NEWSLETTER 47 AUTUMN 2010 Editor: Stephanie Dewhurst The RSPB speaks out for birds and wildlife, tackling the problems that threaten our environment. Nature is amazing - help us keep it that way. The Royal Society for the Protection of a million Birds (RSPB) is a registered charity: voices for England and Wales No 207076; nature FAIRY TERN IN FLIGHT Scotland Charity No SC037654 GALLOWAY LOCAL GROUP GROUP LEADER’S REPORT sales stall so ably run, as usual, by Rhona and Jill. It was very busy, lots of families there enjoying all the children's Dear Members activities offered by the various organisations and a really As many of you will know my husband Charles passed good atmosphere. Rhona and Jill are still hoping someone th away on 6 July after his cancer suddenly reappeared. (or preferably two) will offer to take over the sales. A contributory factor was the heart failure from which he had suffered since February. He had been the group's Although it had been such a cold winter and spring which newsletter editor for over ten years until the autumn of led us to think that the swallows might be late arriving, 2007. His knowledge of birds and their habitats far in fact, “our birds” arrived on the 19th April, four days exceeded mine which was evident on our walks in the earlier than in many years which just proves you never countryside and on the hills, something denied to him can tell! So far they have had two broods. during the last three years. I hope some of that knowledge has stayed in my memory. My heartfelt thanks to the And so came the merry month of May bringing a cuckoo committee and other members for all the kind messages my way on Benniguinea Hill near Clatteringshaws but of sympathy I received. I didn‟t hear many more this summer. We used to have several calling around the house but sadly not any Another recent death was that of Lady Henderson on 18th more, nor lapwings, and fewer curlews. Ten of us went July. She was the group's president for a number of years on the group's minibus trip to the RSPB reserve at and gave a great deal of her time, energy and wisdom to Lochwinnoch. You can read a report of this further on in the local RSPB. An obituary appears next in this news- this issue and also on the group's website at letter. www.rspb.org.uk/groups/galloway I apologise for starting on such a gloomy note so shall May is the month for bluebells but, disappointingly, now turn to the notes I had made some time ago relating nobody went to Brian's Open Days to see those growing to happenings earlier in the year. In the last newsletter in his local wood. We could also have done with more I referred to the starling roost at Mersehead. On 12th people coming to our joint fundraising effort with SWT at February I had the pleasure of watching the starlings at Clonyard Farm on 27th June. The weather was good but Gretna Green which were truly spectacular: thousands of we were competing with the World Cup and perhaps birds in great clouds weaving patterns in the sky like other events too. Many, many thanks to our hosts Pam smoke curling around. This lasted about twenty minutes. and Matthew Pumphrey and all the helpers who gave Those who had been before declared it was the best they so generously of their time. had ever seen. Well worth the journey. Another sight worth seeing later in the same month, and quite by If you have any suggestions for future fundraising or chance, was that of hundreds of geese in flight while we indeed relating to any other aspect of the group's were en route to and from Dumfries. activities, please do telephone me or any of the committee members. We would welcome any feedback. February is also the month for beautiful displays of snow- drops. Usually we go to St Mary's Isle in Kirkcudbright Cynthia Douglas, but this year we visited Cally Woods at Gatehouse, which Group Leader offered an equally good show. The previous night our LADY HENDERSON thermometer had recorded minus 11 degrees at ground The recent death of Lady Catherine level so it was a very frosty morning but nonetheless we Henderson, peacefully at Hensol, enjoyed a picnic lunch in the winter sunshine. Walking shortly after a very happy and further down the track I was rewarded by seeing forty congenial 96th birthday with her curlews fly past and land in a field which they shared family, ended a remarkable and with the same number of greylag geese. highly fulfilling life, a worthy In early March Brian Nolan and I attended the Environ- account of which would take up ment Fair at DGOne where we took a turn on the group's more than this entire newsletter. Born and brought up at Cumstoun, Kirkcudbright, she especially this year, and butterflies including the small was bequeathed Hensol by her godmother. She and pearl bordered fritillary. There is a mill dam which Sir Nigel loved its ancient woodland with its rich attracts lots of dragonflies and once only a kingfisher. birdlife (including honey buzzards!) its peaty river and its meadows and famous garden. Our bird-list totals 81, but with only solitary additions for each of the last four years: it is the last one for February They bequeathed ground to the RSPB for Hensol‟s public 2010, however, which is the prize - a little egret! This bird hides and for some years housed a well-hidden was in the midst of our severe winter, but the water was aviary for the nurture and release of red kites, which later unfrozen for most of the pond where my wife spotted it - helped form the nucleus of Galloway‟s now famous kite with good views even to its black legs and yellow feet as population. As Honorary President of our local RSPB it picked its way. The pond also hosted our second “best group she meticulously chaired our AGMs until beyond th bird” - a female marsh harrier on 2nd November 2002, her 90 birthday. Quick-witted, charming, distinguished which struck and carried off one of our moorhens. I tend yet unassuming, she epitomised the ideals of public to dismiss both the rare and the less likely in my service and private friendship to her “chums” as she bird-watching, but consultation confirmed it. called them. Our first entry is also our saddest - curlew; sad, in that For more than 50 years she raised funds tirelessly for the their habitat neighboured ours and was planted with RNLI and was twice awarded its highest accolade. She Sitka in the year we arrived. Their nest site lasted for and Sir Nigel held annual open days at Hensol to raise about four years and then was abandoned. Meadow pipits, funds for this and other charities. skylarks and whinchats went at about the same time. Birds though come and go for various reasons - in 1994 The Hendersons travelled the world on official engage- we had green woodpeckers, 15 pairs of swallows nesting ments and through Sir Nigel fulfilled high level naval and a pair of spotted flycatchers nesting in the garden: missions. Whilst serving in Paris they lived on a seventy- now we have one or two swallow nests if we are lucky foot barge on the Seine. It is perhaps trite to end with the and no sign of the other two species. Nature though hackneyed, “We shall not see her like again” but, trite or makes up for things: nuthatches reached us in 2008 and not, it is true. I saw a pair together this year; a couple of pairs of white- Bryan Nelson throats nest each year in one of our woods and a pair of redstarts started coming from 1998 onwards and I saw FAREWELL TO NETHER LINKINS their fledged young this summer; a pair of grey wagtails have nested around the steading for some years now; teal come every winter to the pond and we have had a pair of wintering goldeneye and also goosanders on occasion. The winter has also brought us hen harriers now and again, and redpoll and brambling, whilst the number of ravens has increased considerably - I counted 35 together one January morning. Even the Sitka has produced nesting willow warblers and chiffchaffs and a regular pair of mavises, whose singing is such a delight. We are going to a small village near Kelso in September and it will be hard to part with all this. We are lucky in that our successors are also aware of the environment in which they will be living and we think we are leaving what we have helped to create in good hands. We will of course miss the RSPB group and all Nether Linkins is the name of our farm, nestling at the the familiar and friendly faces. Looking back at my time foot of the hills that make up the Ben Gairn/Screel as Leader I think of fine visiting speakers - Roy Dennis‟ feature. It has been the centre for my bird-watching for 16 visit and also that of David Lingard of the British support years – my “ patch”. In fact the farming came by accident for the Italian Bird Society, LIPU. This resulted in as I‟d intended to buy only enough land for a nature me and others joining LIPU-UK and a final plea would reserve, but the amount and nature of the land dictated be for more members to do so.