BBAASSIINNGGSSTTOOKKEE LLOOCCAALL GGRROOUUPP

NOVEMBER 2012 NEWSLETTER

http://www.rspb.org.uk/groups/basingstoke

Contents:

 From The Group Leader

 Notices

 Sparrow Stuff!

 ‘Highlights’ From Another Group

 What’s Happening?

 November’s Outdoor Meeting

 December’s Outdoor Meeting

 October’s Outdoor Meeting

 Local Wildlife News

 Quiz Page

 And Finally!

A million voices for nature Charity registered in and Wales no. 207076 From The Group Leader

Welcome to November.

The change in the hard copy Newsletter last month, did you notice the change? It was in colour for the first time for those that didn’t, and if yes, what did you think of it? On typing away now there’s been one positive response to date. As always, I / we need to know what you think of the Newsletter, the Indoor and Outdoor Meetings Programme, the Programme itself, our guest speakers and so on so as to be able to manage future communications and events that are tailored to your input. So, do please talk to us!

Apologies for not being present at this Indoor Meeting, I’m currently out of the country but will be back for the Outdoor Meeting on Sunday – a site that’s high on many locals ‘most- visited’ sites, Pagham Harbour, once a Local Nature Reserve but now under the care of the RSPB! Our donation this year went to Intertidal Habitats, Sunday being the ideal opportunity to see where and how such donations are being used. For the twitchier among you, a Hooded Merganser is still present at the time of typing, as is a Black Brant among the more expected Dark-bellied Brent. We’ve seen Black Brant on previous trips to West Sussex but have yet to see the sawbill anywhere, this being the 1st for Sussex!

The dodgy duck! Alan Lewis

Whether we see this neat little Nearctic hobo or not, the day spent out about this most recently acquired RSPB reserve should be more than worthwhile, as it's been so often in the past. See you there!

Peter E. Hutchins Notices

Christmas Social

On 19th December the annual Christmas Social will take place!

For those that have not attended previously you will find the format less formal and the opportunity to mix with other Group Members much more to the fore than at other Indoor Meetings. An evening of informal quizzes, a buffet, raffle, ‘slide’ presentations by members and topical tunes will hopefully help put you in a more than festive mood!

If any of you have any ‘slides’, real or digital, that you’d like to share with the Group, do please contact a Committee Member and make them aware of this prior to the meeting.

The food and drink – please do bring something along to contribute to the buffet, eat what you can when you’re there and then take home what’s left, if anything!

Subscriptions

Just a final reminder that these were due in September!

Gerry, the Treasurer, you will find at this and forthcoming Indoor Meetings being ever- present and more than happy to help you out with this little task, that in so many ways helps both the Local Group and RSPB to continue functioning. The last Committee Meeting, earlier this month, found the membership of the Local Group having already reached 65 this year, a very pleasing increase on the previous year’s total.

Newsletter Mailings

Thank you to those that have continued to forward their mailing addresses – more trees saved and more time to do other things now!!! Keep them coming, as they say, “The more the merrier!” Wouldn’t it be good to make the Group paper-less / free? We’re getting there with now less than 30 Newsletters needing to be printed off on a monthly basis 

Local Group Website

The following area of the Local Group website is currently very much under populated and it would be appreciated if you could help out with respect to this: Places to see birds.

If you could pen a few words about a local site that you enjoy visiting we could then gradually add these to the website so as to give other locals an idea of where to go to see birds about the Borough, or even that little bit further afield.

Nothing huge, dramatic or specific, just a quick summary of where, what you might see, when to go and what you particularly enjoy about visiting there would be more than appreciated.

Eastrop Park has been added to the website, so if you didn’t see this in a recent Newsletter it’s now on line for your perusal and, hopefully, use.

Bird Food

We are happy to supply any bird food to you at any time, just call on 01256 – 770831, 07895 – 388378 or mail us on [email protected] and we will arrange delivery to you. If you have any requirements that are not listed, please do let us know and we will ensure that they are available when you, or your birds, need them.

Bird Food Pricelist:

The below are examples of just a few of the items that we can supply. Please do enquire after anything else and we will provide you with a cost, time of delivery etc. As both of us are currently working in / about Basingstoke delivery can be expected to be completed within a day of an order being received – can you get that service anywhere else? Prices vary according to the seasonality of the foods, where we are able to source them from, and so on, but a few for reference are:

Wild bird Mix 40p/lb. or 88p/kg Sunflower Hearts £1.10/lb or £2.42/kg Peanuts £1/lb. or £2.20/kg Niger £1/lb or £2.20/kg Black Sunflowers £1/lb or £2.20/kg Fat Squares £1 each

Fat Pecker Balls 25p each Also available are a range of birdboxes and feeders.

A variety of items will be available at most Indoor Meetings but if there is something ‘missing’ that you want, please do let us know.

Peter & Alison

Sparrow Stuff

SCIENCE & ENVIRONMENT

Urban noise 'killing baby house sparrows' By Mark Kinver Environment reporter, BBC News

The UK's house sparrow population has been declining since the 1970s

Noise in urban areas could be increasing the mortality rate among young house sparrows, a study has suggested.

Researchers say the noise could stop adult birds hearing the hunger calls from their dependent offspring.

In their study, the team found that birds nesting in noisy areas were less effective at feeding their chicks as those that nested in quieter places.

The findings have been published in the journal Plos One.

Scientists from the University of Sheffield reached their conclusion after carrying out a study on Lundy, a 445-hectare (1,100-acre) island located 19km (12mi) off the North Devon coast.

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Co-author Julia Schroeder explained that the project happened more-or-less by chance.

"When I first went to the island, which is very remote and quiet - apart from gulls and shearwaters - I entered a barn and it was very loud," she recalled.

The barn contained an electricity generator, yet sparrows were still choosing to nest in the building, so Dr Schroeder wondered whether the conditions affected the songbirds.

"I found that there was a reduced fitness - a reduced reproductive output from the nest boxes located in the noisy area," she told BBC News.

So she decided to test her findings against classic hypotheses on how noise could affect birds.

"The main hypothesis regarding breeding output is that it affects mate choice decisions," she explained.

Steep decline

However, the study's findings did not fit the existing hypotheses.

"In our case, we saw that the birds did not feed the chicks as well as the birds in the quiet area - this was a novel idea that had not been shown before," Dr Schroeder said.

"Obviously, chick provision is strongly linked to chick survival because if they do not get fat then they die."

