July 2019 Final

RSPB North West Surrey Local Group letter 2019 - 3 Group Web Site - rspb.org.uk/groups/nwsurrey

Know your Members p2 :: Members’ Photos p8 :: Book Review p10 :: Ins & Outs p11 :: Future Events p15 COMMITTEE CHAT Welcome to our third issue for 2019. It's easy to become demoralised if you're a conservationist. Climate change, poaching, plastic pollution, deforestation, increasing numbers of species on the endangered list. It all seems too much as daily headlines predict we are all doomed. And what can we as individuals do about it anyway? Well, quite a lot actually. The RSPB and other organizations such as WWF, WWT, Greenpeace, and so forth are battling away, whether it be in the corridors of power, the courts, or, as with Extinction Rebellion bringing central London to a standstill. Sir David Attenborough is influencing millions with his unmatched ability to engage us all. And there are triumphs, even if they seem small. In the UK, red kites, cirl buntings, peregrines, roseate terns, cranes are all increasing in number, and rewilding projects at Knepp in Sussex and Alladale in the Highlands lead the way in restoring nature to our countryside. The message is, keep fighting. There will be setbacks, but we are part of a huge conservation army. Political leaders know our votes count so don't let up. The younger generation is far more aware of the threat of ecological disaster than ours. So make your voice count by continuing to support conservation organizations and lobbying politicians when you get the chance. Our group is a microcosm of our country's support for wildlife. We have spread the word at Wisley where so many volunteers from our group willingly give up their time to lead bird walks and engage with visitors; we engage enthused audiences in our local community with our Birds of Surrey talks, we continue to vote with our feet by guiding walks and visiting and thereby supporting our nature reserves and hopefully we pay our subscriptions to conservation organisations to help them function effectively. The summer issue of Nature's Home contains some astonishing statistics. RSPB local groups over the last 50 years have carried out 12 million hours of volunteer work, raised £25 million, given 80,000 wildlife talks and guided 120,000 walks. So let's give ourselves a pat on the back and carry on the good work. Legh, Steve, and Ken have worked hard to put together an attractive programme outdoors and indoors for our new season, so assure yourself of an entertaining autumn by supporting the events. Your committee is aware that some members are reluctant to drive late at night to indoor meetings. From our September meeting we will try to arrange lifts for anyone who would like. Just contact a committee member if you are interested and we will try to arrange it for you. And do give us feedback on all our activities so we know which places you'd like to visit and which speakers and topics particularly appeal. It's your group, so let's make it even better. The Committee Forthcoming meetings We have a good and varied programme of speakers at our indoor meetings, whose talks we are sure you will enjoy, so make sure you put these dates in your diary now. Thursday 26th September - ‘The Comical Puffin’ by David Boag. We resume our monthly meetings with this rescheduled talk, and what better way to start our season than by taking a look at one of our most charismatic species? Look forward to stunning underwater and underground photography, and learn about how a bird that may be clumsy on land but is a master of the deep oceans where it spends the majority of its life. Thursday 24th October - ‘Project Owl’, by Hugh Hanmer. Hugh talks to us about our most charismatic bird family and the efforts of the BTO to learn about and help preserve our owl species. Thursday 28th November - ‘Birding in the Gambia and the Sine-Saloum delta, Senegal’, by Glenn Duggan. A welcome return to the well known birding sites in the Gambia, and a lesser known wetland one in neighbouring Senegal. Thursday 23rd January 2020 - ‘Camouflage Without Spots’, by Ian Alexander. Ian will tell us about the principles of animal camouflage. His talk will use physical objects and photos to illustrate the tricks that animals play to keep themselves concealed.

Please note the FINAL CUT OFF DATE for the next issue is THE LAST WEEKEND of October 2019.

The views expressed by contributors to this newsletter are not necessarily those of the Committee, the Editor, or the RSPB. All trading names and references are acknowledged to be owned by their respective companies or individuals. © RSPB North West Surrey Local Group – 2019 © The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) is a registered charity in England and Wales no. 207076, in Scotland no. SC037654 1 7 Menu Know your Members - Ron Jackson

This edition features Ron Jackson. Ron attends almost all our indoor meetings. If the weather is clement, his Harley will be parked outside, and a very impressive beast it is. He is also a regular on the midweek walks, assisting Steve. Over the years he has made many bird boxes for sale by the group and we have no doubt that these five star establishments have been much appreciated by their blue tit (and perhaps other species) occupants. How did you first become interested in birds and wildlife? I have always lived in Englefield Green. I can easily walk to Windsor Great Park so from an early age, about 10, a friend who lived next door and I would spend all day in the park, watching the birds and wildlife before going home for tea. Nobody worried about our safety in those days. A popular spot was Smith's Lawn. In the winter, we'd slide the double doors back to the Queen's heated box and sit in her chair and watch the birds from there. I'm sure they'll have improved security now! How did you come to join our group? In early 1993 I visited the club as a guest at an indoor meeting. I saw a coach trip to Minsmere advertised which I went on and really enjoyed. I joined the group soon after. Where have you enjoyed birding with the group? I have been on most of the foreign birding trips which the group have organized by club members since 2006. I have thoroughly enjoyed all of these, particularly Bulgaria, Lesvos, and Georgia. Which are you favourite birds? All of them, but especially raptors and owls. What are your favourite local wildlife sites? Locally, I like Wraysbury Pits, Staines Moor and Staines Reservoir. Further afield, Pagham Harbour, - and a weekend in Norfolk can't be bettered. Do you have any bogey birds and any you'd especially like to see? Dotterel and little auk are bogeys. And I love to see any kind of albatross.

Do you have any favourite wildlife presenters? I'll happily listen to or watch any wildlife programmes, but I especially like Chris Packham and Gordon Buchanan who do so much to promote wildlife.

