Leader's Ramblings

Home , Basingstoke Canal, Chobham Common, Coxes Lock, Horsell Common

2014 - 2.

Group Web Site: *www.rspb.org.uk/groups/nwsurrey

Contents this issue -

GNaH p 2 a LEADER’SRAMBLINGS Ins & Outs p 3 a Hi all, AGM Info p 9 a Hope you were not affected by the flooding in January and February - we managed to escape by two inches which was a bit too close for our comfort and I know some of you had a few A Bit of Local Birding p 10 a sleepless nights. It proves we all need to be aware about possible climate change as I am seeing too many of these so called ‘once in 40 Did you miss ? p 11 a a lifetime’ events lately. years I think it will take a few months for everything to get back to normal Nature Ramblings p 12 a as everywhere is still wet underfoot and we need a prolonged dry spell, but Nature is a survivor. Welcome to p 12 a Our 40th year is zooming through at an alarming rate. The Mike Dilger talk was very entertaining and went down well with our members and the public alike with around 150 people turning up. As you read this Frank's and Peter's special 40th Anniversary outdoor Odds & Ends p 14 a walks will have just taken place. Our special AGM and party kicks off on the 25th of June and our Anniversary BBQ takes place Future Events p 15 a at Sue and Simon's on Saturday the 5th of July. Please make sure you put your name down for these events. I must see if we can do something for the Autumn... and any ideas on how to round the year off? it is becoming increasingly hard to get help for the teas at the indoor meetings. I think there is a risk that we may have to stop having the interval teas at the indoor meetings if we do not start getting regular help soon. On a brighter note I am happy to say that the group is doing well. We have quite a few new members and we always get loads of support for our Spring fair, street collections and our various other events. We have also had an other of help to take over from Brian when he steps down at the AGM. More news about this in the newsletter. Geoff is always looking for more articles to put in the newsletter. It is good that we are getting different members writing articles. It does not have to be just about birds, but anything about Nature in general is warmly welcomed. He is also keen to hear from you about the newsletter, either good or bad, or if there is anything that you feel should be removed or put in. ‘Til the next time. Dave.

North West Surrey RSPB's Facebook page. North West Surrey RSPB is now on Facebook. We will be placing RSPB and group news, photographs and information about our group on our page. It will especially be good should we have to change indoor or outdoor events at short notice. It is also a good medium to try and get new members to the group. We have only been going with this for a couple of months and already we have friends from the RSPB, friends as near as Chertsey and as far away as Scotland, Wales, Spain, America and Mexico. Join us via the facebook logo above, the link below, or use the QR alongside, and click like and you will be able to see the updated information. *https://www.facebook.com/NorthWestSurreyRspbLocalGroup Please note the PROPOSED FINAL CUT OFF DATES for the expected four issues. These are now at the VERY LATEST, THE FIRST SATURDAYS OF - JANUARY, APRIL, JULY AND OCTOBER. *22 Thank you for your input to the newsletter, whether it be an article, a photo, a letter or just a comment. © RSPB North West Surrey Local Group – 2014 1 © The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) is a registered charity in England and Wales no. 207076, in Scotland no. SC037654 Big Garden Bird Watch January 2014 As part of the Big Garden Bird Watch weekend, Mary and I were asked to do a talk to two care homes for the residents and the children from local schools. As Mary was working on the Thursday I was allowed out to play on my own, along with Mick. We had a fantastic day telling 30 children and around 40+ residents in the care home about the BGBW. The age range was from 7 to 102. I was amazed how well the kids and the residents got on. We took them all on a small bird walk in the grounds, made chocolate bird nests with chocolate eggs (most of the eggs did not make it into the nests for some reason!), we made fat ball cakes and finished up with the Hokey Cokey!!! I am hoping to go back in the Spring to do a Bumble bee talk. On Friday Mary went off to another care home armed with BGBW leaflets, bird ID pictures and basically anything that might interest a group of people whose ages would vary between six and 96. She chatted about different garden birds that they might see and one of the residents accompanied her with his binoculars and his trusty 1949 edition Oxford bird book with the most beautiful illustrations. Dave Braddock

Street Collection at *Long Acres (LA) 29 March 2014 What a difference a year makes! This time last year the street collectors who went out to LA were standing in snow and freezing cold. This year the temperatures rose to a heady 22 degrees! Some of the shoppers were in tee shirts and shorts and the general feeling was one of relief that the wet winter was behind us. Also there was a steady stream of people constantly arriving at the garden centre with it being Mothering Sunday the next day. Today, a steady team of collectors manned the “tins” from 9.00 am to 5.00pm. £342 was collected during the day. A big thank you to all the volunteers who turned out to collect. This was also Flavia the Flamingo’s debut outing! She did well – attracting quite a few sympathy donations from the public who admired the person inside who had the courage to stand in the warmth for 2 hours! Thank you Marion for organising the day. Thank you LA for having us there once again and thank you to your shoppers for supporting the RSPB. Mary Braddock

Group Vacancy

Help needed - Notes Taker. We are looking for someone to write down the minutes at our committee meetings and at the AGM, and then send completed to me by email. We hold committee meetings about four or five times a year, usually on a Wednesday evening, and the meeting usually lasts for about two hours. The meetings are held at our house in New Haw. It is an ideal way of giving some help to the group. The time it takes is about twelve hours per year. If you can help, please get in touch with me. *Dave Braddock.

*3 © RSPB North West Surrey Local Group – 2014 © The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) is a registered charity in England and Wales no. 207076, in Scotland no. SC037654 2 Group Events (The Ins and Outs) Mid-week Walk at *Moor Green Lakes Wednesday 18th December 2013 Weather: Fine, mainly sunny and calm, becoming windy from southwest 10C Seven of us made the trip to Sandhurst to visit this very pleasant reserve. The feeders in the car park weren’t attracting anything unusual except a brief glimpse of a great spotted woodpecker, although I thought that I saw a flying red kite through the leafless branches of the surrounding trees. It didn’t show itself further, so we moved on to scan the horse paddock next door. Here there was a song thrush and a redwing was spotted in the trees nearby, while a pair of buzzards stretched their wings over the woodland behind. Colebrook Lake North immediately came up with the goods when we found two male goosanders and these were supported by the usual great crested grebes, coots, moorhens, wigeon, gadwall, mallard, shovelers and pochards. On the islands could be found quite a few lapwing and cormorants and a couple of grey herons. Despite a thorough search no trace of the usual snipe could be found and the reed buntings had abandoned the feeders to the blue and great tits and a greenfinch with a dunnock rummaging around on the ground. Colebrook South produced a couple of little grebes but nothing else of note and a look at the New Workings failed to unearth any owls, although some distant common gulls could be seen. Moving east along the Blackwater River the usual wrens and other small birds were few and far between but eventually we came upon a small group of lesser redpolls eating alder seeds and the occasional goldfinch and long-tailed tit passed through. Reaching Grove Lake we found another male goosander and had a fleeting glimpse of two females as well as a couple of Egyptian geese but there was no sign of the male goldeneye that was known to be around. A few stock doves pecked around on a grassy slope. A look through the bare trees at Horseshoe Lake only added a few herring gulls and black-headed gulls to the list so we headed back towards the car park. During the walk the missing male goldeneye appeared close by, which was good. We then found the female goosanders on Colebrook South giving good views. Despite being a little quiet it was good to get out and forget Christmas for a few hours – and the rain didn’t arrive until later. Peter Hambrook Photo of a lapwing by Peter Hambrook