In detail: House sparrows

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 Scientific name: Passer domesticus  UK population declined by an estimated 71% between 1977 and 2008  While numbers have continued to decline in England, Scotland and Wales have recorded an increase in recent years  There are up to an estimated 3.7 million pairs in the UK  The young fledge the nest after about 14-16 days, but are unable to feed themselves for a further week

Noise seemed to interrupt the communication between the young birds and their parents.

"The only difference we found from normal behaviour was in the provisioning behaviour," she observed.

"Chicks that were reared in the noisy barn were lighter when they fledged.

So this is why we have said that we think that the provisioning behaviour of females is a factor."

Between the mid-1970s and 2008, the UK's sparrow population declined by 71% - with some of the sharpest declines occurring in towns and cities.

Dr Schroeder and the team suggested that the noise from the generator on Lundy was comparable to car noise in urban areas.

"There are lots of studies on great tits and urban noise, but these tend to focus around mate choice, where the male advertises its quality to the female.

But the idea that the communication between parents and offspring could be affected in cities is fairly new."

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In 2007, another study by researchers at the University of Sheffield published in Biology Letters found that urban-based robins were choosing to sing and communicate at night in order to avoid noise during the day.

Until then, it had been thought that birds were singing at night because they were being disturbed by light pollution.

Dr Schroeder added that it could be that other songbird species could also be affected in a similar way as the sparrows on Lundy.

She observed: "Many songbirds communicate in a similar way so it is possible that other species could be affected too."

INDIA

India bid to save house sparrow By Suhail Haleem BBC Urdu, Delhi

The house sparrow is fast disappearing from India's rapidly-growing cities

Authorities in the Indian capital, Delhi, have adopted the house sparrow as the "state bird" in a bid to halt any further decline in their numbers.

"We will take steps to ensure that the sparrow returns, feels safe, and is able to live peacefully in the city," Chief Minister Shiela Dikshit said.

The house sparrow is fast disappearing from India's rapidly-growing cities.

Experts say that a number of factors like high pollution and a growing use of insecticides are to blame.

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"Their numbers have gone down drastically, specially in the cities. Sparrows don't like to build their nests in high-rise buildings. They prefer old-style construction where there are lots of nesting spaces," Sajeev TK of the Bombay Natural History Society's Delhi centre told the BBC.

"Also, because of pollution and use of insecticides, they are no longer able to find soft-bodied worms to feed their chicks," he said.

Experts say the humble sparrow is also being pushed out by bigger and more aggressive birds as food in the cities becomes scarcer.

Bird lovers and wildlife officials say that an aggressive awareness campaign can still save the sparrow and children would have to be at the heart of any effort to bring it back home.

"People need to be made aware that the sparrow shares the space with us in the cities. And children need to be encouraged to feed them," says Ranjit Lal, an avid bird watcher who writes on wildlife issues.

"Sparrows are smart birds, if they find food, they will return."

‘Highlights’ From Another Group

RSPB Liverpool Migration Watch

With the 40th anniversary of the Liverpool RSPB local group's founding coming up in 2012, we decided we wanted to celebrate our birthday with a special evening for our own members, but also to use the occasion to share our enthusiasm for birds and nature with the wider public. So with the Mersey estuary on our doorstep and one of the country's largest cathedrals looming right above it, what more natural than to link the two with a Big Tower Birdwatch event, themed around migration? We advertised a free programme of events during the day, including birdwatching with an expert from the top of the cathedral tower, and for those who didn't fancy two lifts and 100+ stairs, we ran some guided walks in St James' cemetery gardens, a woodland park right next to the cathedral in an 18th-century quarry that eventually became a 19th-century cemetery. To keep the children (and their parents) happy, we had someone to organise indoor craft activities in the cathedral itself, and we also had pine-cone bird-feeders on the go, as well as lots of literature about birds, migration routes and so forth to take away.

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Liverpool Anglican Cathedral Andrew Dunn

When September 22nd finally came, we had a perfect autumn day with clear skies and sunshine encouraging lots of people to turn out and join us. 180 people climbed the tower to see what was about, and Jeff Clarke was able to spot not only Meadow Pipits and Swallows but also Pink-footed Geese, a Mute Swan, several Buzzards, a pair of Peregrines and even a distant Osprey flying south. Richie the Ranger led several walks in the gardens; over a hundred people joined him over the day. The happy amblers were able to spot a variety of woodland birds and butterflies, as well as hearing historical tales about the graveyard.

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Even a hen party joined in the tower-top migration watching! Laura Bimson

Overall, we felt very pleased with the numbers who came along. Perhaps a third were members of our own group, or the RSPB nationally, but for many the chance to go up the cathedral tower had clearly been a big attraction, and it gave us the opportunity to talk a bit about the RSPB, as well as to gather signatures for the contact sheets and the marine conservation zone petitions. The publicity in advance of the day, through flyers, press releases, website mentions and local radio, also meant that the RSPB was being talked about a lot, so we were able to reach a very wide audience.

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40th anniversary cake Laura Bimson

In the evening we continued the theme with an excellent illustrated talk for our members on migration in Merseyside by Jeff Clarke, as well as a splendid celebration cake. Feedback afterwards has been really positive, both on the daytime and evening sessions, and one recently joined member wrote: "Just to demonstrate the impact of the day, let me tell you a story. On Sunday afternoon I still had all the thoughts of the day roaming around my head so I decided to go down to Hale Head to see which feathered friends may be there. I counted 18 species; one year ago I am sure that I would not have been able to do that. The Liverpool [RSPB] group has helped to keep me motivated. While wandering along the Mersey Way I encountered a couple also with binoculars so I made a comment along the lines of 'snap'! It turned out they are also members of the Liverpool group... and they too had been inspired by Saturday's events to come down to Hale to look out for migrants. So, we had a chat about the event and then the wonders of migration. Don't forget that your actions are like pebbles. You throw the 'pebbles of information and experience' into the RSPB pool and then we take the ripples and spread the word." Anne Pope

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THE DESERT

This day, we descended from the moist mountains and their clouded forests to dry lowlands in the state of Falcon, in the north-west of Venezuela. Here, the wet winds have been wrung dry in their passage over the mountains and this has created Venezuela's only desert, so dry that one part is known as “Little Sahara” where thirty kilometres of rippled sand dunes roll over the parched landscape. There is little vegetation in that area though rumour has it that there once was. Introduced goats put paid to that. The part we were to visit is not quite that arid, though a striking contrast to the lush, riotous greenery of the forests we had been exploring. Of course, we didn't travel without stopping to scan favourable areas on the way. Much of the country side here is farmed in some way, orchards, small vegetable and grain fields, coffee plantations and pasture for cattle. There is a considerable amount of woodland but mostly secondary forest; re-growth after being cut or burned. The drier, lower areas are irrigated by water originating in the mountains we had just left: the reason for the protection of those mountains. They are the watershed from which comes water for drinking, irrigation, industry etc. in this arid region.

