principal site for Ruff was canal. There were numerous reports of Whinchat. Branston, with up to ten birds reported. Jack Snipe Pied Flycatchers were reported from nine further records include eight birds ringed at Uttoxeter on sites. There has been a count of 60Tree Sparrows 24th March. The only record of Bar-tailed Godwit at Draycote Water, where there has also been was at Ripple on 11th April. Glaucous Gulls a count of 34 Yellow Wagtails. Tree Pipits have were reported from Draycote Water, Branston, been recorded at eight further sites. An excellent Chasewater and Wyre Piddle. Reports of Sandwich find was of four Water Pipits at Morton Bagot on Tern include a total of 13 birds at Bittell on 2nd 16th April: other sightings have been at Middleton April. There was a count of 39Arctic Terns at Lakes and Doxey Marshes. Notable finch counts Draycote Water on 23rd April. Additional records were 50 Bramblings at Fradley Junction, 160 of Barn Owl come from i54, Lightwood Hill, Siskins at Middleton Lakes and 225 Lesser Stafford, the North Staffordshire Moorlands, Redpolls at Morton Bagot. A Common Redpoll Middleton Lakes and Morton Bagot. Long-eared was also found at this last locality. Two Hawfinches Owls have been reported from Berryhill Fields and were seen in the Wyre Forest on several dates in Knypersley Reservoir. Short-eared Owls continued late February. Reports of Corn Bunting came from to be reported widely. Lesser Spotted Woodpeckers Elford/Fisherwick, Whittington, Whitemoor Haye have been recorded at Trentham Gardens (three and Codsall. dates), Wyre Forest, Middleton Lakes and Marsh Lane. Humphrey Miller Bird Notes - Any bird notes for inclusion in the PASSERINES next newsletter should be sent to Humphrey Miller, The sightings of a Great Grey Shrike in the second 29 Dorcester Court, Dorcester Road, Solihull, West half of April at Upper Brailes, Upton House and Midlands, B91 1LL by 1st August, 2016 please. Edge Hill are believed to relate to the same bird. Please Note: reference to any location in this newsletter A Firecrest was recorded at Middleton Lakes from are no guarantee of right of entry. The appropriate 2nd-11th February, and there were single-day permit should be obtained or permission sought from reports from Castle Hills (Elmdon) and Salford the landowner or such authority as necessary for the Priors. Reports of Cetti’s Warbler away from the privilege of birdwatching on the land in question. 28

New June 2016.indd 28 07/06/2016 09:29 Little Ringed Plover - Photograh Hughie King - This bird reported at Sandwell Valley on 22nd February 2016 was the first bird reported in the West Midlands this spring and Hughie tells me the first in Great Britain.

From the Editor’s Postbag - I made my first visit to Belvide Reservoir today after just receiving my membership to the WMBC.Although not a particularly exciting first visit in terms of photographing any ‘new to me’ species or rare finds I was, however, very impressed with the friendly and helpful welcome by two, I would guess, regular visitors to the site. One gentleman was only too pleased to offer advice and direction whilst letting me share a hide with him whilst the other, a while later, noticing that I was there to capture photographs, went out of his way to explain to me where I might see a couple of Great Spotted Woodpeckers further along the path. He was not a photographer but clearly an observer and he didn’t need to say anything. My usual experience over the past 12 months that I have been photographing wildlife, and in particular bird life, is one of mild curiosity followed up by expressions of obvious disapproval that I should be encroaching upon ‘their’ area. A less than welcome reception - I used to think it was a closed community only open to those that are ‘in the know’ - whatever that may be! So when I visited Belvide, one of the WMBC sites, for the first time I was pleasantly surprised by the friendly welcome. I was also impressed with the way the site was presented and kept secure from ‘vandals’ etc. Well done WMBC for restoring my faith in Bird Watchers..... and photographers. I look forward to many more visits to your sites in the near future. Kind Regards Dave Munn Good morning Dave, I am so pleased that you found your first visit to Belvide so welcoming and trust that this will continue. Thank you for letting me know, I have circulated your mail to the Belvide management team. Our Club has many members who are excellent photographers as our website shows. In my experience any prejudice within our Club against photographers has always been regarding individuals and their behaviour and certainly not generalised. One of the frustrating things at Belvide is that it is not always possible to get really close to your subject as areas which are out of bounds must always be respected as they are for the protection of nesting birds during the spring and over wintering wildfowl during the winter months. I am sure that you are already checking out Steve Nuttall’s Belvide Birding blog which he does dailyand his twitter feed where he reports anything of particular note. One of the fascinating photographic opportunities last year was a juvenile Cuckoo being fed by its ‘parent’ Reed Warbler. As we have had Cuckoos reported on site several times this spring this could be an interesting study for you this year and you will find Steve reporting it should it occur. Best wishes Sue 29

