FEBRUARY 2020 thenewsletter THE MAGAZINE OF THE RSPB BOLTON LOCAL GROUP

Mallard John Gofton

Editorial

Welcome to our latest edition of the newsletter.

Happy Birthday to us! Well, not us as a group, (though we were 41 in November), but the RSPB as a whole.

November 2019 marked the RSPB's 130th birthday!

17 February 1889 marks the first meeting of the Fur, Fin and Feather Folk in Croydon, but it was 13 November 1889 when the Society for the Protection of was founded in Manchester. When it all began back in the late Victorian era, the threat to wild birds came not from climate change but from milliners, who fuelled a demand for feathers that saw birds killed in their hundreds of thousands, purely to decorate the hats and accessories of fashionable ladies. The organisation started life as the Society for the Protection of Birds, a group founded by Emily Williamson at her home in Manchester in 1889. Formed to counter this barbarous trade, responsible for the destruction of many thousands of egrets, grebes, birds of paradise and other species, the group quickly gaining popularity, and in 1891 they joined forces with the Fur, Fin and Feather Folk, founded at Eliza Phillips' home in Croydon, to form a larger and stronger SPB, based in London,

The SPB was granted its Royal Charter in 1904, just 15 years after being founded, giving us the RSPB as we know today. https://www.rspb.org.uk/about-the-rspb/about-us/our-history/

The Bolton Group have managed to send another contribution of £1,000 to the RSPB, so thank you all for your contributions in helping make up this amount.

We had a couple of long service volunteering awards issued at our last meeting to myself and to Cheryl Delaney.

The RSPB figures show that an amazing 12,441 people volunteered last year, donating more than one million hours of their time. In fact, 25% of the RSPB's work to save nature is undertaken by these volunteers.

So, thank you to those in our group, and all the others for everything they do.

Thank you to those who contributed to this newsletter. I hope you enjoy the read, and the rest of the season.

Steve

Front cover: – Mallard at David Marshall Lodge, Trossachs (photographic competition winner by John Gofton). Current Programme . Indoor Meetings:-

Thu 12 Mar “How to be a naturalist” Jeff Clarke

Thu 16 Apr “The wonderful wildlife of Islay and Jura” David Shallcross

The meetings are held at 7:30pm at St Catherine’s Academy, Newby Road, Breightmet, use postcode BL2 5JH - (the sports centre entrance and car park, not the Stitch-mi-Lane entrance). Meetings last approximately two hours, including a refreshment break. There is a professional speaker and free parking.

Admission: Group Members £2.50, Non-Members £4.00.

Programme of indoor meetings September 2019 – April 2020

Thursday 12 March Jeff Clarke makes a welcome return and will be familiar to our more long-standing members of the group. This talk is How to build a Naturalist. Jeff has a passion for the natural world, is an experienced ecologist and has been an environmental educator for 26 years. He also leads wildlife holiday tours both independently and in partnership with other organisations. I’m sure he will share his enthusiasm for wildlife with us.

Thursday 16 April David Shallcross, chairman of Leigh Ornithological Society is giving a presentation on ‘The Wonderful Wildlife of Islay and Jura’. David says that the talk includes scenery, birds mainly, some history, calls and music in places, with a total of 290 images! A good way to end this season.

I hope you enjoy the programme but, as usual, there will a comments’ box on the ‘leaflets’ table for your suggestions/comments about the presentations or ideas for future meetings. - Veronica

RSPB long service awards

Cheryl Delaney receives her 10 year volunteering award from James Bray, the RSPB’s Bowland Projects Officer, who was the speaker on the night. Below, yours truly, receives a 20 year award. Pictures by Dennis Atherton

Where Eagles Dare (1)

Natural England has issued a licence to the Roy Dennis Wildlife Foundation for the five- year reintroduction programme of white-tailed eagles. The project will see at least six birds released annually, but they are not expected to breed until 2024. The birds, which have a wingspan of up to 2.5m (8ft), had not been recorded breeding in England since 1780.