What was your occupation? All my working career was as a wood machinist. For the last 25 years before retirement, I tried to teach woodworking skills to Brunel students. It was during my time there that I made many nest boxes out of recycled lab worktops. These were made out of iroko, an African hardwood. This is ideal for outdoor use and otherwise would have gone into the skip. Over the years, the group sold many of these boxes which I hope made homes for tits and other birds. Are there any wildlife issues that make you angry? Yes. Raptor persecution both in this country and worldwide is a disgrace. So is the "murder" of sharks, just for their fins. Appalling in this day and age. What other hobbies do you enjoy? I have owned a Harley Davidson for about 10 years. Fortunately my wife also like Harleys. I have used it for several twitches as it is much easier to get through traffic and to park. I used it to twitch bee eaters on the Isle of Wight as it's a lot cheaper and easier to get on the ferry. The downside is that it's very noisy for birdwatching and with my scope, tripod, and bins, there is no room for flask and sandwiches.

AGM 2019

Our AGM covering the year 2018-2019 took place on 27 June and, as in recent years, was very well attended.

The Leader’s report covered the Group’s activities during the year highlighting the various events but especially the ongoing relationship with RHS at Wisley Gardens, particularly with in events and leading birdwatching walks. This may hopefully lead to being asked to lead more walks next year. The group returned to the Knaphill Show in July 2018 after a few years’ absence. Street collections have continued, and we have branched out into local area talks to other organisations, which are helping to bring in funds. The indoor meetings are quite well attended, and we would welcome any new ideas and constructive comments. Outdoor trips also have been successful thanks to Legh Langston and Steve Williams. Thanks also to Sharon Bristow for her organising, Peter Hambrook for the website, Marion Sharps for the street collections, Ken Sutton for the indoor meetings and talks, Jenny and Suzanne for the raffles at the meetings. Thanks also to Geoff Porter, Ken Sutton and Alan Pugh for producing the group newsletter, and for the new articles being introduced. And thanks to Ken, Geoff and Steve, and everyone else involved for the very successful quiz night in January. Thanks to all the committee and particularly Angela for maintaining Treasurer duties, Alan for his technical control and behind the scenes support, and Diane Vowles for support across all activities for over four years. Outside our group, thanks also go to Hugo Blomfield, RSPB Local Group Officer, for his support. But most of all, thanks to our membership, for attending the meetings and walks, all of which help to raise the profile of the RSPB and make significant financial contributions towards wildlife conservation. Angela Pugh presented the treasurer's report, starting by thanking Simon Lumsden for auditing once again. Total income was £4157.70, while expenditure was £3750 for the year to 31 March 2019. Subscription income was £1100, and the committee agreed that subscription rates for the forthcoming year would remain unchanged. Raffles at meetings brought in net proceeds of £279, while refreshments brought in a further £85, donations another £202, and £150 for talks to other local organisations. Combined events brought in a total of £2341.70. The largest expenditure was £1575 transferred to the RSPB, with other cost of speakers expenses £757, hall hire £530. Cash at the bank stood at £3594.29. In addition, £3646.86 was raised from pin badge sales. Our group is the 10th highest group in the south east region. The committee were re-elected unchanged with the exception of Diane Vowles who stood down. Project funding proposal. It was agreed that funds from the group would continue to be put towards a) Woodland, b) Reedbed and c) Inter-tidal Habitats - saltmarsh and mudflat.

What's in a Name Isabelline Wheatear, Isabelline Shrike.

Last year, a few members of our group visited Georgia, (the Europe/Asia one, not the American). If they were fortunate they will have seen an Isabelline Wheatear. Now I have to tell you that the origins of this charming bird's name are rather risque. The meaning of wheatear is well known. Our wheatear, the Northern Wheatear, has a prominent white rump which is very visible as it flies away. Quite simply, and with admirable clarity, our ancestors called this bird white arse. They probably thought as little about this as they did calling a black bird Blackbird. Unfortunately, later generations were rather prudish and Bowdlerised the name to wheatear, although the name has nothing to do with wheat or ears. Mr Bowdler incidentally was a foolish fellow whose life's work was to take all the rude bits out of Shakespeare. But what about Isabelline? Similarly there is an Isabelline Shrike. You might wonder if Isabella was a keen 19th century ornithologist and explorer, but no, isabelline is in fact a fawn, light brown, or greyish yellow colour. This precisely describes the colour of these two species - good if you want to be camouflaged in the desert. But why Isabella? Well Isabella Clara Eugenie was the sister of Philip III of Spain. In 1601 he decided to lay siege to Ostend. Isabella took a vow not to change her undergarments until the city surrendered. Unfortunately the siege lasted for three years, not good news for Isabella or those around her! Her oft-worn, and probably rather discoloured intimate attire, thereby gave her name to delightful bird species - and immortalized her as well. The Oil Crisis.

No doubt some of you will read the above title and question what is the relevance of the oil crisis to a Newsletter covering wildlife and nature topics? In this case, the oil crisis is nothing to do with crude oil, it’s to do with palm oil. Palm oil is the most popular vegetable oil in the world and is used in a wide variety of products from cooking oil and soap to so-called eco- friendly biodiesel. Palm oil has been around for hundreds and perhaps thousands of years; however, it’s only in the last 20 years that palm oil production has boomed. Native to west and central Africa, oil palms were shipped to Borneo around the start of the 20th century. They grow best where there is lots of rainfall and lots of sunshine and Borneo has the ideal climate. The island is politically “shared” by Brunei, Indonesia and Malaysia, the latter two countries producing 85% of the world’s palm oil between them. In order to plant large numbers of oil palms, large tracts of land have been cleared of ancient tropical rain forest with consequential effects on the environment and wildlife. About 16,000 square miles of rain forest have now been cleared and the