New June 2016.indd 29 07/06/2016 09:29 Christopher Cook B.V.Sc M.R.C.V.S 1946 – 2016. A long standing stalwart of the W.M.B.C, Chris Cook died suddenly on Monday 1st February, from complications following stem cell treatment for cancer. He was born on 16th January 1946 in Stourbridge. His secondary education was at Stourbridge Grammar School. He then attended the Liverpool School of Veterinary Science at Liverpool University where he qualified as a Veterinary Surgeon. As a young, newly qualified and recently married man, his first appointment was working for a Mr McLeod in Hereford. He eventually returned home to the midlands where he set up the veterinary practice Kirby and Cook in Pype Hayes. Today known as Kirby, Cook and Pegg where he remained in practice until his retirement. Chris was “The Twitchers”, Twitcher. His thorough knowledge and commitment to his hobby, plus his willingness to share his expertise with those less experienced quickly earned their respect. He was not a “Trophy” bird watcher, where only birds of extreme rarity mattered. He would get as much pleasure from observing a Jenny Wren as he would from sighting an Arctic Skua. He undertook many surveys for the BTO. The last of these he completed was the Thrush survey for which he travelled many miles to cover his designated areas. He also travelled worldwide in pursuit of his hobby. Extensively covering the British Isles plus visiting Tanzania, Gambia, Morocco, South Africa, Spain and the Balearic Islands, Turkey, Ireland, Portugal, Cyprus, The Caribbean and New Zealand. The last trip he made was to Scotland with his wife Jennie late last year, just before his treatment started. Some 16 years ago, Chris along with some other club members, undertook the “The Blithfield Estate nest box project”. This entailed installing nest boxes at various sites around Blithfield. Every year since he has annually Cleaned, repaired as necessary and recorded data for each box. His legacy to Blithfield is at the time of his passing there are now some 90 plus boxes located within the estate, 95% of which are in excellent condition. His efforts and commitment to this project has kept it going until this day. Easily recognised by his “Tilley” hat, Chris Cook will be sorely missed by those who knew him. Especially at Kingsbury Water Park, Middleton Lakes and Blithfield Reservoir. Chris is survived by his wife Jennie, daughter Heidi, son Mark and grand children Eva and Jamie. The W.M.B.C sends them our sincere condolences. Jeremy Ray, Volunteer Warden, The Blithfield Estate

Steve Davies. Regional Representative for BTO in B’ham, West Midlands & Worcestershire also wanted to pay tribute to Chris A FEW WORDS ON CHRIS COOK I never actually had the pleasure of meeting Chris, but in my role as Regional Representative for the British Trust for Ornithology in Birmingham & West Midlands, I enjoyed annual telephone conversations with him where he would phone me to ask how many heronries the BTO Heronry Census required him to cover this year. He would always agree to carry out the survey work in his straightforward, no-nonsense manner. You see, Chris was an avid fan of our local herons. He would enthusiastically monitor as many as 12 sites in search of heronries. Many of these sites would prove to be devoid of nesting herons for many years but he still got out there and checked. He made a very valuable contribution to the survey for the ten years or so that I have been the Local Organiser and for a number of years before that. He also got very involved with the BTO Bird Atlas 2007/11 covering numerous tetrads within my patch and also around Aberdovey in mid-Wales. Many thanks for your contribution to our local avifauna Chris. You will be badly missed. My thoughts are with his wife Jen and family. Steve Davies 30

