Herefordshire Ornithological Club ANNUAL REPORT 1964 Together with Classified Notes for Herefordshire and Radnorshire No. 4, Vol. 2 Price 4- Herefordshire Ornithological Club No. 4. Vol. 2. OFFICERS AND C'OMMITTEE, 1964 President: - BRIGADIER SIR MICHAEL VENABLES-LLEWELYN, BART., M.V.O. Vice-Presidents :- P. W. HINDE, M.B.O.U. DR. C. W. WALKER, M.C. C. J. BRECKNELL Chairman :- T. R. AMMONDS Hon. Secretary and Editor:­ R. H. BAILLIE Hon. Treasurer:- A. G. FYSHE Hon. Assistant Secreta ry :­ MRS. S. LEE Committee: - MRS. J. M. BROl\lLEY P. McDoUGALL, M.ll.O.t:. G. S. T. DIGGORY \V. H. MEADHAM SIR TERENCE FALKI:\'ER, B.\RT. C. O'GORMA;\i J. L. Fox T. R. H. OWE;\i, Cll.!. MIss \\'. .\1. (;IBSO:\, A. J. SMITH 142 HEREFORDSHIRE OR"ITHOLOGICAL REPORT, 1964 HEREFORDSHIRE ORNITHOLOGICAL CLUB RULES 1. NAME. 'I'he 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 fie.ld, and (b) to assist in their pres·ervation. 3. MEMBERSH IP. The Club shall consist of a President, a Chairman, a Secretary, a Field Secretary, a Treasurer, an Editor and Ten Com­ mittee Members and Ordinary Members. The President and the Chairman to retire after serving a term of three years. The Secretaries, the Treasurer and the Editor shall be elected annually. The three senior of the ten Ordinary Members of the Committee shall retire annual.ly and they shall not be eligible for re-election for a period of twelve months. The Officers and Ordinary Members of the Com­ mittee shall be elected at the Annual General Meeting and the Officers 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 coJlectors of skins and/or eggs) information in a manner likely to be detrimental to the objects of the Club. 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 the first, 1Os.; 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, etc.: 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. 'Whe·re a member has been eJected 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 election. Any Member whose subscription is six months in arrears shall cease to receive the Club's publications and, should the subscription not be paid by December 31 st, 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 sha,!1 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 Mem­ bers including the Secretary, appointed at an ordinary Committee Meet­ ing. These shall prepare and present an Annual ~eport 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 ORNI THOLOGICAL CLUB INCOME AND EXPENDITURE ACCOUNT-YEAR ENDING :Hst DECEMBER, 1964 ! )63 1963 £ s. d. RECEIPTS £ s. d. £ s. d. PAYMENTS £ s. d. £ s. d. 69 9 5 To Ba,lance 1st January, 1964 ... 69 0 9 2 6 o By Duplicating Bulletins, Proceeds of Sale of:- Notices, etc. ... 2 0 0 " 24 7 8 Printing, Stationery and 4 4 6 Annual .Reports 1 19 0 " 18 4 Herefordshire Birds ... ... 2 6 Billposting ... 13 0 0 " 28 7 3 Postages, Te:ephones 1 6 0 Birds of Radnorshire ... 7 0 " 3 Donations I and Cheque Books .. , 22 14 10 8 0 " 4 17 3 178 2 6 Subscriptions, 1964 ... 205 7 ! 50 0 0 Print,ing Annual .Report 52 10 0 " 6 ! " 30 15 0 Sub5criptions paid in Ad~;'~ce 49 13 7 Meeting Expenses, " 22 17 6 " 2 10 0 Interest @ 5 % on £50 .Rentals and Charges 39 10 6 Defence Bonds 2 10 0 154 14 6 129 15 4 Affi Iiation Subscriptions:- 8 6 Interest @ 4-}% on £25 " Defence Bonds 1 2 6 10 0 Brit. Naturalists' Assoc. 10 0 Interest @ 5 % on £25 2 0 0 Hritish T,rust for National Development Ornithology ... 2 0 0 Bonds ... ... 9 0 1 0 0 Council for Nature 1 0 0 4 1 6 2 2 0 HMs. and Rads. Natu,re Trust Ltd. 2 2 0 10 6 Herefordshire Com- munity Council ... 10 6 0 Kite Fund ... ... I 1 0 0 Royal Society for the Protect'on of Birds I 1 0 I have examined the above accounts and am satisfied that they 12 6 W. Midl'nd Bird Club 17 6 r",~resent a true statement of the affairs of the Herefordshire I 10 0 Woolhope Naturalists' C"nithological Club in accordance with the books and vouchers Field Club ... 