*Papercourt – New Years Day Wednesday January 1st 2014 As ever, today was a chance to start the ‘year list’, if you keep such a thing, with a hopefully pleasant stroll around the Papercourt area. Papercourt is a brilliant spot all year round with a nice habitat mix including meadow, gravel pits, river, farmland and a mix of scrub and tree cover. What it mostly was today however was wet, both underfoot and as the morning developed, through the air helped by a stiffening wind. I reached the car parking area half an hour before the published start time and immediately had a ‘rattling’ mistle thrush above the car and a single redwing close to the river. Somewhat to my surprise, another eight people showed up by 9.30 and with the rain already falling, we set off up the road towards Pyrford to check the trees and field adjoining the road. This produced a single kestrel, a small flock of goldfinch, one fieldfare in with redwing and looking further out over the fields, jackdaws, a few cormorant and a couple of Egyptian geese. Moving back towards the bridge, we added a pair of goldcrest and a few long tailed tits. Having checked that people were still ok to continue, we then struck out across the meadow towards Papercourt Lock. If you know the area then you will know that this part of the walk is very exposed and with rain and wind beating across the meadow, this was beginning to feel more like a military training exercise than birdwatching. We did however struggle against the elements to reach the lock and then took the towpath which gave us a little cover. We did come across a flock of fifty or so siskin (although much of the group had moved on at this point). The weather continued to worsen however and after a quick look through the fence into the Surrey Wildlife Trust Papercourt Marshes reserve where we saw a single shoveler and a couple of gadwall, it was time to call it day. That decision meant that we missed the gravel pit part of the walk but in spite of the excellent company, the conditions were just miserable by this time and time to head home, brew a cuppa and in my case, relax in the company of a mince pie. We did still manage thirty species as a group which all things considered, was pretty good. Neil Bew

*2 © RSPB North West Surrey Local Group – 2014 © The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) is a registered charity in England and Wales no. 207076, in Scotland no. SC037654 3 MWW at WWT *London Wetland Centre, Barnes Thursday 9th January 2014 Weather: Partly cloudy at first with a few spots of rain but becoming dry and mainly sunny by afternoon 10C. Eleven of us gathered at Barnes, having braved the encroaching flood waters on the two main access routes, which for once were clear of major hold-ups. Surprisingly, the water level at Barnes was much as normal, so presumably they have some way of moving any excess water into the adjacent River Thames. We started the day in the spacious observation centre, scanning the reserve to get a feel for what was about. Almost immediately the gulls and waders took to the air and Nigel got us onto a peregrine as it cruised throuthe gh a couple of times. Not a bad start. As is the case at most water bodies this unusually mild winter, the number of birds present was well down on a normal winter, although the selection of species was much as usual. Shovelers, tufted ducks, cormorants, mallards, wigeons, Canada geese and lapwings were well represented and with a bit of hunting several teal, gadwall, grey herons, a greylag goose and a pair of Egyptian geese could be found. Gulls were well represented with black-headed, lesser black-backed and herring all to be found, and a few little- and great-crested grebes were diving in the areas of deeper water. A bit more work was required to pick out the common snipe and a pair of pintail, while despite spending about fifteen minutes staring at a patch of reed where we were assured there was a jack snipe, none of us could pick it out. They are very well camouflaged. A check of the loop trail behind one of the lakes only managed to offer a single lesser redpoll and several blue tits, great tits and chaffinches but the feeding station was a little more productive with a siskin, goldfinches, great spotted woodpecker, long-tailed tits and a very large rat. A brambling was around too but not when we were there. After lunch we spent some time on the Wildside, first visiting the bright and airy Headley hide (why can’t they all be like this?) to scan the reed beds for any lurking bitterns, sadly a species that eluded us on this visit, with only one being reported early in the morning. Next we went to the two-tier Wildside hide to scan the grazing marshes and deep water areas. This produced some nearby wigeon, a distant green woodpecker and a superb male sparrowhawk, spotted close by in a hedge by Jean. With the low sun now producing some beautiful lighting we headed back to the centre and home, having enjoyed that rare event this winter – a fine day. Peter Hambrook Photo of a male gadwall by Peter Hambrook 2014 Quiz Night Saturday 11th January 2014 40 The annual group quiz this year had a rather special years purpose in that we were kicking off the 40th Anniversary year for RSPB North West Surrey (or Weybridge and District as we were originally called). Ten teams rolled up eager for competition and fish ‘n’ chips with the usual varied names ranging from ‘The Twitchwells’ through ‘Wingin’ it’ and ‘Resplendent Quetzals’ to ‘Fuzzy Ducks’. Given its significance, the quiz had a few themes centred on 1974. By way of a few examples, the picture round featured people who had either been born or had died in 1974 ranging from a baby faced Tim Henman (most teams got that one) to French President Pompidou (not many got that one!). The music round was all post-1974 and we finished with a round about events from the fateful year. This last round featured such gems as the first product to be sold using a bar code (a packet of chewing gum in America if you really want to know) to the rather more serious ‘Who succeeded Edward Heath as PM’ that year. We also asked for the original name of the group which somewhat disappointingly, was wrongly answered by both the current and one former leader of the group! It should also be said that our current leadership dressed up as a Flamingo (a lesser flamingo apparently glorying in the name of Flavia or Mary if you prefer) and Dave as, I think, a Dodo.

...I thought Flavia fancied an ostrich called Ollie ...you wouldn’t be trying to make him extinct would you Neil? (Mary Braddock)

*1 © RSPB North West Surrey Local Group – 2014 © The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) is a registered charity in England and Wales no. 207076, in Scotland no. SC037654 4 But what of the competition itself? The early running was set by Hannah’s Harriers with the use of the joker in the very first round yielding good results although the team scored well throughout. ‘Shell’ and ‘The Owls’ started slowly but again, with a well played joker, Shell reached mid table respectability by the end. Two of our teams who started mid table, ‘Wingin’ It’ featuring Dave and Mary and ‘Unwrapped Penguins’ then suffered somewhat contrasting fortunes with Wingin It steadily sliding towards the lower reaches of respectability whilst Unwrapped Penguins, helped by maximum points with their joker on the music round, equally steadily rose towards champion status. However, having romped through History and Politics, Sport, Geography and Entertainment, all was still up for grabs as we entered the final 1974 round and with the scores from the 20 point picture round still to be recorded. All seven rounds, one doubled by the joker plus the picture round gives us a maximum possible score of 100 and our top three scores in reverse order were Hannah’s Harriers on 71, Fuzzy Ducks with 73 and Unwrapped Penguins (last years winners complete with new name) on 75. A close finish with a range of scores from the other teams, all of whom can be proud of their efforts. All told, the night raised some £300 for our causes and seemed to be enjoyed by all. Thanks to all who attended and helped on the night, notably Steve for carrying out the quiz masters duties. See you next year! Neil Bew and Simon Lumsden Winners photo by Mary Braddock RSPB Trip to *Rainham Marshes Saturday, 18thJanuary 2014 From the beginning of 2014, I decided to try alternating our monthly weekend trips between a Saturday and the usual Sunday, to see if I could improve the number of members attending the outings. The trip to RSPB Rainham Marshes was the first of our scheduled Saturday outings. 9 members assembled in the car park on a pleasant crisp morning, with all but one, suitably dressed in wellington boots – more to come on that subject shortly. As we approached the visitor centre, we spent a few minutes scanning the exposed mudflats on the River Thames. Birds present included dunlin, redshank, shelduck, lapwing and a solitary curlew. This winter has been the wettest winter on record and after entering the reserve through the visitors centre, you could see that the water levels on the reserve were understandably high. Passing over the bridge we began scanning the first area which is normally a series of pools and marshes – however, today it was really just one big pool. Large numbers of wigeon, shoveler, gadwall, teal, moorhen and coot were busy feeding, whilst the feeders to our left were busy, with a constant coming and going of goldfinch, greenfinch and collared dove. The circular pathway around the reserve is flat and easily manageable and as there appeared to be a large group just ahead of us, I opted to go round the reserve in a clockwise direction – the opposite way to the other group. Several Cetti’s warbler could be heard as we moved around the south side of the reserve, their loud explosive call instantly recognisable. As we reached the shooting range at the far end of the reserve, the water began to cover the path and to the rear of the range, the water was at least 8 inches deep. This is where the wellingtons came into their own and we ploughed through the water heading for the hide. However, as I previously mentioned, one brave sole chose to forego the wellies for a nice pair of shoes. At this point I honestly expected them to turn around and head for the visitor centre but as I turned around, to see what they would do, they were gallantly plodding through the water, with socks and shoes still on their very wet feet. Above us a large flock of golden plover and lapwing kept us occupied. They were very skittish, constantly settling on the ground, only to shout back up into the air. It did imply that a predator was around but we did not see anything and as we entered the hide, the flock settled. The flock contained over 280 golden plover and 1100 lapwing, an impressive sight in the winter sunshine. Other birds present included snipe, 3 handsome drake pintail, a trio of pochard and small groups of mallard and tufted duck which increased our day list. A patrolling male marsh harrier, seen from the rear of the hide put in an appearance – an incredible sight considering the proximity of the reserve to central London. We then continued our walk and as we met the other group and exchanged news, we decided to return to the small picnic bench area for lunch, which overlooks the Target Pools. The Target Pools are generally an excellent area for a spot of gull watching and anyone who enjoys trying to separate juvenile gulls would always be in their element here. Scanning the area, we picked up great and lesser black-backed gulls, lots of herring gull and black-headed gull. A female sparrowhawk and a female kestrel kept the interest going over lunch. After lunch we headed for *Wennington Marshes at the rear of the reserve – this is accessed by exiting the reserve through a one way gate halfway along the path on the south edge of the reserve. The purpose of visiting this area was to try our hand at picking out a number of sub –adult / juvenile Caspian gulls that had been reported on the march, amongst the hundreds of other large gulls on the marsh. After about 30 minutes of viewing the gulls, we had positively identified 2 x second-winter and 1 juvenile Caspian gull. Not bad going for someone who normally hates studying gulls!! The walk back to the visitor centre is along the bank of the Thames and as usual for this time of year, we picked up several rock pipit and linnet on the foreshore. In total 49 species were seen. A nice winter walk but most importantly we stayed dry – well most of us did!! Frank Clark