New June 2016.indd 30 07/06/2016 09:29 West Midland Bird Club Field Trip Reports - Ray Davies Old Moor RSPB - Sunday 07 Feb 2016 We left Cambridge Street at 07.20 and after a short stop on the way arrived at RSPB Old Moor for 10.00. We set out and admired Bullfinches close to us at the first feeding station. A walk through the reedbed to the hide hoping for Bearded Tit was fruitless recording just Reed Bunting and common wildfowl. From the hides overlooking pools attractive Goosander were found with all the regular wildfowl. A Ruff hid in the the greenery of a small island surrounded by lapwings. A Green Sandpiper eventually showed itself as it moved between pools. At the feeding area the extensive feeding facilities yielded excellent close views of Tree Sparrows, Siskin, Linnet, Song Thrush, Bullfinches, again, and eventually of Willow Tit and Brambling. Forest of Dean - Sunday 06 Mar 2016 The coach left at 07.00 and after our usual stop en route we arrived at Parkend at 09.15. Unfortunately no Hawfinch could be found but Dipper gave some consolation as it carried nesting material. We left for New Fancy View from where, after a while, we were able to watch Goshawk displaying over the forest with Buzzards. Ravens flew through. After lunch we sought Hawfinch again with no luck before visiting Cannop Ponds. Here the feeding station had Marsh Tit visting as well as regular tit family species and Nuthatch. On the pool were the expected but always attractive Mandarin with resplendent males and attractive females pairing up before breeding in the Forest. In the nearby alders a Treecreeper fed very close to us. Finally we went to Crabtree Hill where Great Grey Shrike eluded us but we did have good views of Siskin. We were thankful for a dry day and enjoyed a few of our rarer species. Devon Weekend - Friday 01 Apr 2016 After meeting at the Passage House Hotel on the Friday evening we watched beside the River Teigne before breakfast on Saturday. Redshank and Common Sandpiper fed at the water’s edge with quite a few Gulls and a few Little Egret. In the hedgerow trees a pair of Bullfinch fed quietly. After breakfast we met at Berry Head where early arrivals enjoyed close views of male Cirl Bunting. Soon after we all found a female in a tree beside the car park. On the cliffs were the usual Guillemots with nesting Fulmar. On the offshore rocky island were Shag and Cormorant. At Broadsands we eventually found Cirl Buntings feeding in a field beside the car park but using the other side of the hedge to us to perch - viewing them was not easy! On the sea we found a few Common Scoter and overhead two peregrine displayed before zooming away. At Powderham Park we searched through the many Little Egrets and eventually found our target - a Cattle Egret feeding alongside a ditch in which it was hidden frequently! A Stonechat showed up nearby. At Dawlish Warren the walk to the hide was rewarded with calling Cetti’s warbler, a Wheatear, a group of resting Sandwich Terns, some Ringed Plover, a Sanderling, and some Red-breasted Mergansers on the water. Sunday dawned damp and cold. At Exminster Marshes a Snipe fed beside a pool, a Willow Warbler called and Brent Geese were beside a stream. In front of the hide at Bowling Green Marsh attractive Pintail were among Teal, and Shoveler were feeding on the open water. From the viewing stand were some Greenshank, many Black-tailed Godwits among which a few Knot were found, and a lone 31

New June 2016.indd 31 07/06/2016 09:29 Avocet showed itself. In the hedgerow on our return to the cars a male Blackcap showed well. A short walk onto Woodbury Common was rewarded, after a patient wait in the cold, with short glimpses of Dartford Warbler to complete a productive Devon Weekend. Woolston Eyes/Burton Mere Wetlands RSPB - Sunday 24 Apr 2016 We left at 08.00 and after a stop at Knutsford arrived at Woolston Eyes at 10.15. We were escorted onto the reserve and soon Willow Warbler song and Chiffchaff calls greeted us and a Blackccap was in branches over our heads. We were split into groups and were escorted by wardens from hide to hide ending up in the main hide. Black-necked Grebes were active among many Black-headed Gulls. Among the gulls two adult Mediterranean Gulls were found loafing just in front of the hide on open water. A Willow Tit visited the feeders along with many Greenfinch. A female Marsh Harier hunted periodically and was fnally harasssed by a Buzzard. All three hirundines were numerous, feeding over the pools. We left and after some 40 minutes drive we left the coach to walk to the Centre at Burton Mere. The walk took us through a woodland belt carpeted blue with bluebells! Beautiful. From the Centre we watched over the lagoon in front and soon found 9 Spotted Redshanks almost in their black breeding plumage. A single Ruff was present amongs many Avocets and there were masses of Black-tailed Godwits in varying stages of plumage change. Searching around the reserve found 2 Wheatears on higher ground, many Little Egrets on the Dee estuary, and a large group of Wagtails. Among these were some 9 Yellow Wagtails with one Blue-headed variant. A Peregrine flew through causing havoc putting many birds into the air, and a Reed Warbler eventually burst into song. We walked back through the woods to meet the coach and left for home having had a successful day with rare Grebes and Med Gulls, less common summer migrants and attractive waders, recording some 78 species in the day!!