Our first halt, after leaving El Encanto Posada, was in a steep, semi-wooded area with dry, grassed hillsides above a stream-valley. It seemed to be mostly pastureland but we saw no stock. A roadside Erythrina Tree, closely related to but not the same as the ones we had seen in the hills, was in flower and demanded examination.

The gaudy, orange flowers were being visited by several species of bird. As usual, tanagers were prominent and the smart pair of grey Black-faced Tanagers was a new species for us. Close examination of a supposed White-lined Tanager revealed it to be the much rarer White-shouldered Tanager. Both species are basically black with white “shoulder" markings. More birds began to appear: the vivid Blue-necked Tanager and the darker Silver-beaked Tanager; both attractive and worth looking at. A striking combination of black and bright yellow drew our attention as a Yellow-backed Oriole found something to eat amongst the flowers of a neighbouring tree.

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Erethrina blossoms and Black-faced Tanager Yellow-backed Oriole

Further down the valley the river raised the water table enough for more trees and scrub. Another oriole, this time a vivid Yellow Oriole was seen attending to its well-woven, swinging nest. Closer to us, in thick scrub a Stripe-backed Wren and its mate made brief appearances in the foliage between bouts of scolding a pair of the small and attractive Pearl Kites which had alighted in the crown of another tree to preen and watch the world go by. These uncommon “kites” are actually little falcons, about the size of a shrike and hunt rather in the manner of Kestrels, hovering with rapidly winnowing wings or watching and pouncing from a tree or post to grab lizards, small rodents etc. but will make true, dashing falcon aerial assaults on small birds. Reason enough for the concern of the Stripe-backed Wrens, though the Oriole didn't seem concerned. A pair of parrots flurrying down into fruiting trees, much further off, to feed on the hanging plum-shaped fruits, was identified as a new species for us; Brown-throated Parakeets. Much closer, though, the slightly ruffled and untidy, shaggy-headed black form of a Smooth- billed Ani, beak like a pair of secateurs, appeared from the bushes. It was quickly followed by several more of these slightly purple-glossed birds. They are Magpie- shaped, though a little smaller, and are usually found in small family parties which, like Magpies, will forage around cattle for ticks and disturbed insects, they even build similar, untidy, domed nests but are, in fact, related to the Cuckoos. In another example of convergent evolution, they behave like the Old World Babblers (and several other bird-families, it must be said) by having the young of previous broods help with the rearing of the latest brood.

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Top: Stripe-backed Wren, Pearl Kites Middle: Brown-throated Parakeets Bottom: Yellow Oriole, Smooth-billed Ani

The dry lowlands were flat and farmed, agriculture was fairly intensive about the nearly dry river courses that flowed from the mountains but further from the water-source we discovered that, contrary to popular images of steamy, damp Venezuela, there is a true desert. This arid landscape is covered in prickly maquis- type vegetation with cacti and other succulents adapted to the conservation of

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water. There were spiky Accacias, spiky Prickly Pears, Urchin-shaped Barrel cacti...not inviting stuff to push through in search of birds. Some of the ephemeral herbs were also adorned with thistly thorns and hooked burrs, eager to attach themselves to our clothing. Grasses sported seed-heads which broke apart when touched and the awned seeds then rapidly burrowed through socks and sleeves, working deeper with every movement and necessitating stops so that de-seeding operations could take place. Fortunately, though we did not have to leave the track to view the birds (though one or two of us could not resist the lure of interesting plants and insects, usually just the other side of bristling bushes and perched on brittle, brown and dry herbs) and most people escaped the vegetation. Most of the time.

Of course, there was always the “call-of-nature” which might be very difficult to ignore or resist and exposed different tender bits to pricks. It were wise to examine clothing carefully afterwards.

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Cacti and Kalanchoe. The red flowers are those of a succulent. Smaller relatives of this Kalanchoe pinnata or “Mother of Thousands” are popular windowsill house plants. Like this one, they produce tiny plantlets on the edges of their leaves. They drop to the ground and, if lucky take root.

Our main target bird in this area was the regionally endemic White-whiskered Spinetail and a pair duly responded to a recording of their calls. Their brightly- cinnamon bodies, black mask and throat contrasting strongly with their broad, white gular stripes flickered through the spikes of Accacia bushes like large wrens and, also like those birds, they were reluctant to come out into the open. Not my most successful photograph but the thorns came out well. Close by, we also found the tiny, hyper-active Tropical Gnatcatcher, smaller than a Wren with a black cap,

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grey body and a wagtail-proportioned tail, held cocked. With its longish-bill it was catching what I suppose must have been tropical gnats. A dapper Barred Ant- shrike, chat-like with grey (male) or brown (female) horizontal barring, the small, plain Black-faced Grassquit (a kind of finch) and the stripy-headed Tocoyo Sparrow, again a fairly plain bird,; basically grey head and mossy-brown back, but uncommon in this region. A bonus bird, for Cecilia, our guide as it was the first she had seen and she was excited with the discovery. Another bonus was the appearance of a Slender-billed Inezia, a flycatcher, smaller than most but otherwise seemingly identical to many other species of American flycatchers. Other flycatchers were seen; Mouse-coloured Tyranulet and Pearly-vented Tody- flycatcher, both part of the swarm of species following the basic streaky-brown and yellowish-bellied plumage-plan of so many of the Tyrants, Elaenias, Spade- bills, Tody-tyrants, Pygmy-tyrants, Tyrannulets, Bristle-tyrants, Bush-tyrants and larger relatives, such as the Kingbirds; all great fun to sort out! Easier to identify, though not so easy to find, in the thick scrub, was the Ultra-marine Grosbeak. The name pretty-much describes this bulky finch. We'd seen one, earlier in the tour, in an unexpected environment, so it was good to see it in its proper habitat. We couldn't, though, miss the noisy, pheasant-like Rufous-vented Chachalacas stampeding into flight and chanting at us from the taller shrubs. Visiting the cactus and Kalanchoe flowers was a demurely-coloured hummingbird, the Sooty-capped Hermit, again, reminding us that they are not all are “brilliant”, “glittering”, “emeralds”, “topazes”, “rubies”, ”sapphires” or “brilliants”. Many hummingbirds can be quite dull and most are, if immature or female.