*2 © RSPB North West Surrey Local Group – 2014 © The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) is a registered charity in England and Wales no. 207076, in Scotland no. SC037654 5 WeBS WeBS around *Thorpe Park Sunday 19th January 2014 The day started for me like any other count day. I drove up from Kent in about 90 minutes and pulled up outside the security gate, before being joined by five other counters in their cars. Peter charmed us through security and we soon set about the count after parking up. Again, we followed the prescribed route around the park's 'hidden' gems - the lakes. We had earlier been told of a smew which had been seen on a nearby lake, one we don't count, and had been seen to fly off towards the Thorpe lakes that we do count. Unfortunately this bird was not around, or at least not showing itself whilst we were there. We did however flush a snipe from the grass alongside a path we use. There didn't appear to be the variety of species seen in the past, although what was around were in good numbers. After all the recent rains there was concern that the lakes might well still be well under water. The park itself had been slightly flooded but the lakes areas on the whole had been contained. However, the Marshy Lake area was still too damp to allow us access, so we had very limited viewing here. A couple of comments were also made - pity we don't count the parakeets or the buzzards that were around us! Another good day out was enjoyed in the winter sun, at our 'private estate' at this time of year, Thorpe Park. Now, there were six of us here. Where were you? This season is has now come to an end, and by the time you read this, the 2014-2015 WeBS counts will be well under consideration. So, as before, your help is sought to allow these to continue. If you can offer to help out across the whole season of counts that will be really appreciated. Should you feel you can only do a select few, we’d also love to know and fit you in. Counters would be most beneficial, although if you would rather be a writer and record numbers as they are called out, you would be most welcome too. You too could be enjoying the sights and peacefulness of Thorpe with us. It's only once a month during the autumn and winter. Speak to Peter for further info. At a meeting, by phone or by email. He's waiting for you to call. Thank you. Geoff Porter http://www.wildlifeextra.com/go/uk/Rainham-marsh.html#cr RSPB’s Natural Secrets, with Peter Holden, MBE Wednesday 22nd January 2014 I joined the RSPB many years ago when I was six, as a YOC member and the man responsible for the YOC was Peter Holden. Forty four years on, it was good to have Peter come and give us a talk on how birds and wildlife benefit from the work of the RSPB. We started off at Dungeness, the RSPB's oldest reserve famous not only for its birds but also the Medicinal Leech and the re-introduction of the Short-haired bumblebee. We visited RSPB headquarters at Sandy for the heathland, rare plants and Natterjack toads and on to Farnham Heath for the Sand lizards. We then whizzed off to Abernethy in Scotland for the Ospreys, Red Squirrels and Crested Tits via Strumpshaw Fen and Sydenham Common in Norfolk, our flagship reserve Minsmere in Suffolk and the reserve that the YOC purchased years ago, Fowlmere. A thoroughly enjoyable whistle stop evening was had by all which highlighted that the RSPB is looking after all aspects of Nature and Wildlife. Dave Braddock http://www.wildlifeextra.com/go/uk/Rainham-marsh.html#crMid-week Walk at *Thorpe Park Tuesday 4th February 2014 Weather: A sharpish shower just before kick-off but otherwise dry and mainly sunny 8C. Having driven through standing water on the approach road and got rained-on while waiting for people to assemble, it was a relief for the shower clouds to clear and the sun make an appearance. We had a good turnout of around a dozen of us, including three first-timers from the group and one visitor. Water levels in the park were very high, with the island in front of the farm well under water but all the internal roads were still at least some two feet above flooding level so we had no problem walking around. Wildfowl numbers were quite low but with reasonable variety that included plenty of wigeon and tufted ducks and lower numbers of cormorant, gadwall, shoveler, pochard and mallard, while noisy Canada geese also made their presence known. Coots

*2 © RSPB North West Surrey Local Group – 2014 © The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) is a registered charity in England and Wales no. 207076, in Scotland no. SC037654 6 were around in high numbers as usual. Less obvious were a male and two female goldeneyes, a moorhen, a grey heron, a great crested grebe or two and a few mute swans. Looking through the fence by the footpath bridge a lone lapwing could be seen on St. Anne’s Lake along with an Egyptian goose, some forty black-headed gulls and a few common gulls. Overhead we had a good selection of raptors with buzzard, sparrowhawk, red kite and kestrel at various times. Very few other birds were seen, with just blue tit, magpie, jay and blackbird coming to mind. We were told that the barn owl had been seen leaving the barn the previous day but a quick check drew a blank. Just before leaving, Geoff and I were talking when a red kite put up a goodly flock of lapwings from the area of the reclaimed tip on the other side of the road. Peter Hambrook Photo of a pair of goldeneye by Peter Hambrook http://www.wildlifeextra.com/go/uk/Rainham-marsh.html#crWeBS around *Thorpe Park Tuesday 4th March 2014 Due to the exceptionally inclement weather, this event was called off at the last minute. We had dropped a couple of people for this one in any case, which highlights the need for more of the NWS group to offer their help. If you feel you can help, please contact Peter Hambrook who will be glad to put you down as a regular helper, or even on a rota system should enough people come forward to help. The following is text sent to Peter from Thorpe Park confirming that we should consider cancelling this single count. We are up another 10 cm overnight to 13.56. The highest it got in January was 13.34, so this is 8 inches higher. We are flooded at the back of the Dome, another 10 cm and it will be inside the Dome. The causeway has started to flood and there are large areas at Saw the Ride and Saw Alive underwater. The dual carriageway from Chertsey to Staines is flooded over one and a half lanes before you get to Thorpe Roundabout and obviously Stains to Thorpe Park is blocked. Norlands Lane is under 60 cm of water in places and is blocked. All the signs are that water levels are due to rise further with more heavy rain on Friday.’ So, you can understand the reasons why this count was cancelled. Hope it will have cleared for the next one in March! Geoff Porter