Dipper collecting nesting material at Dowles Brook on 21st March, 2016 Photograph Gordon Wright

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New June 2016.indd 32 07/06/2016 09:29 Above - Black-tailed Godwits in various plumages at Burton Mere Below - Members seeking Dartford Warbler at Woodbury Common - Photographer Ray Davies

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New June 2016.indd 33 07/06/2016 09:29 Feedback from Staffordshire Birders’ Conference, 2016 Geoff Sales

What on earth inspired this event? A Red-footed Falcon, that’s what. The one that dropped in on Chatterley Whitfield in northern Stoke-on-Trent last July, to be precise. At the time, I’d been Group Leader of RSPB North Staffs Local Group for only a short time, my position having just been ratified at our AGM that May. What had been puzzling me for a little while was what criteria were used to determine which bird sightings were posted on the Staffordshire Bird News blog; no doubt I’ve not been alone in this, and this falcon’s presence had been well publicised thereon. So I contacted them and asked. After exchanging a couple of emails we arranged to meet at the ‘falcon field,’ the bird still being in residence. ‘We’ consisted of Chris and Nick from the blog, and Roger, our group web editor, and myself; Roger lives not far from the site. We had a fruitful conversation, Chris and Nick offering to advertise our indoor meetings on the blog in future, and we offering to reciprocate in any way we could. One thing I did arrange shortly after was a system for our group to have a ‘rapid reaction force’ to help out with guarding any other rarities that may drop in; this system is yet to be tested! It turned out that there had been persistent attempts to trap the falcon, it apparently being worth thousands of pounds. Around this time, it really came home to me that our group lived in its own bubble; we had no formal links with any other conservation body (don’t forget I’d only just become leader and hadn’t fully realised our apparently complete isolation). I then thought “this won’t do!” and determined to do something about it. From the mental fog, an idea slowly coalesced; gradually, the idea of something along the lines of a workshop for like-minded groups and individuals hove into view. Time to fast-forward a bit. In short, I put the idea out, it was greeted positively by one and all, I sought commitments from potential speakers, the workshop became a conference, and it gradually took shape. I ‘sold’ the idea as its being about facilitating the cooperation, communication and mutual understanding of the disparate strands of the county’s birding community. I picked the brains of participants as to when and where, etc – a kind of virtual committee was formed, consisting of Chris Waring, Nick Pomiankowski, Scott Petrek and myself, it only physically convening once (everything else was conducted by email). I finally opted for Oulton Village Hall, near Stone (Scott’s suggestion) largely because of its location – pretty near the epicentre of the county – but also because of what it had to offer; it has excellent facilities. Along the way, the falcon had been found shot dead (now worth not a penny), so I decided to dedicate the conference to its memory. So, fast-forward to the day, which attracted some 80 participants. We had settled on a 5-hour programme, including a 45-minute lunch break – self-catering to keep costs down. Eight speakers were on the agenda. First up was Kate Thorpe of RSPB Middleton Lakes, with her talk “The past, present and future of RSPB Middleton Lakes.” I only learned subsequently that this was her first public talk, and she carried it off excellently. Next up was Nick Pomiankowski – the County Bird Recorder – with his talk “Bird Recording.” This looked at the hows, whys and wherefores of this important aspect of birding, and how the records are used by conservationists and governments. Next up was David Dodd, Group Leader of the WMBC’s Stafford Branch. His talk was entitled “Are you mad? Why join a bird club?”, and it proved to be as idiosyncratic and entertaining as the title suggested; in essence, it probed the pros and cons of bird club membership. The final talk of the morning was by Colin McShane, Group Chairman of the Brewood Ringers’ Group, and was entitled “Brewood Ringers – who we are and what we get up to.” This was a fascinating account of their work, not just at Belvide and nearby sites, but also in Portugal, Norway, and even further afield on occasions. Lunchtime was the ideal occasion for networking, which was the central point of the whole event. The afternoon session was kicked off by Peter Durnall, who presented two of his wildlife films (each lasting about 20 minutes). The first was of a year in Peter’s own garden, and 34

