Officers 1975-76 President : Dr. C. J. F. Coombs, Greenwith Place, Perranwell, Truro Chairman : Mrs. M. P. Visick, Trendain, Perranwell Station, Truro General Secretary : W. J. A. Woodward, Lewidden, Penrose, St. Ervan, Wadebridge Treasurer & Registrar : A. F. Reynolds, 33, Treworder Road, Truro Assistant Treasurer 6v Registrar : P. J. Dwyer, 27, Trenance Road, Newquay Field Meetings : F. M. Couch, Old Polzeath, Wadebridge Conservation : G. Jackson, Treweege Barton, Stithians, Truro Editor : N. R. Phillips, Cucurrian Mill, Nancledra, Penzance Secretary for the Isles of Scilly : Miss II. M. Quick, Priglis, St. Agnes, Isles of Scilly Joint Editors—Isles of Scilly Journal : H. P. K. Robinson, D. B. Hunt, 14, Regent Terrace, The Blockhouse, Tresco, Penzance Isles of Scilly Officer for Youth & Education : Mrs. S. D. Johns, 25, Hillcrest Avenue, Truro Committee Members : S. D. Gunn (St. Columb), D. R. Carter (Fowey), R. J. Salmon (Bodmin), Mrs. K. West (Falmouth), retire 1976. B. N. Boothby (Newquay), J. E. Beckerlegge (Camborne), Mrs. E. Davies (St. Tudy), A. C. Hosking (Penzance), retire 1977. Mrs. A. II. Jeffreys (Wadebridge), Mrs. A. Robinson (Truro), Mrs. R. P. Weeks (Wadebridge), J. B. Bottomley (St. Ives), R. J. Beswetherick (Bude), J. Hawkey (Newquay), B. Wilson (Lostwithiel), retire 1978. and the Officers ex-officio. CORNWALL BIRD-WACHING AND PRESERVATION SOCIETY Fourty-Third ANNUAL REPORT 1974 St. George Printing Works Ltd., Camborne Secretary's Report for 1974 The Membership total shows a decline of approximately 100 (from 1100 to 1000) due to our Treasurer finding that the bulk of these Members were in arrears with subscriptions of from 2-3 years. Also quite a number were only paying 50p a year. After several requests for arrears to be made up, the Treasurer reluctantly removed their names from our active list. Financially we are unaffected. We held two General Meetings and four Executive Committee Meetings during the year. At the A.G.M. on May 4th, 1974, our Treasurer, Mr. P. R. G. Marriott, announced his departure from Cornwall to take up a new post in Dorset. He gave details of another successful financial year with a surplus of £162 but also stressed the problems ahead due to rising costs in printing and postage. He thanked Members for their generous donations to the Stithians Hide Fund. Two new Officers posts were proposed : Officer for Youth and Education and Officers for Joint Editors for the Scilly Isles. These were agreed unanimously and Mrs. Johns was elected for Youth and Education and Messrs. H. P. K. Robinson and D. Hunt as Scilly Isles Editors. We also elected unanimously, Rev. J. E. Beckerlegge as an Honorary Member of the Society. Rev. Beckerlegge in thanking the Members for this honour, said he was slowly returning to normal health and would soon be giving more time to Society affairs. At the end of the Meeting we were shown two R.S.P.B. Films entitled " SEA SWALLOWS " and " AVOCETS RETURN." At the Autumn General Meeting Mr. Phillips asked for Members' support in condemning the shooting of Oyster Catchers on the Lancashire coast. Support was unanimous and many signed the petition. Dr. Coombs described his talks with the S.W. Water Authority on the use and control of reservoirs in Cornwall, in particular the Crowdy site. A good understanding had been established with the officials who were prepared to assist with the provision of Hides. Dr. Coombs also gave details of his recent visit to Scotland to study the effects on Bird & Plant Life in areas where oil is being brought ashore. He found that considerable thought was being given to Conservation problems. Members were advised that at the present rate of rising administrative costs the subscriptions might have to be increased in 1976. At the end of the Meeting one of our Members Commander Ted Stokes gave a talk entitled " The Families of Sailors' Birds " illustrated by impromptu black and white drawings. Under Mrs. Johns* leadership Junior Members were increasing in numbers and enjoying her programmes of Field Days and Lectures. Mr. N. R. Phillips' work on the Annual Report was much appreciated and the earlier circulation of our two Journals had been welcomed. We congratulate Mr. Phillips on being made a Bard of Cornwall last year. A good programme of Field Days had been arranged by Mr. F. Couch and these were well attended all over the County. 