*Surrey Floods Thorpe Park in Surrey is among the areas affected by flooding. Although the Park is usually surrounded by water, it too suffered the flooding that many of our group experienced to one degree or another. Picture taken from the BBC website, *http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-26214462

http://www.wildlifeextra.com/go/uk/Rainham-marsh.html#cr ‘TheTrials and Tribulations of a Natural History Presenter’ With *Mike Dilger Wednesday 26th February 2014 As the waters finally began to recede and Staines once more became “Upon” rather than “Under” Thames, nearly 150 of us gathered in The Hythe Centre to listen to Mike Dilger relating fascinating insights into how he became interested in wildlife, became a TV presenter and a selection of readings from his new book. Mike began by telling us of his early life in Stafford and confessed to being a train spotter at one point! Having completed his studies at Nottingham University, times were hard so he became a “life” model but eventually took the opportunity to become a volunteer in the rain forest in Ecuador. Fortuitously, it was while he was in Ecuador that Channel 5 sent a team out there to make a wildlife series and Mike became their guide. A second series was scheduled and after having seen his bird imitations, an invitation to become a presenter followed. We were also given an example of Mike’s visual and audible bird imitations - so much better than Rod Hull! After Channel 5 decided not to make a further series, Mike spent time in Tanzania and Vietnam before becoming a researcher for Bill Oddie and eventually joining The One Show which he sees as a programme bringing wildlife to an audience that might not otherwise see it. Having spent so much time abroad, it was no surprise that Mike caught an extensive range of tropical diseases including amongst others malaria and leishmaniasis and became known as “Britain’s most diseased man”.

*4 © RSPB North West Surrey Local Group – 2014 © The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) is a registered charity in England and Wales no. 207076, in Scotland no. SC037654 7 Mike’s love of birds and their abilities led him to try and imitate the diving abilities of gannets. We were treated to a video showing his training with a diver culminating in a dive from the 10 metre board which drew spontaneous applause from all those present. After the break, Mike introduced us to his new book “My Garden And Other Animals”; the garden in question being at the rear of a former council house in Chew Stoke just outside Bristol. In Hollywood style, one of the attractions of the garden is that “a river runs through it”! Mike and his partner Christina set out to create a wildlife haven which they have done to such an extent that kingfisher and otter have been added to their “garden” list, the latter courtesy of an eagle eyed sound recordist. Mike read a selection of passages from his book supported by several of Christina’s hand drawn illustrations. All too soon the evening drew to a close and, for those of us who were there, Mike Dilger’s talk will be a hard act to follow. For those who weren’t there, they missed a thoroughly enjoyable evening’s entertainment. Alan Pugh *Wey Manor Wednesday 19th March 2014