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Top:White-whiskered Spinetail, Oriole Blackbird, Orinocan Saltator. Bottom left: Groove-billed Ani.

On the way back, while travelling through a slightly better-watered region, a break at a kind of “transport caff” near a quarry gave us the opportunity to explore a Pistachio orchard next to a small pond full of Tilapia and catfish. Many of the Tilapia weighed several ponds and were often in Goldfish colours. The catfish were considerably larger and lurked deeper in the muddy, artificial, square pond. I think they were destined for the pot but, meanwhile, they were tamely dogging our progress around the pond, expecting to be fed. In the orchard, we found a few birds moving around. Most noticeable amongst them a party of Groove-billed Anis, close cousins to the Smooth-billed Anis we'd seen back in the hills. Another variation on a theme was a singing male Orinocan Saltator. This bird is the desert race of the same species we'd seen back in the Llanos. We also found its relative, the Corn-bunting-like Streaked Saltator in the same area. Far down a dry slope to fallow fields a strikingly-patterned Oriole Blackbird was watched foraging, the only one of the trip.

We returned to our base via the lush hills of Yacumbu National Park and spent time searching for and finding Merida Tapaculo, a mouse-grey and very secretive wren and another of its relatives, the Grey-breasted Woodwren. We were also fortunate to add Three-striped Warbler (the stripes are on its head) and the vaguely

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Greenfinch-like Common Bush-tanager. We tried to entice a Golden-winged Manakin from thick cover but only got vocal confirmation that it was there. A colourful Orange-bellied Euphonia was some compensation and we returned to El Encanto well-satisfied.

Next day; coastward and Morrocoy Mational Park.

Doug. Kelson

What’s Happening?

A few of the forthcoming local events that will hopefully help keep you entertained as the days grow ever shorter:

Basingstoke Field Society http://basingstokefieldsociety.org.uk/

December 11th: Christmas Party.

The United Reform Church, London Street – from 8pm.

For information on the Society and its events, including the above, please contact the following:

Patricia & Colin Stubbs: 01256 323324; Diane Rampton: 01256 467533 & Nicola Williams: 01256 353194

Chineham Conservation Group [email protected]

Forthcoming work parties:

Sunday 25th November – Tree maintenance – Tollhouse Meadow Saturday 15th December – Laurel removal – Guinea Copse Saturday 26th January – Coppicing – Great Sorrell’s Copse Sunday 10th February – Coppicing – Great Sorrell’s Copse Saturday 23rd March – Coppicing – Tollhouse Copse Sunday 21st April – Path laying – Great Sorrell’s Copse Saturday 18th May – Variegated Yellow Archangel removal – Guinea Copse

Hampshire Organic Gardening Group

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http://hampshire-organic-gardening.org/

Mulled wine and interactive event

10th December.

This following on from last year’s popular quiz.

Hampshire Wildlife Trust http://www.hwt.org.uk/

Birds at Tundry Pond

A walk through Dogmersfield Park to Tundry Pond and along the Basingstoke Canal to see winter birds.

Park in the lay-by off the A287 (Farnham Road), RG29 1HR (Map ref. SU 756 513).

Bring binoculars and wear warm clothing and suitable footwear.

Event details Date 07 December 2012 Time 10.30am-12.30pm Event type General Events, Walk, Bird watch Nature Reserve A287 (Farnham Road), (Map ref. SU 756 513) Suggested Donation £2 Booking Essential? No

Contact details Name Lydia Knight Telephone 01256 334316

Please note that all the events noted above may be filmed and photographed for Hampshire & Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust's fundraising and publicity purposes. If you have any concerns, please speak to a member of staff.

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Overton Biodiversity Society http://www.overton-biodiversity.org/

Xmas hedgerow crafts

1st December from 2:00pm Overton Community Centre

Make your own Xmas wreaths and table decorations from locally sourced materials; £5.00 to cover materials to be used.

Contact: Jane MacKenzie 01256 771121

Local Opportunities for Conservation Volunteering

Are you interested in your local environment? Do you have a passion for conservation and wildlife? If yes, try the following the site to check on what’s happening locally that you could become involved in.

http://www.basingstoke.gov.uk/leisure/conservation/conservation.htm

There are opportunities for you as an individual, a family or a social group to join the groups of volunteers already working in the following areas:

Black Dam Ponds and Crabtree Plantation Mill Field Local Nature Reserve Oakley Old Down, Glebe Gardens, Victory Park and King Overton George Vth Playing Fields (Brookvale) Popley Kempshott South View

November’s Outdoor Meeting

Pagham Harbour: 25th.

 For this outing please meet at The Information Centre car park for a 10.00am start (SZ 857 966; OS Landranger map 197). This is on the eastern side of the B2145, south of Sidlesham and north of Norton.

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 For further details of the starting point, to offer or request a lift etc. please contact a Committee Member prior to the weekend of the outing.

The RAC Route Planner gives a distance of 51.53 miles between Basingstoke and the car parking area, the AA site 65.7 / 50.7; a travelling time of 74 and 85 / 102 minutes being quoted by these sites. As always, it’s best to leave ample time to reach the site for the start time, so please do bear this in mind when deciding on when to leave.

 Pagham Harbour is a glorious and peaceful nature reserve, one of the few undeveloped stretches of the Sussex coast, and an internationally important wetland site for wildlife.

It's a big, sheltered bay that fills and empties with each tide, with wild ducks, geese and wading birds flighting to and fro. With a wealth of wildlife, beautiful landscapes, and a rich historical heritage, it is a great place to get away from it all.

There is something of interest all year round. Resident species include little egrets, ringed plovers and lapwings. In spring and autumn, all sorts of migrant birds pass through. In the summer, lapwings and little terns breed, and butterflies flit along the hedgerows, dragonflies patrol the ponds, and lizards bask in the sun. Autumn and winter brings a waterbird spectacle, with up to 20,000 ducks, geese and waders feeding and roosting across the reserve, including large numbers of brent geese and pintails. There is a small Visitor Centre with car park and toilets, and long walks around the harbour edge to the sea.

