David Horne – Chairman NEWSLETTER Email: [email protected] Newsletter Editor: Keith Metcalf NEW YEAR 2021 E-mail: [email protected] MESSAGE FROM THE CHAIRMAN The closing year has been extra-ordinary in so many different ways. It began with the exciting news that the MCV had been selected to receive “The Queen’s Award for Voluntary Services”; sadly we are still awaiting the official presentation that was originally scheduled to take place during the Summer. The Spring lockdown and ongoing restrictions associated with the pandemic put paid to almost all of our planned activities for the rest of the year. For many of us with enforced travel restrictions and extra time on our hands the opportunity arose to more thoroughly explore the local patch and in so doing gain a fuller appreciation of the wonderfully diverse environment and abundant wild-life to be found in our immediate vicinity. Who needs “Tweet of the day” when you can hear shrieking terns, bubbling Curlew and whistling Wigeon virtually from your doorstep! The weather during Spring and Summer was exceptionally dry and warm and generally very pleasant. The breeding season for our local ground nesting gulls, terns and 1 waders was a good one as a result of the fine weather and reduced human disturbance from normal recreational activity. Locally during the late Summer and Autumn there were a number of rare passage migrants recorded. The most notable and easiest to spot was a gathering of up to three Phalaropes at Pennington performing their whirling feeding activities within feet of an admiring audience and their constantly clicking cameras. At our Keyhaven Pans site an Osprey was seen to dive and catch a fish. We are truly privileged to have such a wealth of wildlife in our immediate vicinity and I very much look forward in the future to sharing such experiences with you at our bird hides and on our guided boat tours, once the restrictions are lifted. Thank you to all our hard-working Committee members and work party colleagues who, against the odds, have managed to continue to have online meetings and carry out restricted field work this year. Finally, I would like to wish everybody a Happy healthy Christmas and better prospects for 2021. HAMPSHIRE ORNITHOLOGICAL SOCIETY ‘FREE’ BIRD TALKS If you are looking to find ‘birding inspiration’ from some of our most experienced county birders, go to the HOS website www.hos.org.uk scroll down and click on the green HOS talks button and up will pop several wonderful talks. Everything you wanted to know about birds by Keith Betton Autumn & Winter birds in Hampshire by Keith Betton Patch Birding by Marcus Ward Return of the Red Kite by Keith Betton An introduction to the commoner Gulls of the UK by Andy Lester Birding the World’s remote Islands by Keith Betton and These Hampshire are superb Waders talks by all Marcus given Wardby expert county birders. 2 AN ABUNDANCE OF FISH IN THE DANES STREAM During the early part of November 2020, dredging operations were carried out around the High Street bridge by specialist contractors working for the Environment Agency. This involved the use of a large 360-degree digger initially removing the more solid vegetation and mud, and then secondly vacuum tankers were employed to suck up the more oozy mobile mud around the arches of the bridge. Prior to commencing the dredging work, a section of about 40m of river was electro-fished. This activity temporally stuns the fish which were then hand netted, checked, and relocated upstream of the operation. The cleared section of river was next netted off to avoid them immediately returning to the working zone. An extraordinarily large haul of fish was collected which comprised the following: 89 Brown/Sea trout (largest 645mm, average 350mm). 13 Eels 30 Flounders 2 Stone Loach 49 Minnows 1 Stickleback. Sea trout are sea going (anadromous) brown trout and are usually female. They grow faster and larger than those remaining in the river and typically develop a silvery colour. They return to spawn in the river after one to five years. 3 Conversely Eels migrate up the rivers from the sea as elvers and spend a number of years developing into adults before returning to the sea to breed. Flounders are a marine flat-fish, but tolerant to very low levels of salinity found in estuaries and the lower reaches of rivers where they often thrive on muddy areas. The fisheries officer for the Environment Agency stated “I was quite shocked with the number and diversity of species removed over such a short distance of river. The data illustrates just how productive the Danes Stream is”. I think that this news will come as a pleasant surprise to local residents who occasionally glance over the bridge parapet and very rarely spot any fish. I’m sure you will agree it is re-assuring to know