CHELMSFORD & CENTRAL

LOCAL GROUP

NEWS

Spring/Summer 2021 The RSPB is a registered charity in England & Wales 207076, in Scotland SC037654

THE JOYS OF SUMMER Sue McClellan Gosh, time is flying; we’re already more than NEWSLETTER EDITOR’S half way through another year. It’s a lovely APOLOGY season though with long daylight hours, pleasant temperatures (mostly) and our window boxes, I must apologise for the lack of a spring gardens and outdoor spaces look beautiful. edition of the newsletter, which was After much deliberation, noting that all RSPB entirely my fault. I hope you enjoy this local groups who had experimented cautiously combined spring/summer issue. with online talks have continued to offer them, we Louise Fuller thought we should do likewise. The South East Newsletter Editor Essex Local Group was in the same boat so, with nothing to lose, we decided to join forces and book some speakers. We’ve since held three successful evening “Zoom” talks covering a variety of topics. Attendance numbers and Postal members subscription donations have varied but we intend to continue The subscription of £5 for postal members for the foreseeable future. Details will appear on (i.e. those who receive a paper copy of the our website once speakers are booked newsletter in the post rather than an email www.rspb.org.uk/groups/chelmsford/events/ copy) is due on 1 September. Sorry we weren’t able to publicise in advance Please make your cheque payable to RSPB but you may have seen Robin Heafford’s latest Chelmsford Group (having first checked quiz which is still on our website that you do not pay by standing order!) and www.rspb.org.uk/groups/chelmsford/news/ send it to: Solutions are there too but don’t look at those Stuart Anderson until you’ve had a go at the 60 clues. All the RSPB Local Group Treasurer answers are colours so entrants don’t need any 145 Chignal Road specialist knowledge or good memories. As for Chelmsford the previous two quizzes, “Abbreviations” and Essex CM1 2JD “Missing Links”, there are no entry fees or prizes so donations would be much appreciated. Payment details are on the quiz sheet. If anyone who doesn’t have access to the internet already attracted lots of followers. In particular, I would like to receive “Robin’s Technicolour encourage you to look at the stunning action Dream” quiz, you’re welcome to ring me on photos of the in-flight marsh harrier versus 01245 471576 and we’ll make arrangements. avocet battle – really impressive, bearing in I’m very pleased to inform you that our small mind the will have been travelling at speed. committee has grown by 20% this year as, Please share your stories or photos for other pending election at our next AGM, Helen Facebook followers to enjoy. Ranscombe has been co-opted as our long As nature reserves, trails and hides are now awaited Social Media Co-ordinator. Helen’s open, I trust you’re taking full advantage of the relatively newly created Facebook page opportunities that they offer, especially at this www.facebook.com/RSPBChelmsfordUK interesting time of year. It would be great to contains many interesting articles and has hear about any unusual sightings and see your pictures – just email them to a committee

The RSPB is the UK’s largest nature conservation charity, inspiring everyone to give nature a home member for inclusion in our next newsletter. If ADMIRALS PARK PROPOSED all goes to (the government’s) plan, we’re LOCAL NATURE RESERVE considering offering guided group walks from September onwards so we look forward to A sharp-eyed local resident drew our attention seeing some of you then. As always, keep an to a site notice in Admirals Park, Chelmsford. eye on our website for details. Fortunately, this time, the notice was not a planning application for a development of Sue McClellan Local Group Leader Elect and hundreds of houses, but for part of the park to Central Point of Contact June 2021 be designated a Local Nature Reserve. LNRs have special protection in the planning system. Part of the notice read: “LNRs help to protect habitats and species whilst allowing people to get close to nature ….LNR status helps to protect green spaces for their importance in tackling climate change, declining biodiversity and for flood mitigation. Admirals Park and Tower Gardens help to link the wider countryside to the centre of Chelmsford. This river corridor provides routes for a range of wildlife including bats, birds, small and SOCIALLY DISTANCED BIRDWATCHING IN A HIDE much more.” Stuart Anderson responded to the consultation on behalf of the RSPB local group, supporting the proposal and pointing out the IS BIRDWATCHING RECREATION potential for educational opportunities. He also OR EXERCISE? made some suggestions for further habitat This was a conundrum facing birdwatchers improvements when funds allowed. earlier this year in the first stage of the most Louise Fuller February 2021 recent lockdown. Members of the public were only permitted to leave their homes for a number of specified reasons; one of these was exercise, FACEBOOK PAGE but recreation was not allowed. Some Don’t forget to “like” and follow our local group birdwatchers were challenged by the authorities, Facebook page, where you can keep up to date who deemed that birdwatching was recreation, with news and views. You can even let others not exercise. The birdwatchers felt somewhat know of your sightings or other interesting news. aggrieved at this especially as, having carried a Facebook is a great way of keeping in touch and heavy telescope over a considerable distance, making sure you don’t miss out. they certainly felt they had had https://www.facebook.com/RSPBChelmsfordUK plenty of exercise! The balance