New June 2016.indd 34 07/06/2016 09:29 the bit that has stuck in my mind is the sequential fledging of a brood of Blue Tits (which meant Peter staying at his post for some six hours). The 2nd film was more about woodland birds, with, for instance, footage of a Spotted Fycatcher, but again the bit that always springs to my mind is footage of a Dipper whacking open a Caddis larval case to feed the grub to its chick. All fascinating stuff. Peter was followed by Paul Bennett, of RSPB Coombes Valley, with his talk entitled “Managing upland oak woodland for Birds without Borders.” This looked at recent land acquisition, which enlarges the reserve, and the latest work to render the site as attractive as possible for the key species of Wood Warbler, Pied and Spotted Flycatchers and Redstart. The penultimate speaker was Chris Waring of Staffordshire Bird News (known to many as simply “the blog”), with “Who we are and what we do.” I’m sure many people were intrigued by this talk, and at being able to see and meet two of the faces behind the blog (Nick Smith was also present), and to get a metaphorical look behind the scenes. As Chris said afterwards, he was able to dispel some of the myths which surround their work. To round off the day, Gerald Gittens (County BTO rep. for the Breeding Bird Survey) spoke on “BTO Surveys,” an area of birding which is inextricably linked to bird recording. This served as a final reminder that our common hobby can be used to feed in to ‘citizen science,’ and can help shape the decisions made by those with political power. The session ended with a few questions from the floor, then a show of hands was sought for whether a follow-up conference was required; the answer is a resounding yes! My special thanks go to all the speakers, to Lee (Leonie) and Val, who worked so assiduously in the kitchen, and to Sandy McLauchlan, who not only compered the event, but also baked all those memorable cakes and biscuits! Geoff Sales Geoff is busy plannning next year’s Staffordshire conference which will take place on Sunday 5th March 2017 at the same venue and would welcome any suggestions you may have for speakers. He has already booked Staffordshire based ‘Wildlife Kate’ who you may have seen on Spring Watch. Geoff has also extended an invitation to anyone who wishes to join any event organised by his group which is the North Staffs. RSPB group. All events and contact details are posted on their web page.

From the Editor’s Postbag Being involved in this years Black Redstart survey one of the areas that I particularly wanted to look at was in and around Oldbury in the West Midlands.

We had decided to make our first visit on the morning of 6th March 2016 and covered a small stretch of canal near Tat Bank Road adjacent to the Solvay Chemical Works. Apart from hearing at least one Redwing singing other bird seen were fairly predictable, however we were surprised to hear a loud and hollow tapping noise coming from the other side of the canal. We quickly located a male Great Spotted Woodpecker sat on top of a white plastic panel box located on the side of a telegraph pole casually tapping its bill on the top of the box. I personally have not witnessed this sort of behaviour before and I can not help wondering if the bird had seized an opportunity to be heard above the usual throng of the heavy industrial traffic of the area. We would be interested to hear if any other readers have seen this sort of behaviour. Martyn Yapp &Kay Donaghy 35