that our little river is in a very healthy state and currently supports a thriving population of fish and the invertebrate creatures they predominantly feed on. MCV AGREES WILDLIFE BLUE-PRINT 2021-2025 Your MCV committee has recently agreed a ‘blue-print’ for Milford-on-Sea Wildlife, Conservation and Amenity enhancements covering the next five-years. A number of projects have been agreed in principle. In some instances, these are also subject to landowner and/or third-party approvals. The projects include: Director’s Tower – The potential for a new and spectacular birding facility overlooking the Solent and ‘Hurst Narrows’ Formation of a coastal Wildlife Explorers Youth Group Nature Story telling for under fives Tern Raft introduction (at a site to be agreed) A new purpose built ‘Log Store’ at the recreation ground Sturt Pond Bird Hide enhancements (inside and out) Biodiversity Action Plan – Part Two covering 2021 – 2025 Solent Way footpath enhancements (our aim is a boardwalk) 4 Solent Way Birding Sessions Hedgerow Surveys and In early 2021, encourage landowner to open a permissive public footpath around Downton Lakes (gravel extraction site) with access to be maintained for a minimum of 20 years. We are also excited about continuing with existing projects which will be re-introduced as quickly as we can after Covid 19 restrictions have been lifted: Creeks & Saltmarsh Dory Trips Birding for Beginners sessions at Bird Hide & Observatory Annual Youth Bursary Wildlife Fair at Pennington Marshes NFNPA Volunteers Fair at Lyndhurst Old Milford Meadow enhancements The replacement ‘Newcomers Supper’ annual event Continuance of School Wildlife project Hazel Dormouse surveys White-tailed Eagle Monitoring Group Studland Orchard, Meadow & Common conservation project Rowan Tree Copse & Wildflower Meadow at Swallow Drive SPECIAL ‘JACK SNIPE’ SURVEY AT STURT POND NFDC and the Parish Council have recently approved an important ‘thermal imaging’ Jack Snipe survey at Sturt Pond. The survey, to be carried out over the winter months, is being conducted by Georgina (Gina) Burlinson. 5 The method of using thermal imaging was originally piloted by Colin McShane of the West Midland Ringing Group. Gina has been fully trained in the use of the imager and survey method. Risk Assessments and Insurance cover were pre-requisites to Gina’s being able to conduct her first session at Sturt Pond, and (as the photographs show) was carried out in extremely misty and cold conditions. Fortunately, the mist did not hamper the use of the handheld thermal imaging device. Jack Snipe sit very tight in clumps of dense vegetation and will usually only flush when you are almost on top of them, hence, many birds go completely undetected. Using thermal imaging, even birds well hunkered down can be viewed from several metres away. MCVs conservation officer kept a watchful eye on proceedings during the 1.5 hour survey to make sure that Gina was safe whilst working. Further visits will be made during the winter months of January to March 2021. During Gina’s first survey undertaken on 7th December, 10 x Common Snipe and 5 x Jack Snipe were recorded. Had it not been for the thermal imager and the structured zigzag transect survey walk method, few, if any birds would have been detected from a static position like the Bird Hide. Other sites being surveyed by Gina include; Fishlake Meadows, Testwood Lakes, Lower Test Marshes, Bishops & Waltham Moors, Titchfield Haven, Farlington Marshes, Hockley Meadows, Chilland Water Meadows and New Forest sites. MCV shall receive a copy of the final results in due course, which we shall publish for you. 6 MILFORD PRIMARY SCHOOL - TREE PLANTING On Friday 27th November, MCV committee members worked with Ben Willis (Deputy Head teacher), Mrs Hishon, Miss Crawford and 60 children, planting trees along the boundary between the school and The Swifts development. Trees were supplied by MCV (I Dig Trees scheme) and were planted as part of the school ‘Green Tree Award’ which is part of the Woodland Trust’s project to get children out doors doing something for nature. Over the next few years, Mr Willis and the children will be planting more trees with the aim of receiving a ‘Silver’ award for the school. Bertie, Harry, Thea & retired school caretaker and MCV committee member, Chris Barrass A number of nest and bat boxes were also fitted into suitable trees and, the older children decided on the positions for three Hedgehog winter homes to be placed. Unfortunately, time ran out to be able to finish fitting Swift and Dormice boxes and the remaining bird boxes, so a second session will be organised when the school reopens in the New Year. 7 All trees, saplings, bird, bat, dormice boxes and hedgehog homes were sponsored by MCV via a £500 grant given by them to the school.