Welcome to the Autumn issue of our newsletter. Find the programme for the new season, book your place at the next quiz and browse the news...
Dear supporters, five successful years they will take a Our nature talks on the third well-deserved rest, so we need Wednesday of each month (second in someone to step forward to take it on. December) remain the mainstay of We’d like one or two organisers to our group. Our speakers often shadow the team for the 2019 quiz so comment on the good number of as to be ready to take over in 2020. people that come along (usually 40- Let me know if you’re interested and 60), and this of course reflects the I’ll tell you what’s involved. quality of speakers, some of whom We’re also looking for more helpers to have quite a keen following. If you’re join our committee, which is smaller than it’s ever new to the area, or to the RSPB, you’re very been. It’s not a big commitment, we meet about welcome to come along and find out how every other month, and more people would help to entertaining our evenings can be. spread the work and perhaps introduce new ideas. For our nature walks, we’re lucky to have a choice The reserves run by the RSPB, the Wildlife Trusts of a wide variety of nature reserves within an hour and others do a great job of providing safe places or so’s drive, from the marshes of the Thames for nature, as do many of you in your gardens. We estuary, via the freshwater reedbeds of Stodmarsh also need to be vigilant about developments that and the heathlands of the Weald to the shingle threaten our special places. By the time you read beaches of the south coast. For the first time we this, the consultation about housing development at also made use of our local reserve at Tudeley Lodge Hill, that nightingale favourite, will have Woods for a bleary-eyed but sharp-eared dawn closed. Many of us have commented on proposed chorus walk, complete with breakfast. It’s been developments at Newhaven Harbour that threaten good to see new faces coming along, from complete the nature reserve at Newhaven Tide Mills. Closer beginners to experienced birders, along with our to home, a proposal for housing development on a friendly regulars. Everyone’s keen to share their greenfield site adjacent to Haysden country park knowledge, and when you’re birding in a group of has raised concerns. It’s undeniable that more six to 12, someone’s going to spot things that you housing is needed, but is this the right place for it? A might have missed in a smaller group. consultation is due in October, so when details All these special places need management and it’s appear it’s important that we, as local citizens, thanks to supporters like you that the RSPB has the review it and make our views known. necessary funds. But it’s not only about funds: the Have a great birding autumn and winter, and I hope majority of the RSPB’s work is undertaken by to see you at one or more of our events. volunteers, working on reserves and in offices. Your local group relies entirely on volunteers, to whom we’re very grateful, but our group of helpers is Best wishes, getting smaller and so each of us is taking on more tasks. For example, our quiz team of Alan, Geoff Martin and Liz will run the quiz again next year, but after
Nightjar surveys at Tudeley Woods RSPB reserve produced mixed results this year. The first survey The RSPB has acquired a new reserve in Wiltshire, provided excellent displays of wing clapping males, the charity’s first in the New Forest. females flying overhead, and ‘churring’ from six Franchises Lodge comprises almost 1,000 acres of different locations that indicated a minimum three woodland that has largely been inaccessible to the pairs (based on timings). The second survey ended public for many years. It is described as a ‘secret up with nothing seen or heard, although consolation forest’ that gives a home to a wide range of birds was taken from the fantastic number of glow worms including lesser spotted woodpecker, wood warbler, seen on the heath. At the time of writing, a third visit hawfinch, spotted flycatcher, firecrest and redstart was planned to get the full picture on these special (pictured), alongside other wildlife. The RSPB says nocturnal birds. Two years ago there were no it will be focusing on maintaining the existing nightjars recorded at all on the heathland areas of broadleaf woodland, enhancing areas of wood the reserve, so the possibility of three pairs was pasture and recreating open heath. very encouraging, especially as they were displaying in the areas volunteers had been managing over the last two winters. ● Long-time Tudeley Woods volunteers Jean and Brian Nobbs each received their 40 years volunteering badge at a recent South East regional meeting. RSPB chief executive, Mike Clarke, presented them with their golden eagle badges and thanked them for their hard work and dedication over their combined 80 years of volunteering. Brian and Jean’s phenomenal effort has spanned reserve management, involvement with local groups and raising money through wildlife talks.