In January 2012, the RSPB took over the day-to-day management of the site from West Sussex County Council, who remain a very important partner, helping to fund this large and complex site. As you can imagine, we have much to do to help the team that we are inheriting from the Council settle in to RSPB ways of working, and to begin to seek ways to

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gently improve some of the facilities and service, but the reserve is very much open for 'business as usual'. We hope to see you soon!

The Visitor Centre is open from 10 am to 4 pm.

Seasonal highlights Winter

The busiest time across the Harbour with up to 20,000 birds feeding and roosting across the reserve. Large numbers of dark-bellied brent geese, lapwings and black-tailed godwits use the harbour or surrounding fields, with a supporting cast that includes grey and golden plovers, lapwings and dunlins. We sometimes get visits from common and grey seals which can be seen basking on the islands, sleeping off a heavy meal. Slavonian grebes are a speciality offshore, and red-breasted mergansers sail into the harbour.

Brent Goose Grey Plover Red-breasted Merganser Slavonian Grebe

Top things to do in Winter

1. The RSPB has only just taken on the management of the reserve, so do drop in and say hello at the Visitor Centre 2. Wrap up warm for a winter's walk down to the sea's edge, where Slavonian grebes dive offshore 3. Visit the shelter of the Sidlesham Ferry hide to see big flocks of lapwings and wigeons on the Ferry Pool

Facilities

 Visitor Centre  Car park: The Visitor Centre car park has no height barrier.  Toilets  Disabled toilets  Picnic area  Binocular hire  Pushchair friendly

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Viewing points

There is a small hide overlooking Ferry Pool which is wheelchair accessible. Church Norton hide is not accessible to wheelchairs and is difficult for pushchairs as it is reached via a narrow boardwalk and part of the path is covered on some high tides. Pagham Spit hide is at the end of a shingle track which is bumpy and is very difficult for wheelchair users; there is no parking nearby.

Nature trails

The Nature Trail from the Visitor Centre is wheelchair/pushchair accessible but is bumpy in places.

Accessibility

Car park

The Visitor Centre car park has a flat Tarmac surface. There are 18 parking spaces, with a large overflow area and one dedicated space for Blue Badge Status close to the Visitor Centre entrance. There are no kerbs and the surrounding paths are at car park level. The main car park is always open and there are no charges (donations are appreciated).

Buildings

A hard path runs from the car park to the entrance of the single-storey Visitor Centre. The door is at ground level, with no steps or kerbs. The Centre itself has displays on the reserve's habitats and history, and you can obtain reserve maps and our Sidlesham Ferry Nature Trail leaflet.

Nature trails and hides

Access to the Sidlesham Ferry Nature Trail is via a level path from the Visitor Centre car park. The trail passes Ferry Pool Hide along a hard path and has an adapted viewing place. Beyond the hide, paths remain flat and wide, and wheelchair users can follow the trail around the harbour's edge before returning to the Visitor Centre.

The accessible trail takes around 30 minutes to complete at a relaxed pace. The route is waymarked and a leaflet provides extra information. There are several benches with views across the Harbour.

There is a small hide overlooking Ferry Pool which is wheelchair-accessible. Church Norton hide is not accessible to wheelchairs and is difficult for pushchairs as it is reached via a narrow boardwalk and part of the path is covered on some high tides. Pagham Spit hide is at the end of a shingle track which is bumpy and is very difficult for wheelchair users; there is no parking nearby.

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Toilets

The toilets are around the back of the Visitor Centre and there is an accessible toilet. A RADAR key may be borrowed from the Visitor Centre for this facility.

Picnic tables

One of the picnic tables is wheelchair-accessible.

 Please be mindful that it’s now the winter! We will be walking in areas that are not necessarily sheltered from the vagaries of the late year weather – be aware, and prepare.

 The walk will take us in to the early / mid-afternoon, this, as always, very much dependant on the weather, those attending, the birds and other wildlife that is good enough to appear and the speed with which we wish to progress.

More updated information on the site, the wildlife present and places to visit on the journey home, such as the Queen Elizabeth CP, Chichester GP’s, Harting Down, Heath Down, Butser Hill and Selsey Bill will be available closer to the day of the trip, and during the outing itself. If you have any queries, no matter what, please ensure that these are addressed as soon as is possible.

December’s Outdoor Meeting

Fleet Pond: 16th.

 For this outing please meet in the car park at the north-eastern side of the pond for a 10:00 start (SU 824 553 – O.S Landranger Map 186). This is signed off the A3013, reached by either heading eastwards off the main road through Fleet, signed towards Cove, or from the M3 J4a, signed towards Fleet

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 For further details of the starting point, to offer or request a lift etc. please contact a Committee Member prior to the weekend of the outing.

The RAC Route Planner gives a distance of 16.49 miles between Basingstoke and the adjacent railway station, parking also being available there, the AA site 16.4; a travelling time of 21 and 23 minutes being quoted by these sites. As always, it’s best to leave ample time to reach the site for the start time, so please do bear this in mind when deciding on when to leave.

 An easily reached, easily accessed and easily watched over site that will be familiar to many of you.

The range of habitats, open water, reedbeds, mixed woodlands, scrub and heath ensure that a good range of birds are always present with the area being especially attractive to certain winter visitors such as crests, gulls, finches, buntings, thrushes and wagtails.

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Time looking out over the pond should allow several species of gull, possibly including Yellow-legged, to be seen, the local wildfowl-feeders helping to facilitate closer views as they bulk up the ducks etc. for the winter months. The islands can hold Mandarin and Egyptian Goose while the more man-made structures allow Cormorant, Grey Heron and more gull to linger ‘above’ the water.

Yellow-legged Gull Larus michahellis Alex Berryman Will this regular bird be on site during our visit, only time, and looking, will tell?

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The flanking woodland is home to all three woodpeckers and during the winter months good numbers of the smaller birds come to feed here, Firecrest join the Goldcrest, redpoll, perhaps several species, and Siskin join the other more expected finches, as may Brambling. Redwing and Fieldfare unite the resident thrushes and chats, the later perhaps to include lingering Stonechat. Warblers are encouraged to overstay the winter in the waterside vegetation, where Water Rail and Reed Bunting may also be seen, or perhaps just heard.