The six birds were collected from the wild in Scotland and were released on the Isle of Wight in August. They are being provided with food daily and are monitored using the special tracking devices.

The birds were released on August 22nd but a week later one of the birds - "Culver" named after the place where the birds last bred, took off on a journey that took it across most of the South East of England.

On Thursday 5th September, Culver returned to the Island to the exact same spot he left eight days before. Its transmitter provides amazing details of its journey.

Screenshot: Tracking map from Roydennis.org

Culver flew 680km in eight days on its extraordinary flight which took it over Salisbury, and Southampton before heading for Central London, and then along the Thames coast of Essex, before heading back through Kent and Sussex to the Isle of Wight.

It certainly gave quite a few people a great chance for a (seen from the) garden bird tick.

*** See latest info at end of next article 2019 State of Nature – Tony Johnson

The State of Nature Report had a serious detrimental effect on (nbn.org.uk/stateofnature2019) has been wildlife. published recently as a compilation of 2. There has been a marked decline data from over 70 conservation of 97% of wildflower meadows lost organisations and looking back over 50 between ‘30s & ’84. years into how nature is changing - good 3. Herring stocks declined by 99% and bad from various pressures like between ‘60s and mid ‘90s, affecting farming, climate, recreation and seabird colonies, along with over fishing population increases. of sand eels, with decline in auks and kittiwake colonies whilst gannets are This article extracts some of the report expanding their fishing range as they findings, and I have added some personal travel further for food. observations to illustrate local effects. 4. In 1973 the UK joined Common Agriculture Policy and grant systems Each generation sees the changes in their caused mass removal of hedgerows lifetime, often believing that the baseline along with 10,000km2 of land drained in observation from their younger days ‘70s to increase food production. reflects the decline. In point of fact the 5. There were 13 species of farmland true baseline is many generations before, bird red listed in ’96 – including turtle and paints a very different picture. We dove, grey partridge, corn bunting. The need to talk to previous generations to try trend of losing mainly farmland birds and quantify the true changes, bearing in caused the red list to increase from 36 to mind that formal recording was patchier in 67 between ‘96 and 2015. the past. 6. Furthermore since ’76 there has been a massive decline in butterfly Locally we had corncrakes in the ‘20s, numbers of up to 68%, and this latter half sparrows abundant in the ‘50s, now bird of summer has been very wet and will numbers are rising and falling as various only add to their woes. In the last century pressures are applied. Our Rivington and 23 bee and wasp species have been lost Anglezarke moors teemed with LBJs in this country. (meadow pipits, skylark etc.), along with curlew and redshank in the ‘70s along The pressures that the countryside is with other but now they are a under:- rarity! When West Pennine Moors received the 1. Average temp increased by nearly SSSI designation the number of 1oC since 1980s. wildflower meadows was very small with 2. Agriculture productivity and only two remaining in the Rivington area, intensification has increased to the now under threat. detriment of wildlife. 3. Vast amounts of land (farm, wood, Some of the major changes over the & wetland) built on due to urbanisation. past:-. Some limited heathlands and moors have been restored. Building on floodplains 1. There was motorway and rivers being affected by flood construction on a large scale from 1959 prevention measures, but only moving the with miles of fencing, creating mini wildlife problem further down stream. corridors, but lead pollution from petrol 3. Currently 72% of UK land is managed for agriculture (1/3 arable, 2/3 pastoral), and now more tree planting is advocated now the trend is slowly reversing as – where? This surely will impact on habitat renewal is being targeted. wildlife and whatever happened to food self sufficiency? Peatlands and Climate Change is now becoming the grasslands act as carbon sinks as well as greatest problem for our countryside:- woodlands. 