exeter and district local group - the rspb · exeter and district local group newsletter no. 163...

EXETER AND DISTRICT

LOCAL GROUP

The RSPB is the country’s largest nature conservation charity, inspiring everyone to give nature a home.

The RSPB is a registered charity: in England and Wales no. 207076; in Scotland no.SC037654

giving nature a home

Editorial

Does anyone remember the Millennium Bug? That mystical creature which emerged in the late 1990s, threatening the continuation of life as we knew it. I certainly do. Days and weeks slaving over a hot keyboard, striving to protect society from catastrophe (or so we were warned). And it must have worked mustn’t it? The best part of 20 years later and it’s scarcely a footnote in history. Arguably the new millennium has ushered in far bigger threats, both to man and beast, but in another two decades who knows how we’ll be fixed?

Before then we’ve got another excellent year of bird-related events to look forward to, courtesy of Carolyn and Richard. You can see the start of it below; hints about the rest are on the programme card which should be with you by now; and all will be available on the website in due course. All part of our attempt to give you a happy new year.

John Parker

*** Please submit any material for the next issue by 11th April to –

e-mail: [email protected] or post: John Parker, 2 St Sevan Way Exmouth, EX8 5RE

…and some words from our Group Leader

I spent the Christmas break in Esher with my elder daughter and her family. We awoke most mornings to the ‘kyik kyik’ of the rose-ringed parakeets, the commonest birds and certainly noisiest birds in her garden, closely followed by goldfinches and magpies. Huge numbers of parakeets are in that part of Surrey and a walk on Boxing Day in Richmond Park proved just as noisy.

It’s annual Big Garden Birdwatch time. This year you can use the online bird counting tool to record the birds as you see them, directly onto laptops, tablets or smart phones. Just start the timer and once the hour is up all you need to do is press submit to send the results. It’s great fun as well as providing vital information. Don’t forget 30-31 January.

Concern has been growing over the impact of the growing population on the wildlife sites in Devon. The Exe Estuary, Dawlish Warren and the East Devon Pebble Heaths are amazing natural places and they each internationally important for their rare wildlife, and are listed as a Special Protection Area, Special Area of Conservation and both respectively. A Working Group has been set up, including the RSPB which will assess potential measures and make recommendations to a joint committee who will allocate funds to mitigate the problems.

I have just received a thank you from the new Regional Director, Nick Bruce- White to all at the Exeter and District Local Group for raising the sum of £3,968.75 towards the work of the RSPB. Well done all of you who help us to raise such a magnificent sum.

On February 13th we are again holding a day at the Royal Albert Memorial Museum to encourage public involvement to help us save nature. If you are able to help, even for just a short time, please contact me. Email me at [email protected].

Finally I wish you a belated Happy New year and good birding.

Roger Tucker

mailto:[email protected]


Exeter and District Local Group Newsletter No. 163 Spring 2016 of 14


FORTHCOMING EVENTS

Indoor Meetings

All meetings start at 7.30 pm in the United Reform Church Hall, Southernhay, Exeter Members – £3.50 : Non-members – £4.00

* * * A late change to our programme for the February event * * *

Unfortunately, due to ill health, Terry Bond will be unable to give his talk but Kelvin Boot has agreed to fill the gap with a fascinating alternative.

Tuesday 9th February : “Paradise In Peril” by Kelvin Boot

Kelvin is a freelance science communicator, natural history writer and BBC broadcaster.

The Galapagos is a natural treasure but there is much concern that the beauty of these enchanted islands is in danger. Kelvin's talk will cover the many problems as well as conservation work in this wonderful area.

Tuesday 8th March : “The Wessex Stone Curlew Project & The New Zealand

Kaki (Black Stilt) Project” by Nick Tomalin

Nick worked on the RSPB Cirl Bunting Project in Devon before moving to Wiltshire to manage the long established Wessex Stone Curlew Project. In 2013 he spent 2 months working with the critically endangered Kaki (Black Stilt)

and finally, for this winter season …

Tuesday 12th April : “Fighting For Birds – 25 years in Nature Conservation”

by Mark Avery

Mark worked for the RSPB for 25 years and was Conservation Officer for 13 of those years. He is now a freelance writer and environmental commentator, an author of many books, including ‘Fighting for Birds - 25 years in Nature’ and is one of our most respected and knowledgeable conservationists. He has the courage to tell the hard truth about the health and future hopes for our nation’s wildlife, campaigning tirelessly for conservation. One not to miss!

And that’s it until September 13th when we’ll hear about some surprises in Exeter. Note that date!

