BIRD NEWS Vol. 24 No. 2 Summer 2013 Club news and announcements Atlas/Avifauna progress Rookery survey – an update Rooks & motorway service areas Wintering Goosander survey 2013/14 Wintering Snipes on limestone pavement Canada Geese Waxwings in Cumbria 2012/13 A colour-ringed Great Black-backed at Anthorn Eycott Hill - a new nature reserve Recent reports Migrant arrivals 2013 Contents - see back page Twinned with Cumberland Bird Observers Club New South Wales, Australia http://www.cboc.org.au Officers of the Society Council Chairman: Dave Shackleton, 8 Burnbanks, Bampton, Penrith CA10 2RW tel. 01931 713693; [email protected] Vice-chairmen: Clive Hartley, Robin Sellers, Mike Carrier Secretary: David Piercy, Derwentwater Youth Hostel, Borrowdale, Keswick CA12 5UR; tel. 017687 77246; [email protected] Treasurer: Treasurer: David Cooke, Mill Craggs, Bampton, CA10 2RQ tel. 01931 713392; [email protected] Field Trips Organiser: Vacant Talks Organiser: Vacant Publicity : Colin Gay, 8 Victoria St., Millom, LA18 5AS tel. 01229 773820; [email protected] Members: Peter Ullrich Rob Pickett Keith Hamilton Peter Howard Malcolm Priestley Recorders County: Stephen Westerberg, 8 Beckside Gardens, Brampton, CA8 1US [email protected] tel. 016977 42652 Barrow/South Lakeland: Ronnie Irving, 24 Birchwood Close, Kendal LA9 5BJ [email protected] tel. 01539 727523 Carlisle & Eden: Chris Hind, 2 Old School House, Hallbankgate, Brampton, CA8 2NW [email protected] tel. 016977 46379 Allerdale & Copeland: Derek McAlone, 88 Whinlatter Road, Mirehouse, Whitehaven CA28 8DQ [email protected] tel. 01946691370 C.B.C. Bird News Editor: Dave Piercy B.T.O. Representatives Cumbria: Clive Hartley [email protected] tel. 015395 36824 Assistant reps: Colin Gay, Dave Piercy & Steve Westerberg 30 Club news and announcements Annual General Meeting Friday 4th October 2013 The AGM will be held at Penrith United Reformed Church on Friday 4th October 2013 at 7.30pm. The business of the AGM is intended to be as brief as possible and will be followed by a talk by Gavin Thomas on the RSPB's Bowland Wader Project. Vacancies on Council: Secretary, two vice-chairmen and two members. According to the terms of the constitution the above posts will become vacant at the AGM though there is a proviso that the current incumbents may remain another year if there are no other suitable candidates. This note is to seek nominations from members to fill these posts. According to the terms of the constitution, nominations should be submitted to the secretary not later than seven days before the AGM (i.e. by 27th September). Richard Wimpress Richard was born in Barrow in Furness and attended Barrow Grammar School for Boys. It was the Natural History Society at the school which started his interest in birds. A report ‘The Birds of Foulney Island’, produced by that Society in 1963, included many records submitted by him. On leaving school Richard joined Barclays Bank, initially at the Barrow Branch, but during his early career he moved around several branches in Furness and, typical of Richard, he quickly gained a wide knowledge of the best birding sites close to wherever he was working. He was a founder member of Walney Bird Observatory in 1965 and served as treasurer between 1970 and 1982. It was at Walney that he became a bird ringer and eventually a trainer who was very patient and willing to share his knowledge with new ringers. His encouragement helped to develop the Observatory until 1982 when work transferred him to Wigan where he met his wife Pat. After they were married in 1985 they moved back to Cumbria. Richard was a founder member of Cumbria Bird Club and its first Treasurer. In addition to birding Richard was a keen golfer, he was a member of Cockermouth Golf Club for 22 years during which time he held held several offices including Captain in 1998 and President in 2003 and 2004 and he had been Secretary for 8 years at the time of his death. His time on the golf course was often recorded in his bird sightings posted on the CBC forum. Richard will be very much missed for his ringing expertise, his vast bird knowledge and his sense of humour. More than 100 people attended his funeral at Christchurch, Cockermouth on May 21st. Our sincere condolences go to Pat and his family. Keith Parkes 31 CBC Indoor meeting programme winter 2013/2014 Friday 4th October (AGM): Penrith UR Church 7.30pm ‘The RSPB's Bowland Wader Project’ - Gavin Thomas Bowland’s nationally important populations of breeding Lapwing, Curlew, Redshank and Snipe are declining. This is due to intensification of grassland management and landscape-scale drainage of fields. As a result, Bowland’s wading birds have fewer areas in which to feed and successfully raise their chicks. However, with