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Issue 17 July 2016 Collared Pratincole wows at Ham Wall Julian Thomas on another county first (well, maybe) At about 6pm on 10 July a pratincole sp. was found at Ham Wall, off the second viewing platform, by an unknown couple apparently making their first-ever visit to the reserve! Happily, they mentioned it to another couple of birders who quickly spread the word. It was soon confirmed as a Collared Pratincole, and showed well in flight and occasionally on the ground over the course of that evening to a small crowd of the keenest county listers. Many more birdwatchers saw the bird over the following three days. Mostly seen in flight hawking for insects over the lagoon, it was often relatively distant, but sometimes it came much closer, to the delight of the lucky observers; many photographs were taken, including this great shot (left) by Tim White. Usually it was hidden out of view when on the ground, leading to a frustrating wait for some, but occasionally it chose a spot where it could be seen, as in Dave Helliar’s photo below. It was still present near dusk on the 13th, but not on the 14th, nor since. ‘Pratincole’ is derived from Latin and means ‘meadow dweller’, which fits, as various pratincole species often nest and feed in fields, usually near wetlands, though some prefer rocky rivers. More evocative, though, and highly apt for these graceful aerial waders, is the old English name of ‘swallow plover’. Collared Pratincoles are just about annual vagrants to Britain from southern Europe, but the sole previous Somerset record is very old (though the closely related Black-winged Pratincole has been recorded twice, in 1957 and 1968). Dated only as sometime prior to 1858, the location is also rather vaguely given as ‘North Mendips, near Weston-super-Mare’, so it is not certain that the bird was recorded within the current county boundaries; it could just as easily have been in what is now Avon. So the Ham Wall bird could well in fact be a first for the present-day county. Whatever the truth of that, its four- day stay made quite a lot of birders very happy. 1 Contents Collared Pratincole wows at Ham Wall 1 Welcome 2 News 3 New tower hide at Shapwick Heath opened 4 Bramwell bulletin 5 Photospot: Marsh and Willow Tits 6 Desert Island Birds 7 Walks and talks 9 Welcome Hello again! Apologies that this issue of The Bittern is both rather late and a little shorter than usual. No travel to foreign climes to use as an excuse this time, just plain old-fashioned sheer volume of work. As other members who are self-employed will know, you’ve got to put the hours in when the work is there, and sometimes it leaves little time for other things. No apologies necessary, I hope, about featuring the latest rarity to visit the Avalon Marshes as the cover story. A real stunner, it may also be (as the article reveals) a Somerset first. Also in this issue, and illustrating the more serious side of the birdwatching coin, are Mike Trubridge’s update on his local Rook surveys, and on our desert island is Tony Parsons, ringer and absolute stalwart of SOS, who among his many other valuable contributions to the Society has spent over 40 years diligently monitoring bird populations in the Crewkerne area. I hope readers will also find a short photo article on Marsh and Willow Tits useful. Recent weeks have seen a dramatic period of political upheaval following the vote to leave the European Union. Amongst all the other issues (on which the personal views of SOS members will no doubt cover a wide spectrum), the environment was rarely mentioned. Yet much of the law regarding the welfare of our environment and our birds comes from the EU. What will replace those laws post-Brexit is not at all clear, but the omens are not great: George Eustice, Minister of State at Defra and a Leave campaigner, said that ‘the Birds and Habitats Directives would go. A lot of the national directives they instructed us to put in place would stay. But the directives’ framework is so rigid that it is spirit-crushing’ (The Guardian, 30 May). Many conservationists fear a weakening of protections for our wildlife. On the other hand, new farm subsidy policies to replace the Common Agricultural Policy may be an opportunity to find new ways to both benefit wildlife and adequately compensate farmers. Time will tell, but it is worth keeping a close eye on developments, and speaking up for birds and other wildlife as best (and as often) as we can. I’ll get off my soapbox now. In the meantime, the summer is wearing away, the breeding season is nearly over, and autumn migration will soon be upon us. Enjoy your birding! Julian Thomas, Editor Email: [email protected] Phone/text: 07764165417 2 News Changes at 2016 AGM The 2016 AGM was