New June 2016.indd 35 07/06/2016 09:29 Midland Peregrine Group Launched Dr. Stefan Bodnar Earlier this year, a meeting took place of Peregrine recorders and enthusiasts from across the Midlands at the new Sandwell valley RSPB Centre, under the banner of PeopleforPeregrines. Peregrine Falcons are becoming a much more common sight around the Midlands and with successful breeding year on year new sites are being colonised. Despite this apparent success, the species is still under threat, suffering persecution in upland areas and in Scotland, and many of the pairs in the Midlands are susceptible to disturbance and occasional destruction, despite receiving protection under Schedule 1 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act . So, the meeting was convened with the aim in mind of: • Improving our knowledge of where Peregrine Falcons are nesting in the Midlands • Understanding any threats or issues these birds may face • Working to reduce threats and disturbance. • Actively promoting Peregrines to engage people with Nature , including artificial nest-trays • and web-cams in Cities. The participants came from a wide range of backgrounds and interests and included BTO reps. and ringers/nest recorders, Representatives of the Wildlife Trusts, photographers, the Constabulary, Local Authorities and interested individuals. The meeting was very positive and concluded a number of very concrete actions that we could take. One of the key actions was improving our knowledge of the site Peregrines are nesting in within the Midland Counties (both East and West Midlands) and we are looking to increase surveys, with surveyors targeting different areas and known, previous or suspected breeding locations. This is where we are asking members of the West Midland Bird Club for help. We are interested in sightings of Peregrine Falcons from this year that you may see throughout the Midlands. In particular we will be interested in any signs of breeding (mating/food passes, and any suspected sites). For those involved in the West Midland Bird Club survey of Black Redstarts this year, organised by Jim Winsper we would ask if they could also look out for Peregrines (they are often in the same sort of areas in cities). All information will be treated with utmost confidentiality, and the recipient below holds a Schedule 1 license for this species. Contact: Dr. Stefan Bodnar [email protected] Peopleforperegrines.org

Photograph - Ian Butler Photography Stephan Bodnar 36

New June 2016.indd 36 07/06/2016 09:29 One Of My Favourites LESSER WHITETHROAT

Colin McShane

I’m sure that, like me, once people get to know that you are a birder, one of the first questions they ask is ‘’ what’s your favourite bird?’’ This question always floors me simply because I don’t have an absolute favourite; rather I have a few birds that for various reasons mean something special to me. Lesser Whitethroat (Sylvia curruca), is one of my favourites for a very specific reason. Obviously it is a gorgeous little creature in a very subtle way. Beautifully proportioned, with a muted but crisp colour scheme- and a barely discernible ‘bandit mask’ stripe through the eye, give it a relatively easy set of identification features. Its short rattling song, once heard and identified makes its presence in nearby dense cover fairly obvious. The fact that unlike most of its warbler congeners it spends the winter not in Africa but in the eastern Med/Arabian Gulf countries—also sets it apart from many other little brown jobs. But none of these perfectly respectable claims to favouritism gives it a special place in my world. Jumping back about 40 years (how I wish I could…..), I decided to take up birding more seriously when playing footie started to lose its appeal. On a visit to my in-laws in Ilford I chanced upon the original edition of ‘’The Bird Observatories of Britain and Ireland’’ in the local library. It captivated me. On a subsequent visit, I was granted a pass-out to spend a day at Dungeness bird observatory on the Kent coast. Up before the crack of dawn I made my way to Dunge, not really knowing what to expect. Nick Riddiford was the warden, and on arrival I introduced myself to him as the novice that I was. Anyone who met Nick will appreciate that he was not the most talkative guy—but he welcomed me and got me involved in the activities—which involved the arduous slog on shingle round the mist nets. I had never experienced mist netting before, and as luck would have it, there had been a ‘fall’ of Lesser Whitethroats overnight, many of which were in the nets. I stood back in complete awe and amazement at the skill of the ringers but also at the sheer beauty and the close views I was getting of the birds. Pride of place went to the Lesser Whitethroats and after an exciting and very tiring day I set off back to Ilford. For weeks after that day I couldn’t get the images of the day out of my mind. I had to become a ringer. Eventually I found the Mercian Ringing Group in Sutton Coldfield who were daft enough to take me on—and the rest as they say—is history. Forty plus years later and I am still as keen and enthusiastic as when I started; mainly thanks to Sylvia curruca one of my favourite birds. Colin McShane

Do you have a favourite bird? If so why? Please let me know. It would be great to make this a regular feature. Sue 37

New June 2016.indd 37 07/06/2016 09:29 Unusual Bird for my garden at Castlecroft

Bob Jones

Bob’s record shot of the Lesser Spotted Woodpecker taken through his kitchen window.