4. Biggest change has been increased 1. There has been a gradual movement mechanisation and fertiliser usage, north of birds, butterflies and moths, 23km increased stocking rate, changing from between ‘90s and 2000. Some bird haylage to silage, along with autumn species need to move higher such as sowing of cereals, loss of field margins, Ptarmigan and , by moving higher hedge row and ponds being lost. and more northern, but it is not an option 5. Increased mechanisation and greater in this county for Merlin so becoming a efficiency with harvest gathering, rare species locally. resulting in less spillage which is affecting 2. Sea temps are rising 0.6oC between many arable feeding species. ’61 and ‘90s, with salinity also increasing since ‘70s due to acidification run off from ++ All these pressures have resulted in a fall rivers as increase of CO2 and SO4 from of 54% of farmland birds since 1970, coal burning. Conifers hold pollutants in autumn sowing of cereal have seriously their leaves and when clear felling occurs affected yellowhammers. rapid increase in acid run off in adjacent More pesticides have reduced grey rivers occurs to devastating effects on partridge numbers drastically by invertebrates etc. removing insects, their main food source, 3. Warming seas have led to changes in and also contributing to the drop in plankton and fish distribution. Our main butterfly and moth numbers. fish food, cod, is moving north and sharks More drainage is affecting lapwings by and the larger sea mammals also moving drying out their breeding areas with loss north. Jelly fish now prolific off our coasts of insects in the wetter vegetation areas and affecting fish farms, but this is needed by their young in pre-flight mode. another problem that will need to be Corncrake numbers have in recent years solved. improved by targeting habitat sites in 4. Seasonal events and in particular the Scotland, usually with EU grants, but now warmer wetter winters is resulting in a on the decline due to climate change and mismatch in insect for incoming migrant funding issues. birds such as flycatchers. Also, insect Chough on the Western Isle is declining larvae that over winters in the leaf litter for various reasons. The young chough are being affected by fungi and dying as have a food shortage in winter due to tiplid winters become warmer and wetter. larvae not being available, and antibiotics When we monitored and put up given to cattle passing through into nestboxes, pied flycatchers increased in cowpats and killing their associated numbers in the ‘90s now they have all insects that chough need. Another major virtually disappeared. When monitoring concern is inbreeding so there is a their nests we use to come out of the possibility for translocations of chough woodland covered in green tortrix looper from Jersey birds which themselves moth caterpillars and attacked by hoards originate in Wales. So the chough of midges – now predominately gone! position is dire and has multiple causes 5. There has been a serious loss of and pressures. arctic – montane species and snow bed 2 The marsh fritillaries have lost /3 of their species through climate change. With colonies between 1990 and 2000, but climate warming, low altitude grass and heather species would move to higher browsing problems. Recreational altitudes and lose snowbed species – usage of woodlands is causing bryophites, liverworts and hornworts, compaction, and also loss of particularly under threat in Western invertebrates and flora especially near Scotland. Moss- and dwarf-herb- urban areas. This has possibly helped dominated snow-bed communities towards the loss of lesser spotted (Polytrichum sexangulare – Kiaeria woodpecker, spotted flycatcher and starkei, Salix herbacea – Racomitrium willow tit locally. heterostichum, and Alchemilla alpina – 5. Also locally declines in common blue, Sibbaldia procumbens dwarf-herb meadow and wall brown butterflies have community) are well-represented but are been recorded. not extensive and now under threat. 6. Now summer droughts are affecting With all these accumulated problems, trees and changing woodlands. Look at acerbated by climate change, species are what the ‘blast from the east’ did in March unable to adapt and drastic species 2018 to our trees – all their early leaves extinction is now approaching. Will shrivelled and dropped so delaying their Government eventually have to take spring growth and associated insect notice or is change now irreversible? populations. Have you any observations that you can add, as the older members seem to have Woodland Changes. a different concept of changes over the years from the younger members – we all 1. Since Doomsday when 15% of land have our own inbuilt memory of the was covered by trees, woodland cover distant and recent past. dropped to 5% by end of World War 1. Also, when will the human race 2. In 1919 the Forestry Commission acknowledge the ‘elephant in the room’ was set up with an aim to plant conifers, and curb population growth? Will homo and coverage increased to 13% using non sapiens survive by eradicating other native Sitka spruce, but the latest trend is species or will future long term unknowns planting with more diverse deciduous change the earth in a new Gaia species. rebalancing? 3. Now with climate change various diseases are spreading which are killing Food for thought! trees, such as Dutch elm in the ‘70s, ash dieback, and acute oak decline are https://nbn.org.uk/wp- current. Ramorum fungi are affecting content/uploads/2019/09/State-of- larch, rhododendron, in particular Nature-2019-UK-full-report.pdf ponticum. 4. Increase in deer populations – roe, muntjac is giving rise to grazing and