Stonechat Saxicola rubicola Doug. Kelson

The heath holds some of the more open area species, such as the aforementioned Stonechat, Linnet, Dartford Warbler, Coal Tit among the conifers and Green Woodpecker, likely to be heard first, or if not, flushed up from the shorter undergrowth as they forage for insects.

 As this is a popular site be prepared for gaggles of people, and their canine companions!

 The walk will last to at least early afternoon. For those wishing to a further walk will take place after lunch, this under the HOS banner.

More updated information on the site, the wildlife present and places to visit on the journey home, such as the Tundry Pond, Dogmersfield Lake, Odiham and Hook Commons and The Millfield LNR will be available closer to the day of the trip, and during the outing itself. If you have any queries, no matter what, please ensure that these are addressed as soon as is possible.

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October’s Outdoor Meeting

Thatcham Reedbeds: 21st.

The second of the autumnal Outdoor Meetings saw nine attending in better weather than the previous month, this and the closer proximity of the site presumably helping to encourage the slightly increased numbers out.

Autumn was evident in the colourful leaves and generally misty-grey atmosphere and people needed to wear warm gear, but not quite the storm-resistant stuff necessary for survival during the last trip, to Durlstone). A gleam of optimistic blue showed occasionally, as our group gathered at the Nature Discovery Centre and lit a few tits and finches which were knocking leaves from Sycamores and Ash Trees, as they foraged over the car park.

On the lake, the ducks and geese jostled for the bread or more appropriate food bought by visiting members of the public from the centre's shop. Ashore, we were treated to the sight of cute Brown Rats scampering happily over the paths or frolicking along the shoreline, through the flop of webbed feet, foraging for scraps missed by the thronging ducks and geese. Amongst those birds, a handsome exotic caught our attention, an escaped Cape Shelduck, mixing it with the Mallards.

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Wildfowl at Thatcham Nature Discovery Centre

Another probable escape, often seen at this site was missing, though, a Red-crested Pochard. Three of these have been seen around the gravel pits a few miles away, near Theale, recently.

Swimming through the scrum of mooching Mallards, several Moorhens allowed chances for close examination. I think they have a beauty which may often be unappreciated, the fate of many very familiar birds; noted, then dismissed, rather than examined. When seen well-lit, the neat black and white of their plumage is revealed to have rich, warm, brown tones on the back and the bright scarlet and yellow of their beaks, sturdy yellow green of legs and long toes and the somewhat wicked red gleam of their eyes add up to a striking bird which has a complex and often dramatic personal life. Its larger, relative, the Coot was also well represented amongst the crowd of ducks (some of them off rather dodgy provenance, it must

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be said) and a few Canada Geese. A pair of Mute Swans gracefully bullied their way closer to avail themselves of the largesse being handed out by admiring humans, the long necks of the swans giving them an unfair advantage when it came to reaching above the rest of the birds.

Elsewhere about the lake Tufted Ducks kept clear of the commotion, as did a Common Pochard or two or, like the Great Crested Grebes pursued their murky, submarine business in secret. A Kingfisher called and was glimpsed in a far corner of the lake and Black-headed Gulls patrolled and quarrelled. They were overseen by a Lesser Blackback balanced atop a pole-perch and casting a baleful eye on the proceedings, calculating whether it was worth its while to muscle-in and grab something for itself.

Our group began to wander down the path towards the fishing lakes, woods and reedbeds of the reserve. When we found ourselves amongst the scrub and trees screening the smallish gravel pits we began to find more passerines. Colour was provided by the likes of whistling but elusive Bullfinch, Goldfinch, Greenfinch and Chaffinch, blue tones by tits and extra notes, of the more musical kind, by Song Thrush, Wren and Robin. Blackbirds clattered and chattered and a dance of Long-tailed Tits spirited their way between clumps of trees. Scolding Jays and tits were probably reacting to the Kestrel we saw perched on a pole.

During this part of the walk, it was wise (as always, of course) to keep eyes and ears focused, for at least some of the time, on the sky. In this way, the likes of Redwings, a small Siskin flock, Pied Wagtail, Meadow Pipit and a single Lesser Redpoll were noted.

We turned towards the Kennet and Avon Canal, along a Willow and Alder-hung track through the reedbeds, over a small bridge spanning a clear stream. Obviously, a bridge parapet is made for leaning on, to stare into the water below. This was a rewarding activity as the gin-clear water allowed us to spot the spiky-stripy, red-finned forms of a shoal of young Perch wafting in the current, showing well, over a pale, gravelly stream-bed. Few of the fish were much more than finger-length. There were also red-eyed Roach, grey, blunt- headed young Chub, a silvery Dace, or two and a shoal of the Kingfisher's favourite, Minnows. Below them a couple of barbled, bottom-hugging mottle-backed Gudgeon were visible, when they moved. Had the Perch been much bigger, all the other fish would have been potential meals for them. Oddly, despite the protection of a spiked dorsal fin and sharp spines of their gill-covers, whenever I see photographs of grebes, sawbill ducks or divers in freshwater, with fishy prey struggling in their beaks, unfortunate Perch seem to be the most frequently depicted catch.

The relatively mild, damp conditions had stimulated the growth of lichens which grew relatively luxuriantly in this situation, encrusting or hanging from the bark of the trees and greened-up the mosses. Fungi were obvious, in some places and I noticed Wood Mushroom, Honey Fungus and, in several places, dead Elder branches and stumps were decorated with the pinnae of Jews Ear. Apparently, we are supposed to call this edible fungus "Wood Ear" "Jelly Ear" or "Jelly Fungus", now. Low, beside the path, a rotting log was brightened with the small, amber-orange globes of a slime mould. Not a very flattering name for this

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fascinating form of life. This one was probably Lycogala epidendrum. Rather beautiful if you like that kind of thing, and I do.

Lycogala epidendrum

The mature timber, containing a fair proportion of dead wood attracted a Greater Spotted Woodpecker which "chacked" at us from cover. A Marsh Tit, spotted earlier, would also appreciate this dead timber, as it excavates its own nest hole in well-rotted wood. From near the canal, we could hear a Nuthatch or two calling loudly. Louder than this, though were the referee's whistle-volume blasts of brief snatches of song from Cetti's Warblers amongst the reeds. From somewhere in there, too, came the somewhat less musical squeals of a Water Rail. Overhead, a liquid, rolling trill, full of "rr's" announced the passage of a Skylark. It was in this area, too that we saw a Sparrowhawk appear over trees and reeds and stimulating the local Magpies to chatter.