I look forward to the long summer days and nights when I can spend a lot of time in the garden admiring my flowers and the wild birds, especially late in the evening when the Blackbird gets high up singing its wonderful song. When sat in the garden scanning sky I have seen many good birds from Red Kite, Peregrine, Hobby, Tawny Owl, Raven, Jay and many more. I have recorded fifty different bird species in the garden over the years from all three Woodpeckers to Redstart, Treecreeper, Pheasant, Red-legged Partridge, Moorhen, Wheatear, Bullfinch, Nuthatch, Jay, and Turtle Dove in the early Nineties to mention just a few. The Great Spotted Woodpecker is a very regular visitor to the garden apple trees, but one morning in the middle of October, when having my breakfast, I noticed a Woodpecker fly into the tree. Thinking it was the Great Spotted I didn’t really take much notice until I got a half view of the bird and something looked different but in no time the bird flew off. This went on for several weeks with not being able to get a clear view of the bird with the trees in full leaf and apples on it it was very difficult but with each little view I was convinced it was the Lesser Spotted Woodpecker. Early in November I decided to prune the apple trees as this would give me a much better view of the bird and sure enough on Saturday 14th November at 10.30am the bird returned giving me full views and enable me to take a couple of photo’s through the kitchen window. At last any doubts in my mind had gone IT WAS THE LESSER SPOTTED WOODPECKER. I met up with Belvide’s top birder, Steve Nuttall, on the Sunday and showed him the photo’s just to confirm my sightings. The first record of the Lesser Spotted Woodpecker in my garden was 18th July 1999 and it appears most summers along with the Great Spotted and many other different birds. I live just a few hundred yards from The South Staffordshire Railway Walk which appears to be a good location. Bob Jones

Bob is a stalwart of the Belvide work party volunteer team. The Belvide management team send him and all other Belvide volunteers huge thanks. Without all their sterling work Belvide would be a very different place. Sue 38

New June 2016.indd 38 07/06/2016 09:29 And Finally This issue contains more business and less birding than usual but next time there will be much more space for your articles. Will you write something PLEASE? However good an article or photograph is, on its own it doesn’t make a newsletter. It’s when I put it together with all the other contributions it becomes the thing that it is. You will also have noticed that I have included a couple of items entitled ‘From the Editor’s Postbag’ . If you have any coments you would like included next time or ideas for the Newsletter please send them to me and I will do my best to use them. Sue Suggestions - The officers of the club welcome suggestions and feedback from the membership regarding any aspect of our club. Please send them to the most appropriate officer or, if in doubt to Mark, our Secretary who will pass them on. Next Issue - The Autumn issue of your newsletter will go to press by mid-August and should be on your door mats at the beginning of September. Please send your contributions to the editor by 1st August at the latest. Anything received after this cut off date will be held over until the Winter issue.

WMBC Officers Press Officer - As Honorary Secretary President - W.E. Oddie O.B.E. Email: [email protected] Vice Presidents - F.C. Gribble M.B.E. Annual Report Editor - D.W. Emley, A.J. Richards, G.R. Harrison 23 Leacroft, Stone, Staffordshire ST15 8GF Email: [email protected] Chairman - Kevin Clements, 26 Hambrook Close, Dunstall Park, Website - Jim Winsper Wolverhampton, WV6 0XA 32 Links Road, Hollywood, Birmingham B14 4TP Email: [email protected] Email: [email protected] Deputy Chairman - Roger Broadbent, Newsletter Editor - Sue Judge Maple Cottage , 8 Home Farm Court, Ingestre 3 Fennel Close, Cheslyn Hay, WS6 7DZ Stafford ST18 0PZ Email: [email protected] [email protected] Advertising Honorary Secretary - Mark Rickus, Enquiries regarding advertising in this 27 Ringmere Avenue, Castle Bromwich B36 9AT publication should be addressed to the Editor. Email: [email protected] Small ads of direct benefit to members and ‘for Honorary Treasurer - A. Thomas sale’ items from members will be normally be 24 Awbridge Road, Dudley, West Midlands, included free of charge, space permitting. DY2 0JA Email: [email protected] The WMBC is a Registered Charity (number 213311), serving birdwatchers, ornithologists Membership Secretary - John Hoyle, and all who have an interest in the birds of 16 Brendan Close, Coleshill, Birmingham, Staffordshire, Warwickshire, Worcestershire and B46 3EF the West Midlands Counties. Email: [email protected] Permits Secretary - As Honorary Secretary Website - westmidlandbirdclub.org.uk Email: [email protected] Twitter account@WestMidBirdClub 39

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