*** With regards to the white-tailed eagle release project. One of the eagles was found dead in the first week. Culver then went AWOL but later returned, but unfortunately has gone missing again, this time with no transmissions being received, so its whereabouts and its status are unknown. A third eagle has this week taken up residence in Oxfordshire in the company of the local red kites. The other 3 eagles are still at home.

Where Eagles Dare (2)

A migrating Russian eagle has racked up hundreds of pounds in roaming charges after flying across borders. A female eagle has landed Russian Raptor Research scientists with a hefty bill after being fitted with a device to track her migration path that pinged messages back to the research team. The Russian scientists were monitoring 13 birds in their routes from Siberia when one of the steppe eagles, named Min, flew to an area without mobile coverage in Kazakhstan where she stayed for almost four months before flying a circuitous route to land in Iran. It was there all the previously unsent messages unloaded at once resulting in “astronomical” charges, resulting in the entire budget for the project being spent.

Screenshot: Russian Raptor Research and Conservation Network

Happily, the phone company refunded their charges and offered them a more reasonable tariff, and also ‘crowdfunding’ raised sufficient money to cover the next years charges.

Jottings – Keep looking & listening – Chris Johnson

I had said I would write an article reservoir has held goldeneye, tufted, and for Steve, but couldn’t think of anything surprisingly a number of colourful light hearted to say. However, an appeal mandarin duck (on occasion up to 40 at the meeting in January coupled with birds). All our berried bushes seem to accusatory glances from Steve stirred me have been stripped, in our garden by into action. It has been a sad time for us woodpigeons, but small flocks of redwing recently, not personally, but affecting have been noted feeding in the fields in those we love; an optimistic view forward Rivington. Small numbers of lapwings into 2020 is called for. have been seen at their traditional site On Christmas Day we visited there, no doubt checking to see if it will be Leighton Moss as usual and saw marsh suitable for breeding. harriers, marsh tits, and a wonderful mix of wildfowl species. Then we decided to move on to Ulverston to eat our turkey sandwiches on a bench by the shore at Canal Foot. Interested in the history of the site, we walked up the canal, where there were lots of mute swans including many cygnets. Then we pottered along the shore towards the viaduct – wigeon, little egret, redshank, curlew – and loafed about on the pier in the warm sun. Ulverston is always worth a visit; you can climb to the top of Hoad Hill with its monument to Sir John Barrow (locally Little egret Chris Johnson known as ‘the pepper pot’), have lunch in th the café nearby, and then walk along the As I write this on the 12 canal and shore. It is a good day out at January, I have been thinking that if you any time of the year. look and listen when you are out and about there is quite a lot to be seen. Today we saw a roe deer grazing in Rivington, and received a report of two seen swimming across Yarrow reservoir. There were signs of the approaching breeding season with a buzzard circling and calling overhead and a great spotted woodpecker drumming all week in our garden. The tits are already prospecting the nestboxes. Although when I looked over Jepson’s bridge today there were no dippers or grey wagtails but a flock of long-tailed tits were in touching distance – Hoad Hill – the Pepper Pot Chris Johnson a beautiful sight! It seems that every morning on Into the New Year and the our early walk the sound of bullfinches birdlife seemed quiet locally. It has been calling is in many places. Often the so wet and mild, and the reservoirs have species comes to informal feeding been full and overflowing. High Bullough stations in Rivington and Anglezarke. We have heard the yaffling call of a green However, we must remember woodpecker from two sites which is a that with ever increasing numbers of welcomed development. visitors to our countryside and an It would be interesting to monitor associated demand for more parking we the recovery of our moorland from the must leave space for wildlife and protect disastrous fires. This will be of the habitats. This is in the face of reduced vegetation and associated wildlife – birds, funding for maintenance and a lack of invertebrates etc. ranger/ police presence.

