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Chorleywood and District Local Group Newsletter No. 83 August 2016

www.rspb.org .uk/groups/chorleywood

Group News

A big thank-you is due to Mary and Pete Coulson, who have offered to take on the role of our Indoor Meeting Co-ordinators. This is a central role in the work of the Group. Following on from the example of Gordon Caw, Mary and Pete want to widen the scope of our talks from being mainly focused on birdlife, towards wildlife in general. The current series of talks does not reflect this; however, the change will begin in the following season.

Over this year, we have been able to send a £500 cheque to the RSPB. We intend to add to that at the next meeting of the Committee. Increasing our membership fee to £5 per annum has helped the Our Stall at Chorleywood Village Day Photo: John Catton. Group finances somewhat and good attendance at our talks has helped to boost our funds further. decline of the house sparrow in our local gardens.

All is not rosy, however, as we do still need The new programme of outdoor meetings includes some extra Committee Members. The an exciting sailing trip on a Thames barge in the Committee meets only three times a year. Blackwater Estuary. Reserve your place soon. The Please join us. talks programme will take us, mentally, to Poland

and also to a WWII prisoner of war camp, which As we now own a gazebo, a gift from a generous should be very interesting! member, we have been able to hold a stall at the The Committee Chorleywood Village Day local fête. This was a success with many people coming to see our displays and taking away our programme to read. CONTENTS Seed sales and pin badge sales brought in a bit of NHM World Class Bird Collection ...... Page 2 Local and National Events ...... ……3 cash too. Thanks to Helen & Richard Livermore, John & Belinda Catton, Mary Coulson and Carol Warning to Garden Bin Users! ...... 3 Good News from Hope and Jordan’s Farms ...... 4 Smith for running the stall. Group’s Garden Birdwatch Conclusions ...... 5 Your Photos ...... 6 The survey of birds in our local garden has been th BBS Results Headlines ...... 6 completed for the 10 time. It’s worth looking at the College Lake ...... 7 table of full results, which is found on the very last Gallows Bridge Farm ...... 7 page of this newsletter, and John Smith’s Pagham Harbour Coach Trip ...... 8 assessment on page 5. You can see clearly the Paxton Pits ...... 9 Garden Birdwatch Full Results ...... 10

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The Natural History Museum’s World example. The specimens have to be carefully Class Bird Collections, labelled with as much detail as possible, as a mislaid specimen amongst the many thousands can take years to be put back in the right place. We should be proud that not far from us, at Tring, Everything inside the bird is removed, including there is a world class collection of bird specimens. eyes. The skins are stuffed with capok or similar, or Also a library that is only rivalled by those at the even grass and straw in the older specimens - Smithsonian Institute in New York and the Muséum whatever was to hand. Because there is a danger National d’Histoire Naturelle in Paris. The collection of the birds being victim of the carpet moth, which is housed next to the Sir Walter Rothschild feeds on keratin, the shelving for the skin collection Zoological Museum, but is quite separate from it. is kept behind sealed doors that also keeps out Here is found the whole of the Kensington’s Natural moisture. History Museum’s bird collection. Eggs and nests Amazing numbers This is the largest such collection in the world. All The collection includes 750,000 bird skins, 17,000 the eggs are blown. DNA can be extracted from the bird skeletons including 30% of all known species, shell membrane. One particular claim to fame is the 400,000 clutches in the egg and nest collection and fact that this collection was used in research that 17,000 specimens in the spirit collection. There are led to the banning of DDT. Because the collection also 30,000 books. This huge resource is used by of peregrine eggs ranges from many years ago to 300 international researchers each year, some of the modern day, the thickness of the eggshell could whom remain working there for many weeks. be compared over time. The scientists concluded that the DDT was causing thinning of the shell, Behind the scenes tour leading to the ban. Occasionally it is possible to go behind the scenes for a fee of £10 to see what treasures are kept. The Spirit collection security is tight. You have to book in advance and This is the least used of the collections and includes bring photo ID. Handbags and phones have to be 33% of all known bird species. The whole of the left outside. There is good reason, for there are bird is preserved, mostly in industrial alcohol. The many valuable historic books and paintings and researcher can dissect them, or CAT and MRI ancient bird specimens, some dating from the 17th scans can be performed. Many volunteers spend century and from Captain Cook’s and Darwin’s their time topping up the alcohol, which will voyages. In recent years imposters have stolen evaporate over time. hundreds of valuable and irreplaceable feathers.

