Cornwall Birds Confirms Sennen Reserve and New Tamar Lakes Hide
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The Newsletter of Cornwall Birds (CBWPS) No 29 - Autumn 2008 Cornwall Birds confirms Sennen reserve and new Tamar Lakes hide As previously reported in Palores, Cornwall Birds has been trying to establish a small re- serve near Land’s End. As Peter Crispin confirms on page 3 the documents are now signed for us to take over the management of the site for an annual outlay of less than £400. Committee member Paul Freestone has agreed to warden the reserve and oversee the development plan for the site. It is early days yet, but it is hoped to plant up the area with native species to provide suitable cover. The reserve, in common with the Land’s End area as a whole, should attract a variety of Paul Freestone, Cornwall Birds committee rare birds. member and the man behind the popular Discussions continue at Maer Lake Cornwall Birding website, is pictured above about purchasing a number of fields adjoin- second from left with Gordon Buchanan and ing the lane thus extending the reserve to the BBC Springwatch team at the end of provide a larger area for birds and to allow March. better access and viewing for birdwatchers. In his capacity as wildlife crimes At Tamar Lakes in the far north-east officer he assisted with the filming of Cattle of the county on the border with Devon, a Egrets at Drift reservoir. new hide is to be constructed. South West The piece appeared in show No 10 Lakes Trust is undertaking and funding the of the 2008 Spingwatch series, hosted by Lands End - site of the new reserve work. Bill Oddie and Kate Humble. We need a new Secretary! Late or non-delivery of July Would any member with a little bit of time and a willingness to help, please seriously Palores - many apologies... consider volunteering for the role of Secretary Sorry if you received your copy of the sum- of the Society. Darrell Clegg is currently mer Palores late or not at all. Please let the combining it with that of County Recorder. editor know by email, phone, text or letter. You don’t need to be an expert birder or have We were badly let down by our nor- any special qualifications. For a no-strings mally reliable distributors and letting us chat about what it involves please call Darrell know if your copy was late or never arrived on 01752 844775 or email him at secre- means we can a) send you a copy now and b) [email protected]. make a strong case for compensation from their suppliers, who will not be used again. Caradon wildlife review charts its flora and fauna CONTENTS The Caradon Field and Natural History Chairman’s Club’s annual review of wildlife recording Chat - p 3 in south-east Cornwall has just been pub- lished. Its 157 pages contain a wealth of Bird Report: information on animal and plantlife (from lichens and moths to bats, hoverflies and Summer whales). - p 4 and 5 Interesting papers include features on the history of Spoonbills wintering on Reserve news the Lynher, extreme dates of flight periods - p 6, 7, 8 of moths and a summary of the stick insects naturalised in Caradon. Stithians Among the cover photos (above) - p 9 are a fine shot of the Siblyback Great Grey Buff-breasted Sand- Shrike; a new moth for Britain - the Peach Field meet- Moth (Conog punctiferalis) was found in a pipers recorded at ings: Autumn Torpoint moth-trap; and the rare and lovely Davidstow Airfield on - p 10, 11 wasp spider taken in the Tamar valley. 18th September 2008. Copies available (£9.50 inc post- A Great Shearwater and Storm Petrel neatly age) from Tony Aston, 4 Dinas Court, Tre- Photographs David Chap- avoiding a mid-air collision at sea south of rieve, Downderry, Torpoint, PL11 3NH. courtesy of man - p 12 Cornwall. Photograph by Tony Blunden Cheques payable to “CFNHC”. Phil Stidwell Committee and Officers Palores - October 2008 President: Steve Madge ust an hour ago, on a sublime September evening, a Peregrine flew over my Seawinds, Lower Trerive, Downderry, Torpoint, J garden. Not a bad one for the garden list and a reminder that birds can turn up PL11 3LZ (01503-250432) anywhere, anytime. Gardens and our countryside apart, the role that designated wildlife reserves Chairman: Peter Crispin play in sustaining birdlife has never been greater with building and development 5 Church Lea, Launceston PL15 8QZ encroaching even in relatively unspoilt Cornwall. The RSPB now has a staggering (01566-773455) [email protected] total of over 150 reserves (though only two in Cornwall - Hayle and Marazion) which rather dwarfs our six owned or shared reserves. But, as the Tesco ads say, Vice Chairman: Graham Sutton every little helps, and Cornwall Birds - though small - can make a difference. Harcombe, West Park Road, Bude, EX23 8PB That’s why we continue to put our reserves and their development at the top of