© RSPB North West Surrey Local Group – 2019 4 1 © The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) is a registered charity in England and Wales no. 207076, in Scotland no. SC037654 Menu clearance still continues. The critically endangered Bornean orangutan population has seen a decline of over 150,000 since the start of this century. In some areas, lip-service has been paid to conservation with isolated islands of rain forest being left untouched but with no connection between them so they have become almost devoid of wildlife. Now going back to one major use of palm oil i.e. allegedly eco-friendly biodiesel. In 2017, over 50% of the EU’s palm oil consumption (about 3.25 million tonnes) went into keeping vehicles on the road. Isn’t there a contradiction here - on the one hand wanting to protect the environment whilst on the other destroying it by trying to protect it? So can anything be done? It would be very naive to think that palm oil production can be stopped not least because “we” continue to use it so widely and the economy of many countries depends on it. The EU seems to have woken up and is rethinking its strategy on biofuels but maybe the pragmatic solution is to look at ways of making palm oil production less harmful. This seems to be one approach being adopted by some producers who are trying to make more efficient use of the land and replanting the rain forest. Replanting is a very long term approach though and it will take two or more likely three generations before anything like old growth rain forest is back. If you’ve read this far then some of you may be thinking that electric cars will solve the problem so there’s no need to worry. Unfortunately batteries need lithium and obtaining sufficient quantities of that element has the potential to cause environmental damage in some areas - but that’s another story! Photo copyright - rainforestpartnership.org

A Talking Point. We often hear or read about the question of how should conservation be funded especially in Africa and a number of different solutions have been or are being tried. Solution 1: In some African countries trophy hunting is allowed. As one example, in Namibia trophy hunting in the Kalahari Desert apparently brings in significant funds, some of which are used for conservation purposes, the rest going to the local people. In 2017, Namibia allowed 5 elephants to be shot, the cost of a single elephant “fortnight” hunt allegedly being around $80,000. By careful management and monitoring, one locally run conservancy in Namibia (which operates specifically for trophy hunting), has apparently been able to increase the big game population. With trophy hunting, there is of course the possibility of collateral damage e.g. the 2015 shooting of Cecil the Lion in Zimbabwe - he was being tracked for research purposes. The pro-hunting lobby (notably the very influential Safari Club International - safariclub.org) claims that hunters promote conservation but perhaps it could be argued that such claims may not seem to tally with the 66% decline in the Tanzanian lion population between 1993 and 2014. As a comparison, in the USA, the National Parks Service allows seasonal bear hunting on Kodiak Island at a cost of $30,000. Solution 2: Another solution is to encourage tourism and use the income from that to fund conservation. There is no doubt that wildlife tourism is huge business. As some sort of guide, the UN World Tourism Organisation estimates that in 2015 over 35 million tourists visited sub-Saharan Africa contributing over $24 billion to that region. Of course, there is collateral damage with tourism funded conservation as well e.g. a much larger carbon foot print from air travel compared with hunters. The larger the number of tourists, the larger the demands on the local infrastructure especially on water and food. In some wildlife tour camps, meat such as lamb or pork is specially shipped in as many of the tourists apparently won’t eat the local meat e.g. impala or kudu. Arguably, the point has been reached where there are just too many wheels and feet on the ground; indeed, some African countries are now limiting the number of tourists. Solution 3: Encourage tourism and hope that conservation works so well that culling of the wildlife is necessary in order to protect bio-diversity. Then use trophy hunting as a means of culling and use the income from both that and tourism to fund conservation. So the question is: How would you fund conservation - one of the above, none of the above or something completely different?

Membership Renewals Our new membership year starts on 1st September and, if you receive this Newsletter in printed form, there will be a Renewal Form with it. If you receive the Newsletter electronically, a Renewal Form will be e-mailed to you with the Newsletter. To comply with current data protection regulations, we need to have a completed form from you every year even if your contact details have not changed. Please would you return the completed form to the Membership Secretary in order to keep our records up to date. If you do not currently pay your membership by standing order but would like to do so, please contact the Membership Secretary.

Knaphill Village Show - Saturday 20th July 2019 We have just had a very enjoyable day manning our RSPB Local Group stand at The Knaphill Village Show. We set about putting up the gazebo, which can be a little challenging, but after a short while we were rather pleased with our efforts. We had just finished putting up the tables and setting out some of the games and sales items when the wind turned cold and it started to rain, quite heavily. All hands on deck moving the tables into the middle of the gazebo and putting on the side sheets which we had hoped to avoid. Steve was on hand to keep prodding the roof with his closed umbrella to encourage the ponding rain water to shed on the outside rather than all over us on the inside. We were already aware of the large hole in one corner of the gazebo and we can now confirm that it is only showerproof in very light rain and not waterproof as the rain soon started coming through. However the rain was thankfully short-lived and the sun came out and we, the equipment and the gazebo started to dry off. We completed the setting up and once again our stand looked magnificent. The Village Show is not a huge event but there were certainly plenty of young families and others wandering around and enjoying the lovely atmosphere. There was something for everyone with the various bands and musicians, Morris Dancing, dog show, Mizzens Railway rides, a large selection of refreshments and all the other stalls that the event had to offer. Our tombola, pin badges, find the birdie nail game and RSPB sales table proved very popular with the visitors and we raised a total of £246. All in all a great result for conservation and wildlife. A huge thank you to Sharon, Steve, Bob and Marion for helping on the day and to Heather for help with loading and unloading all the equipment from her shed. I now need to give some serious thought to the gazebo which, had the rain continued, would have meant that we and the equipment would have got a right dunking!! Alan Sharps