Carolyn Channing

Plant Sale and Spring Fayre

A D V A N C E N O T I C E

The morning of May 14th the social area of St Margaret’s Church in Topsham …

… be there for our Plant Sale and Spring Fayre

Please put the date on your diaries and start thinking about possible cuttings and plants! More information will appear in the next newsletter.

More information will appear in the next newsletter.

Marilyn Steel



Christmas Fayre Report

Our annual Christmas Fayre, held in St Margaret’s Church Social Area in Topsham, was a successful event once again. We raised a total of £512.57, approximately £1 more than last year’s figure!

We are very pleased with this outcome, particularly as last year, there were competing Christmas events being held in Topsham. Once again the Jewellery & Toiletries and the Cakes, Chutneys & Jam stalls did extremely well, closely followed by the Raffle, Books, CDs/DVDs and Bric A Brac. Our team of volunteers did their usual fantastic job, and our grateful thanks are due to them, and also to the many kind people who donated goods for sale at the Fayre.

Liz Saunders

Outdoor Trips

For outdoor meetings, weatherproof clothing and waterproof footwear are recommended.

Barn Owl = car share meeting point, SX 962928

An addition to our advertised programme

Sunday 31st

January 2016 : a day trip to … Ham Wall and Shapwick Heath

In this all-day visit we will visit the RSPB Ham Wall reserve and the neighbouring Shapwick Heath. We will be able to visit the new Avalon hide at Ham Wall, and we hope to be lucky enough to see Marsh Harriers, Great White Egrets and Bitterns.

Meet: 8.30 am at the Barn Owl (SX962928) or 9.45 am at the new Ham Wall car park (ST449396)

The new toilets at Ham Wall should be open Bring lunch

Saturday 13th

Feb 2016 : a day trip to … Steart

As part of a scheme to prevent coastal flooding, a large area of saltmarsh has recently been established on the Steart peninsula. We will start early today, with the aim of seeing flocks of waders at high tide at the Bridgwater Bay National Nature Reserve. In the afternoon we will visit the new nature reserve, which is managed by the WWT.

Meet: 7.30 am at the Barn Owl (SX962928) or 9.00 am at Natural England car park (ST275459)

Toilets at main WWT car park (afternoon) Bring lunch

Friday 26th

Feb 2016 : a morning trip to … Riverside Valley Park

A morning walk in the lower Exe valley, first visiting Matford Pools for ducks and waders, then exploring the Riverside Valley Park between Countess Wear and the Double Locks.

Meet: 9.30 am at University Boat House car park off A379, Countess Wear (SX940895). Alternative car parking by Countess Wear bridge.

No toilets

Sunday 20th

Mar 2016 : a day trip from … Steps Bridge to Clifford Bridge

An all-day field trip to look for woodland birds in Dunsford Woods, and along the upper Teign valley. We will extend our normal walk as far as Clifford Bridge, or perhaps a little further, taking in some of the woods recently purchased by the Woodland Trust. At this time of year we hope to see the wild



daffodils in flower, and there is a good chance of seeing Dippers or even a Lesser Spotted Woodpecker.

Meet: 9.30 am at Steps Bridge car park (SX802882)

No toilets Bring lunch

Saturday 9th

Apr 2016 : a day trip to … Slapton and Start Point

A morning walk at Slapton, for spring migrants and resident birds on the ley and sea. Then in the afternoon, we will move on to Start Point or another local site, depending on weather conditions.

Meet: 8.30 am at the Barn Owl (SX962928) or 9.45 am at Slapton beach car park (charge payable) (SX829441)

Toilets next to car park Bring lunch

Saturday 23rd

Apr 2016 : a day trip to … Brownsea Island

An all-day coach and ferry trip to Brownsea Island in Poole Harbour, especially noted for its red squirrels. At this time of year, the Sandwich Terns should be nesting and we should also see Common Terns and migrating waders.

Meet: Must be pre-booked. See below for details.

Bring lunch or eat at the cafe

Tuesday 10th

May 2016 : a morning trip to … Exminster Marshes

We will take a morning walk around the marshes, hoping to see some spring migrants as well as waders and wildfowl. If the weather is fine, there will be an option to stay on for an afternoon walk to the Powderham marshes side of the reserve too.

Meet: 9.30 am at RSPB car park (SX953872)

No toilets

I have a mailing list for e-mail reminders and updates about the outdoor meeting programme.