seemed tilted as angling and shooting were apparently LOCAL GROUP AGM acceptable as exercise but birdwatching wasn’t. The RSPB Unfortunately we were unable to hold our AGM took this matter up with the this year; it would normally take place in April. government at national level but RSPB Headquarters advises that we may carry sadly the arguments did not on operating as an RSPB Local Group without prevail. We certainly hope we holding an AGM, so we will continue to do this. won’t be in the position of having Until we can have a formal AGM, Sue McClellan to defend our birdwatching is our Group Leader Elect, and with the recent activities as exercise rather than co-option of Helen Ranscombe, Helen is Social recreation in the future. Media Co-ordinator Elect. SHOOTING As always, we would be pleased to hear from Louise Fuller March 2021 you if you have any comments, questions or suggestions to make about the work of the group; contact details are on page 12. Likewise, if you would like to join the committee, we would welcome you; please contact one of the committee (details on page 12) to talk about this. At present we are holding committee meetings on Zoom.

2 LOCAL GROUP ACCOUNTS TREASURER’S REPORT AS AT RSPB GOODS MAY 2021 FROM THE RSPB CATALOGUE AND Stuart Anderson WEBSITE The Accounts for the Year Ended 31 March 2021 have been completed and independently FREE DELIVERY TO YOUR DOOR examined. POSTAGE FREE There was an opening balance of £2,681.60 brought forward from 2019/20. FOR FULL DETAILS CALL Due to the Covid there were no monthly meetings. We received income £692.42 from JEAN WILCOX the following sources:- 01245 262452 Quiz £87.00 Monetary donations from members £40.00 AND SUPPORT THE CHELMSFORD Donations from e-bay sales £320.42 GROUP Newsletter subscriptions £245.00 Our expenditure was limited to the printing and postage of the newsletter, namely £205.81. We made a donation towards RSPB Appeals of  intervening early to remove non-native £2,000.00 to be divided equally between “Help predators before any problems get out of us defend 42 islands around the UK” hand. and “Help turn the tide for little this These preventative measures will help summer” (see article following). continue to raise their young in safety on our most precious breeding islands. Our closing balance to be carried forward into 2021/22 is £1,168.21. An example of this is the success of the Seabird Recovery Project on Lundy Island, in the Bristol Stuart Anderson Local Group Treasurer Channel. The Manx shearwater is a type of May 2021 seabird usually found on islands around the UK, including Lundy. In 1939, the Manx shearwater population on Lundy numbered around 3,500 PROJECTS SUPPORTED BY THE pairs. In 2001, this had fallen to only 166 pairs LOCAL GROUP 2021 making them the main seabird conservation Stuart Anderson priority on Lundy. In 2002 a partnership of Natural England, the Landmark Trust, the At the February Zoom committee meeting of the National Trust and RSPB was formed to local group we decided to make a donation of eradicate the rats on Lundy, which predate eggs £2,000 to RSPB Appeals. This comprises and chicks of burrowing birds. They are not £1,000 towards each of the following: “Help us native to the islands but were imported defend 42 seabird islands around the UK” and unwittingly on ships visiting the island or from “Help turn the tide for little terns this summer”. shipwrecks. The Seabird Recovery Project was These donations have the potential of attracting set up to safeguard the Manx shearwaters (and additional grants of up to £18,000 making a total other seabirds) and improve opportunities for of £20,000. breeding. The island was declared rat free in “Help us defend 42 seabird islands around 2006. A study led by the RSPB has shown that the UK” over the past 15 years, the total seabird The RSPB has identified 42 UK islands that numbers on the island of Lundy have now tripled urgently need our protection. Many are currently to over 21,000 birds, and key species such as free from non-native predators, yet few have an Manx shearwater have increased to more than up-to-date plan in place to keep them that way. 5,500 pairs, and puffins to 375 birds. By supporting our Seabird Protection Teams we This study has shown how quickly and can keep seabird islands safe by: positively seabirds respond to the removal of  preventing predators coming ashore by non-native predators. training local islanders in biosecurity  responding to alarm calls if non-native predators are spotted