Braving the danger of pinging seeds from Himalayan Balsam, we crossed the canal, next to which shrill squeaks gave notice of the presence of a Goldcrest or two and found a ditched stream hosting a single, tail-bobbing Grey Wagtail. This worked its way along the shallows,

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in search of small arthropods. Maybe it would have fancied a Common Earwig, such as the one found on vegetation next to the canal. Actually, I cannot remember ever seeing a bird eat an earwig, though I suppose they must.

In the hedgerows, "the season of mists and mellow fruitfulness" (thanks, John Keats) was enhanced by the colours of fruits; the yeasty blue-black of Sloes and the glossier blacks of Wild Privet and Dogwood, even a few Blackberries, three reds of Woody Nightshade and Hawthorne but no sign of the warm browns of acorns. There has, it seems, been an almost complete failure of the acorn and Beech mast crops over large parts of Europe, this year. Hazelnuts have been produced, though not as many as usual and, earlier in the autumn, I watched a Great Spotted Woodpecker collecting them, wedging them into a crevice on a telephone pole and hammering them open to get at the meat. This technique would also, in most years, be used to open acorns. They also use it to extract seeds from pine cones. I've found scattered fragments of nut and acorn shells below favoured tree-crevices and heaps of mangled cones, looking oddly out-of-place below Oak trees and other non-conifers after the woodpeckers have finished. The woodpecker on a nearby pole was, however, just watching us.

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Great Spotted Woodpecker Dendrocopus major

We headed for the hide at Lower Farm, pausing, along the way, to scan through the Hose Sparrows, tits, Nuthatch, finches, etc. attracted to feeders in the large garden of a house situated at the end of the Newbury Race Course. I couldn't see if the roses were any better than usual, though.

There was plenty of room in the hide and plenty of action seen from its windows as waterfowl busied themselves about their usual activities or rested more, in the case of a flotilla of Canada Geese, shadowed a Fox as it sussed-out the feeding opportunities of the lake and its environs. The opportunist fox watched its out-of-reach meals impotently but I' sure it must be successful there, sometimes.

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Fox Vulpes vulpes & Canada Goose Branta canadensis

The geese showed no interest in a Roe Deer which also showed on the shore.

On a small, mounded islet, a group of Common Snipe rested, all beaks pointing the same way, despite the calm conditions. Careful searching, using my telescope allowed me to count 19 of them. There may have been more on the other side of the mound.

Snipe Gallinago gallinago

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The only other waders seen were around 70-80 Lapwings, often restlessly flurrying into the air or chasing each other after terrestrial squabbling. Some of this activity may have been young birds practicing the kind of aerial manoeuvers they will need to escape predators or impress mates and rivals during the breeding season. Amongst them, Lesser Blackbacks preened, bathed, rested and watched the comings and goings of other birds, including their smaller, Black-headed relatives. A few Cormorants hulked amongst the other birds and were seen arriving and departing, perhaps from and too fishing expeditions or to tidy-up nests at the colony by a nearby lake. Shovelers were added to our lists for the day. Oddly, though, we saw no Wigeon, normally easily found here, during the winter. Maybe they were all at the same lake that the Cormorants breed by, where I'd found good numbers on a recent visit. Plenty of floating weed there, which might have been the attraction. Lower Farm gravel pit is infested and the shallows thickly carpeted with the alien invader; New Zealand Pygmy Weed, a.k.a. Australian Swamp Stonecrop. I wonder how much it is suppressing edible, native (alright, Canadian Pondweed isn't native, but it is edible to birds) and affecting the food supply of various birds.

Teal, Gadwall (not "Gadwal", which is a town in Andhra Pradesh, India and not usually covered in feathers), Mallard, Tufted Duck, Common Pochard, Little and Great Crested Grebes all went about their business and a Grey Heron, or Two, lurked. No Little Egrets, frequent at this site, were seen, though.

The scanning of distant horizons brought rewards when both Red Kite and Common Buzzard were found but it was shortly after we left the hide that a Peregrine arrived to panic the waterfowl and worry them into flight, those Lapwings, no doubt, congratulating themselves that they had put in the training for just this sort of occasion). They soon settled down, though, as the falcon drifted away, north, perhaps all the way to the Theale area, where Peregrines are often seen perched on pylons.

AT this time, most of the group seemed to hear Sunday lunch calling and pressed ahead to the car park. A couple of us dawdled, though and took a more roundabout route back, via the towpath. The day had warmed slightly, by this time and more insects were appearing, including a couple or tree Migrant Hawker dragonflies, Red Admiral, Social Wasps and bees were attracted, with hoverflies, to late-flowering ivy. Caddis and Stone Flies fluttered near the water and reeds and an active Harlequin Ladybird was seen investigating crevices, perhaps looking for somewhere to hibernate. Two new birds for the day were Chiffchaff and Tree Creeper (one of the latter having been heard-only, earlier) found along the banks.

An unusual sighting, shortly before we returned to the car park, was of a group of Black- headed Gulls perching high in a tree and quarrelling for position.

We two laggards hadn't finished yet, though. A dash along the M4 found us at Queen Mary's Reservoir, following-up on a report. As the light began to fade, we found ourselves in the company of a confiding Snow Bunting which had decided the slightly eroded concrete of the reservoir bowl was a close-enough approximation of its usual, sparsely-

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vegetated arctic environment, at least, for a short while. It allowed close approach as it picked tiny grass and weed seeds from their niches and dried stems.

Snow Bunting Plectrophenax nivalis

A walk along the perimeter in search of a reported Rock Pipit discovered only Meadow Pipits. Time and light-levels were against an extensive search but we were rewarded with views of a Pied Wagtail flock which flurried several times before us before flying past us,

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back to where they'd come from. Amongst them was another Grey Wagtail, adding a little more colour. We didn't see the Mediterranean Gull, either.

Never mind; our walk back to the car was enlivened by parties of Ring-necked Parakeets squawking past us at great speed as they made for their roosts. A good idea, which we emulated (without so much of the squawking, though).

Doug. Kelson

Local Wildlife News

The following ‘highlights’ reports received over the later autumnal period, most of the migration now having finished and the birds about to linger for the winter already conspicuous. If you’ve anything further to add, please feel free to let us know at any time. Also, as they say, this is “Just the tip of the iceberg” – there’s a great deal more out there to be found, especially as we head in to the autumn proper!

