BBAASSIINNGGSSTTOOKKEE LLOOCCAALL GGRROOUUPP

DECEMBER 2013 NEWSLETTER

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

Contents:

 From The Group Leader

 Notices

 Favourite Books

 What’s Happening?

 December’s Outdoor Meeting

 January’s Outdoor Meeting

 November’s Outdoor Meeting

 December’s Outdoor Meeting

 Local Wildlife News

 Quiz Page

 And Finally!

Charity registered in England and Wales no. 207076 From The Group Leader

Welcome to December!

Although the weather is more autumnal than festive – are we going to get any snow or just the softer and wetter version that’s been so evident in past days – I hope that this hasn’t placed any of your plans on hold for the Christmas period, birding or otherwise.

Recently returned from ‘holiday’ I’ve been thrown straight in to the usual upheaval at work, caused by you all sending Christmas cards! The lack of time due to this, a very recent bereavement and other family-related ‘issues’ has ensured that far less time has been available to work on such things as the Newsletter, so apologies for the somewhat skinny festive offering. Hopefully everything will back to normal, or as close as I’m ever likely to attain ‘normal’, in the New Year and the Newsletter will be as plump as a Christmas Pudding, even if not as alcohol fuelled!

There’s a lot to look forward to in the New Year, after the celebratory season slides to the rear in our minds for just a few more months, the Big Garden Birdwatch being the first ‘event’ to take part in – further mailings about this to appear in your in box in the very near future! With luck, perhaps a belated Christmas miracle, both the weather and birds will be kind to your gardens and you’ll have masses to tell of on completion of your hour of watching.

However, focussing on the now, I’ll just finish off the Newsletter with my heartiest wishes to you and yours for all the very best for Christmas and the New Year, and not just in your birding!

Peter E. Hutchins Notices

Devon Weekend

The Devon Weekend in January is now well subscribed but the hotel, at the moment, still has rooms available. Full details are available at the October meeting or directly from Gerry Gardner. If you would like to join in then please either sign the sheet at reception or contact Gerry directly. ([email protected] Tel: 01189 700850).

Laptop Available

The Local Group has now been provided with a laptop, this to be used for the collation of future Newsletters and Programmes, for writing, electronically or otherwise, to members within the Group’s catchment area and so on. if you’d like to borrow this to be able to put together something for a Newsletter, prepare a presentation for the Local Group or others that you are visiting etc. please do get in touch – we want to ensure that we get as much use from this as is possible and that it doesn’t just sit gathering dust through your fingers being inactive.

Local Group Website

The Local Group website has currently undergone a bit of a spring-clean, so if you haven't been to the site for a while, why not have a look and tell us what you think. Any thoughts on what we should include within the site will always be appreciated, - helping to make the site more relevant to current group members, and helping to get across the right message to potential members.

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

The continuing and ever-increasing work on the website has seen your Local Group website become the 2nd most visited in Britain recently; an exceptional rise in the use of this and something to be justifiably pleased with – there are people out there interested in the Local Group and what it’s doing! 

Newsletter Mailings

Do we have your email address? If not, please do pass it on so that the Group can communicate with you in a more environmentally manner! The monthly Newsletter being an example of this, saving resources, money and time by being mailed to you, rather than hard copies being created and perhaps only sitting partially read until the next one appears.

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

Peanuts £1/lb. or £2.20/kg

Black Sunflowers £1/lb or £2.20/kg

Sunflower Hearts £1.10/lb or £2.42/kg

Niger £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

Favourite Books

This is the second in a series of articles about my favourite books on birds, birdwatching and wildlife in general. The articles are not intended to be critical

write-ups but merely an introduction to “my kind of book”. The books included are in no particular order, but they all have a place on my bookshelf.

Biographies for Birdwatchers by Barbara and Richard Mearns The subtitle of this book – The Lives of Those Commemorated in Western Palearctic Bird Names – gives the clue to its contents. Over one hundred species of European and North African birds bear English or Latin names which commemorate people, including Cetti’s Warbler, Montagu’s Harrier and Bewick’s Swan. This fascinating book details the lives of those people and explains how their names became attached to the various species. For anyone with an interest in ornithology, history or geography this book is a must! (A follow-up book by the same authors, entitled Audubon to Xantus, details the lives of those commemorated in North American bird names).