If you would like me to include you in this list, please e-mail me at [email protected]

Richard Swinbank

֍

* * * Trip to Brownsea Island by coach and boat * * *

On Saturday 23rd April we will be running a day trip to Brownsea Island.

Brownsea Island is set in middle of Poole Harbour and once described by Bill Oddie as ‘the best place for seeing wildlife in Dorset’. The island is owned by the National Trust, but about a third of the area is a nature reserve run by the Dorset Wildlife Trust. Brownsea is famous as the home to a thriving population of red squirrels. At the time we are visiting, spring will be getting under-way and we expect to see a range of waders on the lagoon and the terns should be preparing to nest.

The price will be £27 per person, including both the coach journey and the ferry to Brownsea (£1 less than in 2014!). Non-members of the National Trust will also need to pay an entry fee of £5.30, and there is also a small charge to enter the nature reserve unless you are a member of the Dorset Wildlife Trust. We’ll leave Exeter bus station at 8.45 am, and stop to pick up passengers in Honiton (around 9.10 am). We will take the ferry to Brownsea from Poole quay, and the return journey normally includes a tour around Poole Harbour (depending on tides). We will return to Exeter about 7.15 pm.




Please book through Richard Swinbank, preferably using the booking form available at group meetings or from News item on the website (but if you haven’t got internet access, you can just send me: your name(s); full telephone number - in case of queries, or emergencies; a cheque for fare plus admission payable to “RSPB Exeter Group”; and a stamped, self-addressed envelope).

Please mail bookings to: Richard Swinbank, 9 Broad Oak Close, West Hill, Ottery St Mary, EX11 1XW, by 19

th March.

I will mail out booking confirmations and additional information at the end of March.

NEWS AND INFORMATION

Exe Estuary Reserves – selected musings from the residential volunteers

(from http://www.rspb.org.uk/discoverandenjoynature/seenature/reserves/guide/e/exminsterpowderham/index.aspx)

23 Oct 2015 11:52 am, PhillC : Novocaine for the Soul

This week introduced us volunteers to a new lifestyle and survival skill: digger fishing! You may have seen a digger out and about excavating (or “slubbing”) the ditches, to create variety & diversity in the ditch ecology. But using a digger does mean that a few fish and eels have an opportunity to see the reserve from a different perspective. Fortunately, we’ve been on hand to quickly return them to their natural environment, although in the case of the eels, it’s easier said than done; they’re slippery little blighters. It has been interesting to see what lurks beneath, and the fish variety is quite impressive – Perch, Roach, Pike and Tench being common, and even a Flounder making a surprise appearance!

30 Oct 2015 4:53 pm, Laura : Mud Glorious Mud

It was the first wader survey for us residential volunteers this morning and proved something of a challenge. Keeping count of wigeon while they move about, feeding continually in the grass, would be a problem for Heisenberg, and spotting one ruff among hundreds of curlew and bar-tailed godwit is akin to a Where’s Wally search with the added challenge that Wally moves (a stripy red and white hat would have helped enormously). It was, nevertheless, a lovely way to spend an early Friday morning, and I was particularly pleased to see my first Egyptian goose and pintail.

6 Nov 2015 4:25 pm, Laura : Gaggles and Swarms

This week we’ve been maintaining the predator fence, one brave volunteer driving the mower down the outside of the fence (a rather tight space) and another following with a brushcutter, for the bits the mower couldn’t reach. Even a few stray strands of grass reduce the fence’s efficacy, lowering the voltage to an “ouch” rather than a “#@&*!” when accidentally touched.

20 Nov 2015 9:59 am, Jay : Jay's last blog!

My last ever day as a Residential Volunteer on the Exe!. I’ve learnt so much in my time here – some of which I’d like to share with you:

a) Metal is hard. Hands won’t ever win against a hammer and it took me too long to learn this.

b) Water is wet. Cold, muddy water definitely should be avoided on the inside of waterproof things.

c) Fire is hot. Scrub clearance means impressive bonfires, but also singed hair, eyelashes & arms, and clothes which may smell of bonfire for years to come.

In all seriousness, I’m leaving with a plethora of new skills, from how to build a gate from scratch to handling some of the machines needed for habitat maintenance. I can enter the job market now with proven experience.

18 Dec 2015 4:26 am, Laura : To Everything there is a Season

This week I was entrusted with the high tide count on Exminster Marsh. I really enjoyed getting out and seeing plenty of pintail and bar-tailed Godwit; less keen to see the fox bounding across the fields, flushing up every duck, goose and wader on the site – just as I reached a count of 799 wigeon!