This was a well-supported walk with thirteen of us altogether, including two visitors and one member new to our walks. Having filled most of the remaining spaces in the parking area we headed for the footpath that leads out to Wey Manor, which had obviously been nearly impassable during the wet weather but was now just slightly soft in places. Apart from the singing great tits and wrens that we were to hear throughout our visit we found a small flock of goldfinches that were feeding in the top of some willows, and dunnocks and robins flew across the track as we walked. On reaching the viewing point for the lake it was obvious that some changes were in progress. The level was really low despite the recent deluge and some infilling appeared to have taken place, while large banks of earth had been raised and some scrub bulldozed away. Despite this there were several tufted duck in residence, at least six little grebes, coots, a few moorhens, a male pochard and Canada geese, while a fox patrolled the far shore attended by a pair of magpies. It is unclear whether the little grebes will be able to breed this year as some of their nesting area has been damaged and they could find themselves high and dry if the pumping out of water continues. On checking with Mary Braddock upon returning home, it appears that the whole area is scheduled to be returned to farmland. This prompted me to have a rummage on the web and I found a recent document (February 2014) suggesting that the plan is to restore the area to farmland, rough grassland and shallow water bodies with reed beds. Hope we can still see the birds! Moving on, things were fairly quiet until we reached the point where the path moves away from the Wey. Here we found two grey wagtails, a long-tailed tit, two jays, a great spotted woodpecker and a single redwing. Further redwings were then seen distantly and a grey heron flapped past on heavily bowed wings. Having negotiated, with a little difficulty, the stiles and steep steps that lead across the railway line, we made our way through the mobile home park to the canal, picking up a couple of chiffchaffs in full song in the process. This brought us to Coxes Lock and the adjacent mill pond, the latter just holding a few coots and a great crested grebe. Heading back to the cars along the tow path we came across another pair of jays that flew ahead of us for a while, a fairly relaxed grey heron was showing well and I had a brief glimpse of a rodent that could well have been a water vole. The final stretch gave us a poor view of a nuthatch and two greylags sailed serenely past, while a family party of Egyptian geese, including seven fairly well grown young, brought the scoring to a close. An enjoyable morning’s walk in pleasant company. Photo of a grey wagtail and words by Peter Hambrook Indoor meeting, Tuesday 1st April 2014 Bird artists of the modern era by David Cromack David’s talk turned out to be a delightful overview of some of our very talented modern bird artists. He set the scene by introducing four “founding fathers” operating in the last century: Archibald Thorburn who, we were told, was unusual at the time in working from live birds rather than from stuffed specimens and skins, and who designed the first Christmas card for the RSPB in 1899; Charles Tunnicliffe, who was the illustrator for Brooke Bond tea cards, Ladybird books and Henry Williamson’s Tarka the Otter; Eric Ennion, who was warden of Flatford Mill Field Centre and Director of Monks’House Bird Observatory at Seahouses, Northumberland; and Richard Talbot-Kelly, a founder member of the Society of Wildlife Artists. Then followed a charming selection of paintings, woodcuts, linocuts etc by some of our present day artists. Too many to mention each one, but some that remain in my memory include that showing gannets off Bass Rock by John Busby, a linocut of blue tits (John Page), Robert Gillmor’s cover design for an issue of Birds magazine, a painting of goldeneye that was full of character by Chris Rose, Dan Powell’s stunning picture of a red-backed shrike and an evocative picture of geese in flight over Norfolk painted by James McCallum. The sight of these and works by many other artists left me with the feeling that it had been quite a privilege to be shown the work of so many gifted people in one evening. Brian Shreeve *1 © RSPB North West Surrey Local Group – 2014 © The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) is a registered charity in England and Wales no. 207076, in Scotland no. SC037654 8 NORTH WEST SURREY RSPB LOCAL GROUP ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING WEDNESDAY 25th JUNE 2014 Held this year at *St James Parish Church Hall, Church Street, Weybridge, Surrey, KT13 8DE, Leaders report from 1/04/2013 to 31/03/2014 written by Dave Braddock. What have we been up to this year? Compared to previous years we had a quiet year, consolidating what we had achieved in previous years. Memberships raised for the RSPB were disappointingly low this year but funds raised were excellent with costs being kept to a minimum. Membership of our group is strong with numbers up from this time last year. The year started off in April at Ashford Art again where we were given a donation from the secret auction. This auction allowed people to bid on a painting and the proceeds were donated to us. Spring Fair raised a record amount of money this year. Mary did an increased number of talks raising valuable funds. Alan and Mick's Flabaloss campaign went very well with generous sponsorship support from the group members. We held an event at Claremont Gardens in June. Several of us spent a weekend in July promoting the RSPB’s new Giving Nature a Home campaign at RHS Wisley and a fantastic time was had by all engaging with hundreds of people. RSPB Sandy also asked Mary to speak on Volunteering at the Member’s Weekend in York to an audience of 500+ people who gather at this event. People were very generous again with giving to our various street collections held throughout the year. Our BBQ managed to attract some fine weather this year and was well attended. Mary and myself gave two talks in September to the local Girl guides and Brownies in Sunbury. We held two evening events at Wisley in November. In January, Mick, Mary and myself went into two local Residential Homes in Staines and Walton and ran an event for the Big Garden Birdwatch Weekend. January also saw the start of our 40th Anniversary year, with many events planned for the forthcoming year. Our special Anniversary quiz night was well attended and got our year off. to a flying start. Despite the threat from the floods our Mike Dilger indoor meeting in February saw around 150 people turning up and a very good night was had by all. What have we achieved this year? Through our events, we have still managed to raise a significant sum of money this year for the RSPB to help with their conservation needs with our allocation going to Lowland Heathland, Farming & Agriculture and Children and Education. New Membership raising has been disappointing this year compared to previous years and we are looking at ways to improve that in the future. We still managed to raise 4 memberships for the RSPB this year. Special Thanks. As usual I will use this space to mention a few members in my report. Mary my co-leader despite having a full on job, helps me run the group. Somehow she manages to find time to run and attend events, give talks and continue to find other outlets to support our group and the RSPB. In a group like ours an efficient committee is vital and with Brian Shreeve, Mick Cooper, Angela and Alan Pugh, Frank Clark, Alan Sharps and Jan Bagley I think we achieve this. My thanks to them. Unfortunately Brian and Jan told the committee in December that they will step down at this AGM. Special thanks for them for all they have done over the years. Luckily the group does not just rely on the committee. We have the support of several of our members who help out and reduce the workload of the committee. My thanks go to them. Simon Lumsden is still our main recruiter, pin badge minder organiser and accounts auditor. Graham and Andrea are now the new organisers of our teas and biscuits at our indoor meetings. Mary gave several talks to promote the RSPB and raise funds. Diane Vowles for her help in organising the children's painting competition. Marion Sharps has done a fantastic job again organising the street collections raising much needed funds. Graham Carey has kept our website in the top section in the country again which helps with the publicity of our group. Geoff Porter has taken our newsletter to new heights with over three quarters of the group taking it electronically now to save costs. Peter Hambrook has continued to lead the mid-week walks and the Webs birdcount. Our raffle ladies, Jean Shirley and Suzanne Brown have been raising funds through our indoor meetings raffles. Ron Jackson still supplies us with his nest boxes and Spring Fair bird table and helps set up the indoor meetings alongside Geoff Allen. Neil Bew,Simon Lumsden and Steve Williams for organising our 40th Anniversary quiz. Thanks also go out to our many members that give up time to help us run events, donate prizes and sponsor our indoor meetings. Lastly, Special thanks to Gill Johnson who took over from Mick, in June, the running of our Spring fair. What does the future hold and what we need to achieve? The support of the team from Sero and Sandy is much appreciated by Mary, the committee and myself and is an integral part of running our group. Our group will continue to support the RSPB with the Giving Nature a Home campaign. We intend to continue increasing the promotional aspect of the RSPB and our Group. Mary and myself are happy, whilst being supported by an excellent committee, to continue running the group until the next AGM when we will evaluate the best way forward for the group. Dave Braddock. Thanks Dave for all the work that you put into running the Group as co Group Leader, your energy is tireless as you once again produce plants for sale, sort out the queries, handle the emails and requests from Head Office and South East Region, you certainly help to give the Group its fantastic reputation within the RSPB organisation. Mary Braddock. *1 © RSPB North West Surrey Local Group – 2014 © The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) is a registered charity in England and Wales no. 207076, in Scotland no. SC037654 9 A bit of Local Birding – Winter I have been birdwatching for thirty years or so and local birding has become of ever more interest to me. I am going to relate a few of those local birding experiences through 2014 and as part of that, I am also looking to exceed the number of species I saw within Surrey last year where I passed 100 species (ok it was 101). My definition of Surrey is basically any site that is covered in Jeffery Wheatleys ‘Birds of Surrey’. Papercourt will feature regularly in these scribblings; a brilliant area of many habitats including open water, farmland, reed bed, some woodland and much open meadow. Having been driven from Papercourt on the 1st January by truly foul weather, the 19th January found me back at my favourite local haunt for an altogether more pleasant experience. Wildfowl were well represented both on the big gravel pit and the small SWT Papercourt Marshes reserve with gadwall (understated but elegant), shoveler, teal and tufted duck. I also managed, accidentally, to disturb two common buzzards from the reserve; perhaps they will nest? Highlights for me however were the regular little owl and for the first time for me at Papercourt, a little egret, a consequence of the high water levels across the area. After a failed attempt to see smew at Longside Lake, Thorpe, I decided to pull into the car park at Staple Hill, Chobham Common, looked up and enjoyed the magnificence which is a gliding, soaring red kite. Birding can’t get much more local than Goldsworth Park where I live. Your view of Goldsworth Park, Woking may be of some horrible housing estate and there is a bit of that but there is also a lot of greenery, a lake which is fringed in places with patches of reed open rough grassland and scrub. It is also bordered on the south side by the Basingstoke Canal and to the north, by Horsell common. A couple of spare hours saw me tot up more than thirty species including a wintering blackcap and a male kingfisher, parked next to the new kingfisher bank which also features a few holes for sand martins. I’ll let you know later in the year if I get any of those! My second February visit to Papercourt was ostensibly to find the wintering great grey shrike (failed). My consolation was close views of my favourite British bird in the drifting shape of barn owl and two fabulous male linnets, each sporting a spectacular red/pink breast and forehead. The first day of March saw me walking south from the Moat car park at Thursley Common, ostensibly looking for great grey shrike (sound familiar?) but I was also on a mission to find treecreeper. Why treecreeper I hear you say, not exactly a rarity. Truth is I had gone through the whole of 2013 without seeing one inside the county boundary and I had developed a bit of a complex about it. The moral is that if you plant yourself in the right habitat, the bird will come and it did! So on the day that I found great grey shrike (oh yes, I saw it this time, and two curlew), treecreeper might have been my bird of the year so far! As I write this in early March, I have seen 89 different species within Surrey including some beauties such as brambling, black necked grebe, hawfinch, scaup and goosander. Today however I have also seen my first butterflies of the year, several brimstone and a small tortoiseshell, so it must be spring! Until next time. Neil Bew Photo of a treecreeper by Mary Braddock http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-25023900http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-25023900He Writes… She Writes… I’ve just read through the latest newsletter. Firstly, you are doing a brilliant job with this - it looks great, reads well and just looks genuinely professional. Seriously, well done.

(And from Head Office, no less -) “ I had a good read through the NW Surrey LG newsletter yesterday on the train, as usual it’s so engaging. I particularly love your ‘leaders ramblings’ where you talk about plans for your 40th anniversary year (exciting, looking forward to coming along with Chris for your AGM in June!), and love the history of the Group on page 2. Fantastic article from Mary about your guide and brownie talk too – really like the way these have been featured towards the front of the newsletter, so people can read first. Learned something new myself re: glow worms, do enjoy Geoff’s ‘spiel chucker’ bit too. So, thank you for sending through another great issue! “

Please return to the larger font as it is easier to read. There was a lot to get in, in the last newsletter so I do understand why the whole newsletter had a smaller font, but please make it a tad larger. Thank you. (I have done so, it’s now back at ‘10 point’. Ed.)

