J Mute Swan Cygnus alar HEREFORDSHIRE ORNITHOLOGICAL CLUB Founded 1950 ANNUAL REPORT 2001 Volume 6 Number 1 Compiled and Edited by: s. P. Coney I.B. Evans C.E. Lankester R.E. Mellish Reading & Commenting on the Whole Text Elaine Evans & Keith & Chris Mason Proof Reading by Peter & Joan Gardner Published August 2003 by Herefordshire Ornithological Club Price £7.50 - Post Free Text Drawings by Christina Milward Colour Photographs by Ifor Evans Front cover 'Yellowhammer' by Chris Gomersall by kind permission of RSPB Copyv~ -HOC 2003 Report: Design & typeset by James Bisset for Oldlands Press. Printed by Oldlands Press - Telephone 01544 387911 - Email: [email protected] HEREFORDSHIRE ORNITHOLOGICAL CLUB ANNUAL REPORT 2001 Volume 6 Number 1 CONTENTS Officers and Committee 2 Introduction - John Pullen 3 Club Meetings 2001 .4 Weather Report - John Pullen 5 Bodenham Lake Bird Report - Trevor Hulme 7 The Hawfinch in Herefordshire 1888-2001 - !for Evans 9 Berrington Pool Heronry 2000 - Dr. David Boddington 14 Systematic List 2001 17 Herefordshire Map and Main Sites 40-41 List ofContributors to the Systematic List .70 A Hoopoe's Nest - Dr. C. W Walker MC. 71 The Pelican "Twitch" - !for & Elaine Evans .73 Earliest and Latest Dates for Summer Migrants 2001 74 Latest and Earliest Dates for Winter Migrants 2001 75 Herefordshire County Rarities 2001 .75 County Bird List for Herefordshire .79 Report Exchanges 81 Affiliated Associations 81 Corrections to Annual Report 2000 Vo1.5 No.lO 81 Income and Expenditure Account Year Ended 30th November 2001 .Inside Back Cover HEREFORDHIRE ORNITHOLOGICAL CLUB Founded 1950 Officers and Committee 2001 President LB. Evans Vice-Presidents Mrs J.M. Bromley P.J. Eldridge Chairman J.R. Pullen Vice-Chairman G.R. Parker Hon. Secretary c.E. Lankester Hon. Treasurer and Membership Secretary R.E. Mellish Hon. Report Editor P.H. Downes Hon. Bulletin Editor P. Gardner Hon. Meetings Secretary K.A. Mason Recorder & Conservation Liaison Officer S.P. Coney Education Liaison Officer Mrs V. Jermy Committee T.W Downes (Publicity) :\I.A Smith T.M Weale Miss N.J Perry (Co-opted) BTO Representative - S. P Coney RSPB Representative - I.B. Evans Club Websitc: http://www.hcrefordshircbirding.nct 2 INTRODUCTION This is the 51 st. Annual Bird Report of the Herefordshire Ornithological Club. The Club has remained active. Although the indoor meetings were well attended the outdoor programme was seriously affected by the disastrous Foot and Mouth epidemic that broke out in February. Access to the countryside was denied for much ofthe year and this had a devastating effect on survey work which was suspended for a good part ofthe year. The monitoring of the 40 sites did not resume until the winter months and therefore the HOC's Garden Bird Watch Survey which was continuous became more valuable along with the records members were able to submit, often recorded from the roadside. Two firsts were recorded during the year: a Great White Pelican in October and an Ovenbird in December. A Rose­ Coloured Starling in November was a fourth County record. It was with great sadness that in December we recorded the passing of Josephine Bromley 1919 - 2001 who joined the HOC in 1951, was an early Committee member, its Secretary from 1973 to 1987 and Vice - President since 1998. She will be remembered with great affection and gratitude for her immense contribution to the HOC. The Club is appreciative of the effort made by all Survey volunteers and those members who take time to submit their records. Any interesting records are welcome and are always recorded on the Club's Web Site, http://www.herefordshirebirding.net which remains very popular recording many 'hits'. The membership remained at just over 400. The Club has tried to reach the wider public by launching a new Club Leaflet, displays in libraries and definitive publicity in local papers. The Club made a donation to the Woodland Trust towards the creation of a new wood at Drover's Wood, Breinton. Three members, Peter Eldridge, John Pullen and Nick Smith joined other members ofthe public to plant the first ofthe trees. Another activity the Club arranged was a Bird Recognition Course held over 3 weeks in March. The tutors were Ifor Evans, Keith Mason and John Pullen. The classes attracted over 20 members, unfortunately the culminating Field Trip had to be postponed until 2002. This Report was edited by lfor Evans assisted by Steve Coney, Chas Lankester and Ray Mellish. The drawings were contributed by Christina Milward.The Mute Swan Family and duck photographs by Ifor Evans. We thank them and all other contributors for their contributions. John Pullen 3 CLUB MEETINGS HELD IN 2001 Field Meetings were held at the following locations: Date Venue Leader 7th. January Credenhill Park Wood Gerald Parker 18th. January Talybont Reservoir & Llangorse Lake Chas Lankester 27th. January Park Hall, Blithfield & Chasewater John Pullen 10th. February Whitford Point, Gower Keith Mason 20th. February Carrots Wye Terry Foxton All further meetings planned to the 24th. May were cancelled due to an outbreak ofFoot & Mouth Disease throughout the country. Field Meetings commenced again on that date and were arranged so as to avoid contravening the Foot & Mouth Epidemic restrictions. 