No 57 - Winter 2016 ‘Birds in Cornwall’ - an update We would like to introduce ourselves as the The report will have species reports for new editors of Birds in Cornwall and to take both 2011 and 2012, but will otherwise the opportunity to update everyone on the follow the same format as previous years. progress of the 2011-12 report. In the longer term, we aim to improve the All the data has been compiled and presentation of the report, but at the mo- sent out to the various section writers; some ment we feel we need to focus our efforts has been returned for editing already. As the on catching up on the “missing years”. This total database comprises in excess of 100,000 is the first time that two years have been separate observations for each year it is abun- combined in one report, and this is throw- Humpback Whale at St Ives, 5th January dantly clear that distilling this into a report ing up quite enough challenges to be going 2016, photographed by Mashuq Ahmad requires a team effort. We would therefore on with. like to thank all our section writers for their If all goes well, we hope to go on to CBWPS board notes efforts in translating this mass of information produce a 2013-2014 report in 2017, and into coherent species accounts. We hope to be 2015-2016 in 2018, and then to go back to Recent discussions at meetings of the able to organise a feedback session for cur- single-year reports after that. CBWPS board have centred on ideas for: rent and future contributors later in the year, We haven’t been directly involved and that this will also encourage some poten- in the production of the 2010 report, apart 1. Scheduling a meeting to discuss tial new contributors to step forward. from having written a number of the spe- improvements in the recording of rare We are aiming to have sections ready cies accounts, but we understand that it breeding birds in the county. for editing by the end of February, and have should be available for distribution soon. 2. Further discussion of a planning issue text out for proof-reading by the beginning of Many thanks to Dave Parker for all his help with respect to land adjacent to the Maer May. Hopefully this means that we will be on in getting us up and running with 2011 and Lake reserve. course for having printed copies completed 2012. 3. Reassessment of the status descriptions of by the autumn. Phil Taylor & Hilary Mitchell all species in the county. 4. Further developments at Middle Amble Short-eared Owl, Bartinney Down, 27.12.15 Marsh, including construction of the new by A. James hide. 5. The possibility of seeking funding for education/interpretation boards at all Reserves. Wildlife of Ethiopia - a talk by Ian Gasper I doubt if many UK birders, or all round Whooper Swan and juv Bewick’s (right) naturalists, will ever go to Ethiopia. To Dinham Flats 5.1.16 by Alex McKechnie most people it means starving children and long-distance runners. Roger Lane 1940-2015 To birders and those into natural history it is a land of riches yet to be discov- Roger Lane, known to many in the ered by the average person who travels CBWPS, has died. He was an accom- abroad to see new species. Ian Gasper is not plished and respected naturalist and con- your average traveller. He has spent a cou- tributed much to various wildlife bodies, ple of years in Ethiopia working for charita- The New Year diet starts here! including local trusts and the forebears of ble NGOs and watching the local birds and Shag in Newlyn Harbour by Simon Maycock Natural England. See our website for more. wildlife when he can. He comes highly recommended by birding friends in Ply- Diary date: CONTENTS mouth and will be travelling from his home News p1 in Torbay all the way to Chacewater Village 5th March Chair’s Chat p3 Hall to share some of his experiences in the CBWPS Develop’t Day p3 ‘Horn of Africa’. It should be a very inter- Development Day Bird report p4 esting evening. 