Where Eagles Dare (3)

Just after Christmas our very own Dennis what it was. I snapped a few shots and Atherton sent me a few pictures for the then realized It was a golden eagle! I then magazine. But he also sent me this little noticed the Jessie's and that meant of snippet…. course it wasn’t a wild bird. But seeing it on my street was kinda amazing! “Yesterday I came home from a drive out Should I put it on my garden list? I did and spotted a large raptor on the roof of a actually see a golden eagle from my house on my street in Little lever. I ran in garden....” the house to get my camera wondering

Golden eagle Dennis Atherton

Photographic Competition

First place in this year’s competition was by John Gofton. The delightful picture of a female mallard on a Scottish pool is on the cover of our magazine.

Second place in the photographic competition was this picture of a winter plumaged Slavonian grebe by Janice Sutton. Thank you to all who entered. So, get your cameras out and snap some pictures for this year’s competition.

David Aldred’s Smithills Round Up Smithills Area Jul:- Swallow, swift, great spotted woodpecker, chiffchaff, nuthatch, mistle thrush, dunnock, lesser black-backed gull, buzzard, bullfinch. Plus comma and painted lady butterfly, and pipistrelle bat. Aug:- Bullfinch, swift, great spotted woodpecker, nuthatch. Plus common blue, painted lady, red admiral, and speckled wood butterfly Sep:- Buzzard, wren, sparrowhawk, tawny owl, great spotted woodpecker, mistle thrush. Plus red admiral butterfly. Oct:- Mistle thrush, tawny owl, goldcrest, long-tailed tit, wren, nuthatch, great spotted woodpecker, buzzard, jay, plus skein of 50+ pink footed geese over. Nov:- Wren, long-tailed tit, great spotted woodpecker, raven, carrion crow, goldcrest. Dec:- Long-tailed tit, redwing, mistle thrush, wren, bullfinch. Doffcocker Lodge Jul:- Swallow, swift, common tern, mute swan, Canada goose, blackbird, goldfinch, house sparrow, coot, mallard. Plus red admiral, large white, comma and small tortoiseshell butterfly. High Rid Reservoir Jul:- Dunnock, wood pigeon, lesser black-backed gull, black-headed gull, tufted duck, mallard, coot, buzzard, grey wagtail, carrion crow, magpie, pied wagtail. Plus small white butterfly. Outdoor Meetings:-

Sun 16 Feb Blacktoft Sands Full day car trip. RSPB Meet Birch Services on M62E at 8:30am Sat 21 Mar Saltholme RSPB & Full day car trip. Hartlepool Meet Birch Services on M62E at 8:30am Sat 18 Apr Marshside & Hesketh Full day car trip Outmarsh Meet Marshside RSPB at 8:30am Sat 9 May Fairburn Ings RSPB Full day car trip. Meet Birch Services on M62E at 8:30am Sat 23 May Teesdale Full day car trip. Meet Birch Services on M62E at 8:30am Sat 6 Jun Wykeham Forest Full day car trip. Meet Birch Services on M62E at 8:30am Sat 27 Jun St Bees Head RSPB Full day car trip. Meet Lancaster Services on M6N at 8:30am

Trip destinations may be changed at short notice because of factors such as weather and numbers attending. If you wish to participate please let Steve Settle know, and more importantly, if you have said you will attend and have a change of mind, please call, thus avoiding needless waiting.