3  Erecting warning signs and raising awareness  Fencing off nests to protect chicks  Creating safer nesting sites  Sheltering chicks and relocating nests threatened by flooding Little terns only visit the UK in summer, arriving M

ike Langman ike in April/May for the breeding season before heading off again in August to spend the winter off West . But what we don’t know is how many of these birds survive the migration and over-wintering period to be able to return to their breeding colonies the following season. MANX SHEARWATER It was against this backdrop that an RSPB-led “Help turn the tide for little terns this partnership launched the first coordinated summer” national programme of little colour-ringing in 2014, as part of the EU-funded Little Tern Little terns are one of the UK’s smallest and Project. By using colour rings with unique, field- rarest seabirds feeding mainly on sand eels and readable codes, the idea was to generate a young herrings. They are a summer visitor and data-rich set of re-sighting histories that would migrate here from Africa to breed, travelling allow us (through some complex modelling) to some 5,000km. They are about 22-25cm in estimate survival. Since the project began, over length with a distinctive yellow bill with a small 1,000 little terns have been colour-ringed by a black tip. They breed in loose colonies on sandy team of dedicated BTO-licensed ringers beaches with shingle, shells and low grass. using 8mm high rings. With two to three digits They are however very sensitive to disturbance, squeezed into this space, reading these on a high tides and adverse weather. Numbers have mobile bird which is notoriously ‘flighty’ takes a been in decline since the 1980s and there are lot of patience, some very high quality optical thought to be about 1,900 breeding pairs left in equipment and a lot of time spent looking for the UK. birds in the places they like to be. There was a Every year, little terns struggle to raise their small army of wardens, rangers, researchers families on our beaches. Problems range from and volunteers on the look-out for these colour- disturbance (beach goers, for example), a host ringed individuals. Thanks to their efforts, our of skilled predators that kill not just chicks but overall re-sighting rate so far is 22% (and adults too, and tidal flooding of nest sites, a reached 57% for an individual colony population) frequent occurrence given the birds’ penchant and we estimate that within a few years we for nesting at the edge of the high-water mark. should have gathered enough data to be able to With numbers plummeting, the RSPB and calculate the first ever estimate of annual partners have embarked on a number of survival for little terns in Britain and . projects for little tern conservation across 20 Little terns are traditionally assumed to remain sites by: in their wintering quarters during their first summer after fledging, so it was a surprise to record 18 birds returning at one-year-old; previously there was only a single record of this, back in 2000. It is often tricky to distinguish first- summer little terns from adults in the field, so our data raises the interesting prospect that returning first-summer birds may be more common than previously thought. At the other end of the age spectrum, one of the metal- ringed little terns which was re-caught and colour-ringed during the project broke the little tern longevity record. It was 27 years old when it was re-sighted in 2020, exceeding the pre- project record by eight years! In common with A LITTLE TERN TAKING A BATH IN A FRESHWATER many other seabirds, a long lifespan is a STREAM – PHOTO STUART ANDERSON demographic trait that helps buffer against short

