BBAASSIINNGGSSTTOOKKEE LLOOCCAALL GGRROOUUPP APRIL 2014 NEWSLETTER http://www.rspb.org.uk/groups/basingstoke Contents: From The Group Leader Notices Annual General Meeting Sponsored Birdwatch 2014 What’s Happening? Big Garden Birdwatch April’s Outdoor Meeting Evening Walks’ Programme May’s Outdoor Meeting March’s Outdoor Meeting Local Wildlife News Quiz Page And Finally! Charity registered in England and Wales no. 207076 From The Group Leader Welcome to April. This Newsletter was commenced on a day of wind and rain, sun and bright skies – none of which mattered that much as I spent most of the daylight hours completing such little ‘projects’; this the 3rd Newsletter to be worked on / completed in as many days – yes I was decidedly behind in my ‘work’ outside work. I’m hoping that things will have changed by the time this reaches you – at least the longer hours of daylight might just have ‘allowed me out to play’ once in a while! Another day now, the magnolia having survived the recent rain and hail now glowing in the back garden where Blue Tit are vocal, their nesting efforts being mirrored by both House Sparrow and Woodpigeon, the sun encouraging Brimstones out on the wing and Hairy- footed Flower Bee in to the trumpets of the lungwort, or pulmonaria as I’m sure many of the garden-oriented Members know it as. Recent reports of local migrants include the expected Wheatear, Blackcap and Chiffchaff but it’s good to hear that one of ‘our’ local avian goodies is also back, Stone-curlew; always one of the first of the returning migrants to arrive but often more than tricky to catch up with as they wander widely before settling to the business of breeding. We’ve a lot more migrants to look forward to, hopefully, and can but hope that ‘birdwatchers’ of a different nature further south in the EU allow at least a few through! Although legislation is, and has been for many years, in place to act upon those that threaten migratory bird life there’s still, unfortunately, a very strong need to voice our / your opinions on that which is still allowed to happen without any actions seemingly taken to eradicate it. Many have commented upon the lack of birds such as Turtle Dove in recent years, perhaps it’s now time for them / you to make your voice heard, and not just locally! As usual May is a busy month for the Local Group, the Evening Walks’ Programme commences, we’ll have the monthly Outdoor Meeting, to Farnham Heath RSPB this year, and the Indoor Meeting - the Annual General Meeting. So, there’s plenty to look forward to and many things to contribute towards, even if only by attending. I look forward to seeing you on as many occasions as possible over the coming month – if I’m allowed out to play of course! Peter E. Hutchins Turtle Dove Will any appear locally this year? Please do let us know if you’re lucky enough to see, or even hear, any. Notices Local Group Allocations With the Annual General Meeting soon to be upon us it’s again time to decide what the annual donation from the Local Group will go towards. The following areas, in no particular order, are those prioritised for donation giving and we’d appreciate your input on to where the money you’ve been good enough to help raise over the past year should go. If you require any further information on specific projects or the allocation process please do get in touch – a mailable booklet ‘RSPB Priorities for Local Group Allocations’ being available, as well as further information from both the Committee Members and Regional Office personnel; the latter with with regard to funding priorities in the south-east. Intertidal Habitats Lowland Chalk Grassland Lowland Heathland Lowland Wet Grassland Reedbed Engaging with Young People Connecting people with nature Coast & Marine Farming & Agriculture Woodland International Blanket Bog Caledonian Pine Forest Local Group Website The Local Group website continues to be worked upon by our trustee band of computer- literates, 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. 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. 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 Annual General Meeting THE ROYAL SOCIETY FOR THE PROTECTION OF BIRDS BASINGSTOKE LOCAL GROUP ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING The thirty-fifth Annual General Meeting of the Basingstoke Local Group of the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds will take place on Wednesday 21st May 2014 at The Barn, Church Cottage, Church Street, Basingstoke at 7.45pm. AGENDA 1. Chairman’s Introduction 2. Apologies for Absence 3. Minutes of the thirty-fourth Annual General Meeting 4. Matters Arising 5. Chairman’s Report 6. Treasurer’s Report 7. Appropriation of Surplus 8. Elections 9. Any Other Business Nominations for the Committee, together with the names of the proposer and seconder, should be given to the Secretary by Wednesday 30th April 2014. Geoff Sharp Secretary Sponsored Birdwatch 2014 For those who don’t know me, my name is Barry Stalker and I’ve resided in the borough for over twenty years; I’m married with two grown-up children. I’ve been a keen birder since I was at junior school and like most birders keep all kinds of lists of the birds I’ve seen – European List, British List, Garden List, Year Lists and so on. Back in early 2010, a friend asked me ‘Do you keep a Basingstoke and Deane List?’ Well I didn’t but it got me thinking. I sat down and compiled a list which totalled around 100 or so species. I also started to do some research as to what might be seen in the borough but found information very hard to find with virtually nothing on the internet. This I thought presented me with an opportunity to do something unique, and so the blog ‘Birding Basingstoke and Deane’ was born. I’ve had immensely enjoyable four years since then and now know so many local places I never knew existed - little gems of sites that are completely unwatched and are right on my doorstep. Indeed, apart from the odd twitch on the coast I’ve hardly been out of the borough - a complete contrast to my former weekend excursions out of the district. I’ve also made some new local birding friends who are very knowledgeable about the district and whom I’m regularly in contact with - it’s so important to be on the grapevine and I thank them for their help.