Trip Reports

Morecambe Bay – 14 Sep 2019

Having met up at Lancaster Services we had a slight change of plans. I’m not one for a twitch, but when it’s just around the corner, you might as well go for it. So, off we went to Fluke Hall where an Eastern black eared wheatear had been hanging around for a few days. We arrived and parked up in the car park. It was obvious where the bird was as there were a couple of dozen birders with ‘scopes on the sea wall. We headed off Eastern black faced wheatear Dennis Atherton towards them, only to be told it had flown down towards the car park and we’d A variety of waders were found walked straight past it. That’s how on the salt marshes and in the creeks, distinguished it was from the other including redshank, dunlin, and curlew, wheatears we’d passed. lapwing, and oystercatcher, along with Anyway, we soon had it in our quite a number of wigeon and shelduck, sight, and as with many other rarities, it and a couple of little egrets. A skein of just stayed put. There’s only so long you pink-footed geese flew high over, and a can look at one bird, so it was soon smaller number of greylag geese did ignored while we looked for other things. likewise. Black-headed gulls, lesser black-backed gull, great black-backed gulls, and common gulls were also redshank, spotted redshank, dunlin, present. A kestrel hunted, a few swallows snipe, lapwing, and black-tailed godwit on passed over as did a small party of the islands. There was also plenty of teal meadow pipits, and the bushes near the and shoveler, and a couple of little grebe car park sheltered a number of tree on the water, and a great egret easily sparrows. identifiable in the distance. The main part of the reserve was quite quiet with only gadwall, tufted duck, mallard, , little egret, and black- headed gulls on and around the water and a few swallows hawking over it. At the lower hide we found great crested grebe, mute swan, moorhen and coot, plus the interesting sight of a comorant ‘snorkelling’ to such an extent that it was initially mistaken as an otter. Walking around the reserve and around the feeders gave us a variety of Black-tailed godwit Jill Islam woodland birds - great spotted woodpecker, dunnock, blackbird, marsh Then it was off to Teal Bay, just tit, coal tit, blue tit, great tit, nuthatch, north of Morecambe. Here it was high tide chaffinch, and goldfinch time, so we sat on the sea wall for lunch.

On the rocks of the groyne were a couple of grey heron, and waders in the form of oystercatcher, dunlin, ringed plover, black-tailed godwit, curlew, redshank, and turnstone. A large flock of knot wheeled about further out in the bay. Also on the rocks were herring gulls, lesser black-backed gulls, a robin, and a couple of pied wagtail. A few linnets and starlings were on the limited amount of uncovered Marsh tit Dennis Atherton salt marsh and a number of swallows and house martins passed through, as did a A number of buzzards circled sparrowhawk. about and the fields held plenty of jackdaws, rooks, carrion crows and wood Then on to Leighton Moss where pigeon. first stop was the Eris Morecambe hide. As usual the sun was in your eyes and most of the birds were at the far end of the 61 species seen, 6 attended pool but we did get good view of

Potteric Carr – 12 Oct There wasn’t much on the A good start to the outing to feeders at the information centre with only Yorkshire Wildlife Trust’s reserve at goldfinch and great tit. As we set off, we Potteric Carr was the sight of 50 plus pink- passed a couple of jackdaws which were footed geese flying over as we readied foraging in the leaf mould by the path. ourselves in the car park. and a marsh harrier had a short fly around before disappearing. We lunched in one of the hides where bearded tits had been reported. We did hear water rail, and a great spotted woodpecker flew over, but had no luck in seeing the tits, only perhaps hearing a couple of wishful pings in the reeds.

Lapwings Steve Settle

The first pools at Eaa Marsh were sparse of birds with only coot, gadwall, shoveler, moorhen and cormorant being present, and a did a fly by, perhaps explaining the lack of birds. In the greenery along the paths we saw robin, and chiffchaff, and passed a vocal Cetti’s warbler. On the Piper Marsh pool were a Bittern Jill Islam few tufted ducks, along with some more gadwall and shoveler, and 3 buzzards On the trails back we saw a could be seen drifting on the thermals. On kestrel and a couple of jays, and on the the trails we encountered magpie, carrion pool and feeders at Willow Marsh we crow, and wood pigeon, and then a party finished the day off with wren, dunnock, of long-tailed tits and great tits, though coal tit, blue tit, chaffinch, and pheasant. these were soon dispersed by a A few butterflies and dragonflies marauding sparrowhawk. were also seen on the outing but not The larger Huxter Well Marsh noted. The reserve is also a very good gave us a larger and more varied range of place for mushrooms with a wide variety species with little egret, lapwing, mute being present. swan, teal, mallard, pochard, little grebe, great crested grebe, and black-headed 41 species seen, 6 attended. gull. A bittern made a brief appearance,