The Big Bird Race by Bill Oddie and David Tomlinson Although 24-hour birdraces are now commonplace, with each county competing in an annual event, back in the early 1980’s the idea was still in its infancy. In 1981 and 1982 a team representing Country Life magazine had challenged a team representing the Flora and Fauna Preservation Society to a 24-hour sponsored birdrace around East Anglia. The event was repeated in 1983 and this book is an amusing account of the trials, tribulations and successes of the two teams. David Tomlinson gives the story from the Country Life viewpoint, whilst Bill Oddie writes on behalf of the FFPS team. A further attraction is the collection of sketches of birds and habitats by the late Laurel Tucker – anyone who has been to Minsmere, Cley or Walberswick will recognise the scenes immediately. Who won the race? – I’m not telling, you’ll have to read the book!

What to Look for in Spring/Summer/Autumn/Winter by E L Grant Watson And now for something completely different! These four books were published in the Ladybird series between 1959 and 1961, each one priced at 2/6d (younger readers ask your grandparents). Each book takes us through the particular season via full page illustrations opposite an explanatory text. The text is actually fairly adult for what are essentially children’s books. However, it is the illustrations which are the real

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delight – they are by Charles Tunnicliffe who was probably Britain’s foremost wildlife artist. He really captures the feel of the countryside in his scenes – from wildfowl around a partially frozen pond in midwinter to swallows skimming over a summer hayfield. I often take these little volumes down from the bookcase and relive my childhood – the scene of a mother and child watching a cuckoo on their garden washing pole takes me back to our old garden in Derbyshire where a big ash tree was the regular perch for “Charlie” cuckoo during April and May.

Geoff Sharp

If you’ve a favourite book you’d like to bring to the attention of others, please do let us know of it, and why it’s special to you.

What’s Happening?

A few of the forthcoming local events that will hopefully help keep you entertained as the days continue to disappear under darkness:

Basingstoke Field Society [email protected]

Oakley Woodland Trust An illustrated talk by Barry Bennett

14th January

Meet at 8pm at the United Reformed Church, London Street

For further information please contact:

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

Hampshire Organic Gardening Group http://hampshire-organic-gardening.org/

Peeling Off Another Potato

Monday 20th January

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Alan Wilson joins HOGG for another interesting insight into the world of the spud. Alan is the only speaker who has restarted the talk after the coffee break because the audience has been so involved and interested in what he has to say. Testbourne Community Centre, Micheldever Road, Whitchurch, RG28 7JF

Hampshire & Isle Of Wight Wildlife Trust http://www.hwt.org.uk/

New Year’s Day Walk

Join the North West Group for a 2 mile walk (boots not required) up the attractive River Anton Way from Rooksbury Mill LNR to Charlton. Transport back to the start will be provided – primarily for drivers. Meet at Rooksbury car park, Barlows Lane, Andover (Map ref. SU 356 443). For further details, please contact Mervyn Grist on 01264 358737 or e-mail [email protected]. Suggested donation £2. Dogs on leads welcome.

Event details

Date 01 January 2014

Time 10am

Alresford Winter Bird Walk

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Join John Clark for a guided walk of about 4 miles to see winter birds. Meet in Alresford at the bottom of Broad Street near the old fire station (Map ref. SU 588 329). Parking is available in the station car park or nearby streets. For further details please contact Mary on 01962 864440. Suggested donation £2.50. Sorry, no dogs.

Event details

Date 19 January 2014

Time 10am-2pm

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.

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/NR/rdonlyres/2BEA9CA3-DD29-414A-AAE4- 0F8A916F61E4/0/Conservationworkparties.pdf

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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 Chineham Oakley Cliddesden Old Down, Kempshott Glebe Gardens, Victory Park and King Overton George Vth Playing Fields (Brookvale) Popley Kempshott South View

December’s Outdoor Meeting

Testwood Lakes: 15th.

This took place last weekend, so don’t head out without us this coming Sunday!

January’s Outdoor Meeting

There isn’t one!

Just a very quick reminder that the January Outdoor Meeting will in fact take place on Sunday 2nd February! This being the Poole Harbour Boat Trip, for which tickets are still available!

Further details, where appropriate, for this Outdoor Meeting will appear in the January 2014 Newsletter.

November’s Outdoor Meeting

Pulborough Brooks RSPB Reserve: 24th.

10 members met up for this outing on a day which was mostly cloudy but with some sunny intervals. The feeders in the courtyard held the usual Blue and Great Tits as well as Chaffinch and Greenfinch. After checking what had been seen recently on the reserve we left the visitor centre and headed down the slope towards the hides. A few Fallow Deer were in the field below the centre and a flock of Linnets flew over. “Chacking” calls alerted us to

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the presence of Fieldfares in the nearby trees. In fact, during the day we saw many parties of Fieldfares but only small numbers of Redwings.