An appeal has been launched in a bid to raise Two reserves have been damaged by fire during £500,000 to help fund the project. this year’s hot, dry summer. In June, the South Head at St Bees in Cumbria, lost Following the very cold spring which delayed the an estimated 30 nests of birds like stonechat, linnet and whitethroat but luckily the seabird colony return of summer migrants this year, the warmer remained unaffected. weather appears to have given wildlife a boost at Dungeness. Common terns have been recorded on Later in the month, the headline-making fire on the islands in Burrowes Pit while surveys have Saddleworth Moor spread to the neighbouring Dove located two bittern nests at the ARC end of the Stone reserve. Around 200 hectares of land were reserve. However, at the time of writing, it is too destroyed, equivalent to about 300 football pitches. early to determine how successful the breeding Fortunately, the blaze did not reach the main areas season has been. of blanket bog that the RSPB has been restoring on the higher plateau. Meanwhile, wardens report a very successful count of Sussex emerald moth larvae. The Sussex emerald moth only exists on the RSPB Dungeness Pulborough Brooks RSPB reserve is seeing reserve and the Dungeness peninsular so the RSPB dividends from the hard work put in at the site. This is collaborating with different organisations in the year, 41 lapwing chicks successfully made it to Sussex emerald moth Partnership to try to bring juvenile stage, giving a productivity of two chicks per these moths back from the brink of extinction. This pair. This is an improvement on last year’s year, eight caterpillars were found on designated productivity of one per pair. plots of wild carrot and ragwort which are their main Redshank, too, had a good year, fledging ten chicks food sources, representing the second highest (up from seven in 2017). count since the partnership began.
Quiz night
COME AND TEST YOUR GENERAL KNOWLEDGE WHILST Raising MONEY FOR THE RSPB AND ENJOYING A FISH & CHIP SUPPER! WE PROMISE, No bird questions!! Teams of six recommended Prize raffle Tickets £15 per person
Quiz Night 2019 Booking Form Please enclose a £20 deposit for a table or £5 deposit for tickets and remember your SAE. Deposits are non-returnable. Contact name………………………………………………………..…...Tel………………...………... Email address ……………………………………………………………………..……………………. Address…………………………………………………………………………..………………………. …...……………………………………………………………...…… Postcode ……………….……... How many tables (6 people per table)………………..or individual tickets………………….. Meal choice(s): Fish & chips………………………….Ploughman’s……………………….... Balance to be paid by 31 January 2019 with confirmation of numbers and meal selections. In 2012 we volunteered at the London Olympics, as Games Makers and as London Ambassadors. We thoroughly enjoyed it – for a few weeks London seemed like one big multinational party – and afterwards we were offered other volunteering opportunities. One was for the RSPB’s regular event on the South Bank in the summer, showing passers-by the peregrines roosting on the tower of the Tate Modern gallery (the old Bankside power station chimney). We were aware that this happened; we had stopped once or twice to look through the telescopes and chat about the birds. A couple of RSPB staff members run the event, under a gazebo, with some tables displaying the tower, the juveniles screeching their demands information about the RSPB and pin badges for for food at the adults, who sometimes responded sale. The volunteers set up three or four telescopes with a food-pass, dropping bits of prey for the and tripods next to the stand, and do much of the juveniles to practise catching in mid-air. We’ve also talking to interested passers-by, handing them on to watched them take pigeons – on one occasion the staff members if they sound as though they directly over the heads of the unsuspecting might be interested in joining the RSPB! commuters on the Millennium Bridge – and they Getting involved as volunteers appealed to us, so, in regularly bring prey back to the tower to pluck it, July and August 2013, we did our first ‘shifts’ at the throwing showers of feathers off the ledges. Tate, for several hours, about once a week, and As well as many ‘locals’, some of whom come back we’ve done it every year since then. The RSPB regularly to see the birds, the South Bank is popular supplied historical facts about the birds breeding in with tourists from the UK and overseas, and they London (from 2005) and the individuals roosting on often stop to talk to us, and tell us about ‘urban’ the Tate tower, plus facts and figures about peregrines in cities across the UK, Europe and the peregrines in general. US. The original pair were ‘reliable’ for at least eight We try to record on a whiteboard the nationalities years, originally nesting near Regent’s Park, later we’ve spoken to during the day, and we enjoy the moving to nest in the financial district of the City, ‘Wow!’ when people realise what they’re looking at. and, after breeding, roosting on the ledges near the Many of the children, and indeed the adults, have top of the Tate tower. One or more was viewed never used a scope before and find it difficult, but sitting near the top of the Tate tower for at least part one can always tell from the reaction when they of every day that we were there. At 99 metres high, finally get the hang of it. We explain to the children it gives them the that they’re looking at the fastest animal in the advantage of being world, reaching more than 200mph at the bottom of able to ‘stoop’ on prey a ‘stoop’ (an encouragingly large percentage such as pigeons and already know this), and we get them to hold their gulls. These arms out to compare with the wingspan of a peregrines do not peregrine (a simple ‘prop’ of a piece of broom migrate: they have handle cut and marked to the right length). breeding and roosting It’s a very enjoyable way to increase awareness of sites, and a food the RSPB’s activities, and drum up funds and new supply, which are members. worth defending. In 2017 one of the regular volunteers, Stuart Banks In 2015, a new, (the leader of the Bexley local group) became the younger pair took official volunteer co-ordinator for the event. If you over. In 2016 these think you’d like to give it a try, email him at birds fledged three [email protected]. young, so there were days when we had five birds visible around The orchids looked better than ever this summer, reports Martin Ellis, group leader. As you may remember, last year Martin shared the story of how a reduction in lawn mowing in his garden had led to the establishment of a colony of common spotted orchids (pictured right). Keep up the good work Martin! Or perhaps that should be keep up the idleness... Did you know? The scientific name for the common spotted orchid is Dactylorhiza fuchsii. It has many local names including Adam and Eve, adder’s flower, crow-foot, curlie-daddie, dead man’s finger, kettle-case, old woman’s pincushion and ring-finger.