10am Middle Entrance is £3 and there will be our Amble Marsh Reserves report p8 usual break for tea and coffee halfway 1pm Egloshayle Storks p10 through the evening, which starts at 7.30 pm Pavilion, Wade- My Local Patch p12 on Friday 11th March. (see also page 12) bridge Field meetings p14 Roger Hooper See p3 Hoopoe! p16 President: Steve Madge Palores – January 2016 A very Happy—and bird-filled—New Year to all CBWPS members. CBWPS Board The first thing you will notice immediately to the right of this column is an updated contact list of Society board members and other officers. For lack of space we have Chairman: Mark Grantham included email addresses and telephone numbers only. On the increasingly rare 07818 497470 occasions when you may wish or need to write a letter perhaps you would be good [email protected] enough to call first to get the address details, if you don’t already have them. Vice-chairman: Bruce Taggart You will see plenty of detail on the page opposite about the Development 01752 829163 Day scheduled for 5th March and to be held in Wadebridge. This is your chance to [email protected] come and contribute positively to the future shaping of the CBWPS—whoever you Hon. Secretary & Phil McVey are. All practical ideas and initiatives will be welcomed and debated. Minutes Secretary 07740 923385 The weather over the last few [email protected] weeks has been pretty grim for Honorary Treasurer: John Stanlake humans and for wildlife. Whether 01752 848541 it’s climate change or just the [email protected] vagaries of the weather it is Conservation Officer: Tony Blunden probably still too difficult to say with certainty. What is undenia- 01326 291064 bly clear is the importance of [email protected] managing our landscapes and County Recorder: Dave Parker environment better than we cur- 07932 354711 rently do. The flooding in many [email protected] Memories of sunnier days: Fulmar, Lundy Bay, parts of the UK should not really Honorary Solicitor: Greg Adams be ‘blamed’ on the weather. Rather it highlights the lack of sensible planning and 07770 638443 precautions taken by the authorities. Allowing new houses to be built on flood [email protected] plains seems pretty daft and yet it is being done all around the country. Rushing the Editors Birds in Cornwall: water off the hills makes the problem worse not better. Concreting over gardens, etc Phil Taylor, Hilary Mitchell etc etc. 01736 810933 In the headlong rush for economic growth (and perhaps votes) our political [email protected] leaders seem to pay almost no heed to the environment and what used to be called Director: Dan Chaney the balance of nature. There is little chance of this changing until the public de- [email protected] mands it. Until then, it is societies like ours—and other much bigger ones of course Director: Peter Kent – that have to do what we can to champion the broader environment and the welfare [email protected] of the creatures that we share it with. It’s a big responsibility and an important one, 07762 179343 and it means that what you read about on the reserves pages and elsewhere in Director: Derek Spooner Palores all counts towards keeping our planet habitable. Simon Marquis 01503 265590 [email protected] The Cornwall Bird Watching & Preservation Society Officers Membership Secretary: Angela Tonry 20 The Copse, Boscoppa, St Austell PL25 3EU 07944 988599 [email protected] Registered Charity No 1144724 Assistant County Recorders: Tony Mills, Mike Spicer The CBWPS was founded in 1931 to encourage the study and pres- Editor, Palores: Simon Marquis ervation of birds in Cornwall. The Society has over 1000 members in 07711 883876 total. It owns 4 reserves and manages jointly several others. The [email protected] Society organises weekly bird watching field trips (some jointly with Website administrator: the RSPB local members group). Palores (its colour newsletter for Nigel Climpson members) is published quarterly. [email protected] Field Meetings Officer: 2016 Subscriptions: Adult £17 Gordon Mills Family £21 01209 718144 Senior Citizen £14 [email protected] Senior Family £16 Life Membership (contact Angela) Reserve Wardens: Subscriptions are due by 31st January 2016. Cheques made out to [email protected] Adrian Langdon ‘CBWPS’ or pay by Gift Aid if you can - it saves the Society £1900 a [email protected] Dougy Wright year. For all payments, membership applications and enquiries [email protected] Dave Parker please contact: Angela Tonry, Membership Secretary, [email protected] Dave Conway 20 The Copse, Boscoppa, St Austell PL25 3EU [email protected] Dan Chaney Email: membership @cbwps.org.uk [email protected] Graham Sutton Palores is published in January, April, July & October. Independent Examiner: Mr S.G. Hawkey ACA Design and typesetting by the editor. To advertise contact the editor. Full page ad £100. Half page £50. Small ads and notices free to members. 01637 873838 Printed by R. Booth Ltd, Penryn. Distribution by Envelope Supplies. 2 and a glance at the BTO winter Atlas map for the species Chairman’s Chat does show a good density of birds here. Just looking at the number of reports of colour-ringed birds reported to the ell we're into a New Year (already!) BTO, Cornwall (at 265 reports) is right up there, only bet- W and what a dreary affair it is..