Point of Ayr and Mere Wetlands RSPB – 23 Nov 2019

With half of Yorkshire greenshank, little egret, and lesser black- underwater and the prospects not looking backed gull. The structures of the good for birding at Spurn Point we adjacent gas terminal provided perches decided to set off in the opposite direction for a number of mistle thrushes. in hope of better weather, and opted for a With the tide out we then visit to Point of Ayr on the Flintshire coast decided to make for Burton Mere of North Wales. Unfortunately, the tide Wetlands RSPB reserve. A decision wasn’t in our favour, but on the salt marsh made easy by knowing the hide at the and exposed mud we were able to see information centre has a nice glowing reed bunting, shelduck, kingfisher, stove in the middle. The feeders outside the centre harrier, buzzard, and kestrel, along with attracted nuthatch, blue tit, long tailed tit, numerous skeins of pink-footed geese robin, dunnock, and pheasant. flying over. Though the most memorable sighting was the stoat the ran across the banking in front of the hide.

Stonechat Jill Islam

The pools facing the hide held a Stoat Jill Islam large variety of wildfowl, waders, and gulls. The ducks included wigeon, After lunch we ventured from the gadwall, teal, mallard, shoveler, and warmth of the centre on a short walk down tufted duck, along with coot, moorhen, to the feeding station at the barn. This little grebe and cormorant. gave us stonechat, wood pigeon, collared The waders comprised dove, blackbird, song thrush, magpie, oystercatcher, lapwing, black-tailed carrion crow, jackdaw and great spotted godwit, curlew, and redshank, while the woodpecker en route, with goldfinch, gulls were made up of black-headed, greenfinch, great tit, chaffinch, and lesser black-backed, common, and starling around the feeders. It was here herring gulls. we were able to find the great egret on A few meadow pipits and one of the far pools before it took flight. starlings were to be found on the grassy Finally, just as we were leaving island along with a few grey wagtails on a merlin zipped low over the car park. the water’s edge. Aerial sightings included marsh 52 species seen, 5 attended

North Wales – 14 Dec 2019

First stop was Conwy RSPB. From the hides overlooking the main lagoon we were able to most of the expected wildfowl and waders but only in small numbers. Eight species of duck (wigeon, gadwall, teal, mallard, pochard, tufted duck, goldeneye, shoveler) were counted along with mute swan, great crested grebe, and some red breasted merganser in display mode. The waders Red-breasted mergansers Jill Islam comprised oystercatcher, redshank, lapwing, snipe, curlew, and black-tailed Coot and moorhen along with a few of the godwit. more common gulls (black-headed gull, lesser black-backed gull, herring gull) were also on the water with carrion crows shearwater species which passed and starlings feeding on the islands. through.

We spent the best part of an hour hanging around the pond area hoping for a sighting of one of the wintering firecrests but the wind wasn’t kind and only a couple of goldcrests, a few robins, a dunnock, and a couple of blackbirds were seen. A buzzard was seen over the distant hills and around the feeders we found coal tit, goldfinch, house sparrow, and wood pigeon until a fly through sparrowhawk cleared the area.

From Conwy we moved on to Dunlin, turnstone, purple sandpipers Steve Settle Rhos Point in the hope of snow bunting, but these hadn’t been seen for a few After lunch we moved slightly days. We did get the other specialty for inland to look for hawfinch at Caerhun & the site in the form of 8 purple sandpipers, Llanbebr-y-cennin but without success. A along with dunlin and turnstones. Other few woodland birds were added to the list, waders included ringed plover and mistle thrush, redwing, jackdaw, and redshank, with other on shore birds starling, along with blue tit, chaffinch, and including rock pipit, pied wagtail, starling, house sparrow dining at a garden feeder, and black headed gull. Slightly off-shore a and jackdaw, carion crow, and magpie in cormorant was diving and a couple of the adjacent fields. more distant common scoter were seen. On the road we added to the We then parked up at days list with pink-footed goose, jay, little Penmaemawr for lunch (in the car out of egret, and kestrel. the wind) where there were a good number of common scoter, a few great 53 Species seen, 4 Attended crested grebe, and an unidentified

