No 485 Summer 2017 Common Sandpiper at our Belvide Reserve - 8th May, 2017 Photographer Chris Blackburn This front page is sponsored by The Birder’s Store, Worcester WMBC News Is published in March, June, September and December each year to link members with each other, what’s been happening, current issues and forthcoming events on the birding scene in our area and further afield together with a selection of your articles and a comprehensive summary of the recorded bird sightings in our area As the purpose of this Newsletter is not only to entertain but also to inform members about upcoming events I always endeavour to get it dropping onto your doormats by 1st of March, September and December. The exception to this is your summer issue which I hold back to include a report from our Annual General Meeting, a copy of our audited accounts for the previous year and a draft of our Chairman’s report for those members who are unable to attend the AGM, all of which would be old news by September. Despite our best efforts with every issue a very few copies seem to go astray. A member kindly informed me, last issue, that he had found a second name and address slip behind his own enabling me to post out the missing copy. Following this I have arranged for our distributors to carry out an additional check which should prevent this reoccurring. This just leaves copies that are ‘lost in the post’ and as our Membership Secretary keeps our Club database in perfect up-to-date order the most obvious reason for this is out of date or inaccurate contact details, which you can prevent by letting Michael, our Membership Secretary, know of any changes or amendments promptly. By the time you receive this issue it will be almost the middle of June and some of you may already have been wondering if your copy had gone astray and who is the best person to inform about this. I am sure you would agree that the ideal person is someone who can deal with your query promptly without passing the problem on to someone else for action and that is me, your Newsletter Editor so any problems in future let me know at [email protected] Sue In this issue Page 3 Annual Activities Statement 2017 - Chairman’s Report - Kevin Clements Page 4 2017 Annual General Meeting Feedback and Treasurer’s Report Page 5 2016 Audited Accounts Page 6 WMBC Vice President - “A Great Honour” - Jim Winsper Page 6 John Hoyle - A Tribute Page 7 Membership Matters - Michael Bevan Page 8 Marsh Lane Nature Reserve - Nick Barlow Page 10 2017 WMBC Cannock Chase Bird Survey - Roger Broadbent Page 11 Honorary membership to Charles (Charlie) Brown Page 12 Quiz - Spot, then Identify the bird - Peter Lewis Page 13 WMBC Website Manager - Time to move over - Jim Winsper Page 14 The American Wigeon at Grimley and Holt - Brian Stretch Page 17 In Search of Cranes - Lorraine and Roy Ingleston Page 21 Batumi Raptor Count - Martin Kenrick Page 24 Our Local Patch - Himley Park and Baggeridge Country Park - Blake May Page 26 Calling All Photographers Page 27 Club and Branch Indoor Meetings and Field Trips Page 29 An Urgent Appeal for Independent Trustees Page 30 Birds on the Brink - Roger Broadbent Page 31 Joint WMBC and BTO 2016/17 Regional Black Redstart Survey - Jim Winsper Page 32 Bird Notes - February to April - Humphrey Miller Page 36 WMBC Field Trip Reports - Ray Davies Page 38 Feedback from the 2nd Staffordshire Birders’ Conference - Geoff Sales Page 39 Officers of WMBC and their contact details 2 Annual Activities Statement 2017 Chairman’s Report Last year saw the sad passing of Frank Gribble MBE (Vice President). Frank had held several positions within the Club, as well as with the Staffordshire Wildlife Trust, Shropshire Ornithological Society and British Trust for Ornithology. This year’s quinquennial Cannock Chase Bird Survey is fittingly dedicated to the memory of Frank. Thanks to Roger Broadbent and David Dodd for managing the survey, and to Cannock Chase AONB Unit, Forestry Commission, Staffordshire County Council and Stafford Borough Council for their support. Early this year saw the culmination of the WMBC and BTO Regional Black Redstart Survey, coordinated by Jim Winsper. A total of 33 birds were reported across the Region, though sadly there were only three possible breeding reports (all in the West Midlands) and no confirmed breeding records. Nevertheless, the survey has provided a fascinating insight into the species current status across the Region, and thank you to all who participated. Congratulations to David Emley (Annual Report Editor) for being awarded the British Empire Medal for services to higher education and natural history. Our 2014 Annual Report has recently been published, whilst progress on the 2015 edition is well advanced. Thanks to David, the County Recorders and