2018 2017 INCOME Source of Funds Opening Closing Change Meetings £ 335.26 £ 633.40 Bank Account £4,471.67 £5,280.49 £ 808.82 Field trips £ 804.50 £ 220.40 Other income £ 3.46 Fundraising events £1,289.90 £1,404.60 Collections/donations £ 507.11 £ 51.05 Petty Cash £ 30.00 £ 30.00 £ - Sale goods (non-RSPB) £ 124.11 £ 125.90 TOTAL INCOME = £3,064.34 £2,435.35 EXPENDITURE Notes: General £ 59.49 £ 15.50 'General' expenditure includes bank charges of £6.23 Newsletter £ 196.03 £ 147.63 Donations to RSPB £2,000.00 £2,000.00 TOTAL EXPENDITURE = £2,255.52 £2,163.13
Tonbridge local group’s Do you have any ideas for new programme for the 2018/19 content for the newsletter? Perhaps season of events is included with you’d like to try your hand at writing a short this newsletter. Keep it safe and we article or compiling a nature-related puzzle. Or hope you will be able to attend at maybe you’ve taken a particularly good photo that least some of the talks and walks on offer. you’d like to share with readers? If so, please First up in September is Tony Morris talking about contact the editor, Lesley Ribbens (tel: 07989 the birds of Southern Spain while the Wednesday 476652, email: [email protected]). The and Saturday nature walks will take place at Oare deadline for the next issue is 21 January, 2019. Marshes near Faversham. Thank you!
The 43rd Annual General Meeting of Tonbridge RSPB Local Group will be held at St. Philip’s Church, Salisbury Road, Tonbridge, TN10 4PA, at 7.30 pm on Wednesday 21 November, 2018. Agenda 1. Apologies for absence 2. Leader’s brief introduction 3. Acceptance of minutes of last year’s AGM on 15 November, 2017 4. Leader’s Annual Report for the period 2017/2018, followed by vote of acceptance 5. Treasurer’s Financial Report for year ended 31 March, 2018, followed by vote of acceptance 6. Confirmation of appointment of auditors of accounts for 2018/2019 7. Election of candidates for committee Geoff Mason is retiring from the committee, but has agreed to stand for re-election and will require nomination using the form below. We would welcome any new people who would like to stand for election to the committee. Please use the form below if you are interested. 8. Any other business Any items for consideration must be submitted to the Secretary, Bernice Catt, at least 21 days before the date of the AGM. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * NOMINATION FORM FOR ELECTION TO THE COMMITTEE AT THE 43rd AGM. Give the full name and address of the nominee, proposer and seconder. All three parties must sign and date where shown. Nomination forms not completed correctly will be invalid. Return the completed forms to the Secretary, Bernice Catt. (see back page for address).