© RSPB North West Surrey Local Group – 2019 © The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) is a registered charity in England and Wales no. 207076, in Scotland no. SC037654 6 1 Menu Stephen Morris writes… We live close to the centre of Shepperton, in a typical Shepperton estate of 1930s bungalows with reasonably sizeable gardens. Though our road borders the M3, there is a narrow strip of farmland along the edge of the motorway and more the other side. A friend tells me there are reed buntings on farmland a little farther along the M3, towards Chertsey Bridge, so they could come in from there. We’ve also seen them on Chertsey Meads, which isn’t that far as the reed bunting flies. They first came in with the February snow, I guess about seven years ago, and every year since they have come in around November and stay put till about the middle of the March. Generally we get around four males and three females, though I think we had four of each this year. The photos show them on our mealworm tray on 1 February 2019, though we put seed down for them on the lawn at the very edge of the flowerbed (known in our house as ‘Reed Bunting Alley!') In the photos they are clearly picking out odd seeds from the tray. We’re told each individual needs 2,000 seeds a day so we try to contribute to that total. They’re around for much of the day during the period they’re here, and are a real treat for us. And now for something completely different ! Friday 19th July saw a somewhat different outdoor meeting when five of our members visited The Linnean Society of London which is the world’s oldest active biological society. It was founded in 1788 by Sir James Edward Smith (1759–1828) and takes its name from the Swedish naturalist Carl Linnaeus (1707–1778) whose botanical, zoological and library collections have been in its keeping since 1829. After Carl Linnaeus died in 1778, his collection was passed on to his son upon whose death, the collection was put up for sale and purchased by Smith. There is an apocryphal story that when the King of Sweden heard about the sale of the collection, he sent a ship to intercept Smith’s ship and bring everything back to Sweden; there is even a painting portraying the chase on the high seas. Sadly, there is absolutely no evidence that these events actually took place so perhaps fake news isn’t a modern phenomenon after all! As most readers of this article will know, Linnaeus was the creator of the taxonomic system of classifying organisms; however before publishing his first edition of Systema Naturae in 1735, he read extensively and the vast majority of his book and learned papers collection is held by the Linnean Society. The importance of the collection is reflected in the fact that it is stored in a large environmentally monitored vault. We were fortunate enough to be shown the oldest book in the collection published in 1491 containing information on having a healthy lifestyle based upon utilising plants for food and medicine. Similarly we were able to see the first edition of Systema Naturae in which Linnaeus set up three “Kingdoms” viz. “animal”, “vegetable” and “mineral” all carefully written by hand. Interestingly, there were some organisms that were recognised as not fitting into the “system” and these were classified as “paradoxes”. As Linneas refined his classification in later editions, these “paradoxes” became fewer. As well as the book/learned papers collection, The Linnean Society holds the actual specimens collected by Linnaeus although it is worth noting that they were not all collected by him personally. He was obviously a pragmatic person and his plant specimens are all on single sheets of paper rather than being bound in a book. This enabled him to reorganise the collection as he refined his classification system. Again, we were shown many of the original specimens. Although Linnaeus defined three “Kingdoms”, Scott apparently sold the “mineral Kingdom”! The Linnean Society also has an extensive library (see photo) which is open to anyone with an interest in the natural world, one of the most interesting books being a first edition of Darwin’s “On the Origin of Species”. A really interesting and educational visit albeit requiring a little more brain activity than many of us are now used to! Our thanks to Liz the archivist for spending so much time with us and showing us so many unique items. (Photo copyright Alan Pugh).

We are delighted to show images taken by our member Dave Panchaud.

2 These photos were all taken using a Canon 7D Mk2. 1 - Mandarin Duck pair, Virginia Water lake. 121 mm at 1/320 sec. f/5.6 ISO 200. 2 - Common Tern at Wraysbury. 400mm at 1/1600 sec. f/5.6 ISO 640. 3 - Kittiwake on chicks, Farne Islands. 260mm at 1/500 sec. f/5.6 ISO 100. 4 - Puffin with sandeels, Farne Islands. 135mm at 1/400 sec. f/6.3 ISO 100. 3

4 Menu Book review Rebirding, by Benedict MacDonald

The word ’’rewilding’’ only entered the language within the last 20 years. The concept of rewilding is to restore a landscape to its natural state. This has often involved the introduction of grazing animals to facilitate habitat restoration. The best known rewilding projects, at Knepp in Sussex and Alladale in Sutherland have had startling success in increasing numbers of struggling species, particularly cuckoos and turtle doves at Knepp.

Rebirding applies the same principles to demonstrate how rewilding in Britain can bring about a reversal in bird species' declines and give these species of bright future. Equally importantly, it shows how such measures will provide a vibrant living landscape and can also bring great economic benefit, particularly to economically struggling parts of the country.

The early part of the book makes depressing reading as MacDonald describes the manifold ways in which we have decimated our bird populations, especially since the industrial revolution. Simple persecution, population fragmentation, over grazing, devastation of insect populations, agricultural monoculture, herbicides etc etc. One begins to wonder how any birds have survived at all!

MacDonald disputes the received wisdom that oak woodland covered the landscape in prehistoric times. He posits that large wild herbivores initially, and subsequently domestic livestock created a mosaic landscape in which different habitats developed suiting a wide variety of species. Conservation's aim should be to recreate such a mosaic; wet grasslands beloved of snipe and lapwing; scrub for nightingales and whitethroat, wetland areas for ducks and waders, open woodland for species such as pied flycatchers and lesser spotted woodpeckers and so forth. He points to such habitats in eastern Europe where agricultural practices have not yet devastated the landscape.

While the creation of good habitat will ensure that good numbers of birds will return, some species who became extinct at the location won't. Corncrakes on migration, for example will fly over perfectly adequate created habitat as they are hard wired to return to their natal territories; to maximise the potential of new habitat, it is necessary to reintroduce absent species and of course there has been great success with cranes, great bustards, cirl buntings, and of course corncrake in Nene washes. Succeses, but there should be more of them.

So much of our landscape is managed in a way which is devastating for nature; prairie arable monoculture, grouse moors, Sitka spruce plantation forestry, sheep farming. McDonald examines all these habitats and demonstrates with examples from other countries how these areas can become rich in wildlife again. His case studies suggest a future for grouse moors, national parks, the Somerset levels, and other managed landscapes. Let nature return and the benefits to the local economy will be startling. Look at how Mull now earns over £10 million per year from eagle tourism. And remember too how vigorously white tailed eagle reintroduction was initially opposed by so many islanders.

This is not the first book on rewilding; the concept is in fact at the forefront of current conservation thinking; ecological improvement on a landscape scale. What makes Rebirding so compelling is how it offers convincing solutions which will not only restore avian populations but which will benefit both the people who live there and those that visit. It should be compulsory reading for environmental policy makers. And we the public and the conservation organisations which represent us must mobilise to fight for such a future for our countryside.

Read the book and you'll find out why the front cover picture of a pelican is not so outlandish for a book about British birds.