Curators are on hand to help the researchers use Skeleton collection the specimens. For example, they may take a small 30% of all species are represented in this collection. sample of a bird skin from the sole of the foot for The bones are disarticulated and kept in boxes. DNA analysis. Then populations of birds can be Often palaeontologists use these to see if any found compared and relationships worked out. The remains are from a known species. Supermarkets original collectors from many centuries ago could might occasionally want to check what a product or not have imagined this use of their specimens. contaminant is by comparison with known bones!

The bird skin collection To obtain the bones, the whole birds are put in dark This includes some specimens collected by Darwin warm tanks, along with many Dermestes beetles, on his Beagle voyage. Modern day artists, who which eat the flesh. This can take a month for a illustrate our many bird guidebooks, are allowed to large specimen or a few days for a small one. An use the skin collection to enable them to examine ostrich, for example, would be done in parts, not closely the plumage details. The colour of the whole! feathers does not deteriorate, unlike the scales or skin. We were shown examples from the owl What can we do? collection. If you find a dead bird in very good condition, put it in a plastic bag and then into the freezer. Contact Variation in a species, both chronologically and the Museum at Tring, and with luck, your specimen geographically, can be studied because often there might join this famous collection. are hundreds of specimens of a particular species. There are 600 specimens of house sparrow, for 2

Local and National Events

th 8 October RSPB AGM and Members’ Day . The ICC, Birmingham 2016 Free morning AGM, an afternoon of talks and lunch Book online via RSPB website

16th October Chorleywood and District RSPB Group Thames Sailing 2016 Barge Trip on the Blackwater Estuary See our current programme of events

th 25 October Chichester Harbour Wildlife Discovery Tour 2016 Silent Electric Boat. Duration 3 hours Chichester Harbour Conservancy . Tel. 01243 512301

th th 4 to 6 Autumn Birdwatching Weekend, Coast and Wetland November Field Studies Council Course at Juniper Hall, near Dorking 2016 Tel: 01306 734501

5th November Chichester Harbour Birdwatching Tour

Silent Electric Boat. Duration 1.5 hours 2016 Chichester Harbour Conservancy. Tel. 01243 512301

Warning to all Wheelie Bin Users!

The lesson is ‘keep the lid of your wheelie bin firmly closed if you want to be able to use it!’

Northwood residents, Mike and Brid Perrott, were dismayed because they were unable to use their bin at the height of the gardening season in late April. They had discovered that a beautiful robin’s nest had been made at the top of their full bin. They had left a small gap, after not closing the lid properly.

Though they didn’t want to scare off the parent birds, they could not resist the temptation of opening the lid each day to see if eggs were laid. One by one, six eggs were laid and Mr and Mrs Perrott have sent us this lovely photo of the perfect nest. After some time, the chicks left the nest and settled in a huddle at the back of the bin. But Mr Perrott After a couple of weeks, Mr Perrott opened the lid became anxious that the gap below the lid was too to find six fluffy balls of feathers. Sometimes he narrow and he wedged it open with some slate. found the chicks gaping wide, expecting food, while Then soon after, the chicks took the plunge one by at other times they were huddled closely together one and jumped out, scurried away into some for warmth. Parent birds were always on the watch, bushes and were not seen again. so it was not possible to get photos of the chicks. Amazingly there was no disturbance by cats or Thank-you, Brid and Mike, for sharing this other predators. delightful story with us.