*0 © RSPB North West Surrey Local Group – 2014 © The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) is a registered charity in England and Wales no. 207076, in Scotland no. SC037654 10 Did you miss these Snippets from the BBC ? Photos from the corresponding BBC article / page. RSPB Scotland records a decrease in poisoning of birds RSPB Scotland has recorded a fall in the number of birds confirmed as being illegally poisoned. A golden eagle, a raven and two buzzards were found to have been killed in this way during 2012. *http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-highlands-islands-25185165 Bernard the Norfolk turkey returns to roost after fox and dog attack A pet turkey which went missing for 10 days after a suspected fox attack was returned to its Norfolk owners after pleas on a social networking site. Ellie Waite, from East Ruston, thought Bernard had been eaten "as an early Christmas lunch" after she found his feathers and blood on 1 December. *http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-norfolk-25462970 Great Notley's CD duck tracked by Essex RSPCA A duck with a CD stuck around its neck is being tracked by the Essex RSPCA - though it does not appear to be in a flap. The duck is a regular at the village pond in Great Notley, near Braintree. Residents fear for the welfare of the mallard, which is thought to have become trapped in the discarded disc while rummaging for food as a duckling. Parents and children who walk past the pond to Notley Primary School have given the bird a nickname: CD Duck. *http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-essex-25491389 Rare bittern spotted at Cors Dyfi nature reserve One of Britain's rarest birds has been caught on camera at a Powys wildlife reserve. The bittern was spotted at Montgomeryshire Wildlife Trust's Cors Dyfi nature reserve near Machynlleth. It is one of 52 species on the RSPB Red List of the UK's most threatened birds which also includes the cuckoo and the skylark. Images of the bittern were taken by a stealth camera installed by the trust in reed beds a year ago. *http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-mid-wales-25446974 Stranded seagull in Cardiff rescued by firefighters A seagull stranded on a balcony since Christmas Day has been rescued by fire crews. The injured bird was plucked from the fourth floor of Meridian Plaza Central in Cardiff following a request from the RSPCA. *http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-25538399 New jackets for Hens Solo and Princess Layer Entrepreneurs in Banbury have found a global market for a new product - jackets for chickens. A lining developed by Nasa called Flectalon helps reflect heat back into the chicken's body, while fluorescent colouring helps keeps the birds safe on dark nights. *http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-25497109 Giant rubber duck bursts in Taiwan A giant yellow rubber duck on display in a Taiwanese port has burst in unexplained circumstances. The 18 metre (50 foot) inflatable duck suddenly collapsed on Tuesday, only 11 days after it had been put on display in the port at Keelung. Organisers are unsure as to the cause of its demise, but one theory is that it was attacked by eagles. The duck was designed by the Dutch artist Florentijn Hofman to be a giant version of a popular bath toy. *http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-25560771 http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-25023900http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-25023900Injured swan's feet treated with honey after police escort through village Concerned officers gave a swan a police escort through a Northamptonshire village after noticing the injured bird waddling through the streets. The swan was spotted on the main road in Little Billing at about 12:00 GMT on Monday. Officers called an animal rescue charity and followed the bird to keep it safe from traffic while waiting. The bird's feet were later treated with honey before it was released near the River Nene. *http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-northamptonshire-25642969 http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-25023900http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-25023900Ipswich Christchurch Park owl's 'unique behaviour' An owl that has become a tourist attraction in a town centre park is displaying "unique behaviour", experts say. The tawny owl, named Mabel by staff at Christchurch Park in Ipswich, made her home on full view in a tree hollow. *http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-suffolk-26110515

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-25023900http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-25023900Norwich Cathedral peregrine falcon lays her first egg A peregrine falcon has laid an egg on Norwich Cathedral spire fuelling hopes it will be the start of a third successful brood for the city. The first egg of 2014 was spotted on a live webcam feed from a specialist platform on the spire 75m (246ft) above the ground at 15:04 GMT. *http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-norfolk-26637487 *10 © RSPB North West Surrey Local Group – 2014 11 © The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) is a registered charity in England and Wales no. 207076, in Scotland no. SC037654 Nature Ramblings

Loopy – the Grass Snake! It has taken a beautiful, 1 metre long female grass snake for me to overcome my fear of these creatures. She invited herself into our garden when she was about half a metre long and was initially found sitting on a bag of compost. Having hissed at us she disappeared and obviously set up home under the waterfall of our pond… in a ready-made snake dug-out! I began to realise that I was consciously looking for her to appear in the garden, not because of my fear but because I wanted to see her. The grass snake is the largest species of British snake, and is identified by its olive green body and darkish spots or streaks on the flanks, but colours can vary. Grass snakes have a distinctive yellow and black collar behind the head and have round pupils. Males can be told apart from females by a swelling at the base of the tail, and a longer tail in relation to the female’s tail. They can often be confused with the adder which has a more thick-set body, a distinct zigzag down its back and a vertically slit pupil. The adder is venomous, whereas the grass snake is not. Adders are rarely found in gardens. Grass snakes can also be confused with slow worms, which are not snakes but legless lizards and are much smaller, with a glassy grey/brown appearance. You might ask how we knew it was a female! She was large (females grow longer than males – up to 100 cm, or 39 inches), and she had an annual brood of youngsters! Where to find them in the garden Our compost heap is within five metres of our pond and provided an excellent nursery site for Loopy. Compost heaps are often used as egg laying grounds due to their warmth which acts as a natural incubator. Garden ponds are used as foraging grounds for their food, as are any streams or ditches that may run through or close to your garden. Banks, mounds and rubble piles are used as areas to bask in. One activity Loopy absolutely loved was basking in the sun on the rocky side of our pond, but this was also close enough to her home under the waterfall for a quick retreat if danger loomed. Other Habitat preferences The grass snake's diet consists mainly of amphibians such as frogs, toads and newts, but they have been known to also eat small mammals, young birds and some fish. Rough land and pastures, open woodland, wet heathlands, gardens, parks and hedgerows provide environments suitable for their prey. Grass snakes will do no damage to your garden or to you as they are not venomous and do not bite, but we did notice that our frog numbers took a tumble when Loopy moved in! Distribution & Threats Found in lowland areas of Britain, the grass snake is widespread and common in some areas of the south and east of England and absent from Scotland and Ireland. Grass snakes have become gradually scarcer over recent years and have been added to the list of priority species for conservation with threats coming from human activity and predators such as badgers, foxes, cats and hedgehogs. It is protected by the Wildlife and Countryside Act. Loopy’s biggest danger was from the hedgehogs that roam our garden…oh and the urban foxes that turn up each night. Loopy and our future Sadly Loopy did not reappear last summer, but she had been in our garden for six years. But her legacy lives on in the form of at least one of her youngsters! Oh… and why was she called Loopy? …it was the way she curled her metre long body around the pond that gave her this name!. By Mary Braddock.

Welcome! A very warm welcome to the following new group members, Debbie Milne-Buckley We look forward to meeting you at our indoor and outdoor events.

*0 © RSPB North West Surrey Local Group – 2014 © The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) is a registered charity in England and Wales no. 207076, in Scotland no. SC037654 12 From my Spiel Chucker, and around my garden… Well, this month’s offering from me is severely curtailed. I hope you are all enjoying making my work here ‘a problem’! But I relish the challenge. You can’t have ignored my WeBS short articles in the last couple of newsletters - am I going on too much about them? Well, there’s one way you can stop me from boring you rigid. Volunteer to have a nice walk in your ‘own’ private parkland. Counters are needed, as are Recorders. Peter will be most pleased to have more local area people available to come along for these counts which are giving most helpful records of water fowl numbers over the years. On the garden bird front, I am sure like me, you did your own BGBW count late January. Everywhere is different with my garden being no exception. During my hour’s watch, Christine and I recorded six house sparrow, two goldfinch, no sparrowhawks, ten collared dove, two great tit, thirty four starling, four blue tit, one long tailed tit, no wren, no blackbird, three wood pigeon, one great spotted woodpecker, two magpie and one robin in the garden at any one time. Just to remind you, the electronic version of the newsletter has ‘hotspots’ for you to click on. These will take you to various websites and more information. Look for the asterisk next to the text, or hover the mouse over a picture then click. Numbers of hotspots per page are shown bottom left on each page, over a mouse icon. Don’t forget to send me YOUR articles, photos and viewpoints. And thanks in advance. *Geoff Porter, the Editor Oh yes, the picture is from the RSPB BGBW emailer I received. Save Britain's Barn Owls Barn owls, a majestic icon of the British countryside, are dying off in their thousands. A changing climate and habitat loss is part of the picture, but Britain's barn owls are also being killed by powerful rat poisons being used on farms across the country. When owls eat poisoned rodents, they ingest toxins which can cause internal bleeding. Although not all die as a direct result, experts believe the poisons affect their ability to hunt and breed. 8 in 10 barn owls have been found to have these poisons in their blood streams, but there is a glimmer of hope for this beautiful predator -- the government is reviewing how such poisons are used. Let's flood the minister responsible for the review with demands to impose stricter controls on these powerful poisons, restricting where and how they are used and throwing a lifeline to our owls. Sign here to stop barn owls dying, and help protect one of the best-loved symbols of Britain's wildlife. 125,037 at 1st April, aiming for 150,000 or more! * http://www.avaaz.org/save_britains_barn_owls It’s All change at RSPB Fundraising Emily Clark and Alice Jefferies have left the RSPB fundraising team during April. They have been replaced by Lorna Beaumont and Nic Willett. No doubt the new team will continue the good works and take the fundraising to new heights. We wish them all the best.