Barn Owl – one remained about Cannon Heath, another being seen at . Brown Hare – 33 were seen in fields to the south of Hare Warren.

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Brown Hare Lepus europeus Hare Warren, Hampshire Doug. Kelson “The crouching Hare is a female and an object of great attraction to the male, sitting bolt upright only a couple of metres away from her”

Brimstone – one ventured out in Sherfield-on-Loddon on 14th. Common Frog – one visited a local garden but was more interested in other garden residents than the Member trying to photograph it.

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Common Frog Rana temporaria Meadow Road, Basingtoke Doug. Kelson Did the woodlouse make it? I don’t know!

Dormouse – several were found to be occupying boxes early in November, as were Wood and Yellow-necked Wood Mice. Golden Plover – several flocks were seen, including birds back in the Wooton St. Lawrence area, one of their former wintering strongholds locally. Grey Partridge – two pair at Kite Hill were the first reported locally for many months. Hawfinch – three were seen in Lychpit, again all too briefly stopping en route to somewhere better! Little Egret – birds were seen at The Millfield LNR, up to nine, Sherfield-on-Loddon and Southington. Little Owl – a single was seen, by a walker near Bull’s Bushes. Grey Partridge – two pair at Kite Hill were the first reported locally for many months. Red Admiral – the last of the year, perhaps, was seen at a garden centre near Sherfield-on- Loddon early in November. Redwing – birds continued to be recorded arriving, the largest flocks however remaining relatively small, as did Fieldfare numbers / flocks. Starling – pre-roost gatherings were seen near the Houndsmill Industrial estate.

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Starling Sturnus vulgaris Churchill Way West, Basingtoke Doug. Kelson Part of the 1000+ birds noted pre-roost, c. 30 Pied Wagtail also seen to head towards adjacent buildings to roost

Swallow – two in Overton on 23rd were the last to be recorded. Waxwing – mid-November saw the first birds arriving locally, a massive influx in to Britain still occurring, with a single and flocks of three and eight all being briefly seen. White Wagtail – an adult was found in the car park at Basing Recreation Ground just days before the last Indoor Meeting; the latest Borough record as far as we’re aware.

As always, thank you to all those that have contributed to this report; if I have missed anything, please do let me know and be sure to keep me updated as we head towards the end of the autumn. If you find anything you consider particularly notable, or you would like an update on what is happening locally, please do feel free to contact me at any time. I can assure you that you will always get a favourable response! 07895 – 388378 is the hot line, well my mobile number anyway! 

Quiz ‘Page’

As we near the winter proper, a series of questions on all things white or wintery!

1) The only resident (bird) that changes its ‘coat’ for the winter. 2) As above, but a somewhat more musty critter. 3) Are they wild, or are they feral? 4) A massif rug? 5) A dotty place to go in the winter! 6) Snowy streamers? 7) From the land of the ice, guys and …. 8) A toothy rarity. 9) Small and snowy, but much less rare. 10) Somerset’s finest, well they did the business there this year!

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11) An ibis only by science. 12) Farlington’s oddities, twins at that! 13) A blizzard of blossoms. 14) A more than pointy piniped-shaped goliath. 15) The largest and rarest of the northern falconidae. 16) Re-introduced, however, not to . 17) Big nose! From Neil’s recent talk. 18) Another from Neil, one that he had, then he didn’t! 19) What we’re all looking forward to at Christmas, not! 20) The woodcut wildfowl.

How much did you know about migrant birds?

The answers to the questions set in October were as follows:

1 Why do birds migrate? a) To soak up some sun b) To find food c) To look for a mate b) Birds migrate in search of food. Food is abundant in warm, sunny places, and nearly absent in dark, snowy locations. What's more, food is more plentiful in places with longer days than nights, and long days give birds more time to hunt for food.

2 What is the main cue that nature gives birds to migrate? a) Change in weather b) Dwindling food supplies c) Change in daylight hours c) It is the change in daylight hours that spurs birds to fatten up for the long flight ahead. Weather can be unpredictable, but the number of daylight hours changes in the same way each year.

3 Predators are a serious threat – which of these is known to be a danger to night flying migrant songbirds? a) The Eleonora's Falcon b) The Greater Noctule bat c) The Eagle Owl b) The greater noctule bat is the only bat known to hunt birds on the wing. Studies in Spain indicate that during the spring and autumn nocurnal migration of passerines, or songbirds, over the Mediterranean, as much as 70% of greater noctule bat droppings contain the remains of birds.

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4 Where is the swallow that nested in your garden likely to spend its winter? a) South Africa b) South America c) The Mediterranean a) British swallows spend their winter in South Africa. They travel through western France, across the Pyrenees, down eastern Spain into Morocco, and across the Sahara.

5 How far can a migrating swallow fly in a day? a) 93 miles (150 km) b) 186 miles (300 km) c) 248 miles (400 km) b) According to the BTO's Migration Atlas, some experienced birds are able to average 186 miles per day (300 km) on their return to the UK.

6 Redwings arrive in the UK from September. Where do they breed? a) Northern Scotland b) Iceland c) Scandinavia d) All three d) All three. Their breeding grounds are mainly in Scandinavia, however, about 50 - 100 breeding pairs have now colonised the Highlands of Scotland, and they also breed in Iceland. The Icelandic birds are larger and more strongly marked than average, and most likely to be found in the west of Britain and Ireland where they winter.

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7 What prompts fieldfares to migrate from their breeding grounds? a) The size of the rowan berry crop b) Freezing cold weather c) Shortening hours of daylight a) In years when the rowan berry crop is large, fieldfares will remain close to their breeding ground well into the winter. In other years, when the crop is poor, the birds leave more quickly and so make an earlier appearance in the UK.

8 Swifts make a migratory journey of around 22,000 kilometers (14,000 miles) every year. What helps them to do this? a) They hitch a lift on passing light aircraft b) They have a special high-energy diet c) They sleep with half their brain at a time c) By sleeping with half of its brain at a time, the swift lives a perpetually aerial life, coming down only for a short period each year to breed.

A Swift, but what’s that with it?

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And Finally!

Birding Frontiers

Feeding Garden Birds in Winter Is there any point? by Martin

As I contemplate spending money on feeding the birds this winter; niger seed, peanuts, fat balls and the like, I stop to wonder… and remember this superb photo taken by my lovely daughter Abi of our garden bird table, and a less than welcome visitor!

A cat (not ours) on OUR garden bird table, by Abigail Garner

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