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Good News from Hope Farm However, at Loddington, which had a higher density In July 2010, some members of our Group were of predators, predator control was required as well. given a guided tour of the RSPB’s Hope Farm. This Further studies at more sites are needed to confirm 181-hectare farm was bought with donations from this conclusion. members in order that research on farming methods, both for profit and to increase wildlife, A separate study using 13 years of Hope Farm could be done in a ‘hands on’ manner. It is pleasing data, assesses one actual and three alternative to see that the good work continues. This July, the cropping scenarios on food production, biodiversity Farm Manager, Ian Dillon, reported in his blog that and greenhouse gas emissions. Removing 10.5% corn buntings have nested and successfully raised of land from production, coupled with a more two chicks, the first time since 2000. Now RSPB diverse rotation (including legumes), resulted in a and Game and Wildlife Trust scientists have worked large increase in breeding birds (177%) and a 9.4% together to study changes in bird abundance at reduction in emissions. Food protein lost only 2.9%. Hope Farm and at GWCT’s Loddington Farm in A 50% increase in bird numbers could be achieved Leicestershire. at much smaller yield cost, but with correspondingly smaller emission reduction. Bird abundance increased at both farms much faster than the background trends within their respective regions and was positively correlated with provision of bird friendly habitats, notably those providing invertebrate food in summer.

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More Good News – Jordan’s Farm Partnership Launched in June 2016

Jordan’s Cereals have formed a partnership with the Wildlife Trusts, Linking Environment and Farming (LEAF) and the Prince’s Countryside Fund. Their aim is to bring experts together to improve the Cornfield annuals countryside, reduce environment damage and to Photo: Andy Hay farm for wildlife, while producing wholesome food. rspb-mages.com

The first stage, from June 2016, will see the project piloted on five farms and later this year it will be rolled out over all 42 farms used by Jordon’s. This will provide nature friendly corridors across the whole country. Each farm will work with a dedicated wildlife advisor to put together a plan for their farm. 10% of the land will be used to support wildlife, for example, by providing food for farmland birds. has the largest number of Jordan’s Pollen and nectar rich wildflowers will be grown for farms and so the Herts and Middlesex Wildlife Trust insects such as bees and butterflies. Dedicated will be giving advice to the farmers. habitats will be made, such as hedgerow corridors and ponds. Nesting birds will be helped by For example, Thrift Farm in Hertfordshire is one of providing suitable boxes and locations for nesting. eight of the Hertfordshire farms in the scheme. The That is a total of 44,500 acres across the UK. farmer, Robert Law, is already very keen on the protection of wildlife, but is glad of the help from the They also aim to reduce negative impacts on the HMWT to make even more improvements. Keep an land by reducing landfill waste and reducing eye on the Jordan’s website, greenhouse gas emissions associated with farming www.jordanscereals.co.uk for more developments activities. Solar panels will be installed where and there you will find information on some of their suitable to provide power. successful farms already farming for wildlife.

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Chorleywood and District RSPB Garden Watch October 2015 to March 2016

This is the Group’s 10th Garden Birdwatch and we would like to thank the 19 participants for submitting their forms to enable us to monitor the wild birds in our area. The study covered observations in (6), Chorleywood (1), Chalfont St. Giles (2), Amersham (4), Beaconsfield (1), Latimer (1), Chesham Bois (1), Chesham (1), Mill End (1) and Maple Cross (1).

Full results are to be found on the back page of this newsletter.

This year the weather was again mild during the first half of the survey. The second half was mild, but also wet. Following the drop in the total number of sightings in the last two years, this year showed an increase, although not quite up to previous numbers.

Siskin numbers were at their highest level and those for wren and woodpigeon not far behind. But fewer house sparrows were seen than ever before, and redwing, fieldfare and blackbird numbers were close to their lowest level.

Below is a Top Ten list comparing the RSPB Big Garden Birdwatch results for Hertfordshire with those we recorded locally over the same period in January . Notice the house sparrow results that are in red! Also see the reduction in their numbers in our area, in the full results list on the back page.