4 term periods of poor breeding success. But this nationally. Magpies came in at number nine can only help up to a point and the ongoing little both in Essex and nationally. Tenth in Essex tern population decline shows that it has not were goldfinches but they were higher in the been enough to offset their repeated widespread table nationally, at number eight. Long-tailed tits breeding failures over recent decades. featured at number ten in To understand how and why populations are the national charts but did changing, we need to do more than just track not make it into the Essex their rates of reproduction. By following marked top ten. individuals over time and space, this can help us Our number one bird, the fill in the other key factors underpinning house sparrow, was seen Verity Hill population dynamics – the interplay between in 60% of gardens in births, deaths, immigration and emigration – Essex. helping us to identify the full suite of causes of The number of nature- decline, and therefore inform conservation lovers who took part in HOUSE SPARROW efforts going forward. the 2021 Big Garden Birdwatch soared to a Other work has been the use of decoys to million people after a year of lockdown encourage little terns to nest on higher ground restrictions saw people turn to nature for away from the risk of flooding. comfort. This was DOUBLE the number of Back in Essex, sites where little terns may participants in 2020. breed in limited numbers are EWT sites in the Louise Fuller April 2021 Colne and Blackwater estuaries. The most productive site, accounting for at least 75% of the Essex population, is Horsey Island in STANLEY BRADBURY – Hamford Water National Nature Reserve. This OBITUARY is a privately owned island with limited public access. There are several projects under way Sue McClellan including an RSPB initiative in alliance with the Stanley was a very loyal supporter of both the Harwich Haven Authority. This will, if RSPB and the Chelmsford & Central Essex successful, involve recharging a beach at Local Group over many years but sadly passed Horsey Island with sea-dredged sand and away in March this year. His primary focus was gravel. This will increase the surface area of the fundraising which he demonstrated beach and raise the height thus increasing the enthusiastically by running tombolas, with his nesting opportunities of little terns together with wife Jean, at the group’s then numerous fairs at ringed plovers and oystercatchers. local community venues and at RSPB Christmas Note – Information for this article has been markets in Chelmsford’s Shire Hall ballroom. obtained from a number of sources within the They were both local group committee members RSPB. from 1995 – 2003, throughout which time Stanley was treasurer. Stuart Anderson Local Group Treasurer February 2021 In addition to local events, Stanley and Jean also travelled to various locations across the country over several years to support the BIG GARDEN BIRDWATCH – RSPB’s annual members’ weekends. The local ESSEX TOP TEN group supported their efforts with financial donations: for example, £75 towards the Louise Fuller tombola at a members' weekend held in York in from RSPB information 2000, which helped raise nearly £2000. Each It may seem a long time ago that we carried out such weekend required Stanley and Jean to the Big Garden Birdwatch in January, but I can spend several days away from home helping to give you some results for Essex and compare prepare and set up the various stalls and them with the national information. Our Essex exhibits. Their commitment and dedication were top three – house sparrows, blue tits and recognised when they received the RSPB’s starlings – were the same as the national President’s Award, which is presented to figures, but our fourth and fifth were volunteers who have made an outstanding woodpigeons and blackbirds, whilst these were contribution to the work of the RSPB. the other way round nationally. Likewise, our Sue McClellan Local Group Leader Elect sixth and seventh were great tits and robins, but April 2021 were swopped in the national table. Collared doves were eighth in Essex but only twelfth 5 A BIRD’S EYE VIEW OF However, despite the amusing diversions to TV AND CRICKETS cricket-watching provided by birds, a much greater pleasure is surely to be gained by I thought of writing an article on the unexpected studying the biology and behaviour of these appearance of birds at international cricket birds in their more natural habitats. Accordingly, grounds around the world when I watched, in a change to my original intention, I will be courtesy of SKY TV, the behaviour of up to 100 concentrating in this article solely on the life and adorning the charming Galle cricket times of the cattle , a bird that I have come ground as England played Sri Lanka in test to regard as a ‘favourite’ because of its many matches during January 2021. The activities of interesting and often puzzling characteristics. the birds interested me almost more than the cricket, and the television producers were also drawn to these large white avian spectators because at moments of cricketing inactivity (of which there were many) their camera shots were concentrated on the egrets. The birds either adopted suitable fielding positions in the cricket outfield, or perched, socially distanced, on the perimeter fencing.

CATTLE EGRET IN PRE-BREEDING PLUMAGE, CAMARGUE, S. What’s in a name? The is a truly cosmopolitan species CATTLE EGRETS AT THE SRI LANKA V. ENGLAND TEST which has been incorrectly categorised or MATCH named on at least three separate occasions. Sadly, the cricket commentators and pundits Firstly, unlike other birds that are referred to as appeared to be uninterested in the birds despite egrets, such as the , it is not classified the fact that, due to the pandemic, the stadium within the genus which would appear to had no human spectators except for a single define egrets. Thus, , the Swedish Barmy Army England supporter, waving a big botanist who introduced the binomial system of flag. classification of and plants, designated I have witnessed several other instances of the the cattle egret in 1758 as . Almost invasion of cricket fields by birds, notably the one hundred years later in 1855, Charles Lucien interruptions of the televised test match between Bonaparte recognised that the cattle egret was and England at the Newlands not a true and therefore not a candidate ground in Capetown in the pre-lockdown days of for the genus Ardea. He therefore gave it its early January 2020. On this occasion the avian very own monotypic genus, . (On a intruder was Hadada ibis, also known popularly biographical note, C L Bonaparte was a French as the ‘hadeda’ (hah-di-dah), or flying vuvuzela, zoologist and ornithologist [Bonaparte’s gull]. because of its extremely loud voice. These And, yes, he was related to the great Napoleon large, raucous birds were generally to be seen Bonaparte, as nephew). patrolling the boundary in front of the spectators, Bubulcus is the Latin word for ‘herdsman’, presumably hunting for worms and other prey. which describes the bird’s everyday relationship However, on occasions, certain fearless to cattle. Bonaparte, however, retained the individuals encroached onto the hallowed erroneous specific name of ibis, apparently on ground of the actual playing surface of the pitch, account of its white plumage being similar to the challenging famous batsmen, bowlers and white of the sacred ibis, and on these umpires to shoo them away. One rogue shaky grounds it carries the specific name of ibis hadeda, subsequently named Harry, gained to the present day. Finally, to conclude this little such notoriety for repeatedly performing the diversion on the vagaries of , I must avian ‘streak’ and evading capture, that he even mention briefly that a division has been made had his own Twitter page! between the , Bubulcus ibis