Tom and I were invited to join our colleagues and their work party on the beautiful Aylesbeare reserve this week. We spent the day coppicing gorse and were treated at lunchtime with baked potatoes from the bonfire, hot stew and more cake than we could eat (and that is saying something).

http://www.rspb.org.uk/discoverandenjoynature/seenature/reserves/guide/e/exminsterpowderham/index.aspx

http://www.rspb.org.uk/community/members/PhillC/default.aspx



Our own work party returned to Labrador Bay this week to continue scrub clearance on our favourite muddy slope. Heavy rain may have doused the fire, but it didn’t dampen the spirits of our fantastic group. With yet more cake to fuel the day’s work we made great progress. As a reward for our efforts the rain cleared eventually and we were treated to a breathtaking sunset before piling into the truck.

My last week has been tinged with sadness, but my overall feeling is one of gratitude to all those who have helped make my time here so enjoyable: not just my housemates and fellow volunteers for all the laughs; to the office team for always greeting us with a smile at the end of the day, never commenting on how muddy and windswept we look; to Pete, for his dedication to our development; and to Tom, for his endless patience with city-soft newbies not knowing which end of the hammer to swing, for being a great teacher and for keeping a straight face when our fence posts really weren’t.

Activities on the Aylesbeare Reserves

October

As the snipe begin to colonise the damper areas the first winter bird survey only picked up the start of the winter arrivals. Stonechats and Dartford warblers are in evidence, setting out their winter foraging territories, but no sign yet of the winter thrush flocks or the small seed eaters like redpoll and siskin.

The winter work program has started with the never-ending coppicing of old stands of gorse and removal of the encroaching scrub. If you spot a couple of pine trees which appear to have been turned into wooden telephone masts this is actually a cunning bit of wildlife management. If you cut down an ordinary broadleaf tree, such as oak, birch or chestnut, the stump will quickly sprout lots of new shoots and the tree will regrow with multiple stems – the ancient art of coppicing. But coniferous trees don’t coppice as they only grow from the tips of the branches. So these pine trees, rather than just being felled, have had all their tip-growth cut off, which means they’re now dead and over the next few years the wood will decay. Decaying wood is a wonderful habitat for all sorts of invertebrates such as woodlice and beetles, not to mention fungi, moss and lichens, all exploiting the wood and bark. Then, of course, there are the animals that eat them, from spiders and centipedes up to great spotted and green woodpeckers, nuthatches and treecreepers.

November

The unseasonably mild weather has finally come to an end as the temperatures drop and the rain and wind pick up to give the sort of weather we expect in November. Still plenty of berries about and the flocks of winter thrushes – redwing and fieldfare – are now here to enjoy them. The small bird feeding flocks are building up now: linnets, finches and tits all tackle the seed resources in big groups – safety in numbers from the aerial predators. Goldcrest numbers are also building amongst the pine trees, and the snipe have finally started to arrive in bigger numbers including the first jack snipe.

Management work includes seemingly endless gorse coppicing on the reserve, fencing work on our own land and at Blackhill Quarry, and ditch clearance to stop a section of footpath from flooding.

The ponies are returning to the commons from summer pastures in the Blackdown Hills and on Trinity Hill nature reserve, and the little herd will over-winter back here on our reserve.

Back at base we‘re busy building a log cabin to provide a long overdue upgrade to our office space and allow our residential volunteers to live on-site, making our premises more secure. Staff and volunteers have prepared the enormous timbers and, as I write, the insulated roof sections are going on. We’ll heat it with our own log supply, solar panels will provide light & power and rainwater will be harvested for non-drinking use. A truly exciting project that couldn’t have been achieved without the huge efforts put in by our volunteers. I am SO looking forward to moving out of my cold office!

December

More mild weather! Butterflies are still on the wing: red admirals and peacocks are not yet settled into hibernation. One appeared suddenly in my living room earlier this week: I assume it was happily dozing on a piece of firewood I brought in from the shed and got woken up by the warmth.

Reserve management this month has involved scrub clearance on Aylesbeare and Harpford commons, fencing at Blackhill Quarry and dealing with wind-blown trees after the stormy weather a couple of weeks ago. The residential volunteers are spending a lot of time helping with the building work back at base, as our new log cabin is nearing the waterproof stage. They will have a strange



skill-set when they move on into the world of paid employment, probably including how to sing merrily while they work, as ably demonstrated by our lead contractor.

Two new grey Dartmoor ponies have arrived, bringing the small herd on Aylesbeare and Harpford up to twelve. There are five at Venn Ottery Hill, eight on Venn Ottery Common and four on Withycombe Raleigh Common, making twenty-nine in all.