At the bottom of the slope we turned left towards the first of the hides on the clockwise circuit of the nature trail. Corvids were much in evidence with Jackdaws, Rooks, Magpies and Jays being seen. The hide gave us views over the South Brooks and we watched common wildfowl such as Wigeon, Teal, Shoveler and Gadwall on the nearest pool. Many Canada Geese were out on the marsh (with a lone Bar-headed Goose). More surprising though, were the 4 Egyptian Geese just in front of the hide. Flocks of Lapwings were scattered across the marshy fields and a few Black-tailed Godwits were seen. A large herd of Fallow Deer was in view, and like the earlier animals were all in dark winter pelage.

A Common Buzzard sitting on a fence away in the distance caught our attention, although we had much closer views of it from Winpenny Hide a short while later. Moving on, a few Meadow Pipits flew over and we had a lovely male Bullfinch in the top of a bush. Shortly after, a few of us had a brief view of a Peregrine as it flew low across the South Brooks, flushing wildfowl and waders as it went.

At The Hanger we stopped to scan the North Brooks, looking across to Pulborough village. Fieldfares were again obvious in the trees and bushes below the viewpoint. Many wildfowl could be seen from our elevated position, including large numbers of Canada Geese. After a while we moved on to give room for people on a guided walk. Dropping down to Nettley’s Hide gave us closer views of the birds we had seen from The Hanger, particularly Pintail, Shelduck and three species of gull (Black-headed, Common and Herring). A distant Stonechat was seen by some of the group, but possibly the best bird was the very close Common Snipe in the ditch below the hide windows.

With lunch beckoning we started back towards the visitor centre, adding Green Woodpecker and Long-tailed Tits to the list. As we climbed up the final slope we stopped to watch a couple of Fieldfares in the top of a tree. A woodpecker landed below them and I suddenly realised that it looked very small in comparison. A quick check showed the barred back and red cap of a male Lesser Spotted Woodpecker. Most of the group got scope views of the bird before it took off and flew towards the trees behind the visitor centre.

Most people took lunch in the cafe before we reconvened for a second walk round the reserve, this time in an anticlockwise direction and missing out the diversion to Nettley’s Hide. At The Hanger viewpoint a Great Spotted Woodpecker flew across, giving us all three British woodpeckers in the day. We also added Dunlin from here. The Common Buzzard was still on its fencepost (some people said it was stuffed!). As we returned to the centre 4 Lesser Redpoll were seen in a birch tree.

Several members decided to leave, but five of us “forced” ourselves to visit the cafe once again and partake of tea and cakes before heading home. It had been a very enjoyable day, with at least 56 species recorded.

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Geoff Sharp.

December’s Outdoor Meeting

Testwood Lakes: 15th.

Eight appeared at Testwood Lakes on a mild but very grey and quite autumnal morning for the last Outdoor Meeting of 2013.

The entrance to the reserve

It remained grey with the weather becoming ever less clement, rain dropping as the wind picked up, albeit drizzle at first that could be seen to be driven in on the south-westerly fronts that were becoming quite expected - the 'wintery' weather yet to reach us, even though we were half-way through December.

The main lake, adjacent to the car park, held some flighty Great Crested Grebe, a handful of these being seen in flight on several occasions while Pochard, Cormorant, Mallard, Coot and just a single Canada Goose made up the remainder of the 'wildfowl' present, a single Common Gull being amongst the distant flotilla of appropriately grey and white Black- headed Gull.

Walking the western edge of the lake added Long-tailed Tit in waterside osiers, Great Spotted Woodpecker calling from nearby scrubby woodland and, for some, a both vocal and flighty Kingfisher, this piping stridently as it moved rapidly along the reed-fringed margins before disappearing out of view in to a small bay.

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The Visitor Centre with Testwood Lake in the background

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And just some of the mosaics adorning the western wall of the centre

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… and adjacent wildlife garden

An open area of grass close to the Visitor / Information Centre added a further woodpecker, a sodden Green feeing out in the open, several Goldfinch nearby being seen feeding on the gone-over seed heads of hardhead-like plants, more of the finches being heard from path side vegetation as we approached the centre. A feeding station here added further tits and finches, a redpoll sp. having been noted moving over on heading this way. A Goldcrest joined other foragers in a hedgerow, Chaffinch and Greenfinch moving over, as did a Grey Wagtail that reappeared a little later, again in flight. Jay were heard in the woodland edges where Woodpigeon loitered in small gatherings - the latter very sombrely plumaged compared to other members of the pigeon tribe recently encountered by some of those attending the meeting.