Reviewed by Ken Sutton Product details Hardcover: 300 pages Publisher: Pelagic Publishing Ltd (17 Mar. 2019) Language: English ISBN-10: 178427187X ISBN-13: 978-1784271879 Product Dimensions: 16.3 x 3 x 24.6 cm Image taken from, and book availability from Amazon. https://www.amazon.co.uk/Rebirding-Rewilding-Britain-Pelagic- Monographs/dp/178427187X

© RSPB North West Surrey Local Group – 2019 © The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) is a registered charity in England and Wales no. 207076, in Scotland no. SC037654 10 2 Menu The Ins and the Outs Mid-week walk at Pulborough Brooks Wednesday 24th April 2019 Pulborough Brooks is an RSPB reserve in West Sussex. It has a wide range of habitats from lowland wet grassland which is part of the Arun Valley floodplain, pools and scrapes which provide feeding areas for wintering wildfowl and nesting areas for wading birds. On higher ground there are wildflower meadows and managed arable fields. These are linked by hedgerows and scrub to woodland areas, all of which are vital for nesting songbirds, small mammals and bats. The main attractions at this time of year are the wide range of warbler species and nightingales. Whilst waiting in the car park for everyone to arrive we watched a red kite drifting overhead and identified, by their song, a number of common birds which were hidden in the trees. From the reserve building one can view some feeders which were popular with the local sparrows, greenfinch and goldfinch. Feeding on the fallen seeds were linnets and a moorhen chick. As we set off the weather worsened and rain gear was donned by those with the foresight to bring it. The first part of the reserve is a zigzag path which was, as usual, well populated with song thrush, chiffchaff and blackcap. At the end of the path Ron alerted us to the song of a lesser whitethroat and after a few minutes we all got good views of it. Apart from the song, identification clues are leg colour, lesser whitethroat’s are dark grey/black rather than pale brown (often not much help in the field) and the colour of the back and wings. The lesser whitethroat has uniformly grey/brown back without the red/brown wings of the common whitethroat. The weather improved as we reached one of the spots where nightingales are often seen. We heard a few seconds of song but the bird did not show itself. On our way to the West Mead hide we saw a single swallow, my first of the year, and then had very good views of a pair of tree creepers in a small wooded area which they shared with blackbirds and robins. The weather began to look threatening again so we took shelter in the West Mead hide, which overlooks a pond and some of the wet grassland. On the pond were a selection of geese and ducks including shelduck and gadwall. Flying over the water, feeding on insects, were sand and house martins. Lapwings were displaying and redshank were heard and then seen. The weather improved so we decided to move on. Just as we were about to leave the hide a reed bunting posed on the fence just in front of us. As we walked we heard and then saw common whitethroat and now having got our “ears in” we were able to pick out several further lesser whitethroat. As we neared the Winpenny hide we saw three species of tit, blue, great and long tailed and dunnock, and from the hide we added little egret and pheasant to our list. Our route then passed by some of the managed arable fields which contained starlings, rooks and carrion crows. When the path returned to a wooded area we were stopped in our tracks by the unmistakable sound of a nightingale. Our attempts to see the bird were diverted by an enthusiastic thrush which appeared to have learned some of the nightingale’s phrases. Eventually some of our party did see the bird. We stopped at the Hanger view point which overlooks more ponds. There were many more waterfowl here and we added mute swan and shoveler to our list. Hunting, above the grassland, were a buzzard and a kestrel. We also spotted a common sandpiper patrolling the edge of one of the ponds. The main interest, for me, here was the large number of warblers. There were several blackcap and whitethroat and a few lesser whitethroat and chiffchaff. On our way to the Nettley’s hide Hillary spotted the disappearing white rump of a bullfinch. From the hide we saw black- headed, lesser black-backed and herring gulls, grey and pied wagtails and some smallish waders in the distance, which we

© RSPB North West Surrey Local Group – 2019 © The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) is a registered charity in England and Wales no. 207076, in Scotland no. SC037654 11 2 Menu finally identified as two little ringed plovers and a limping green sandpiper. Our group split up and the returning groups added greenshank, garden warbler and nuthatch to the list. Those that ventured out in the afternoon added cuckoo and green woodpecker. Thanks to those who came to Pulborough Brooks. We had a very pleasant and productive walk. My list for the day was 56 and the group list was over 60 species. I now recognise the song of the lesser whitethroat and suspect that I will be more aware of its presence in future. One bird that we did not see or hear was willow warbler, a species we have seen on almost all previous visits. Is it late this year or is there some other explanation for its absence? Steve Williams RSPB Week-end Walk, Titchfield April 27th, 2019. Despite the strong winds forecast following Storm Hannah westward up the Channel four hardy souls reported at Titchfield for the April walk. The sheltered harbour had its usual group of turnstones together with a few mallards. On the sea a few brave kite surfers were enjoying attempts to leap from the waves, while an oystercatcher was seen on the beach. On the island in the river cormorants and black headed gulls gathered, trying to keep out of the worst of the wind. We turned inland toward the shelter of the Meon Hide. Numerous black-headed gulls crowded the islands bickering over nesting spots while those of amorous intent made efforts to land accurately and maintain position for long enough before being blown away by the stiff breeze. Seven avocets, mallard, gadwall, shoveler, moorhens and coots were in the water with the occasional Canada goose maintaining a low profile on the islands. Heading down the western side of the reserve, Cetti’s warblers and whitethroat were heard and a blackcap was heard and seen. A brief visit to the West Hide added nothing to our list so, as the Pumfrett Hide was closed for bridge repairs, our next stop was the Spurgin Hide. Here a group of around 50 black-tailed godwits occupied the pond in front of the hide with a ducks and gulls further away. We then returned to the Centre noticing a small group of common terns on a patch of seaweed just outside the harbour. The wind did not seem to have dropped significantly as we set out to explore the eastern side of the reserve. The first hide looks out over the river and apart from a buzzard sitting out of the wind on a fence post, offered little that we had not already noticed. As we approached the Knight’s Bank Hide at the northern end of the reserve one of the slower members of the group noticed a Kestrel above, but this must have dropped behind as it was not seen from inside the hide. However, a male marsh harrier was then seen over the western side of the reserve, being buffeted by the wind as it made its way towards the sea. Shortly afterwards he returned at break-neck speed with the wind behind him. A male pheasant strutted his stuff on the open grassy area and several herons and a little egret frequented a sheltered pool on the far side. Our next stop was the Meadow Hide. The occasional swift had been noticed earlier but now a group of them were active over the meadows. During a brief visit to the Cottage Hide, close to the centre, house sparrows, chaffinches, a dunnock and a reed bunting visited the feeder and surrounding area. Returning to the shore, a late pair of Brent geese were seen on the beach and later, as the tide rose, the terns took off and flew towards the river. Despite the wind it had been an enjoyable day, sometimes made more interesting by the conditions. The visit to Titchfield Haven completed a season of extremely favourable conditions for the week-end outings, with only one wash-out. The 2019-2020 season will start on the last Saturday in September with a visit to Keyhaven and Pennington Marshes, to make up for the cancelled visit this year. Legh Langston