Invite-a-Guest vouchers In November 2012 the free trial meeting form became active on our web site. You will all have received a full size copy with a previous newsletter, in the hope you have a friend or colleague who might wish to come along and perhaps join the group. More copies are available by request from Dave. Alternatively, the pdf page can be downloaded direct from the web site. Visit - *http://www.rspb.org.uk/groups/nwsurrey/news/322548.

Smilers…

Why do parrots carry umbrellas? So they don't become polly-saturated! become don't they So

*4 © RSPB North West Surrey Local Group – 2014 © The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) is a registered charity in England and Wales no. 207076, in Scotland no. SC037654 13 Please note: All articles contained in this newsletter remain the copyright of the author and cannot be used in full or part without their expressed agreement.

FINAL COPY DATE FOR THE THE NORTH WEST SURREY RSPB LOCAL GROUP 2014 - 3rd NEWSLETTER Please let me have your items for the newsletter as soon as possible, to avoid a The group was established in 1974 and is run entirely by volunteers. last minute rush. We hold regular monthly indoor meetings between September and Topical items should arrive with myself well before, but no later than - June at *St James Parish Church Hall, Church Street, Weybridge, Saturday July 5th 2014. Surrey, KT13 8DE. Items may be submitted in the usual ways which include, but are not limited to :- Outdoor meetings are held throughout the year, both locally and further TEXT / ARTICLES afield, including occasional holidays in Europe. ● Written or typed items on paper via the post; Members of the public are welcome to attend both the indoor meetings ● Faxed copies of your work, but not photographs; and at local and regional outdoor meetings, but the longer trips are ● My preferred text formats are the standard office programs and text files available to group members only. (MS Word, Wordpad, Notepad, Star Office and Open Office) etc. I also can usually open and use files created in these and other office If you would like more information, please contact our *membership systems’ own publication programs where you can insert your photo as *secretary at the address given or visit our web site: a guide to me for layout. I can also take items as a pdf file if you prefer *www.rspb.org.uk/groups/nwsurrey. to create one. ● I would ALWAYS ask for the photo to be sent as a separate item and at GROUP MEMBERSHIPS & INFORMATION a high resolution. ● All indoor meetings are held, by kind permission of the Governors, at *St PHOTOGRAPHS James Parish Church Hall, Church Street, Weybridge, Surrey, KT13 8DE. ● Actual photographs via the post; These are usually held on the fourth Wednesday of each month excluding ● Photos by email should be sent at a high resolution / size. December, July and August. Details may be found in the programme at the ● My preferred size is not less than 1 mb file so I can crop if necessary. back of this newsletter. Meetings commence at 7:45 pm and finish at 10 pm. 2 mb and larger are ideal, but not more than 10 Mb maximum please. Doors open at 7:15 pm. The entrance is via the public car park which has POST, FAX OR EMAIL ? 223 spaces. Railway stations at Weybridge and Addlestone are reasonably ● If you have no computer access, it should be obvious - post the items close too. to me. ● Non-group members and Wildlife Explorers members are welcome to all ● Computer created works should ideally be sent by email. events. Wildlife Explorers members are free. All other visitors are asked to ● Via my DropBox link - please email me if you wish to use it. donate £3 towards the costs of the indoor meeting. Under 16’s must be ● ALL items can also be placed onto a CD or DVD and posted to me if you accompanied by an adult. prefer. ● Alternative reusable storage media such as CD-RW, SD card or USB ● NWS Group Membership for the year 2013 - 2014 is £10 for individuals or stick are also welcome by post. (*) £15 for couples. ● I can accept faxes of your work, but please avoid sending any photos Please contact the *Membership Secretary at the address at the front of by fax - they do not reproduce well and will not be used. the events programme. Please note that you do not have to specify how you wish your article to be laid ● The membership year starts with the September indoor meeting, and out. But if you want to, you can make suggestions for paragraphs and headings membership is valid from September 1st to August 31st. Membership is for etc. the current year only and for new members is not necessarily from their joining date. If you have a preferred other way to send items, please let me know and I’ll advise if I can utilise that method. ● Please renew promptly, either by post (please enclose a SSAE), or by Standing Order, or at the indoor meetings. (*) If you want your posted items returned, especially if sent on re-writeable media (CD-RW, SD card, USB stick, etc etc), please enclose a stamped SAE, or return We operate a grace period - however, please note:- label and stamp (as appropriate), and I will return these item(s) by the next 1. Memberships that have not been renewed by the 31st December available return post. immediately following expiry, will be regarded as having ceased I have targeted final dates for receipt of your submissions to the expected four or lapsed until the due subscription is paid. Newsletters of the first full weekends of January, April, July and October, 2. Any ceased or lapsed membership, when renewing, will NOT be preferably by the 1st Saturday of the month. entitled to the extra period given to new members, if joining between April and September. Should the newsletter become full before this date, 3. Any member who still has lapsed payment after December and I reserve the right to delay those late received items does not pay their subs at the January meeting will then be until the following newsletter. deemed to have ceased their membership, and will be required to I am limited to just thirteen pages for your articles plus the cover and the two pages pay the visitor’s fee of £3 at the January meeting, and at all further for events listings. Due to the costs of printing and post, I cannot go above this. If meetings attended until the new membership year in September, you are able to take the newsletter in electronic format then please enquire with when renewal will again be accepted. Dave Braddock. 4. SORRY, NO RETROSPECTIVE RENEWALS WILL BE ALLOWED All items sent in for the news letter will be utilised. AFTER THE JANUARY GROUP MEETING. Finally, thank you all in advance for your valuable input. Please respect this grace period. Geoff Porter, Editor

The RSPB is the countrys largest nature conservation charity, inspiring everyone to give nature a home. Together with our partners, we protect threatened birds and wildlife so our towns, coast and countryside will teem with life once again. We also play a leading role in a worldwide partnership of nature conservation organisations.

The RSPB is a member of BirdLife International, a partnership of conservation organisations working to give nature a home around the world.

*8 © RSPB North West Surrey Local Group – 2014 © The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) is a registered charity in England and Wales no. 207076, in Scotland no. SC037654 14 THE ROYAL SOCIETY FOR THE PROTECTION OF BIRDS *NORTH WEST SURREY GROUP

YOUR COMMITTEE MEMBER’S and OTHER CONTACTS GROUP LEADERS: Mary and Dave Braddock TREASURER: Angela Pugh NEW EMAIL 20 Meadway Drive, New Haw, Addlestone, Surrey, KT15 2DT. Tel. 01784 457714 email: *[email protected] Tel. 01932 858692 email: *[email protected] OR *[email protected] SECRETARY: Jan Bagley