6 and the , Bubulcus ibis coromandus. (If you are planning a visit to the watch out also for Bubulcus ibis seychellarum!) I hope that readers of this article will forgive me this short trip down taxonomy terrace, but it has always been a favourite subject of mine whether related to birds, orchids, fungi or other organisms. The appealing characteristics of cattle egrets (a) Location and environment It is a fortunate coincidence that cattle egrets prefer a lowland habitat with a warm climate, CATTLE EGRET IN BREEDING PLUMAGE RIDING ON SHEEP, conditions that are also preferred by many ALENTEJO, birdwatchers. (b) and feeding As an undergraduate, I worked for a short time The endearing habit of cattle egrets riding on a vacation project centred on the greater around on the backs of large grazing mammals flamingo in the Camargue, in the south of conveys a distinct biological advantage in that, France. During this time, I became aware of from such an elevated position, individual birds many southern European birds for the first time, are more easily able to observe and swoop including the cattle egret, which has its French down to catch prey such as crickets, stronghold in this area. Since those heady disturbed by the movement of the animals’ student days, I have often re-visited this hooves. Such a relationship is termed wonderful unspoilt area of nature, bathed in the commensalism in that only one of the partners brilliant light that was captured so magically by derives benefit, whereas in areas of the world Van Gogh in his Provence paintings. The where cattle egrets ride on cattle and feed on excellence of the light, and the fact that the the hosts’ and fleas, the relationship cattle egrets of the Camargue ride around on the becomes symbiotic in that both animals share backs of white horses, is an ideal combination benefit. that makes for unrivalled birdwatching combined Cattle egrets are considered the least aquatic of with photography. the group of egrets and and they are mostly to be seen at the drier fringe habitat that is formed at the edges of wetland areas. Consequently, when they are not hitch-hiking on

large grazing animals, they are more frequently seen walking than wading. As further evidence of their preference for feeding in a drier environment, they are the only members of this mainly aquatic group of birds that will follow the plough, in the way of gulls.

PRE-BREEDING CATTLE EGRET HUNTING ON CAMARGUE HORSE Fortunately for lovers of birdwatching holidays, the Alentejo region of south-central Portugal (below the Tagus river and above the Algarve) is another part of Europe that provides the cattle CATTLE EGRETS FOLLOWING THE PLOUGH, CAMARGUE egret with the conditions it requires. In my Other than a range of insect prey, cattle egrets experience, in this region of ‘rolling hills and have been observed taking amphibians, small plains’, the sheep appears to replace the horse reptiles and even migratory birds. This as the birds’ favoured mode of transport. opportunistic feeding habit has doubtless 7 contributed to the worldwide spread of the The cattle egret is highly sociable and species. gregarious, a feature that extends to sharing (c) The cattle egret’s life cycle breeding sites with other species of herons, Illustrations of cattle egrets in field guide books egrets and storks. The nest is a rough show individuals in the form of juveniles, non- construction of sticks and twigs placed in a breeding adults and breeding adults. Of course, relatively tall tree in such close proximity to other the various stages of development for any bird nests as to engender the habit of stick-stealing. species are achieved gradually, and the metamorphosis from egg to breeding adult in the cattle egret is known to take place over two years. Although, as birdwatchers, we sometimes have to be content with just a fleeting glance of a particular species, it is obviously more satisfying to see as much as possible of the different phases of the life cycle. However, in reality, this happy state of affairs can only be achieved by Ph. D students working on species- specific projects or by professional ornithologists CATTLE EGRETS NESTING COMMUNALLY WITH WHITE STORKS, ALENTEJO, PORTUGAL leading a team of researchers. The birds have elaborate courtship displays, My personal interest in the cattle egret stems with the males spreading their wings, fanning from watching and photographing these birds their plumes, and hopping from one foot to the during their breeding season, at which time they other. All this dancing activity, combined with undergo a remarkable series of behavioural, joint clapping in the manner of white physiological and morphological changes. Thus, storks, would seem to indicate firm pair-bonding. the non-breeding adult has a mainly white However, some accounts suggest that although plumage with yellow eyes, a yellow bill and the male is said usually to be monogamous, greenish-yellow legs (for details see earlier nevertheless he may take on two females. photos). However, during the breeding season, in the pre- nuptial period, drastic changes occur, Cattle egrets in the UK with the development of buff-orange plumes on Cattle egret juveniles become independent at the back, breast and crown. Perhaps even more around 45 days and later engage in instinctive startling, the iris of the eyes becomes blood-red, and random long-distance dispersal movements the legs also become red and, most noticeable from the nest area. This behaviour has led to a of all, the beak develops spectacular rainbow- rapid of new, distant areas including like colours including a vivid purple area. Males the UK where it first bred in Somerset in 2008, and females are reported to show only slight an invasion also experienced subsequently in differences, with males being perhaps slightly Cheshire, Hampshire and Northamptonshire. bigger and more colourful than females. As reported in the Essex Bird Report 2019, the cattle egret has now moved into Essex, with confirmed breeding of a pair in the heronry at Chigborough Lakes, Heybridge, being the first record in the county. It is clear from the expanding areas of colonisation, both here in the UK, and in other countries around the world, to see why the cattle egret has a conservation status described at present as being ‘of least concern’. This makes a nice change from the ‘extinction’ or ‘threatened’ status of so many birds at the other end of the scale. Is climate change, for a change, having a positive effect here, and might we eventually see cricket-loving egrets at Lords or the Oval? Alan Thorpe March 2021