our (01288-356605) Society’s agenda and why it is therefore such good news that we now have another small patch at Tower Farm, Land’s End to nurture as somewhere to encourage Honorary Secretary & birds. County Recorder: Darrell Clegg It is to be hoped as well that we can add to Maer Lake with the purchase of 55 Lower Fore Street, Saltash, PL12 6JQ fields adjoining the existing area in conjunction with the Cornwall Wildlife Trust. (01752-844775) [email protected] There is much to debate and agree about our strategy here, not least the issue of Hon Treasurer: Gary Lewis how the purchase will be funded. Cornwall Birds has sensible reserves of cash, but Manager ERCCISS, Cornwall Wildlife Trust not the deep pockets of the RSPB or even the CWT. But if we can, we will. That is (01872 273939 - 247) [email protected] the mood of the committee. It is to be hoped in future issues of Palores there will be more good news on the extension to our precious reserves. Membership Secretary: Sara McMahon Finally, you may have read the appeal for a Secretary on page 1 and thought 72 Underwood Road, Plympton, PL7 1SZ that’s not for me. That may well not be the case. If you have even the slightest curi- (01752-242823) [email protected] osity about the role, call Darrell for a full run-down on what it involves. You may find it is surprisingly fulfilling! Simon Marquis (Editor) Editor, Birds in Cornwall: Derek Julian 12, Dunveth Road, Wadebridge, PL27 7XD. (01208 816779) Cornwall Birds Website administrator: Andy Pay The Cornwall Bird Watching and Preservation Society Salena Cottage, Wendron TR13 0EA e-mail: [email protected] Editor, Palores: Simon Marquis St Breock Place, Wadebridge, PL27 7JS (07711 883876) [email protected] Field Meetings Officer: Colin Selway Registered Charity No 255899 Committee member: Rosemary Parslow Cornwall Birds (as the CBWPS) was founded in 1931 to encourage the study 17 St Michael’s Road, Ponsanooth, TR3 7ED and preservation of birds in Cornwall. The Society has over 750 members. It (01872-865013) owns 3 reserves and manages jointly several others. The Society organises weekly bird-watching field trips (some jointly with the RSPB local members Committee members: group). Palores (its colour newsletter for members) is published quarterly. Bruce Taggart Every year the Society also publishes its authoritative annual record - Birds Paul Freestone in Cornwall - sent to all members. Public Relations Officer: vacant Conservation Officer: vacant 2009 Subscriptions: Adult £14 Family £18 Senior Citizen £11 Senior Family £13 Reserve Wardens: Life member £200 Walmsley: Adrian Langdon Maer Lake: Graham Sutton Subscriptions for 2009 are due by 1st January 2009 . Windmill Farm: Andy Pay Loveny: Dave Conway Gift Aid saves the Society £1,500 a year. Please pay - if you can - by Gift Aid. Drift: Dave Parker Stithians: Simon Taylor Membership: to join Cornwall Birds, please call, email or write to Sara McMahon, Membership Secretary, 72 Underwood Road, Plympton, PL7 1SZ, (01752-242823), e-mail: [email protected]. Honorary Solicitor: Greg Adams 2 Wendron Street, Helston TR13 8PS Palores is published four times a year - January, April, July and October. Advertising rates: Full colour page £100, Half page £50. Independent Examiner: Mrs J E Cox FCA Small ads and notices are free to members: contact the Editor. Whitakers (Chartered Accountants) Design and typesetting by the Editor. Bryndon House, 5 Berry Road, Newquay TR7 1AD Printed by R. Booth Ltd, The Praze, Commercial Road, Penryn, TR10 8AA (01637-873838) Distribution by Envelope Supplies, Holsworthy, Devon. 2 I have recently signed on the society’s behalf a licence Chairman’s Chat agreement that provides us with a small but well-situated reserve in the far west of the county at Tower Farm, Sennen. The ten-year he autumn passage is well under way. Re- licence enables us to create a reserve close to Land’s End that T cent stormy conditions have been ideal for should attract rarities. In consultation with the RSPB we intend to sea-watching, whilst welcome sightings of va- develop a management plan that will increase the attractiveness of grant and passage migrant waders, such as Buff- the site to migrant and vagrant species. We will provide access Breasted Sandpiper and Temmick’s Stint at details in due course. Walmsley and Davidstow, are a taste of good The other exciting prospect is at Maer Lake reserve, Bude, things to come over the autumn period. where we may be able to purchase additional land. For those mem- Those of you who log in to the Cornwall bers who know the reserve, this means the fields leading from the Peter Crispin Birds website (www.cbwps.org.uk) have no lake up to Maer Lane which would increase its size and also enable doubt enjoyed the wonderful pictures appearing us to develop better viewing facilities, as cur- there and in Palores.