2 Mr. Jackson's work on improving the Walmsley Sanctuary had shown good results in increased bird population at the site. Mrs. J. B. Bax, Mr. T. O. Darke and Capt. E. C. Roper retire from the Committee after three years service, and the Society thanks them for their valuable help. We were sorry to learn of the death of Dr. Ludwig Koch, M.B.E., one of our Honorary Members who was so well known throughout the world for his valuable work on the subject of recording Bird Song. It was also with deep regret we record the loss of one of our outstanding Members, Mr. C. J. Stevens, F.Z.S., M.B.O.U., who passed away late in 1974. Cecil (as he was known to us all) built up a host of friends through his lectures and Field Days. He also contributed to the knowledge of Bird Life in Cornwall in his own happy and friendly way. We plan to create a memorial to his memory in the near future. W. J. A. Woodward, Hon. Gen. Sec. Treasurer's Report The surplus for the year, £460, is £298 more than that for the previous year. This arises because the 1973 accounts included a net amount of £242 for the provision of the Stithians hide and because of an increase in subscription income which was enhanced by a drive on arrears, which were eliminated by the end of the year. These factors, together with increased interest earned, more than covered an increase of £180 in the ordinary running expenses. The year was also noteworthy in that after ten years our debt to the Water Authority for the River Amble improvement at the sanctuary was finally cleared, which leaves an additional £100 a year available for other purposes. The treasurer of any voluntary society at the present time must, however, be more concerned with the future than the past, with postage and other costs rising at an unprecedented rate. Present indications (April, 1975), however, are that provided no heavy unexpected expenditure arises between now and the end of the year, and that the membership stays at around its present level, we should end 1975 with a surplus which will be sufficient to avoid the need to increase subscriptions in 1976. I would like to end this report with a personal plea. I have put in a considerable amount of time and effort to achieve the results for 1974 and 1975, and may I in return ask all members to do their part to help by making sure that they pay their subscriptions in January each year (preferably by bankers order if possible). In each of the past two years I have had to devote a disproportionate amount of time and Society money in sending reminders to almost 20 per cent of the membership! REMEMBER — SUBSCRIPTIONS DUE 1st JANUARY ARE YOU PROPERLY EQUIPPED? You may obtain from the Hon. Treasurer (address on Inside Front Cover.) Society Ties (Puffin emblem) in green, maroon, blue or black for £1.10. Society Badge (Puffin again) for 35p. Keys to Stithians Hide (two needed) for £1 the pair. Key to Burniere Hide for 50p. These prices are still the same as last year's, but with the increase in postage charges it would help the Society if members ordering by post would also enclose a stamp for postage. 3 CORNWALL BIRD-WATCHING AND PRESERVATION SOCIETY Income and Expenditure Account for the year ended 31st December, 1974 Expenditure Income Printing, Stationery and Postages : £ P £ p £ p £ p Subscriptions : Annual reports, 1973 501.88 Annual Membership : Other printing and stationery 94.82 current 845.55 Typing and duplicating 39.37 arrears 83.75 Postages 171.36 Life membership 20.00 807.43 Tax refunds on covenanted Subscriptions to Societies : subscriptions 125.00 Royal Institution of Cornwall 6.30 1,074.30 British Trust for Ornithology 3.50 Donations 27.75 Wildfowl Trust 1.05 Rent, Walmsley Sanctuary 52.00 Royal Society for the Protection Interest: of Birds 2.10 War Loan 31.56 12.95 Cornwall County Council Mortgage Walmsley Sanctuary : Loans 192.90 South West Water Authority — Bank deposit account 66.71 final payment 124.19 291.17 Work to drainage channels 40.70 Other Income : 164.89 Sale of annual reports 121.62 Stithians Hide — trees for screening 19.80 Sale of Hide Keys 77.00 Other expenses: Sale of Society badges and ties 12.18 Hire of rooms, projector, films, Film Show 28.45 lecture fee, etc. 48.90 Surplus on Slimbridge trip 28.15 Insurance 12.50 Miscellaneous 2.81 Keys, Stithians Hide 106.52 270.21 Presentations, Miss Quick and Mr. Marriott 49.14 Part cost of crockery 10.80 Notices, Hayle Estuary 7.70 Miscellaneous 14.54 250.10 Excess of Income over Expenditure 460.26 £1,715.43 £1,715.43 BALANCE SHEET AS AT 31st DECEMBER, 1974 Liabilities & Fund Balances Assets £ p £ P £ p £ p Accumulated Fund : Investments : Balance at 31.12.73 2,117.47 £902.24 3.5%War Loan at market Legacies Fund at 31.12.73 1,214.10 price at 31.12.74 185.00 8.75% Cornwall County Council 3,331.57 Mortgage Loan 2,000.00 Add: Excess of Income over 13% Mortgage Loan 750.00 Expenditure for the year 460.26 2,935.00 Debtors : 251.00 3,791.83 Bank Balances : Deduct: Depreciation on War Deposit account 532.18 Loan 67.63 Current account 37.45 3,724.20 569.63 Creditors : 10.00 Postage stamps in hand 8.07 Subscriptions paid in advance 29.50 £3,763.70 £3,763.70 Editorial 1974 will long be remembered as The Year Of The Rains, and for the cold dry spell in spring.