THE BRILLIANT COLOURS OF CATTLE EGRET BREEDING All photos by Alan Thorpe PLUMAGE, ALENTEJO PLAIN, PORTUGAL Thanks to Alan for returning to writing articles for us; we are pleased to have him back. Louise Fuller Newsletter Editor 8 BIRDERS IN A FLAP IN NEW YORK CELEBRATING 100 YEARS Martin Longcroft OF SAVING BIRDS Winter 2020/21 saw a few ruffled feathers Louise Fuller (sorry!) in the New York City birding community Although the RSPB was founded in 1889, its due to the activities of a new bird alert service, first big success did not come until over 30 years which has led to a surge of visitors to Central later with the introduction of the Plumage Park, as reported The Times on 17 February. (Prohibition) Act in 1921, the result of tireless (Note: Central Park is 840 acres and six miles campaigning by Emily Williamson, Eliza Phillips around the perimeter, i.e. four times as big as and Etta Lemon. 1 July marked the centenary of .) the passing of this Act. This hugely important Manhattan Bird Alert has been updating the city law banned the importation of birds’ plumage. on the movements of two owls: a barred owl, At the time, hundreds of thousands of birds, like nicknamed Barry, and a snowy owl, the first in egrets and hummingbirds, were being killed the park for over a century. Crowds have every year and their feathers used to decorate followed the birds to see and photograph them. ladies’ hats. The Act is estimated to have saved The American Birding Association and the more than 60 bird species from extinction. The Linnaean Society have reacted with anxiety, campaign to stop this trade, driven mainly by fearing the owls will be stressed and driven from women (who at the time didn’t even have the tree to tree by their pursuers. Some vote), was at the heart of the RSPB in its earliest photographers have woken and flushed sleeping days, and campaigning remains a key part of the owls in order to get the coveted “flight shot”. organisation to this day. Now a note on “owl etiquette” has been The first-ever RSPB logo was created in 1906 circulated on social media, asking people to and not replaced by the iconic avocet until 1966. keep their distance and to refrain from using To celebrate the centenary of the Plumage Act, recorded calls to lure the birds. the RSPB has commissioned the original design The founder of the alert service, David Barrett, as a pin badge, which was released at the end of June. It was available on eBay but has defended his actions, claiming there is no evidence of bird mortality due to people unfortunately it was a limited edition and they watching them. Owls, he said, are much less sold out almost immediately! vulnerable to human disturbance and get far more hassle from jays, crows and hawks. His supporters feel that many more people are now converted to the cause of conservation and the older societies are jealous of the numbers he has brought in, which they have failed to do. Martin Longcroft March 2021