January

The mild weather continues although the forecast is finally hinting at cold. Vlad, our stockman, is expecting very harsh conditions; apparently there is an old Polish saying that it is better to see wolves in the woods in December than a man in a T-shirt (I think I got that right...). At present there are still butterflies out and about when the sun shines, and flowers on the brambles, but definitely no wolves.

Last month I talked hopefully about all the birds we might expect to see once the weather got properly seasonal, but that still hasn’t happened yet. Regular monitoring on the reserve this morning found all the usual suspects out and about: one Dartford warbler (calling), nuthatch, treecreeper, goldcrest, great spotted and green woodpeckers, yellowhammer and bullfinch. But no flocks of finches and linnets scouring the seed heads on the thistles and very few snipe in the wet bits of the reserve.

Nicky Hewitt (Administrator)

Items of Interest – some snippets you may have missed

Some bad news …

New IUCN Red list

Four of the UK's bird species, including the puffin and turtle dove, have been added to the list of birds considered to be facing the risk of global extinction.

The latest annual revision of birds on the IUCN Red List doubles the number of UK bird species facing the risk of extinction to 8. Shockingly, a further 14 UK species are considered to be “Near Threatened”, so any further deterioration in their status could see them added to the red list too.

Martin Harper, the RSPB's Conservation Director, said: “This means that the global wave of extinction is lapping at our shores. The number of species facing extinction has always been highest in the tropics, often on small islands, but now the crisis is exacting an increasingly heavy toll on temperate regions too. The erosion of the UK’s wildlife is staggering - now puffin and turtle dove are facing the same level of threat as African elephant and lion, and more endangered than the humpback whale.”

A selection of this year’s changes in more detail:

Turtle dove:

Formerly the turtle dove was a familiar summer visitor to much of Europe including SE England. Declines across Europe exceeding 30 per cent over the past 16 years have seen its threat status rise from ”Least Concern” to “Vulnerable”.. The decline in the UK has been particularly high, with more than nine out of every ten birds being lost since the 1970s.

Atlantic puffin:

The global population remains in the millions but some recent breeding failures have been worryingly high, so the species has been assessed as “Vulnerable”. In the UK, there have been significant losses on Fair Isle and the Shetland Islands, but elsewhere it seems to be doing well.

Slavonian grebe:

The bulk of this waterbird’s population occurs in North America where it has undergone a large and significant decrease. This decline has triggered the inclusion of the Slavonian grebe on the list of species evaluated as “Vulnerable”. However, new information collated from across Europe suggests the Slavonian grebe is declining here too. In the UK, the number of nesting Slavonian



grebes, all in the Scottish Highlands, have declined although those wintering round the UK’s coasts have increased.

Pochard:

Globally, the pochard has been uplisted to “Vulnerable”. In the UK, the numbers of nesting pochard and the number of wintering individuals have declined markedly.

UK and European wading birds:

The addition of knot, curlew sandpiper, bar-tailed godwit, oystercatcher and lapwing to the list of “Near Threatened” species is troubling for this group of birds, especially as the newly-listed species join others, such as the curlew and black-tailed godwit, which have been listed as “Near Threatened” in previous assessments.

UK and European seaducks:

The eider has a large global range but new information from Europe suggests that this marine duck has declined significantly in recent years and that this decline is ongoing. This is one of a number of coastal ducks which have declined in recent years. In the UK, the long-tailed duck and the velvet scoter have been listed as “Vulnerable” and “Endangered” respectively.

… and some good news

Better implementation not renegotiation needed for the Nature Directives

The RSPB warmly welcomed the announcement that the UK government does not wish to renegotiate the Nature Directives.

In a statement to the EU Environmental Council meeting in Brussels, UK Environment Minister Rory Stewart said that better implementation of the directives was needed rather than renegotiation. He also said: “Biodiversity is absolutely at the core of our society, of our economy.”

Mike Clarke, Chief Executive of the RSPB said: “We welcome the minister’s commitment to work with others to improve the implementation of these vital laws. The RSPB is committed to working with all governments to improve the way the Nature Directives are put into practice for wildlife, people and businesses. A focus on implementation not only provides certainty for business but also allows us to get on with the job of saving nature.”

The Nature Directives are the foundation of nature conservation across Europe and are scientifically proven to be effective where properly implemented. They deliver demonstrable benefits for nature, as well as significant social and economic benefits. Environment ministers from all over the EU recognised this when they unanimously supported conclusions that halting the loss of European wildlife will be impossible without the Nature Directives.