MEMBERSHIPS: Mick Cooper INDOOR MEETINGS: Brian Shreeve 95 Station Crescent, Ashford, Middlesex, TW15 3HN. Tel. 01932 341012 email: *[email protected] Tel. 01784 251708 OUTDOOR MEETINGS: Frank Clark (FC) Email: *[email protected] Tel. 01784 421240 email: *[email protected] COMMITTEE MEMBER: Alan Sharps MID-WEEK OUTINGS & WeBS: Peter Hambrook (PH) Tel. 01784 244665 email: *[email protected] Tel. 01932 346565 email: *[email protected] COMMITTEE MEMBER: Alan Pugh NEW EMAIL NEWSLETTER EDITOR: Geoff Porter Tel. 01784 457714 email: c/o 12 Ashbee Close, Snodland, Kent, ME6 5HQ. *[email protected] Tel. 07946 419664 Fax 07092 040983 Skype - geoff.flc Email: *[email protected] The INs, the OUTs & The WeBS IN 2014 June 2014 June 2014 OUT Fri 6th *Chobham Common Evening Walk (20.30) (FC) M 30 2 9 16 23 This is a popular evening walk looking for woodcock and nightjar. Insect repellent T 3 10 17 24 is strongly advisable. Meet at Gracious Pond Road car park, where we will walk W 4 11 18 25 to the common. Torches also recommended GR: SU 995635. T 5 12 19 26 OUT Weds 11th *Thursley Common. (10:00 - 13:00) 2.5 miles (PH) F 6 13 20 27 There is a good chance of seeing hobby here if the weather is good, as well as S 7 14 21 28 woodlark, common redstart and woodpeckers. Dragonflies, damselflies and S 1 8 15 22 29 basking common lizards should also be seen. Meet at the Moat Pond car park. GR: SU 900417 No facilities on site but pubs are in Elstead. July 2014 IN Weds 25th A G M M 7 14 21 28 *St James Parish Church Hall, Church Street, Weybridge, Surrey, KT13 8DE. T 1 8 15 22 29 Open at 7.15 pm for 7.45 to 10 pm meeting. W 2 9 16 23 30 OUT Sun 29th *Beaulieu Road Station / *Keyhaven (09.30) (FC) T 3 10 17 24 31 This is a full day trip by car. We will be looking for heathland species and migrants F 4 11 18 25 at Beaulieu Road Station and later waders, terns and gulls at Keyhaven / 12 S 5 Battle of the 19 26 Pennington. Meet in the car park on the north side of Beaulieu Road Station Boyne (NI) S 6 13 20 27 GR: SU346064 and then at the small car park at the end of Lower Pennington Lane at approximately 13.00. GR:SZ 318927. July 2014 August 2014 OUT Thurs 3rd *Bookham Common. (10:00 - 13:00) 2.5 miles (PH) 4 25 Summer Summer During this quiet period for birds we will also be looking for butterflies such as the M Bank 11 18 Bank Holiday Holiday(Sc (Eng. & resident purple emperor and also dragonflies and damselflies. ot.) Wales) Meet in the One Hundred Pound Bridge car park (access from Downside). T 5 12 19 26 GR: TQ 122567 No facilities but Cobham is nearby. W 6 13 20 27 T 7 14 21 28 F 1 8 15 22 29 OUT Sat 5th 40th Anniversary Barbecue S 2 9 16 23 30 40 This will be held in Simon & Sue’s garden, as is now customary. years S 3 10 17 24 31 Thank you for your continuing support. OUT Sat 26th *Minsmere RSPB Reserve (9.30) (FC) September 2014 This is a full day trip by car. This is one of the RSPB’s premier reserves. We will be looking for bittern, bearded tit, waders and warblers. 15 29 M 1 8 Autumn Day 22 Autumn Day Meet in the reserve car park GR: TM 470672. (Edin.) (Glas.) T 2 9 16 23 30 August 2014 W 3 10 17 24 INFO Mon 25th Summer Bank Holiday T 4 11 18 25 OUT Weds 27th *Barnes. (10:00 – 15:30) 1.5 miles (PH) F 5 12 19 26 We shall be looking for wildfowl and departing migrants. Meet in car park at 10:00 S 6 13 20 27 or in reception at 10:10. GR: TQ 228770. WWT members don’t forget to bring S 7 14 21 28 your membership card. Full facilities on site. *21 © RSPB North West Surrey Local Group – 2014 © The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) is a registered charity in England and Wales no. 207076, in Scotland no. SC037654 15 September 2014 OUT Thurs 11th *Staines Reservoir. (10:00 - 12:00) 2 miles (PH) October 2014 A short visit to look for migrants, waterfowl and waders. Meet in the small car park M 6 13 20 27 at the eastern end of the causeway. GR: TQ 056734 No facilities. T 7 14 21 28 W 1 8 15 22 29 IN Weds 24th Regular Meeting - further details awaited. T 2 9 16 23 30 *St James Parish Church Hall, Church Street, Weybridge, Surrey, KT13 8DE. F 3 10 17 24 31 Open at 7.15 pm for 7.45 to 10 pm meeting. S 4 11 18 25 S 5 12 19 26 October 2014 BST Ends IN Weds 22nd Regular Meeting - further details awaited. *St James Parish Church Hall, Church Street, Weybridge, Surrey, KT13 8DE. November 2014 Open at 7.15 pm for 7.45 to 10 pm meeting. M 3 10 17 24 11 T 4 Remem- 18 25 November 2014 brance Day IN Weds 26th Regular Meeting - further details awaited. W 5 12 19 26 *St James Parish Church Hall, Church Street, Weybridge, Surrey, KT13 8DE. T 6 13 20 27 Open at 7.15 pm for 7.45 to 10 pm meeting. F 7 14 21 28 S 1 8 15 22 29 January 2015 30 S 2 9 16 23 St. Andrew's IN Weds 28th Regular Meeting - further details awaited. Day *St James Parish Church Hall, Church Street, Weybridge, Surrey, KT13 8DE. Open at 7.15 pm for 7.45 to 10 pm meeting. December 2014 February 2015 M 1 8 15 22 29 T 2 9 16 23 30 IN Weds 25th Regular Meeting - further details awaited. W 3 10 17 24 31 *St James Parish Church Hall, Church Street, Weybridge, Surrey, KT13 8DE. 25 T 4 11 18 Christmas Open at 7.15 for 7.45 to 10 pm meeting. Day F 5 12 19 26 March 2015 Boxing Day IN Weds 25th Regular Meeting - further details awaited. S 6 13 20 27 *St James Parish Church Hall, Church Street, Weybridge, Surrey, KT13 8DE. S 7 14 21 28 Open at 7.15 pm for 7.45 to 10 pm meeting. January 2015 April 2015 M 5 12 19 26 T 6 13 20 27 W 7 14 21 28 IN Weds 22nd Regular Meeting - further details awaited. 1 T New Year's 8 15 22 29 *St James Parish Church Hall, Church Street, Weybridge, Surrey, KT13 8DE. Day Open at 7.15 pm for 7.45 to 10 pm meeting. 2 F Day After 9 16 23 30 New Year (Scot.) May 2015 S 3 10 17 24 31 S 4 11 18 25

BST Changes on Future Events in 2015 - more details in later newsletters. the last Sunday in March and October. General Information NEW TO BIRDWATCHING? SAFETY All are welcome at any of our outdoor meetings, but if you are While most sites visited have normal public access and are well new to bird watching please let the leader know if you would maintained, please do take care and do not ignore any safety appreciate a little assistance. notices or instructions. Participation in outdoor meetings is at your own risk. CLOTHING Please ensure that you wear appropriate clothing for the TRIP LEADERS conditions expected. Good walking boots are usually sufficient, The main field trips will usually be led by Frank Clark, but unless the weather has been excessively wet. Waterproofs are occasionally others may lead instead. strongly recommended if rain is forecast. Mid-week trips will be led by Peter Hambrook and / or Geoff Allen. FOOD & DRINKS The leader will be there in all but extreme conditions. Please bring packed lunches on the all-day trips as we eat where If in any doubt please ring the appropriate leader to check. and when we can, so that we can continue to watch birds. If the weather is hot don’t forget to bring plenty to drink, as most of the TRANSPORT reserves and sites we visit do not have catering facilities. Most trips are by car but with very occasional coach or minibus outings. If you require a lift please contact the outdoor leader, RESERVES who may be able to arrange this for you. Access to most reserves is free, however some do charge admission and / or car parking fees. When visiting RSPB LEADER CONTACTS reserves (or others if you are a member of that organisation), don’t forget to bring your membership card, otherwise you will have to pay the non-members fee, which is usually *8 non-refundable. © RSPB North West Surrey Local Group – 2014 © The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) is a registered charity in England and Wales no. 207076, in Scotland no. SC037654 16