NOMINEE Full name: Signature: Address:
Date: Tel:
PROPOSER Full name: Signature: Address:
Date: Tel:
SECONDER Full name: Signature: Address:
Date: Tel: sunflower heart feeder regularly since mid-January. They have also been heard in nearby trees. Coal tit visited the peanut feeder in the winter months, but moved on as spring progressed. ● Coach trip to Lakenheath Fen RSPB reserve Of course, the most notable visitors of the late For me, there were many highlights during the winter were the fieldfares and redwings. The former Tonbridge RSPB group’s annual coach outing which I had never seen in the garden before. A small flock this year went to Lakenheath Fen in Suffolk. A perched one day on the top of the mature tree in the cuckoo was heard many times, but remained centre of the garden whilst the ground below lay unseen, as did a distant booming bittern. Hobby under several inches of snow. circled overhead, hunting for insects. The sound of The warmth of late April brought orange tip, sedge and reed warblers was enjoyed as we gatekeeper, holly blue and white butterflies, but few passed the reedbeds. A kestrel blended in with the have been seen since. Mid-May saw the return of surroundings on the stunted remains of a tree and bats, perhaps attracted to the window by moths would have been spotted only by the very keen drawn to indoor lights. What might I see next in this eyed. Green-veined white butterflies were on the changing climate of ours? wing, although few other butterflies were seen. Audrey Barber, May 2018 Common blue damselflies were also about. From the path above the River Little Ouse, common terns were observed. Also seen were little egret, tufted duck, lapwing, shoveler, mute swan, mallard, moorhen and a marsh harrier, to name a few. Back at the visitor centre, as we relaxed over coffee and shared our day’s experiences, a marsh tit was seen on the feeder outside. What a way to end the day. Thanks to Doreen for organising the trip, never an easy task. ● Garden update I am pleased to report that the greenfinches have returned to my garden and have been seen on the
The puzzle this time relates to bird-related sayings and proverbs. Listed below are just the initial letter of each word in the phrase and you need to work out the rest. The first one is done as an example: W O A D B = Water Off A Duck’s Back B O A F F T O S D N M A S A B I T H I W T I T B D C Y C B T H L A D T W T G T L T G E It’s just for fun. Answers will be given in the next newsletter. Don’t forget to hand in your entry for the puzzle in the Spring newsletter at the September nature talk.
The Tonbridge Local RSPB Group would like to keep your details to send you further information about group activities and the work of the RSPB. If you want to amend or update your details or you do not want us to use them in the way stated, please contact a member of the committee. about in the undergrowth at the side of the path. We continued through the woodland, past Decoy Pond and up onto the heath to the nightjar viewpoint. Within five minutes of arriving, the first nightjar of the evening was heard churring. When that one stopped for a break, another soon started. Or was it the same one? It is strangely difficult at On leaving the carpark, where we’d been serenaded times to decide where the sound is coming from. by a chiffchaff, a scrubby area of land to the west As light levels fell on this beautiful evening, with the held singing whitethroat and blackcap as well as a sun glowing in the west and the moon gaining juvenile great spotted woodpecker. Initially shy, the height, the first bird took to the air, and we had a youngster clung to the far side of the trunk before tantalising early glimpse. Bats joined in the show. showing itself clearly and then flying over our heads. Later, one nightjar came phenomenally close and A promising start! gave a great display. As if that was not enough, a Further species still in song included goldcrest and barn owl flew across the heathland, which, it turned blackbird while a distant yellowhammer could be out, was the first recorded on the reserve. heard by the sharpest ears. The western heath After another great nightjar view and with smiles all brought floral delights with a few common spotted round, we reluctantly headed back to the carpark, orchids, and, unusually for the habitat, a bee orchid. looking out for glow-worms as we went, and again A tree pipit could be heard but frustratingly refused we weren’t disappointed. to show itself. Yellowhammers and linnets were What a dream of an evening! Thank you RSPB for seen and a party of swallows twittered over our creating such a successful reserve. heads. A dragonfly was a surprise sighting as the light was fading, while a young toad scrambled
Group leader: Martin Ellis, 26 Byng Road, Tunbridge Wells, TN4 8EJ, [email protected], 01892 521413 Secretary / Group sales: Bernice Catt, 60 Dry Hill Park Road, Tonbridge, TN10 3BX, [email protected], 01732 353620 Treasurer: Tamsin Day, [email protected], 07764 894622 Newsletter editor / Programme secretary: Lesley Ribbens, 116 Higham Lane, Tonbridge, TN10 4BW, [email protected], 07989 476652 Membership secretary: Doreen Dixon Advertising and publicity: Don Douch Quiz organiser: Geoff Mason Website editor: Sarah Ingle
Thank you for choosing to receive your copy of the newsletter by email. This saves money and allows the group to donate more funds to the RSPB for vital conservation work. If your email address changes, please contact Martin Ellis, [email protected], with your updated details.
Pictured: kingfisher Credit: Ben Andrew (rspb-images.com)
The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) is a registered charity: England and Wales no. 207076, Scotland no. SC037654