Top Ten Birds

Chorleywood Group Big Garden Birdwatch Woodpigeon 1 Blue tit Blue tit 2 Woodpigeon Long-tailed tit 3 House sparrow Goldfinch 4 Blackbird Siskin 5 Starling Chaffinch 6 Great tit Magpie 7 Robin Great tit 8 Goldfinch Dunnock 9 Magpie Blackbird 10 Chaffinch

Further details, as well as a list of our top ten birds, will be given on the notice board at our indoor meetings.

Just a reminder that it is important that we look after our garden birds by putting out regular supplies of peanuts, sunflower kernels and nyger seeds as well as cleaning bird feeders regularly and topping up the bird bath.

I would like to thank everyone for their efforts and support , and hope they will continue to monitor the birds in their gardens in the coming season. In fact it would be nice if some more members could take part so that we maintain a representative sample.

I would also like to thank Irene Oulsnam for producing the sets of Birdwatch forms and to David Witton for all his help.

Forms for 2016/17 will be available at the September meeting or from me on 01494 771485. John Smith

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Your Photos

Top left: Male Goldeneye at Stockers Lake, Andrew Case

Bottom left: Robin comes into hide to see birdwatchers at Stockers Lake, Andrew Case

Above: Redpoll on nyger seeds, John Swainson

Breeding Bird Survey Results 2015

Many of our members take part in recording bird numbers for the country-wide annual Breeding Bird Survey, but not everyone receives the results, either by post or email. These usually are sent to the main surveyor. So here are some of the more striking headlines, which came out in July 2016.

The headlines of the latest report include:

 Willow tit down 77% in the UK from 1995 to 2014

 Turtle dove numbers have hit a new low, having declined by 93% since 1994: this is the UK’s fastest declining bird. This crash is mirrored across Europe, with a decline of 78% between 1980 and 2013, and as result of this trend it was added to the IUCN (World Conservation Union) Global Red List year last year - it is classified as Vulnerable to extinction.  Internationally important wader assemblages are in severe decline. The report reveals long-term declines in oystercatcher by 33%, golden plover by 25% and both curlew and lapwing by 57% between 1995 and 2014. The rapid decline of the curlew in Scotland and across the UK is a major concern, given that the UK has a huge global responsibility for this species, supporting approximately one quarter of its world population. The efforts of the Curlew Recovery Programme offer the hope of recovery for this species.  Chiffchaff and Blackcap might be benefiting from climate warming. In addition to the UK trends, one of the great benefits of the huge sample of data collected by BBS volunteers is that trends can be produced at national or even regional scale for many species. These trends reveal interesting variation, which can often tell us something about the causes of change in species’ numbers. For example, the increase in two migrant warblers, the chiffchaff and blackcap, has been far greater in Scotland (550% and 465% respectively) than in the UK as a whole (96% and 151%); these migratory species have spread northwards and might be benefiting from a warming climate. 6

College Lake, a Berks. Bucks and To manage an area for just one aspect of wildlife Oxon Wildlife Trust (BBOWT) Reserve takes an awful lot of work! This is a list of Andy’s aims to recover a thriving colony of nesting Saturday, 23 January 2016 lapwings, curlews and redshank on his land.