A hint of colour came in the form of still-flowering Red Campion under the increasingly water-logged trees, though ferns, leaf litter and broken boughs were far more in evidence as the group walked woodland paths before coming out on to board walking where a Round House had been built. Stopping here saw a distant Sparrowhawk being mobbed by corvids, the latter one of the families to be seen throughout the walk - Jay, Magpie, Carrion Crow, Jackdaw and Rook being noted, even a Raven being called at one stage though this shrunk in the low cloud and rain to become a further Carrion Crow settled on skeletal branches.

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The Round House

Time in the Sand Martin Hide allowed at least drier viewing out over a further lake, an island being used by roosting birds and the adjacent water meadow-type habitat, ever more water than meadow! A Snipe was found among brown and bedraggled sedges, eventually

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briefly out in the open among Mallard, Teal and Wigeon. The island held 110+ Lapwing, a single Common being among assorted Black-headed Gull, these to be joined by three Herring Gull that moved in to bathe. A Little Egret was mobile about the waters being watched, a Grey Heron moving off more distantly while a Shelduck dropped in to add a little colour to the continuing sombre scene set before the Group. The hide also allowed viewing of the Sand Martin 'wall', this expectedly empty but with, less expected, boarding about its' lower extremities - the latter apparently having been added to stop three Stoat predating the nests!

Meadow Lake and The Scrapes Again, please note the colour of the sky etc.!

A further lake, and hide, to the north and close to the M27 added a glowing Little Egret, that left to the west, small numbers of Pochard, Shoveler, Tufted Duck and a mobile assembly of ten Cormorant, the latter performing their very own version of synchronised swimming. Feeders able to be watched from the 'comfort' of the hide had Great, Blue and a brief Coal Tit visiting, Chaffinch also moving to the seed hoppers while a 1st winter Dunnock foraged beneath, several Robin disputed territory and a Treecreeper paid a brief visit to a nearby oak. The only non-avian find of the day was also from here, a desultory-looking Rabbit sat among cropped grasses.

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The feeding station at Heron Hide The oak at the rear being the brief bearer of a Treecreeper

The return walk, shortened due to the increased precipitation, saw a / the Kingfisher being relocated, and not just by us! A Black-headed Gull was seen chasing it across the main lake, this bizarre harassing continuing until the 'fisher resorted to heading in to the reeds; though then being heard again later, perhaps even two, as it moved off from there. The most southerly lake, just to finish off the area held further grebe and gull but looked sadly poorly used during our visit; a female Bullfinch on the wing added on moving back towards the cars, as was a Redwing.

The wind and rain didn't abate and so, for once, most of those present headed straight back home on the walk finishing.

Thanks go out to all those that attended in less than favourable conditions, even the birds appearing to prefer to shelter out of sight for much of the time!

Peter E. Hutchins.

Of most note, amongst the almost 50 species recorded, were:

Little Egret - at least two mobile birds. Kingfisher - one, probably two, very vocal and mobile birds about Testwood Lake. Snipe - a singleton on The Scrapes, far too well camouflaged at times!

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Grey Wagtail - one, that didn't linger, about Testwood Lake / Information Centre. Lapwing - 110+ at roost, just two being seen to move from this gathering. Shelduck - a single in from the north joined other roosting / sheltering wildfowl on Meadow Lake. Bullfinch - a female about the scrub by the car park. Common Gull - up to just two adult birds among the far commoner Black-headed Gull on Testwood Lake and The Scrape. Great Crested Grebe - a handful of flighty birds about Testwood Lake made up half of those encountered.

The weather!!!

Just to get in to the festive and therefore panto’ mood …. perhaps the seven dwarfs off out birding!

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A snipe, as we saw on Sunday, albeit this one Pin-tailed, but I don’t recall any of the attendant observer! Another word for an observer being ….. , yes, you’ve got it, monitor!

Local Wildlife News

The following ‘highlights’ reports received over the early winter period. If you’ve anything further to add, please feel free to let us know at any time. All reports will be appreciated, whether they relate to birds or any other form of local wildlife. 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 with all the associated movements of birds, both in to and out of the local area.