© RSPB North West Surrey Local Group – 2019 © The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) is a registered charity in England and Wales no. 207076, in Scotland no. SC037654 12 2 Menu Mid-week walk at Thursley Common Tuesday 14th May 2019. Weather, warm and sunny. Thursley Common is a 350 hectare Site of Special Scientific Interest and a National Nature Reserve in the southwest of Surrey, between Thursley and Elstead. It is largely heathland with some shallow pools and has a good range of wildlife. Our “target” birds for the day were hobby, cuckoo, Dartford warbler, redstart, tree pipit and woodlark. Six of us congregated in the busy car park. We decided to walk anti-clockwise around the common in the hope that by the time we reached the boardwalk near the ponds it would be warmer and there would be more dragonflies, and so we would have a better chance of seeing hobbies. As we set off through the pine trees we heard goldcrest but every bird that I saw was either a blue, or great, tit. Eventually Dave did spot a goldcrest, but I was not quick enough to see it. As we emerged from the trees onto the boardwalk we heard a cuckoo and the first of many elusive chiffchaff. A cuckoo then flew past us and eventually came to rest on an electricity cable which gave everyone the opportunity for a really good view. Our route then took us past the dragonfly sculpture across the heath and towards Parish Field. On the way we saw chaffinch, goldfinch and linnet on the heath and buzzards overhead. We had heard curlew calling earlier and now we saw one flying north towards the ponds. Curlews are reported to be nesting on Thursley Common again this year. We had been looking out for Dartford warbler since we left the boardwalk and we did get occasional glimpses of them as they flew in and out of the gorse bushes. As we neared Parish Field one did perch up on a small tree for long enough for us to get a reasonable view. We then heard two separate willow warblers up ahead and eventually traced one to silver birch tree just next to the path. We heard several more on our walk but this was the only one we saw. It was nice to hear so many after hearing none at all at Pulborough Brooks last month. In Parish Field there was the usual collection of photographers with giant lenses waiting for Colin, the Cuckoo, to feed on the meal worms provided by them. However, neither Colin, nor any other birds, were interested in the meal worms as we walked past. On our way back down the path next to the field we had good views of a tree creeper and then a tree pipit. Looking back to the photographers we saw that a mistle thrush was taking advantage of the photographers’ generosity. We then took a diversion from the direct path back to the car park and walked up to a stand of pine trees. On the way we had further glimpses of Dartford warblers. On our diverted route we spotted a kestrel doing an impersonation of a hobby and then heard a nightingale. After ten minutes of silence, which was interrupted by the sighting of a distant whitethroat, most of us moved on but Dave stayed behind and was rewarded with a brief view of the nightingale. Our path eventually took us on the boardwalk towards the ponds. We were not very hopeful of seeing a hobby as we had not seen a single dragonfly since we left Moat Pond. We were therefore pleased when a hobby appeared and flew around, and over, us so we all got really good views. As we walked back along the boardwalk we added mallard to our list for the day and had further sightings of both kestrel and hobby. As we returned to the pines by Moat Pond we added blackbird, robin and coal tit and then saw a strange duck in the shadow of the reeds with a pale body and a greeny- brown head which we dismissed as a “funny mallard”. Later this duck came into the middle of the pond and was clearly more pintail than mallard. Thank you to those who came on the walk. Of our six target species we saw four, missing out on woodlark and redstart. Hopefully we will see both at our next walk at Little Frensham Pond. Steve Williams

© RSPB North West Surrey Local Group – 2019 © The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) is a registered charity in England and Wales no. 207076, in Scotland no. SC037654 13 2 Menu Please note: All articles contained in this Newsletter remain the copyright of the author and cannot be used in full or part without their express agreement.

NEWSLETTER CONTRIBUTION INFORMATION. FINAL COPY DATE FOR THE 2019 - 4 NEWSLETTER. Please submit your items for the next Newsletter as soon as possible but no later than:- Saturday 26th October 2019. In the event that the Newsletter becomes full before the above date, the Editor reserves the right to include submitted articles within the next issue. The Editor reserves the right to edit submitted articles should this become necessary to meet space constraints. Items are invariably sent to the editor by email these days, with occasional normal mail submissions. Articles should be submitted in Word or Open Office format and photographs should be sent in high resolution, JPEG or PNG format preferably with a file size not less than 2 MB. For other formats or if you require any other information about the submission of items, please contact the Editor for guidance. Please note that all articles contained in this Newsletter remain the copyright of the author and cannot be used in full or part without their express permission. GROUP MEMBERSHIP AND INFORMATION The group was established in 1974 and holds regular monthly indoor meetings on the 4th Thursday of each month between September and June, excluding December. These meetings take place in the school hall, at St. Charles Borromeo School, Portmore Way, WEYBRIDGE, Surrey, KT13 8JD. There is car parking available in the adjacent school/church car park; the nearest station is Weybridge. Indoor meetings commence at 7:45 pm (doors will open at 7:15 pm), and finish at 10:00 pm. Outdoor meetings are held throughout the year, both locally and further afield. Indoor and outdoor meetings are free for North West Surrey Local Group members. Members of the public and Wildlife Explorers are welcome to attend all the indoor meetings and outdoor meetings. Wildlife Explorers members are free; however, all other visitors are asked to donate £3 towards the costs of the indoor meeting. For outdoor meetings, there is an optional donation to the Group. Under 16s must be accompanied by an adult at both indoor and outdoor meetings.