This is one of our local reserves managed by  Keep grass tall for curlews, who like some cover, BBOWT. It consists of a large lake formed from such as tussocks, in which to nest. extraction of chalk. The sides can be steep and have formed natural chalk grassland patches,  Keep grass short in other fields for lapwings to wonderful in the summer for the wild flowers. Small nest. exhibitions of fossils and old farming methods and also cornfield flora (in summer), all add to an  Make a few scrapes to retain water and mud. interesting experience.  Keep hedgerows low, or remove them, so that On this chilly day, with some sunshine, the lake was wading birds are not deterred by crows and ice-covered in shady parts. Black-headed gulls sat other predators that hide in the hedges. They on the ice. We walked around the lake edge, like large open fields. visiting the several hides while a red kite and buzzard flew overhead. On the lake we saw many  Build dams and sluices in the streams to retain water birds (see the list at the end). In the hedges and manage water levels. The farm is on Oxford we saw robin, dunnock, blackbird, starling, blue and clay, which dries out quickly. The beaks of great tit, chaffinch and greenfinch. Of course we waders can be delicate and cannot penetrate also saw many woodpigeons, carrion crows and hard, dried clay to obtain food. magpies, but wondered where all the migrant redwings and fieldfares were.  Allow grazing by cattle, followed by a cut of hay later in the year. On the bank at the side of the lake was a peregrine falcon. Apparently it had been mobbed by crows -  Keep out foxes - some are shot at present. In obviously safety in numbers. After the chill, the café one recent year a single fox destroyed every was a welcome comfort. All in all, a good morning lapwing nest. In future an electric anti-fox fence outing. is planned.

On the islands and lake were snipe, lapwings, red-  Keep mink out. They are humanely trapped and headed pochards, little grebes, wigeons, moorhens, killed. mute swans, pochards, tufted ducks, great crested grebes, mallards, grey heron, moorhen, gadwalls, cormorants, Canada geese.

Gallows Bridge Farm, A BBOWT Reserve Saturday, 20 February 2016

This reserve is just past Waddesdon Manor, on the A41 just outside Aylesbury. Only a small part is open to casual visitors and there is one hide, but we were lucky to be given a ‘talk and walk’ by the warden, Andy Collins.

Management has to be divided into two totally different methods. Water retention is the key for the attraction of wading birds to one half of the site, while the other half needs drier conditions for the Reserve Warden, Andy Collins, standing wildflower meadow to flourish. Given the time of on his dam. This was built by Andy and year, we did not discuss the flower meadow. volunteers. Control of water levels is crucial to his work. Photo: Carol Smith 7

So far there has been some success at Gallows We thank Peter Harman for his work arranging this Bridge Farm, with five pairs of curlew breeding and really enjoyable day out and for compiling the many lapwings in 2015. 60 skylarks have been on following bird list. An incredible number of 65 the site, many nesting. Otters are present. We species were seen. witnessed one of the traps that consist of clay blocks, over which the otter walks, leaving an unmistakable footprint. A barn owl breeds in the only brick building on the site.

Pagham Harbour Coach Outing Saturday, 7 May 2016

This coach trip was a great success due to the extreme peace of the Reserve and the perfect, sunny weather. A natural harbour, the habitat at Pagham is of salt marsh, intertidal mudflats, creeks and saltwater lagoons, while around is scrub of gorse and elder. While there, we saw the harbour totally submerged by the tide and then rapidly exposed, after the sea receded to reveal the vegetation once again. On the Harbour shore. Jean, Mary, Carol, Peter, Evelyn, Alan

The muddy creeks are a refuge for wildlife and in and Andrew Photo: Dave Smith winter they shelter many geese and ducks, such as Brents and pintails. In spring, it is valuable for refuelling rare passage migrants.