RSPB VINTAGE PIN BADGE M

ike Langman ike Louise Fuller June 2021 from RSPB information

SNOWY OWL

9 SOME BREEDING SUCCESSES AND FAILURES Louise Fuller Our blue tit nest box, which has a camera inside Another webcam is found in the barn owl nest so we can monitor the action, remained empty box at EWT . It had been this year until quite late in the season. We were successful for many years but although owls very relieved to see signs of nest building and were seen in the box last year, there was no the usual materials being flown in. The female breeding. Hopes remained high for 2021 and a laid eight eggs and sat on them assiduously, pair of owls was seen mating in the box. Sadly only popping out for a bite to eat and to “freshen they decided to make their nest elsewhere. An up”. Sadly after a week or so she abandoned owl has been seen in the box on occasion since; the nest. Naturally we were saddened by this this could be a male owl who has a family and wondered what had happened. We will nearby. never know for sure, but apparently it can occur A better success story comes from Blue House if the male of the pair has died or moved Farm. EWT has discovered a record number of elsewhere, or if there are insufficient caterpillars avocets nesting on the reserve this year. The in the vicinity to feed the chicks when they reserve is very important for many species of hatch, or sometimes the pair just decide to build birds including migratory species. EWT works a nest elsewhere. We will hope for better luck hard to ensure it is an inviting place for birds to next year. rest after their epic journeys from far-flung The webcam at Loch Arkaig (a climes. It has also been a good year for Woodland Trust site) was the source of much cuckoos with more males calling across the fascinated watching last year as the adults reserve. raised three chicks. In a year of lockdowns, watching the goings-on at the nest and joining in the comments underneath was clearly a great source of comfort to many people. Ospreys are quite nest-place-loyal and usually return every year after their migration; this pair had bred here

for the previous four years. In 2021 the male Chris Gomersall returned and was seen often on the nest, but the female did not return. Eventually the male found a new female and followed her to another tree in the forest where they settled down to breed. This new nest has no webcam so the birds cannot be watched as they have been AVOCET KNEELING ALLOWING CHICKS TO FIND SHELTER previously. All was not lost as a new pair UNDER WING appeared at the webcam nest and spent some Coquet Island, off the coast of Northumberland, time there, although it was thought they were too is a vibrant seabird colony, which is home to the young to breed this year. I’m sure all the avid UK’s only roseate tern breeding colony. It is watchers will be back next year to see if there is also an important site for breeding nesting any breeding activity on the webcam nest. puffins and common, Sandwich and Arctic terns. As it is such an important nesting site, there is no public access to the island. However there are three live camera feeds and if you turn these on, you will be treated to very evocative sounds of the sea, as well as watching the birds and their chicks. My favourite view is “on top of the hide” where the puffins gather. https://www.rspb.org.uk/our- work/conservation/projects/coquet-island- seabird-sanctuary/ Louise Fuller June 2021

EMPTY OSPREY NEST AT LOCH ARKAIG including information from Woodland Trust, RSPB & EWT

10 WAS THAT A HUMMINGBIRD TALKING OF PUFFINS …. I JUST SAW? from RSPB blog June 2021 Louise Fuller Project Puffin is an RSPB citizen science project that asks the public to be members of the If you were in the UK, probably not. It could Puffarazzi and submit photos of puffins carrying have been a hummingbird hawk-. The first prey for their chicks. The Puffineers (a group of time I saw one of these I was in Portugal and I dedicated volunteers) run this flagship citizen was very confused, as it has a long tongue and science project, that generates crucial data for hovers, feeding on the nectar from flowers, just conservation science and facilitates high public like we have seen hummingbirds do (on engagement. The Puffineers play a major part television, if not in the flesh). But the are in deciding the direction of the project, carrying tiny (one to two inches in body length) compared out technical analysis of puffin images, engaging to a bird. They are migratory and can be seen in the general public, and in communicating the the UK at this time of year. One of their scientific findings of the project. This is a stand- favourite food plants is red valerian so if you see out example of a citizen science project that is some of that plant as you go about your leading the way for citizen science as an business, look out for a hummingbird hawk- accepted method not just in the UK but moth. If you want to take a photograph, bear in internationally. mind that their wings beat at 70-80 times a In 2017, the first year of the project, the team second so you will need quite a sophisticated identified a massive 12,182 items of prey carried device to capture them. by 1350 puffins. This gave us fantastic data on Louise Fuller June 2021 how puffin diet varies across different UK including information from RSPB colonies, at a scale that had not been possible before the use of citizen science in this way, as other ways of collecting data on puffin diet (e.g. observer watches and mist-netting) are highly labour intensive. Data on changes in puffin diet is a crucial part of the fight to save these endangered birds from disappearing from our coastlines. Project Puffin provided the first data Ben Andrew at this scale in the UK in 2017, and was such a successful first phase that the project started up again in 2019. The second phase expanded the

