Herefordshire Ornithological Club ANNUAL REPORT 1958 Together with C'asslfled Notes for Herefordshire and Radnorshire No. 8. Vol. 1. Price 4/- Herefordshire Ornithological Club No. 8 OFFICERS AND COMMITTEE, 1958 President BRIGADIER SIR MICHAEL VENABLES-LLEWELYN, BART, M.V.O. Vice-Presidents CAPTAIN H. A. GILBERT, M.B.O.V. P. \\1. HINDE, M.B.O.li. Chairman J. G. MURRAY, M.R.C.V.S. Hon. Secretary R. H. BAILLIE, M.B.n.li. Hon. Field Secretary C. J. RRECKNELL Hon. Treasurer A. G. FYSHF. Hon. Editor R. H. RAILUE Committee T. R. AMMONDS DR. B. E. MILES G. S. T. DIGGORY A. J. SMITH MISS \V. \1. GIBSON DR. C. W. WALKER, M.C. 230 HEREFOROSHIRf: ORNITHOLOGICAL CI.I'II Rt:PORT. 1958 HEREFORDSHIRE ORNITHOLOGICAL CLUB RULES 1. NAME. The Club shall be called the Herefordshire Ornithological Club. 2. OBJECTS. The objects of the Club shall be (a) to further the study of birds in the field, and (b) to assist in their preservation. 3. MEMBERSHIP. The Club shall consist of a President, a Chairman, a Secretary, a Field Secretary, a Treasurer, an Editor and six Committee Members and Ordinary Members. The President and Chairman to retire after serving a term of three years. The Secretary, the Treasurer and the Editor shall be elected annually. The two senior of the six Ordinary Members of the Com­ mittee shall retire annually. The Officers and Ordinary Members of the Committee shall be elected at the Annual General Meeting and shall be eligible for re­ election. 4. CONDITIONS OF MEMBERSHIP. Members shall be required to support and keep the provisions of the Protection of Birds Act, 1954. Any members failing to support and keep this law shall be required to resign. Members may not divulge to unauthorised persons (e.g. known collectors of skins and/or eggs) information in a manner likely to be detrimental to the objects of the Club. HEREFORDSHIRE ORNITHOLOCICAL CLUB REPORT, 1958 231 5. SUBSCRIPTIONS. (a) Ordinary Members: 18 years of age or over 15s., payable on January 1st or on election to membership. Any additional members of a family after rhe first, lOs.; such members receiving all privileges of full membership. Junior Members (under 18 but over 12 years of age), 7s. 6d. per annum, payable as above. Corporate Members: Kindred bodies, Schools, ete.: Subscription one guinea per annum. Honorary Members: As approved by the majority present at the Annual General Meeting. (b) All subscriptions, subsequent to those paid on admission, shall be due on January 1st each year. vVhere a Member has been elected on or after 1st September in any year, there will be no further liability to subscribe in the year immediately following that of his or her elect.ion. Any Member whose subscription is twelve months in arrears shall cease to receive the Club's pub­ lications and, should the subscription not be paid during the ensuing twelve months, his or her name shall be deleted from the List of Members. 6. MANAGEMENT. The Secretary shall keep Minutes of the meetings and prepare such literature as shall keep Members informed of the Club's activities. 7. MEETINGS. Meetings shall be held as often as deemed desirable at the discretion of the Officers. 8. REPORT. There shall be an Editorial Committee of at least three Members including the Secretary, appoin­ ted at an ordinary Committee Meeting. These shall prepare and present an Annual Report and such special reports as may be decided upon. 9. ALTERATION OF RULES. An alteration of the Rules may be made only if proposed at one meeting, printed on the agenda for the following meeting, and passed by a two-thirds majority of those present. HEREFORDSHIRE ORNITHOLOGICAL CLUB lION. TQEASUQEWS ACCOUNT - YEAQ TO 31st DECEMBEQ, 1958 1957 RECEIPTS. 1957 PAYMENTS /, s. d. £ s. d. £ s. d. £ s. d. £ s. d. f.. s. d. a5 2 To Balance, 1st Jannar}', 195H 38 7 7 4 17 6 By Duplicating Notices 27 ;J fi Proceeds of Sale of­ 14 16 1 Printing, Stationery, Billposting, etc. 14 \J 9 3 4 4 Annual Reports ;J !) 0 lfj 5 0 " Postages, Telephones & Cheque Books 2:l 4 II I 10 0 Herefordshire Birds 1 8 3 29 10 0 " l)rinting Annual Report 29 10 0 1 18 (j Birds of Radnorshire 2 3 a Affiliation Suhscriptions­ " Sale of Publications in advance 3 Ij 1 a 0 Woolhope Cluh 1 0 I) 1;; o " Donations HI 1;3 ~ 200 British Trust for Ornithology 2 0 0 :! 15 o " SUhscriptions in advance 14 7 Ij 12 (j Birmingham & West Midland 2 15 o (1951;) .. for 1957 17 0 0 Bird Club 12 fj ~~ ~ (j (19571 for 1958 96 0 (l 10 0 British Naturalists' ASboc'n 10 0 127 7 11 Council of N atnre 1 a 0 24 8 9 "Receipts from Meetings 33 5 1 ;j ~ Ij 15 0 Gratt.ities and Commissions 17 0 2K 8 0 " Meeting Expenses 27 Ij 0 17 9 10 Rentals and Charges 12 12 :.l Presentation to Mrs Hinrle 3 10 0 " Kite Rearing Grant 4 o 0 " .