held at Ruishton Village Hall on 14th April. Alongside the more usual business such as reports from the Treasurer and other officers, a series of rule changes were passed. The most significant changes were to create the role of Chairman to head the committee running the Society, and to make the role of President a largely honorary one, a public face for the Society, among other things. This brings the Society’s structure in line with most other similar organisations. Roger Dickey resigned as President and has now assumed the role of Chairman; his first task in that role was a pleasurable one – to announce that Stephen Moss (right), broadcaster, producer, author, and until recently our Indoor Meetings Secretary, has accepted the position of President. Stephen will be a huge benefit to us in this role. Alongside these changes the role of the Vice-Presidents was effectively abolished, and the distinguished members currently occupying those positions were awarded Honorary Life Memberships. Other notable changes are Brian Hill becoming Indoor Meetings Secretary, Alison Everett as Field Meetings Secretary, and the creation of a new post of Surveys Secretary, ably filled by a new member of the Committee with plenty of experience in this particular area, Simon Breeze. Please see the website for the revised list of Committee contacts and the revised Rules. The latter will also appear in the annual report as per usual. Kingfisher and Little Owl survey Simon’s first task has been to make a start on the planned programme of follow-up surveys after the publication of the Somerset Atlas. The first of these is investigating the abundance and distribution of two well-known but declining birds seen throughout Somerset: the Kingfisher and Little Owl. The survey aims to build a detailed picture from targeted and casual observational records into possible causes for decline, including climatic effects, habitat degradation, and food resource depletion. The survey has already started and is planned to run until 2019, with a review after one year. Both species are ideal choices for a public survey: they can easily be missed by traditional surveys in areas infrequently visited by birders, but, being readily identifiable by the general public, local residents may know of their presence. Both are also good indicators of the health of their chosen habitats. Kingfisher is a Schedule 1 species, but given the habitat, the risk of disturbance to nest sites is considered to be low. Casual observations are encouraged, with as much detail as possible please on location, date, number, habitat, weather conditions, behaviour observed, and any obvious habitat management and changes in the immediate surroundings. Full details are on the website at http://somersetbirding.org.uk/surveys. Survey forms can be downloaded there and completed forms sent to [email protected]. Paper forms are available at a number of nature reserves around the county, and completed forms can be placed in collection boxes in particular hides or handed in to participating visitor centres. We are also hoping to launch a small conservation fund to assist landowners and land managers contributing towards the survey that wish to enhance areas for the target species, including habitat management and provision of artificial nest sites/nest boxes. 3 New tower hide at Shapwick Heath opened Julian Thomas reports on the opening of the latest new facility for birders The new tower hide at Shapwick Heath was officially opened on 28 April, by Dr Andy Clements, Director of the BTO and board member for Natural England (pictured right cutting the ribbon), at a ceremony attended by c. 40 people, including Roger Dickey (Chairman), Eve Tigwell (BTO representative), and myself representing SOS. Dr Clements said, ‘Shapwick Heath National Nature Reserve and the surrounding Avalon Marshes are one of England’s great wildlife success stories. I’m delighted to open this stunning new tower hide. It will provide greater opportunities for people to see the world class birdlife and enjoy sweeping views across the Somerset Levels.’ Designed by Shattock Associates of Bridgwater and made by I.S.A. Carpentry of Glastonbury, from locally sourced materials, the hide, situated about 300m west of the Ashcott Corner car park, was built thanks to donations from many supporters of the reserve (including SOS, and no doubt plenty of SOS members individually too) during a 'crowdfunding' campaign in December 2015 which raised over £17,000. Simon Clarke, Senior Reserve Manager for Natural England (pictured left with the newly unveiled signboard for the hide, created by local artist Steve Edwards) said, ‘The public support we received in December was phenomenal and very humbling.
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