Annual Report 1990
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Herefordshire Ornithological Club ,I ANNUAL REPORT 1990 No. 10 Vol. 4 ~.50 III HEREFORDSHIRE ORNITHOLOGICAL CLUB No.lOVoIA OFFICERS AND COMMI'ITEE 1990 President J.L. FOX J1c'e -Presidents:- P.W. HINDE, M.B.O.U., Dr. C.W. WALKER, M.C. AG. FYSHE CiJainnan.· AJ. SMITH Hon. Seaetan~' LB. EVANS 12 Brockington Drive, Tupsley, Hereford. Tel: (0432)265509 Hon. D-easurer: LT. STONE Chantries, Grosmont, Abergavenny. Hon Recorder: K.A MASON The Sett, Common Hill, Fownhope. Tel: (0432) 860546 Hon. Field Secret~Jj;' K.A. MASON Hon.Editor:- A MARCHANT Hon. Bu//etinEdiior: P. GARDNER Committee:- G.S. BILBAO S.G. DODD P.G. BRADLEY P.I. ELDRIDGE Mrs I.M. BROMLEY Mrs F.R. FRANCIS Miss L. CALDICOTT P. THOMSON Miss W.O. DAVIES HEREFORDSHIRE ORNITHOLOGICAL CLUB RULES I. NAME. The Club shall be called the Herefordshire Ornithological Club. 2. OBJECTS. The objects of the Club shall be (a) to further the study of birds in the field, and (b) to assist in their preservation. 3. MEMBERSHIP. The Club shall consist of a President, a Chairman, a Secretary, a Field Secretary, a Treasurer, an Editor, a Recorder, and Ten Committee Members and Ordinary Members. The President and the Chairman to retire after serving a term of three years. The Secretaries, the Treasurer, the Recorder and the Editor shall be elected annually. The three senior of the ten Ordinary Members of the Committee shall retire annually and they shall not be eligible for re-election for a period of 12 months. The Officers and Ordinary Members of the Committee shall be elected at the Annual General Meeting and the Officers shall be eligible for re-election. Nominations for the Committee must be received in writing by the Hon. Secretary by February 14th. 4. CONDITIONS OF MEMBERSHIP. Members shall be required to support and keep the provisions of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981. Any members failing to support and keep this law shall be required to resign. Members shall not divulge to unauthorised persons (e.g. known collectors of skins and/or eggs) information in a manner likely to be detrimental to the objects of the Club. 5. SUBSCRIPTIONS. (a) Junior members, over 12 but under 18 years ofage, £3. Ordinary members, 18 years and over, £5. A married couple, £7.50. Any additional members of a household £ I. Subscriptions are payable on January Ist or on election to membership. Corporate Members: Kindred bodies, Schools, etc. Subscription £5 per annum. Honorary Members: As approved by the majority present at the Annual General Meeting. (b) All subscriptions subsequent to those paid on admission shall be due on January Ist each year. Where a member has been elected on or after Ist September in any year, there will be no further liability to subscribe in the year immediately following that of his or her election. Any member whose subscription is six months in arrears shall cease to receive the Club's publications and, should the subscription not be paid by December 31 st, his or her name shall be deleted from the list of Members. 6. MANAGEMENT. The Secretary shall keep Minutes of the Meetings and prepare such literature as shall keep the Members informed of the Club's activities. 7. MEETINGS shall be held as often as deemed desirable at the discretion of the Officers. 8. REPORT. There shall be an Editorial Committee of at least three Members including the Secretary, appointed at an ordinary Committee Meeting. These shall prepare and present an Annual Report and such special reports as may be decided upon. 9. ALTERATIONS OF RULES. An alteration of the Rules may be made only if proposed at one meeting, printed on the agenda for the following meeting, and . passed by a two-thirds majority of those present. HEREFORDSHIRE ORNITHOLOGICAL REPORT 1990 453 HEREFORDSHIRE NATURE TRUST NEST BOX SCHEME - 1990 RESULTS C. W. SHELDRAKE Recording took place at 22 sites 1990 1989 Nests Fledged Nests Fledged Pied Flycatcher 212 790 198 %8 BlueTit 181 1070 191 1384 GreatTit 78 498 <xl 531 Marsh Tit 6 49 4 35 Coal Tit 3 25 5 52 Redstart 4 9 1 0 Nuthatch 12 67 8 49 Tawny Owl 1 1 1 1 Wren 4 21 Treecreeper 1 6 Sites recorded 22 21 Boxes recorded 710 736 Boxes used 502 499 l";1c, used 70.7 67.7 1990 BREEDING STATISTICS Pied Flycatcher BlueTit Great Tit Average clutch size 6.03 ( 6.70) 7.74 ( 9.80) 7.82 ( 7.98) % hatched 74.70 (84.16) 82.50 (80.80) 89.80 (84.60) % fledged 82.50 (85.40) 92.40 (98.60) 90.80 (89.20) % overall 61.70 (72.40) 76.30 (79.70) 81.60 (75.50) Fledged/pair 3.72 ( 4.80) 5.91 ( 7.83) 6.30 ( 6.03) 1989 results shown in brackets. The % of boxes used has continued to rise. Reports came in dur ing the breeding season that the caterpillars were early and suitable food was in short supply for the young birds. Whilst the Great Tits came through sucessfully Pied Flycatchers and Blue Tits were well down. Our results compared favourably with those of RSPB reserve at Nagshead, Gloucestershire. 