Between April and July 2015, a record number of 550,000 people across Europe took part in a public consultation on this issue, with the overwhelming majority who responded backing the Nature Directives and asking for stronger implementation.

Top 10 species highlights of 2015

What a year full of inspiring species success stories!

A milestone moment was reached in 2015 with cranes released through The Great Crane

Project successfully rearing and fledging four chicks in the West Country – the first for 400 years! Project birds also dispersed further than ever, beginnning to integrate with the native UK population.

The future looks brighter for vultures. 2015 saw the diclofenac ban in India extended to multi-

dose vials, and thanks to the ban's proven success, Iran's department of Environment has officially banned the export, import, production and veterinary use of this drug. Vulture Safe Zones are working and being copied elsewhere. Now, amazingly, we're preparing for releases of vultures into safe zones in 2016.

The reintroduced population of cirl buntings in Cornwall reached more than 50 pairs in 2015.

This is likely to represent at least 120 chicks, and gives us confidence that the population should continue to increase, making it the first successful passerine reintroduction in Europe.



There are now over 100 pairs of Ascension frigatebirds on Ascension's mainland (after their

return in 2013 and 12 pairs counted in 2014). It's now getting too onerous to survey each nest!

RSPB reserves are providing a home for many threatened species. In 2015, both nightjar and

woodlark were at their highest ever numbers on our reserves and breeding lapwings and redshanks reached their highest numbers on RSPB lowland wet grassland reserves. Lekking black grouse reached an all-time high at Geltsdale.

111 pairs of roseate terns nested on Coquet Island – the highest for 40 years. They

successfully fledged over 100 chicks! A LIFE bid to help this bird further has been successful.

The number of booming bitterns increased again in 2015 to a minimum of 155 recorded at 70

sites – the highest in living memory! Particularly exciting is a single boomer in Wales at Valley Wetlands and the first recorded boomers at Berney Marshes in modern times.

The population of white-tailed eagles in Scotland exceeded 100 territorial pairs, including 5

from releases in the east of Scotland. This population is now self-sustaining and thriving. 2015 also saw the first successful breeding of a white-tailed eagle pair on RSPB-managed land.

An incredible 8,221 spikes (flower stems) of the rare fen orchid were found at four sites in 2015

– this is double the number of spikes recorded compared to 2014!

. Releases of short-haired bumblebee continued at Dungeness in 2015. Workers were seen here

for the third year running, giving us hope for the continued success of this project.

Volunteering on the Exe

Visitors to Bowling Green Marsh will see plenty of changes this year, with the development of a new wildlife garden & facilities for visitors and local groups to use and enjoy. The inside of the hide will be having a revamp with new interpretation, activities for families and we hope electricity and heating.

We want this to be a hub for the local community to use for events, be inspired about wildlife gardening and enjoy close up views of the wildlife of the Exe. If you are involved in a local group or school and are interested in using Bowling Green please get in touch with us.

For those of you who want to make a difference on the Exe there are plenty of ways to get involved, we have a brilliant team of volunteers who help us deliver our conservation work and help with our people engagement work. We are looking for local people to join our team to help us run our events and showcase the wildlife of the Exe. If you are confident, outgoing, love meeting new people and have a passion for the Exe then we want to hear from you!

Contact us on: [email protected] or 01392 833311

Congratulations to the following winners for the last few months.

October

Mr C Farlow & Ms R Sanders Mr and Mrs WG Voaden Mr R Babb Mr and Mrs C Tucker

October (extra draw)

Mr DHW Taylor Mrs Val Palmer Miss Pat Thomson Miss J Allen

November Mrs CJW Dyer Mr D and Mrs C Murray Mr B Jones Dr R Swinbank

December

Not already in the Club? Like the chance to be a winner, as well as give just a little bit more

to the RSPB? Then contact Liz Saunders (see details below) – she’d love to hear from you.




LOOKING BACK ON SOME OF OUR EVENTS

Tuesday 13th

October – “Wild and ancient Orkney” by Peter Exley

Peter is well known to many members, being the Public Affairs Manager for RSPB South West Region. He has spoken to the Group several times, usually about matters concerning the region, so had decided to do something different this evening.

Orkney lies between the Atlantic Ocean and the North Sea, is nearer to Oslo than London and has strong links with Norway. It is probable that the islands were originally populated by people from Scandinavia. With the exception of Hoy, which has sandstone cliffs 1,000ft high, the islands are mainly low lying.