the support of the Wader Project, numerous local farmers and landowners are managing land sympathetically for these birds and are helping to maintain and increase their populations. Friday 15th November: Cockermouth UR Church 7.30pm ‘Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks’ - Roy Atkins Roy used to be chairman of CBC and is now a renowned tour leader and speaker. His picture of the Mountain Bluebird should whet the appetite. It would be good to get a better turn out than usual for this venue so please pass the word around especially if you live near Cockermouth. Free to non-members as well. 32 CBC Indoor meeting programme winter 2013/2014 Friday 7th February: Penrith UR Church 7.30pm ‘The Ring Ouzel’ - Innes Sim Innes grew up in Aberdeen, and has been interested in birds for as long as he can remember. Like many other schoolkids of his age he spent much of his time learning how to find bird’s nests, which has proved to be an important skill in his future career in ornithology. A chance encounter with a local bird ringer aged 12 sparked an interest in bird ringing, and he went on to gain his A permit by the age of 20. He studied Zoology at Aberdeen University, where he gained his BSc in 1989. He then began his career with the Conservation Science department of the RSPB, where he still works today. He has worked on a variety of projects, including seabirds on Orkney, Red Kites in Spain, and Buzzards in the West Midlands, as well as organising national surveys of Hen Harriers, Black Grouse and upland birds. He has worked on Ring Ouzels, in both an amateur and professional capacity since 1998, and completed his PhD on the ecology of the species in Glen Clunie, Aberdeenshire in 2013. He continues to attempt to understand the underlying reasons for the long term decline of this iconic upland species to this day. Monday 24th February: with Kendal NHS Friend's Meeting House Stramongate 7.30pm 'A year at Leighton Moss'-David Poole (photographer and naturalist) More information in the next newsletter. 33 Atlas/Avifauna progress Provisional distribution of breeding Curlews by tetrad, 2008 to 2012 Fieldwork for the Britain and Ireland Atlas came to an end in July 2011 and was followed by an additional year’s work here in Cumbria in an attempt to achieve complete coverage of all tetrads in the county. By the end of July 2012 all but a handful of tetrads had received their full quota of 2x2 hours timed tetrad visits (TTV’s) in both the breeding season and winter and the few which remain are currently being surveyed. We will, therefore, have a complete data set for the county in the autumn of this year. The Britain and Ireland Atlas is due to be published later this year and a special pre-publication offer is currently available which closes on 31st July www.bto.org/shop/bird-atlas. Hailed as the most important British and Irish 34 Atlas/Avifauna progress bird book for two decades, its publication should be a worthwhile reward for all the hard work that members of the Cumbria Bird Club and countless others have put in over the last several years. In addition to contributing to the above, a small team of CBC members have been working in conjunction with the staff of BTO and the Cumbria Biodiversity Data Centre aimed at publishing more detailed, tetrad-level results for Cumbria as part of a comprehensive County Avifauna, the first since Macpherson’s “Fauna of Lakeland” of 1892! Detailed tetrad level maps of distribution and relative abundance will be ready for circulation to species authors in September this year, along with: guidelines for the production of species accounts tables and graphs for individual species containing the latest Atlas data and a comparison with previous atlases tables containing Wetland Bird Survey data for all relevant species, both at county and site level an analysis of the results of the BTO’s Breeding Bird Survey for Cumbria graphs of trends in migrant arrival and departure dates a map showing the county Avifauna boundaries a map showing sub-areas of the county, along with a printout of Atlas data for each sub-area guidance on the systematic analysis of Cumbria Bird Reports guidance on the availability of data on ringing recoveries/controls a bibliography of references to Cumbria birds a glossary of terms It is hoped that the provision of this level of detail will not only assist the account writing process but also help to achieve a degree of consistency between species accounts. Currently we have a small group of CBC members who have expressed an interest in becoming involved as species authors. If you wish to add your name to this pool please get in touch with me as soon as possible, stating any preferences you may have for particular species.