Burton Mere Wetlands RSPB Wales – 11 Jan 2020

The day started in the carpark at Chester services with a pied wagtail scurrying about, a raven cronking and flying on to the nearest pylon, and in the distance a hundred plus pink footed geese making their way to the estuary feeding grounds. Firstly, we called at West Kirby Marine lake to fill time before the high Brent geese Steve Settle tide. Well worth it, with a juvenile shag, and 4 brent geese being only a few At the other end of the lake yards from where we parked the car. A however there was a 2000+ throng of couple of turnstones and a redshank dunlin either resting on the rocks rested on the periphery with a number practically in touching distance, or of black-headed gulls. swirling about. In with them were a a reed bunting sang from the tree above couple of knot, a dozen or so our heads, and a kestrel and a buzzard turnstones, and 30 plus redshanks. In flew over. addition to these a few red-breasted We then headed off to Burton mergansers dived for fish in the far Mere for lunch in the information centre corner among the black headed gulls hide. The pools were relatively quiet but and lesser black-backed gulls. there were a number of wigeon, teal, mallard and gadwall. The waders seemed to be unsettled and the black tailed godwit and dunlin constantly took to the air for a fly around. These were joined by a large number of lapwings flooding the sky, though the only apparent raptors were a kestrel and a very distant buzzard.

Knot and dunlin Steve Settle

It was then on to Parkgate for the high tide. Unfortunately, the hope of seeing short-eared owls was hampered by the strong winds, though we were able to watch a few marsh harriers and a single male hunting the marshes. The main effect of the tide Redwing Jill Islam seemed to be to flush a few little egrets On the other pools, from the Marsh and a great white egret into showing Covert hide, the only different wildfowl themselves, and pushing a few hundred were a couple of male pintails. Two pink footed geese further up the salt Egyptian geese were on one of the old marsh. fishing lodges but distanced themselves from the Canada geese and greylag geese also present. To finish the day off we thought we’d try and get access to the nearby boating lake for the long staying long-tailed duck. A couple of club members walking their dog allowed us access and we soon found the bird in among the small flotilla of tufted ducks, though they all appeared very wary,

Dunlin Jill Islam upping and resettling 100 yards away every time the dog walkers approached Two peregrines sat close to on their way round. Also on the lake, each other on a distant log on the were plenty of gadwall and coot, along marsh. On the fields at the back of the with a couple of dozen little grebe. car park there were a large number of redwings with a small party of goldfinch, 55 Species seen, 9 Attended

And Finally……. Not all doom and gloom!

(Image: William Kennerley (USFWS))

Wisdom the 69-year-old Albatross has become a global symbol of hope for all species that depend on the health of the oceans to survive

The US Fish and Wildlife Service recently reported that the world’s oldest known bird, nicknamed “Wisdom” has returned to Midway Atoll in the Pacific Ocean, along with more than a million fellow Laysan Albatrosses that nest on the island.

Wisdom is at least 69-years-old, having been ringed in December 1956 when she was already an adult of about 5 years. In that time, she has hatched more than 35 chicks, noteably, successfully hatched a chick every year since 2006.

However, it is suggested that with late arrival this year it may be a bit late for an egg this season, so they may take a (deserved) gap year. (Most albatrosses lay every other year.)

The birds regularly exceed 30 years of age in the southern oceans – providing they don’t meet an untimely death hooked by a long-line trawler.

thecommittee

treasurer Terry Delaney · Tel:- 0161 794 4684 e-mail:- [email protected]

secretary & membership secretary Cheryl Delaney · Tel:- 0161 794 4684 e-mail:- [email protected]

outdoor trips, website, & newsletter editor Steve Settle · Tel:- 01204 853096 e-mail:- [email protected]

indoor meetings Veronica Platt · Tel:- 01204 410178 e-mail:- [email protected]

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