The archaeology is notable, to say the least, with 7 of the 8 oldest buildings known in Europe being in Orkney, the earliest dating back to 3700BC. Burial chambers contain not only human bones but also those of birds and animals. The settlements and stone rows at Brodgar pre-date Stonehenge. More recent are the remains of 'brochs', iron-age settlements. The impressive St. Magnus Cathedral was built from local sandstone.

Orkney has a long maritime history, being a stopping off point for vessels heading to North America, including those of Sir John Franklin whose 2 ships and crews were later lost in the search for the North West Passage. The Franklin's Gull was named after him. John Rae, an Orcadian, was a polar explorer who also endeavoured to find a North West Passage and it was he who confirmed the whereabouts of the lost Franklin expedition. Whaling ships also went out from Orkney. So, with land and climate suitable for arable and livestock farming from which to provision ships, the Orkneys were wealthy. The islands, and particularly Scapa Flow, were significant during both world wars, with The Kitchener Memorial, the beautiful Italian chapel, built by prisoners of war, and the Churchill Barriers being reminders of those times.

The RSPB has 8 nature reserves on the islands and, in addition to the farmed land, there are many undrained rough areas. Large flocks of ground-feeding birds are commonly seen on the fields, and especially numerous are oystercatcher, with an estimated 20,000 pairs. There are good populations of lapwing and redshank too, also hares. The 'little brown jobs' include twite. Corncrake nest here, but have had a bad year in 2015 due to the cold and wet, with only 3 calling males compared with 26 in 2014. Marwick Head is a 'seabird city' with razorbill, guillemot and kittiwake. Fulmar tend to breed in the 'gloups' - gullies worn out of the sandstone by the action of the sea. Puffins also breed on the cliff tops. On the heathland, both arctic and great skuas breed; also merlin, short-eared owls and hen harrier. The Orkney vole, upon which some of these birds feed, is 20% larger than the mainland species. (Nature's 'catch 5 - get 1 free' offer?! Sorry, couldn't resist it!) Red-throated divers breed on the lochans and, after 100 years absence, white tailed eagle have also nested. Both common and grey seals breed around Orkney, and harbour porpoise and orca also frequent the waters.

The land on the west coast receives Atlantic spray and therefore supports saline tolerant plants. The salinity reduces towards the east. Plants tend to be small, staying close to the ground to avoid the harshness of the wind and cold. The tiny pink Scottish primrose is rare and found in only 9 locations in Orkney and Caithness. On the higher land, which is mainly on Hoy, Arctic species grow, and on the wetland with little nitrogen butterwort and sundew survive by trapping insects.

An interesting addition to Peter's talk came from a member in the audience and concerned HMS Terror, one of the 2 ships lost in the Franklin expedition. This ship was built in Topsham and there is a display about it in the Topsham Museum.

This was a most interesting and informative talk. Many thanks to Peter.

Pat Thomson

Saturday 17th

October – a day trip to Berry Head and Clennon Valley

It was a nice change for me to be part of the group rather than leader of the walk. Dave Turrell had kindly volunteered to lead this walk to look for autumn migrants. The idea was to spend the morning at Berry Head, leaving options open for the afternoon if something special was reported nearby. The



most special bird reported in Devon was an Isabelline Shrike at South Huish, but that was a little too far, so we stuck with Dave’s plan to visit Clennon valley in the afternoon.

As we set out on the walk we soon saw a flock of Goldfinches, followed closely by a party of Long-tailed Tits. We followed the lane that leads directly down towards the harbour, looking for birds in the hedgerows. The road turned out to be a lot busier than expected, so we turned off to follow a path around the back of the woods. Dave said it would be a good path to find Goldcrests and other small birds. At first it was rather quiet, but we did eventually find a Goldcrest. The path brought us out by the road down to the quarry. Following recent reports of Firecrests, we were hoping to find one or two in some more sheltered patches of vegetation in the quarry. Our diligent searching drew a blank, though we did see quite a few other birds like Stonechats and Great Tits.

After climbing back up from the quarry, we had a brief stop for elevenses before walking around the headland and fort. There were many gulls about and eventually we spotted a Gannet some way out to sea. We worked our way back along the north side of the headland, from where we got a good view of the cliffs opposite. That is where the Guillemots breed, and although the breeding season had long finished, there were still 100 or so of them huddled together on the ledges. On the way back to the cars we spotted some pipits, one of them was quite yellow-ish, but I think it was just a Meadow Pipit rather than anything more exotic.