North West Surrey Local Group membership for the year 2019 - 2020 is £12 for individuals or £20 for couples. If you would like to join the Group or require additional information, please contact the Membership Secretary at the address given on page 16 or visit our website: www.rspb.org.uk/groups/nwsurrey. The membership year starts with the September indoor meeting and membership is valid from 1st September to 31st August. For any new member joining between 1st April and 31st August, their membership year will run until 31st August the following year. Additional Outdoor Meeting Information ● If you are new to bird watching, please do let the leader know if you would appreciate a little assistance. ● Please ensure that you wear appropriate clothing for the conditions expected. Good walking boots are usually sufficient, unless the weather has been excessively wet. Waterproofs are strongly recommended if rain is forecast. ● Please bring packed lunches on the all-day trips. If the weather is hot, please bring plenty to drink as most of the reserves and sites we visit do not have catering facilities. ● Access to most reserves is free; however, some do charge admission and/or car parking fees. When visiting RSPB reserves (or others if you are a member of that organisation), please bring your membership card, otherwise you will have to pay the non-members fee which is usually non-refundable. ● While most sites visited have normal public access and are well maintained, please take care and do not ignore any safety notices or instructions. Participation in outdoor meetings is entirely at your own risk. ● The Saturday walks will usually be led by Legh Langston, but occasionally someone else may lead. Mid-week walks will usually be led by Steve Williams, assisted by Ron Jackson. The leader will be there in all but extreme conditions. If in any doubt, please ring the appropriate leader to check. ● For Saturday walks contact Legh Langston, 07950 028790. ● For mid-week walks, contact Steve Williams, 07506 645776. ● Outdoor trips are by car. If you would like a lift please contact the appropriate outdoor leader, who may be able to arrange this for you.

The RSPB is the UK’s 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.

© RSPB North West Surrey Local Group – 2019 © The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) is a registered charity in England and Wales no. 207076, in Scotland no. SC037654 14 4 Menu The INs and the OUTs in 2019 - 2020 September 2019 September 2019 OUT Weds 11th - Staines Moor (10:00 – 13:00) 2.5 miles (LL) With migration in full swing, anything could turn up here, so we could have an interesting time at this site – it M 30 2 9 16 23 rather depends on luck! T 3 10 17 24 We meet in Moor Lane, Staines, opposite entrance with information board, just before the road goes under the W 4 11 18 25 A30 Staines By-Pass. GR: TQ 031723. No facilities but Staines is nearby. T 5 12 19 26 IN Thurs 26th - NWS Regular Meeting - The Comical Puffin by David Boag. F 6 13 20 27 What better way to start our season than by taking a look at one of our most charismatic species? Look forward to S 7 14 21 28 stunning underwater and underground photography, and learn about how a bird that may be clumsy on land S 1 8 15 22 29 but is a master of the deep oceans where it spends the majority of its life. October 2019 October 2019 OUT Saturday 5th - Keyhaven and Pennington Marshes. SQ410TP (10:00 - 13:00. (LL) Large area of salt marshes and mudflats between Hurst Castle and Lymington with a wide variety of wetland M 7 14 21 28 and sea birds as well as good views over the Solent towards the Isle of Wight. T 1 8 15 22 29 Car park (pay) with facilities in front of the Gun Inn. There is also space (free) for a few cars beyond W 2 9 16 23 30 the harbour. 83 miles from Weybridge via M3, M27 and A337. T 3 10 17 24 31 OUT Weds 16th - Dorney Wetlands / Jubilee River SU929794 (10.00 - 13.00) (SW) F 4 11 18 25 We shall be looking for winter thrushes and wildfowl. Good chance of a red kite. Meet in the small car park on the S 5 12 19 26 right of the B3026, just before the river channel if coming from Dorney village. S 6 13 20 27 Loos and food available at nearby garden centre. Please car share if possible as parking is limited. IN Thurs 24th - NWS Regular Meeting - Project Owl by Hugh Hanmer November 2019 Hugh talks to us about our most charismatic bird family and the efforts of the BTO to learn about and help preserve our owl species. M 4 11 18 25 T 5 12 19 26 OUT Sat 26th - Oare Marshes. ME13 0QA. (10:00 - 13:00) (LL) W 6 13 20 27 Of international importance for wetland birds, this is one of the few remaining areas of grazing marshland in Kent T 7 14 21 28 and overlooks the Thames Estuary towards the Isle of Sheppey. The circular walk around the reserve is F 1 8 15 22 29 approximately 3.4 miles. No facilities on the reserve but there are pubs in Oare Village and at Sainsburys. S 2 9 16 23 30 This is 75 miles from Weybridge via M25/ M20 /A249 and M2 to Faversham. S 3 10 17 24 Turn left and then right in the village of Ospringe towards Oare. November 2019 December 2019 OUT Thurs 14th - Dick Focks Common. TQ101509. (10.00 - 12.00) 2 miles (SW) M 30 2 9 16 23 A new area to explore for a midweek walk. We shall be looking for winter finches. Probably will be wet T 31 3 10 17 24 underfoot so sensible boots/shoes required. Meet in front of the gate to the common on the right of W 4 11 18 25 Crocknorth Road heading south from East Horsley. No facilities but pubs nearby in East Horsley. T 5 12 19 26 Please car share if possible as parking is limited. F 6 13 20 27 IN Thurs 28th - NWS Regular Meeting - Birding in the Gambia and the Sine - Saloum delta, Senegal, S 7 14 21 28 By Glenn Duggan. S 1 8 15 22 29 A Welcome return to the well known birding sites in the Gambia and a lesser known wetland one in neighbouring Senegal. January 2020 M 6 13 20 27 OUT Sat 30th - Pagham PO20 7NE. (10:00 - 13.00) (LL) T 7 14 21 28 A well established RSPB reserve with a path through the marshlands to the harbour and sea shore. W 1 8 15 22 29 There is a new hide close to the visitor’s centre looking over the busy Ferry Pond. T 2 9 16 23 30 This is 68 miles from Weybridge via the A3 and A27. Turn right at Chichester and follow the A286, B2201 F 3 10 17 24 31 and B2145 towards Selsey. S 4 11 18 25 Facilities on site. S 5 12 19 26 December 2019 OUT Tues 10th - Moor Green Lakes. SU805628. 2.5 MILES. (10.00 - 13.00) (SW) February 2020 This restored gravel extraction site near Sandhurst has several lakes. Goosanders should also be present. M 3 10 17 24 Meet in the reserve car park off the Lower Sandhurst Road. No facilities but pubs are nearby in Sandhurst. T 4 11 18 25 January 2020 W 5 12 19 26 OUT Weds 1st - Papercourt Meadows (10.00 - 13.00) (SW) T 6 13 20 27 The traditional New Year’s day walk on Papercourt Meadows across varied habitats - meadow, gravel pit, reed F 7 14 21 28 bed, scrub and woodland. Meet in the car park by Newark Bridge. S 1 8 15 22 29 S 2 9 16 23 OUT Sat 11th - NWS Quiz Night Held again at the New Haw Community Hall, Woodham Lane, Addlestone, KT15 3ND, the quiz starts at 7.30 pm (doors open at 7). Names/Teams and payment are required in advance.