454 HEREFORDSHIRE ORNITHOLOGICAL REPORT 1990 EDITORIAL This is the fortieth annual Bird Report to be presented to the Members since the formation of the Herefordshire Ornithological Club in April 1950. It has again been a year of mixed fortunes for a number of species. Sand Martins appear to have maintained the recent improvement in their numbers and House Martins too have shown a slight increase. On the debit side Tree Pipits were again scarce and Lapwing, Snipe and Curlew together with Corn Bunting just managed to survive as breeding species within the County. A total of 147 species was recorded during the year and although no new species were added to the County bird list a number of rare irregular visitors to the County were recorded. The first of these was a Jack Snipe at Mathon on January 28th. A Kittiwake was found dead at Dinmore on February 5th and a Shelduck was seen on floodwater at Lugg meadows on 9th. Another Jack Snipe was at Mathon on 18th, a Red-breasted Merganser at Sink Green on 23rd and another Shelduck at Hampton Bishop on the same day. A Long-eared Owl was found trapped in wire at Allensmore on March 12th and taken to Miss Bayliss's bird hospital. A Bittern was flushed at Mathon GP on 17th and the Long-eared Owl, hav ing fully recovered from its ordeal, was released at Allensmore on 21st. A Wood Sandpiper was noted at Marden on April 9th and a Red Kite over Goodrich on 24th. May was generally a quiet month until 21st when a Black Tern was at Eywood NR, a typical date for this species to pass through the County in spring. Quail were calling at Durlow on 29th and Bromsash on 31st. A Grasshopper Warbler at Lyepole on June 2nd was only a one day stop-over. A single Redshank was at Criftin Ford on 14th, two at Eywood NR on 17th and two at Castieton on 20th. Another quail was heard calling at Cusop on 20th, a Common Tern was at Bodenham GP on 26th and a second Grasshopper Warbler at Burrington on 28th was, like the first, .iust a one day bird. With the increasing breeding success of the Scottish Ospreys this species has now become an annual passage mi grant through the County and the first this year was at Lugg Mills on July 8th. The second Red Kite of the year was at Turner's Boat on 9th and an Oystercatcher was at Bredwardine on 30th. A Quail calling at Llangarron on August 2nd was the fourth report for the year. Single Greenshank were at Mathon on 6th and Castleton on 18th/19th and at the latter locality there was an Oystercatcher on 18th and an Osprey on 19th. Also on 19th there were two Ringed P~overs at Mathon GP. A Common Tern was at Hartleton on 23rd, another Ringed Plover at Holme Marsh on 25th' and a Red Kite was noted over Nupend NR on 25thl26th. The month ended with a Greenshank at Sink Green and Corncrake at Lulham on 31st. Greenshank passage continued during September with three at Castleton on 2nd, one at Hampton BiShop on 4th and two there on 8th, two beside Her~ford Wye on 10th arid 13th and a single on 27th. The highlight of October was a count of 21 Mandarins at Eastnor Castle Lake on 5th. A 'yellow-legged' Herring Gull was noted at Stretton Sugwas on 8th. November was uneventful and the year ended with two typical winter species, a Firecrest at Bringsty Common on 14th and a 'ringtail' Hen Harrier at Mordiford on 24th. HEREFORDSHIRE ORNITIIOLOGICAL REPORT 1990 455 PRINTING OF THE REPORT. The Committee on behalf of the Members wish to thank Chadds of Hereford, and Mr. John Chadd in particular, for their donation towards the printing costs of thIs Report. The printing of this year's Report has been undertaken by Michael (Mike) J. Barrington of Leominster. Mike has been involved with the printing of the Report on two previous occasions, firstly with Orphans Press, Leominster and most recently with Wye Valley Printers. FINANCES. A statement of the Club's finances will be found at the end of this Report. CLUB ACTIVITIES. Club outings were held during the year at Talybont, Brierley Court, (twice), Ashleworth and Twyning Hams, Letton and Castleton Wye, Criftin Ford, Whitcliffe Ludlow and Belvide Reservoir, Garnons Estate, Holme Lacy area, Harley Dingle, Haugh Wood (twice), Monmouthshire and Brecon Canal (boat trip), The Doward, Wall Hills Ledbury, Gadbury Bank (Nightingale meeting), Bryngwyn and Rhosgoch, Ewyas Harold and Merbach, Llyn Hilyn, Pecket Stone (Nightjar meet ings), Olchon Valley, Bringsty Common, Upton Warren, Glasbury Wye and Llan Bwch Llyn, South Coast weekend, Stapleton Castle, Shaky Bridge Llandrindod and Malvern Hills.