Thrushes Mistle, blackbird, song thrush We walked both north and south from the Visitor Centre on the west side of the harbour. Going Passerines Robin, wren, dunnock north, the scrub was alive with whitethroats, wrens, Finches Greenfinch, chaffinch, linnet, goldfinch chaffinches and dunnocks. On our right was the marsh, giving us the evocative call of the Tits Blue, great and long-tailed oystercatchers and redshanks, which we could see Corvids Carrion crow, magpie, jackdaw, rook flying low or feeding. Most of us failed the ‘curlew or whimbrel’ test. In fact, we were looking at dozens of Ducks Gadwall, coot, moorhen, mallard, little grebe, great crested grebe, whimbrels that were passage migrants en route shelduck, tufted duck from Africa to the far north of Europe. Very lazily, Waders Whimbrel, common sandpiper, most of us saw the downturned beaks and dunlin, redshank, avocet, concluded ‘curlew’. Well done those who got it right! (Medmerry), bar-tailed godwit, lapwing, little egret, black-tailed Heading south from the Visitor Centre, reed and godwit, grey heron, curlew, oystercatcher, grey plover sedge warblers were singing in the reeds. A lucky Geese and swan Canada goose, mute swan view of a cuckoo fleeing an angry reed warbler was seen by Janet and Vaughan. Then the tide came in Warblers Cetti’s, blackcap, whitethroat, chiffchaff, sedge and reed warbler very swiftly, surprising those not used to such tidal Gulls and terns Black-headed gull, herring gull, habitats. It is easy to get cut off by this inrush, so it common tern is best to follow the instructions given at the Visitor Miscellaneous Red kite (from coach), great Centre. spotted woodpecker, green woodpecker, woodpigeon, Curlew or Whimbrel? pheasant, kestrel, swallow, starling, house sparrow, collared The curlew is the larger of the two. Their beak is much dove, peregrine, cormorant, stock longer. They have the evocative bubbling call. They are seen dove, cuckoo, buzzard, meadow at any time around the coast of UK and breed here. pipit 65 species The whimbrel is smaller. They have a crown with two dark stripes, one either side, with a white streak between. The beak is shorter. They do not breed in the UK, apart from on Shetland and Orkney. They are seen on migration in the spring and autumn. 8

Paxton Pits, Huntingdonshire Bracket fungi and three nest boxes on a thick Saturday, 21 May 2016 tree trunk grabbed our attention. A song thrush sang, a great spotted woodpecker peeped and a goldcrest sang like a high pitched When this additional birdwatching walk was bicycle bell. As we rounded a corner to announced, I was very keen to go. Around 25 head west, we saw a crowd of some twenty nightingales had been reported and I people looking at, or for, a great reed warbler. remembered the honour of having veteran I couldn't see it; Tony did! warden, Trevor Gunton, as our guide a decade ago. From the road back to the Centre we observed a mixed gaggle of greylag and As well as the quarrying to the north of the Canada geese in a field to the west, and a village, it is probable that this Cambridgeshire buzzard soaring beyond it. We heard reserve has had an influence on the yellowhammer song, and, while Peter and population. It opened in 1989 and soon the Tony went on, Janet and I lingered looking at village was over three times as large as Great the geese and an orange tip butterfly. Paxton, which had until the 50s been the We didn't include any of the southern lakes in slightly larger settlement. our route, but from somewhere near them a cuckoo's call carried to Sailing Lake, to which we had made a brief and uneventful visit. This is an easy-going reserve with good footpaths, points of interest even in the Visitor Centre, and much more area than we had The nightingales were managed to cover, so well worth visiting again. more elusive than ever this time! Artwork, Mike Langman Andrew Case rspb-images.com

Having met in the volunteer-run café and Visitor Centre just after 11am, the four of us set out, ears and eyes alert for the star birds. Walking around the eastern edge of Heronry South Lake, we heard much birdsong - from common whitethroat, dunnock, blackcap, blackbird and willow warbler. The route is called the Heron Trail, and indeed a grey heron flew over; while on the lake were a few tufted ducks, great crested grebes and cormorants with common terns flying over it. At the head of a short path to Hayden Hide, there seemed to be some friction between one female and two male blackbirds.

Moving on, past an apparently inactive mining bees' mound, we heard chiffchaff song and saw a chaffinch as we approached the isthmus between Heronry South and Heronry North The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds Lakes. Here is Kingfisher Hide, outside which (RSPB) is a registered charity: England and Wales I heard a kingfisher's high-pitched call! I wish No. 207076, Scotland No.SC037654 there had been a place called Nightingale Glade or the like! Later on, Tony thought he Any advertisements enclosed with this newsletter did see one of these shy songsters flit across are not specifically endorsed by the RSPB or the the path. Chorleywood and District Local Group

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