1 10 0 vihich have been produced. ---- 10 12 0 5 0 Donation to Mr. G. Peruffo -- " Donation to R.S.P.C.A. 1 1 0 j. L. FOX. A. G. FYSHE, " Don. to British Trust ror Ornithology 5 0 0 4/2/65. Hon. Treasurer. 26/1 /65. " Purchase of Hunter Projection Screen " and Case ... ... .. 26 2 6 Purchase of £25 Defence 4-}% Bonds 25 0 0 " Purchase of £25 National Develop- ment 5 % Bonds ... ... 25 0 0 15 Balance Carried Forward to 1965 30 0 " being Subscriptions paid in advance 22 17 6 69 0 9 Ba,lance Carried Forwa,rd-Being " Excess Income over Expenditure 88 4 8 ----- !C291 2 3 £308 13 0 I £291 2 3 £308 13 0 144 HEREFORDSHIRE ORI\ITHOLOGIC\L REPORT, 19tH 1964 REPORT With no really severe winter weather, a rather cold and late spring, and a dry summer and autumn, birds fared well thris year; and many of those which were so hard hit at the beginning of 1963 showed a marked recovery, though Wrens, Goldcrests, iMoorhens, Long-tailed Tits and particularly 'Wood_Larks are still relatively scarce. Most of the 'Predators are also in low water. This is a country-wide phenom­ enon, the SUbject of official inquiry, and almost ceNainly connected with the use of toxic chemicals. One Buzzard was picked up dead in Herefordshire, analyzed, and found to contain residues of four separate poiSiOns. The most not3Jble rarities recorded were the two Rough-legged Buzzards, the Osprey, Little Ringed Plover, Bar-tailed Godwit, two Hoopoes, Hooded Crow, Waxwings and two Snow Buntings. Equally remarkable and gratifying was the unusual prevalence of both Quail and Corncrake. Collared Doves took up residence in one locality, for the first time. \Vhooper and Bewick's Swans, which were rarely recorded prior to 1961, now s'eem to have become welcome and regular winter visitors to the 'V'ye. The occurrence of Gadwall and a Pintail in ,Radnorshire was most unusual, also the occurrence of Common Scoters which wer-e no doubt storm"driven, as was the Manx Shearwater at Hereford. MEMBERSHIP. Fifty-seven new members this year gave lIS a net incr-ease of 40 and we end the year 335 strong. CLUB OUTINGS were held at Belvide Reservoir, near Wolverhamp­ ton; Talybont Reservoir, Ereconshire; HaughWood (twice); Brock­ hampton Park, near Bromyard; Flan Valley; Xinsham; Llancillo; Waun Marteg: Severn ,Estuary; T\foelienydd: 'Vigmore Rolls and Hindwell Pool area. The week-end visit to Bardsey Island got us no nearer to the island I han Aherdaron, owing to very wet and rough weather. INDOOR 'T\IEETINGS at the Percival Hall, Hereford, included: --~ R. Scholefield, "A Trip across Iceland;" Peter Roseveare on Birds of Scotland; Dr. C. W. ,'Valker. "Birds seen in America"; T. R. H. Owen, "vVild Life of the Kafue National Park"; coloured films of "Pembroke­ shire mv County" aud "Heritage of the Forest" made by the Esso Petroleum Company and shOlm by T\[r. H. M. BelTy; .Tames Alder all HEREFORDSHIRE ORt';ITHOLOGICAL REPORT, 1964 145 Dippers; G. N. Smith s-howed us his two final reels of his "African Safari" and, on another evening, those taken on his recent trip to America. There was alw a Members' Evening for discussion and showing of their own films. Our thanks gu to the above-mentioned members and other lecturers who afforded us such enjoyable evenings; also to the land­ uwners and other agents who allowed us to v'isit their properties. ACCOUNTS. Once again these make a very satisfactory showing, and the result is in no small measure due to the Treasurer's consistent and meticulous work on them. PPBLICATlONS. "Herefordshire Birds'" (1954) by Captain H. A. Gilbert and Dr. C. 'W. Walker >(2/6), and "Birds of Radnorshire'" (19'55) by G. C. S. Ingram and Colonel H. 'Morrey Salmon (3/6) are obtainable from the Hon. Secretary, as are most of our previous reports.