£50 5% Defence Bonds 50 0 (J Balance in hand--Bank 17 14 2 Cash 10 6 38 7 7 18 4 8 --- £154 11 6 .£215 19 4 £154 11 6 £215 19 Audited and fonnd correct. A. G. FYSHE, C. J. BRECKN.E;LI" 14th Fehruary, 1959. Hon. 'freasuf<·r. 28th February, 1959. ;...,;;,,~~ HEREFOI{DSHIRE ORNITHOLOGICAL CLUB REPORT, 1958 233 1957 REPORT GENERAL. A cold spring, a wet summer and a wet and foggy autumn about sums up the year's weather. Despite this discouragement several interesting records were made such as a pair of Avocets and a Firecrest in Herefordshire and a great increase in Barn-Owls, a fresh irruption of Crossbills and several Hawfinch records. A flock of Snow-Buntings, the first to be recorded, was the main prize in Radnorshire; half a dozen Stonechats and one each of Sheld-Duck, Black Tern, Oystercatcher, Greenshank, White ''\Tagtail and some Blackgame were of local interest too, MEMBERSHIP. At 173, this shows a nett increase of eleven, which is satisfactory. It is with great regret that we have to record the death of Captain R. P. Chapman on January 4th, 1959. Though not widely known amongst members, he was a comparatively near neighbour of mine and was a man of great charm, with a delightful sense of quiet humour. Captured by the j apanese at the fall of Singapore in 1942, where he was in charge of the Dockyard, his health was undoubtedly undermined by three years near starvation while in their hands. ANJ\;UAL GEJ\;ERAL MEETING. This was held on April 19th and the chief changes amongst the Officers of the Committee were that Mr. A. G. Fyshe took over the Treas­ urership from Dr. B. E. Miles at the latter's resignation and the Editor took over the Secretaryship owing to the departure of Ml'. L. B. Robinson. 2:34 HEREFORDSHIRE ORNITHOLOGICAL CLUB REPORT, 1958 Several of our Field days were marred by the weather but we had some excellent indoor engagements which in­ cluded two splendid evening lectures from Mr. M. K. Swales on the Tristan da Cunha and Gough Islands Expeditions, the R.S.P.B. colour film "Highland Birds," at the Town Hall, Captain H. A. Gilbert's "Bird Watching in Hungary," Mr. J. H. Barrett's "The Birds of the Pembrokeshire Coast" and Dr. Bruce Campbell's "Bird Research as a Hobby." PUBLICATIONS. There are still stocks of Hereford­ shire Birds (1954), by Captain H. A. Gilbert and Dr. C. W. Walker (2/6) and Birds of Radnorshire (1955), by G. C. S. Ingram and Col. H. M. Salmon (3/6). Also back numbers of our Reports, but not Nos. 2 and 3, at 2/6 per copy. Postage 6d. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS. Owing, alas, to trouble with his eyesight Mr. G. C. S. Ingram has felt compelled to resign from the Editorial Sub·Committee where he will be greatly missed as, ever since 1952, he has been most generous with his help. To him must go our grateful thanks. Colonel H. Morry Salmon has filled this vacancy and I am most grateful to him and the other Members of this Sub­ Committee, Messrs. C. J. Brecknell, P. W. Hinde and Dr. C. W. Walker for their help with this Report and also to Mr. T. R. H. Owen who has undertaken the bulk of the typing. Finally I would like to thank all those who have con­ tributed notes and material. R.H.B. H~:REFORnSHIRE ORNITHOLOGlf:AL f:Um REPORT, 1958 235 SPANISH KITES The .first pair of Kites released in July 1957 were last 1ieen about 10 miles from Rhulen in December. These birds were ringed. Neither of these rings has been returned so that it is possible that the birds are still alive. A pair of Kites was seen in June in the same district where the first pair was last reported. That obviously does not mean that these Kites were the Spanish pair. It is a mere possibility. In June 1958 another pair of young Kites arrived from Spain, they are now in excellent condition and will shortly be flying free. Both of them are ringed. H. A. GILBERT. THE COMMON CRANE (Megalornis grus), A HEREFORDSHIRE RECORD? In the chapter on the Crane in W. H. Hudson's "Rare, vanishing and lost British birds," H. E. Forrest's "Fauna of Shropshire" is given as the source of the statement that "one was shot on the Herefordshire border in 1859 by a farmer who, finding it described in the books as a "common" crane, gave the body to his waggoner, who cooked and ate it!" In the "Fauna of Shropshire" the particulars are given as follows: "Mr.