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Fieldfare – numbers continued to increase, though birds were now more seemingly likely to be found in less obvious gatherings, as was also the case for Redwing; particularly as they moved from one feeding area to another. Kingfisher – many local water areas, both within Basingstoke and the more rural outskirts of the Borough, now held these, although most sightings remained just fleeting. Little Egret – numbers of these about the Borough once again were on the increase, though no counts had yet been received from the areas where they might be expected to roost, such as Southington and adjacent to The Millfield LNR. Mandarin – a pair was seen several times on The Test, Southington. Peregrine – at least one remained about the Town Centre, generally being seen settled on the taller edifices. Red Campion – one of the small number of plants still to be seen in flower. Red Kite – greater numbers were reported than recently, small gatherings again being seen about the more rural areas. Water Rail – just a single local bird was reported, this being at Flashetts, Overton. Waxwing – none yet, but they’re on the way – but so again are Snowy Owl! Many thousands of the latter having been found as they move south in North America, one juvenile even on a ship in The Channel as I type this!

Grey Langur Simia entellus Pheasant-tailed Jacana Hydrophasianus chirurgus & Black-winged Stilt Himantopus himantopus Doug. Kelson

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“It seems quite clear that primates have been birdwatching for a very long time; it is part of our evolutionary history”

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 year and in to yet another. 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’

It’s all about Christmas!

Instead of the parson’s nose, here are a few more somewhat exotic ones to identify!

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1) What does a turkey eat to aid its digestion? 2) In which countries are animals said to talk to each other on Christmas Eve? 3) From which Country has Westminster received a gift of a Christmas Tree every year since 1947? 4) What is a Robin's favourite food? 5) Which Christmas decoration's name is taken from the Anglo-Saxon word for 'little dung twig'? 6) Which of Father Christmas' reindeers are female? 7) Which fruit was the first thing used to decorate Christmas trees? 8) In early depictions of Father Christmas, what was he often shown to be holding? 9) Which creepy-crawly is used to decorate Polish Christmas trees? 10) Which animal is said to have announced the birth of Jesus?

From the month of Bonfire Night, here are the birding fireworks that raised at least eyebrows, if not temperatures, earlier in the autumn.

1.A songster from America’s first seaside resort. Cape May Warbler 2.Perhaps the jewel among the smallest passerine family? Ruby-crowned Kinglet 3.A golfing site for one songster? Myrtle Warbler 4.A reclusive catharus! Hermit Thrush 5.What a humbug! Black-and-White Warbler 6.The Sherwood Forest saviour, from across the Atlantic. American Robin 7.Gilbert’s namesake. White’s Thrush 8.Buried on Scilly, this politician was not prone to singing, unlike his namesake! Wilson’s Warbler 9.A bronzed butcher? Brown Shrike 10.A fishy diva? Sardinian Warbler 11.A sad emblem of peace. Mourning Dove 12.A beaky bird conflicted with cloudiness. Thick-billed Warbler 13.Welatively webbed wader. Semipalmated Plover 14.Albert of old. Black-browed Albatross 15.Scaling ships of avian origin. Ascension Frigatebird 16.Audacious but ashen itching! Gray-cheeked Thrush 17.A forest cat with a bejewelled gorget. Siberian Rubythroat

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18.Sallow speed. Pallid Swift 19.Oceanic precipitate. Pacific Swift 20.Dark but vocal ballot. Blackpoll Warbler

And finally!

Researchers for the Massachusetts Turnpike Authority found over 200 dead crows near greater Boston recently, and there was concern that they may have died from Avian Flu.

A Bird Pathologist examined the remains of all the crows, and, to everyone's relief, confirmed the problem was definitely NOT Avian Flu.

The cause of death appeared to be vehicular impacts.

However, during the detailed analysis it was noted that varying colours of paints appeared on the bird's beaks and claws. By analysing these paint residues it was determined that 98% of the crows had been killed by impact with trucks, while only 2% were killed by an impact with a car.

MTA then hired an Ornithological Behaviourist to determine if there was a cause for the disproportionate percentages of truck kills versus car kills.

The Ornithological Behaviourist very quickly concluded the cause: when crows eat road kill, they always have a look-out crow in a nearby tree to warn of impending danger. They discovered that while all the lookout crows could shout "Cah", not a single one could shout "Truck"

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Blue Peafowl Pavo cristatus By me – but just wait and see what the others, with decent lenses, captured! And no, this wasn’t one of the Overton regulars!

Nearly there!!!

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