BST Changes on the last Sunday in March and October.

© RSPB North West Surrey Local Group – 2019 © The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) is a registered charity in England and Wales no. 207076, in Scotland no. SC037654 15 9 Menu This will really get your grey matter going as you try to beat the questions set mainly by Ken and Geoff once again. Do come along for a great night. March 2020 OUT Weds 22nd - Barnes WWT, London Wetland Centre (10.00 - 15.30) 1.5 miles (SW) M 30 2 9 16 23 We shall be looking for winter wildfowl and possibly bittern, redpoll and siskin. Meet in the car park at 10.00 or in T 31 3 10 17 24 reception at 10.10. WWT members don’t forget to bring your membership card. Full facilities on site. W 4 11 18 25 Come for morning only if preferred. T 5 12 19 26 IN Thurs 23rd - NWS Regular Meeting - Camouflage Without Spots by Ian Alexander. F 6 13 20 27 Ian will tell us about the principles of animal camouflage. His talk will use physical objects and photos to illustrate S 7 14 21 28 the tricks that animals play to keep themselves concealed. S 1 8 15 22 29 OUT Sat 25th - Blashford Lakes. BH24 3PJ (!0:00 - 13:00) (LL) April 2020 This is an area of flooded former gravel pits and woodland in the Avon Valley. We can expect to see a wide variety M 6 13 20 27 of overwintering wildfowl as well as manywoodland birds. T 7 14 21 28 This is 79 miles from Weybridge via the M3 and A31. Turn right at Ringwood and follow the A338 towards Salisbury. W 1 8 15 22 29 Turn right after 1.7 miles into Ellingham Drove and use car park on the left. T 2 9 16 23 30 Meet in the Tern Hide just beyond the car park. Facilities in the visitor’s centre. F 3 10 17 24 February 2020 S 4 11 18 25 IN Thurs 27th - Round The Horn - Africa’s Endemic Hotspot, Nigel Redman S 5 12 19 26 A welcome return for Nigel who will introduce us to al little known birding destination. Discover the avian delights of Djibouti, Somaliland and Eritrea in Nigel’s entertaining illustrated talk. May 2020 M 4 11 18 25 OUT Thur 27th - Farlington Marshes. SU679044. 2.5 miles. {10.00 - 13.00) (SW) T 5 12 19 26 This is our easiest to reach coastal site, and it offers something different from our usual inland walks. We will be W 6 13 20 27 looking for winter visitors such as geese, waders, and with luck short-eared owls. T 7 14 21 28 Meet at reserve end of the car park, adjacent to the A27. F 1 8 15 22 29 No facilities, so you may wish to stop at the Queen Elizabeth country park en-route. S 2 9 16 23 30 S 3 10 17 24 31 THE ROYAL SOCIETY FOR THE PROTECTION OF BIRDS

NORTH WEST SURREY LOCAL GROUP

YOUR COMMITTEE MEMBERS and OTHER CONTACTS

GROUP LEADER : Alan Sharps T. 01784 244665 E. [email protected] TREASURER : Angela Pugh T: 01784 457714 E: [email protected] SECRETARY: Anthony Groves T: 0789 1571825 E: [email protected] MEMBERSHIPS: Marion Sharps T: 01784 244665 E: [email protected] Post to - c/o Orchard Cottage, 12 Smallholdings, Off Clockhouse Lane, ASHFORD, Middlesex, TW15 2HB.

INDOOR MEETINGS: Ken Sutton (KS) T: 01784 436098 E: [email protected]

MID WEEK OUTINGS Steve Williams (SW) T: 07506 645776 E: [email protected]

WEEKEND OUTINGS: Legh Langston (LL) T: 07950 028790 E: [email protected]

COMMITTEE MEMBER Alan Pugh T: 01784 457714 E: nwscommember@ yahoo.com COMMITTEE MEMBER: Frank Clark T: E: [email protected] COMMITTEE MEMBER: Geoff Keen T: 01932 844329 E: [email protected] COMMITTEE MEMBER: Heather Sharpe T: 01932 859371 E: [email protected]

WEBSITE Peter Hambrook T: 01932 346565 E: [email protected] NEWSLETTER EDITOR Geoff Porter T: 07946 419664 E: [email protected]

By post to - Geoff Porter, c/o 12 Ashbee Close, Snodland, Kent, ME6 5HQ.