24th. May Slimbridge WWT Keith Mason 10th. June Cotswold Water Park John Pullen 19th. June Ross-on-Wye Town Robin Jeffries 30th. June Martin Down John Vickerman & Terry Foxton 5th. July Hereford City John Pullen 16th. August Upton Warren Keith Mason 26th. August Wellington Gravel Pits Terry Downes 31 st. Aug.- 4th. Sept. Cornwall Weekend John Pullen 23rd. September Gwent Levels Goldcliff Tony Eveleigh 13th. October Wigmore Rolls & Criftin Ford Bridge Keith Mason 24th. October Castleton Wye Steve Coney 2nd. - 5th. November North Norfolk Keith Mason 14th. November Haugh Wood Terry Foxton 24th. November Kenfig Nature Reserve & Blackpill Keith Mason 9th. December Bodenham Lake & Wellington Gravel Pits Terry Downes The following indoor meetings were held at Holmer Parish Centre during the winter periods: Date Topic Speaker 9th. January Members' Evening 13th. February Dr. Walker Memorial Lecture Keith afford 27th. February "Birds of Scotland" Keith Mason 6th. March A.G.M. & "Galapagos Islands" Ray & June Mellish 27th. March "Wildlife of Northern France" Roy Croucher 11th. September "Arctic Canada & the Rockies" S.M.D. Alexander 9th. October "Pick 'n Mix" (A Journey Through Life) Colin Titcombe 13th. November "Goshawks & Honey Buzzards" Jerry Lcwis 27th. November "Where Griffons Soar" (Spain) Keith afford 11 th. December "Wetland & WWT" Tony Richardson (MD ofWWT) 4 WEATHER REPORT 2001 January - Rain fell on 14 days recording 60.6 mms., somewhere near the average. Frost was recorded on 13 nights starting on the 8th . and culminating in a 55 mm. snowfall on the 20 th . On the 27 th . a temperature of -7 degrees C. was recorded. The continuing overnight frosts and cold daytime temperatures between the 9th . and 10 th . resulted in many frozen pools forcing wildfowl to pool margins. Eywood Pool for example was 99% ice covered pushing 115 Mallard to a small area of open water. This caused the wildfowl, especially ducks, to look for larger areas of water which werentt frozen. February - Rain was recorded on 17 days with the heaviest on the 6 th . and the 12 th . resulting in local flooding. Total rainfall for the month was 76.1 mm. which was slightly higher than the average. Snow was recorded on the 28th. and frost on 10 nights. The weather from the 13th. to the 19th. was cold, dry and sunny with overnight frosts. These conditions returned on the 27th. and carried on until the 5th. March. March - The cold weather ofthe first few days gave way to mild dry days with 15 degrees C. recorded on the 7th. The cold weather returned on the 18th. with snow recorded on the 18th., 20th. and 21 st. when there was a fall of 80 mms. The weather became mild towards the end of the month. There were 12 days when no rain was recorded. Total rainfall was 103.8 mms. which was nearly double the average for the month. With the mild weather at the end of the month early migrants returned on time: Chiffchaff on the 14th., Sand Martins on the 24th. and Swallow on the 29th. April- The early part of the month was damp and mild and from the 8th. to the 21st. the days were mostly dry although cold with nightly frosts from the 18th. to the 21st. The rainfall amounted to 75.6 mms. and there were 165.7 hours of sunshine. May - This month returned to being a dry summer month with only 37.6 mms. ofrain, last year 57.4 mms. There were 21 dry days with most rainfall recorded on the 10th. with 10.5mms and the 17th. with 20 mms. On many days the temperature was quite hot, 24.4 degrees C. on the 13th. & 14th. and on 8 other days the temperature reached over 20 degrees C. The early hot weather encouraged caterpillars to appear so enabling good numbers of tits to fledge. June - The first half of the month was mainly dry, with most rain occurring on the 15th., 16th. & 17th. Especially heavy storms on the 15th. & 16th. which, as last year, washed the caterpillars out of the tree canopy affecting Pied Flycatcher feeding. This month the highest number of hours of sunshine for the year of 228 hours was recorded. July - This month will be remembered for heavy storms and a much higher than average rainfall of 78.9 mms. Rain was recorded on 13 days. Hot dry weather was recorded from the 23rd. From the 26th. to the 31 st. the temperature was over 20 degrees C.