project over multiple years to look at changes in diet over time, which we aim to link to changes HUMMINGBIRD HAWK-MOTH FEEDING ON RED VALERIAN AT in the ocean environment to better diagnose THE RSPB LODGE RESERVE reasons why some puffin populations in the UK are in serious decline. This is an enormous SHARE OUR SHORES AGAIN task: we have had 3500 photos submitted by the IN 2021 public, which all need to be analysed twice You may remember that last year, the RSPB in (once each by two separate Puffineers). That is conjunction with ran a over 580 hours of analysis time, which would be project called “Share Our Shores”. EWT is impossible to achieve using staff time. continuing with coastal wildlife projects this year, The Puffineers all have full-time jobs or are including a development of Share Our Shores. pursuing academic studies, so the time that they Visitors to the coast are asked to keep an eye spend on Project Puffin is very valuable and out for five key species – harbour porpoise, demonstrates their passion to help our puffins common seal, little tern, ringed plover and survive. It is extremely generous of them to be oystercatcher – and to record them in EWT’s so committed to the project, especially during short coastal wildlife survey. This information this difficult year which has been hard for will help EWT to monitor species populations everyone, and as our lives moved online, and habitats, alongside working with the public spending extra hours looking at a screen has to raise awareness of how we can all allow our been a particularly arduous activity. But all the coastal wildlife to thrive. Take the survey at Puffineers are incredibly passionate about https://www.essexwt.org.uk/get- puffins and puffin conservation and have been involved/campaigns/coastal-wildlife-survey fantastic throughout, dedicating much of their Louise Fuller June 2021 from EWT spare time to the project. In addition, the information Puffineers play a big role in public engagement,

11 writing blogs, promoting the project on social media such as Twitter, and creating social media content such as infographics and videos. Every Puffineer contributes in a unique and integral way, helping to define their roles themselves.

W Colin

ilkinson

PUFFIN WITH SANDEELS

RSPB LOCAL GROUP COMMITTEE MEMBERS 2021/22 Sue McClellan Group Leader Elect 01245 471576 [email protected] Stuart Treasurer/Joint 01245 261102 [email protected] Anderson Membership Secretary Janet Hawkes Secretary 01376 512628 [email protected] Sue McClellan Meetings (Talks) 01245 471576 [email protected] Secretary & Central Point of Contact Vacant Field Trips Co-ordinator Louise Fuller Newsletter Editor/Joint 01245 421614 [email protected] Membership Secretary Gerry Johnson Pin Badge Sales Co- 01245 356633 [email protected] ordinator Helen Social Media please contact helen-ranscombe Ranscombe Co-ordinator Elect by email @hotmail.co.uk

If you no longer wish to hear from RSPB Chelmsford and Central Essex Local Group, please contact Group Membership Secretary Louise Fuller – tel. 01245 421614 or email [email protected] – confirming your name and address/email address and stating that you wish to unsubscribe from the RSPB Chelmsford and Central Essex Local Group's communications. For information about personal data use and your rights see: rspb.org.uk/privacypolicy. All photos RSPB copyright unless stated otherwise.

EVENTS DIARY TALKS ALL LOCAL GROUP EVENTS HAVE BEEN Talks are held at the Northumberland Theatre, SUSPENDED FOR THE TIME BEING. WE WILL Writtle University College, Lordship Road, Writtle, LET YOU KNOW AS SOON AS WE ARE ABLE TO Chelmsford, CM1 3RP, commencing at 7.45pm and finishing about 9.35pm, with an interval where RECOMMENCE. CHECK ON OUR WEBSITE FOR refreshments are available. The lecture theatre is UP-TO-DATE NEWS. across Lordship Road from the main college building, Interested non-members are welcome at all events. to the right of the Wilkins tea room, and there is free No booking is required. parking on site. Access is at ground level. For further details of all events, including future Entry £3.50 adults. dates not in the newsletter, please see our web site: WALKS www.rspb.org.uk/groups/chelmsford/events/ If you would like to lead a walk for us, date and If you are planning to attend any of our events, location of your choosing, do please get in touch please check the website in case of any last minute with one of the committee members; contact changes, rather than calling the organisers, unless information is above. the details of the event specifically say otherwise.

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