their respective teams, and the circa thousand contributors for submitting hundreds of thousands of records from across the four counties. Our quarterly WMBC News has become an increasingly popular and eagerly awaited read under Sue Judge’s continued editorship. Thank you to everyone who has submitted articles on their local patches, recent trips and birding anecdotes. Thank you to our wardens and teams of enthusiastic volunteers for continuing to manage our reserves for the benefit of birds and other wildlife, and for our collective access and enjoyment. Thanks also to everyone involved in running our branches at Kidderminster, Solihull and Stafford, and coach trips from Birmingham. We continue to be involved in the ‘Tame Valley Wetlands Landscape Partnership Scheme’, part funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund. The scheme aims to create a wetland landscape along the River Tame between Birmingham and Tamworth. In partnership with the Environment Agency we have funded a replacement hide overlooking Coton Pool. Our relationship with Bardsey Bird and Field Observatory, remains strong, with Club representatives attending board meetings. We have also been working with local ringing groups to develop several innovative projects that will hopefully provide invaluable information on the movements and longevity of birds across the Region. Thank you Kevin Clements 3 WMBC - AGM 2017 - Feedback Humphrey Miller took minutes at the meeting and these will be presented to next year’s AGM. This is a brief personal report for the benefit of those not present. Club Vice-President, Graham Harrison took the chair, welcomed members present and observed that if our Club has had an AGM in every year of its existence this would be its 88th! Apologies were received and the minutes of the 2016 AGM were approved. Club Chairman, Kevin Clements then gave his annual report which is reproduced on page 3 of this Newsletter. Our Club Treasurer, Andy, then presented the meeting with his report and the 2016 audited accounts, shown below and opposite. A questioner from the floor sought reassurance that membership fees still covered the costs involved such as publication of the Newsletter and Annual Report. Andy assured the meeting that this was the case and confirmed that the club’s financial reserves were never used for this purpose. He also reported that large cost savings had been achieved in 2016 by Dave Emley, in changing Printers for the Annual Report. All existing Trustees, who wished to be so, were reelected and Roger Broadbent’s position as an Executive Trustee was also confirmed. Stephen Payne, who you will recognise as the Worcestershire County Recorder, had indicated his willingness to be nominated as an Independent Trustee and was also Elected. As, prior to this meeting, Jenny Jupe was the only Independent Trustee she had requested that this meeting ratified her position as Chair of Trustees. This was carried unanimously. Jenny then addressed the meeting and in light of the importance of what she had to say there is further information and an appeal on page 29. All nominees for the Executive Committee were unopposed and elected en masse following which our Chairman, Kevin, announced that as this would be his fifth year in office he would be standing down at next year’s AGM. On the recommendation of our Treasurer the Auditors Messrs. Griffiths and Pegg were reappointed. The only matter of AOB that had been tabled was concern about the delay in publishing our Annual Report. Assurances were received that every effort was being made to bring forward publication but it was also stressed that delay in publication of a full and complete record was far more desirable that earlier publication of incomplete and inferior one and in this respect the County Recorders were in the hands of their site reporters. There being no other business the meeting closed and was followed by a talk from Nick Barlow about the Marsh Lane Nature Reserve. A report on this appears after Nick’s article on page 8/9. Honorary Treasurer’s Report Annual Accounts Members will see from the Accounts shown opposite that the club made a deficit of £4,711 in 2016. This was due to an increase in expenditure, mainly on the club’s reserves. On the income side, membership subscriptions remained at the same level, there was an increase in rural payments in relation to Belvide, and £2,400 was raised from the sale of bird data. With regard to outgoings, the Club erected a new hide at the Ladywalk reserve, new machinery was purchased at Ladywalk and Belvide, and a night vision camera was purchased for use in ringing. The combined cost of these assets was nearly £26,000. In addition nearly £10,000 was spent at Blithfield on hide extensions and a contribution to a tern raft.