After lunch at the picnic tables, we drove the few miles down the road to Clennon valley. Dave had arranged for us to park at the YMCA – which was very kind of them. We took the tree-lined path to the ponds, without seeing very much. Indeed, the trees around the pond were also unusually quiet. The ponds themselves were busy with gulls, Moorhens, Coots and Mallards. We also spotted a few Tufted Ducks and a Little Grebe. A dark, almost black, heron was quietly fishing under some trees. I emailed Mike Langman about it, since he lives nearby. Mike said he once had it land on the roof of his house, and he confirmed that it was just an unusually dark immature Grey Heron.

It was then time to retrace our steps back to our cars. Thanks very much to Dave for another enjoyable day’s birding.

Richard Swinbank

Wednesday 4th

November – a morning trip to the Otter Estuary

On a warm day, but with constant drizzle, nine members enjoyed a morning's birding, seeing 45 species. As usual, we started along the back of the beach walking out to the river mouth. The tide was high but we did see two Gannets circling not far off shore. Walking up the west side of the river, various wildfowl, were seen, plus a Snipe, along with finches and a Chiffchaff in the scrub. At White Bridge we had good views of a Kingfisher, and a glimpse of a Reed Bunting. Returning down the east side of the river, we saw numerous gulls: Herring, Black-headed and Great Black-backed.

Roger Tucker

Tuesday 10th

November – “Stover Country Park” by John Avon

John Avon, the warden at Stover Country Park, very kindly stepped in at short notice to tell us about Stover Park, which is a country park and a nature reserve. There are 6 different types of habitat – lakeland, marshland, heath, grassland, deciduous and broadleaved trees. It was particularly interesting to see the aerial views of Stover. It is very busy with 300,000 visits a year. This year was notable for two firsts; a male garganey seen and the breeding of the mandarin ducks.

Balancing the people and the wildlife is quite a challenge. The park does a lot of work with the disabled and those with mobility issues and also with schools; 3300 children have visited the park during the last year. We need the next generation to connect with nature. On the habitat front, conifers have been taken out to create more heathland and this is proving very successful for the nightjars. The park has SSSI status, the main reason being the 21 species of dragonfly that are found there. There is a very healthy population of dormice in the woods, over 30 species of butterfly and resident otters on the lake. All the work could not be done without the help of the volunteers. This year for the first time for 25 years a small area of the lake was dredged. This was very successful in attracting different species and it is hoped to dredge all the lake eventually.



John showed us some interesting pictures of the historic park and its surroundings. Stover House and its designed landscape were constructed in the 1700’s by the Templar family and 200,000 trees were planted. Stover Country Park now only covers one third of the historic park area and the remainder belongs to 5 different land owners. The plan for the future is to manage the whole area with wildlife in mind, and in the long term to hopefully restore some of the historic structures and increase community involvement. Newton Abbot will be extended towards the park and it is important for the park to cope with the increased population.

A lot more goes on behind the scenes at Stover than most people realise and after this excellent talk by John we were certainly more aware of this and of their plans for the future.

Melanie Parker

Sunday 15th

November – a day trip to Isley Marsh and Fremington

We arrived at Isley Marsh to be greeted by the winds of hurricane Kate so we didn't hold out much hope for sights of our feathered friends.

On our way to the marsh and estuary we spotted Crows and Wood Pigeons feeding in a nearby field and a Robin singing its winter serenade to us from a high branch. As we approached the estuary we could hear the unmistakable sound of the Oystercatcher, with views of them sharing the shoreline with Curlew and a lone Grey Plover. Further in the estuary we could see some ducks - Mallard, Teal, and Wigeon. As we rounded the headland the wind was so strong that Richard, our event leader, lost his hat and had to spend a couple of steps chasing it. Sorry Richard, but it did bring a smile to my face. We stalked some pipits and Skylarks through a marshy area, with a couple of Snipe taking flight. We then fought the wind on our way back to the cars, ready for the afternoon trip to Fremington.

After lunch at Fremington, we made our way along the estuary with Redshank and Greenshank unaware we were watching them merrily feeding. Lapwing and Golden Plover were out on the mud flats, with the statue-like figure of the Grey Heron waiting for its next prey. Before making our way back to the cars, we decided to cross over a stile to the water’s edge, for a last view of the estuary. The best view of the day lay before us – a pair of Spoonbills. We were so pleased with our day’s bird watching that we treated ourselves to tea and cake at the café in the old railway station. Yummy!

Richard Winfield

Saturday 28th

November – a day trip to West Sedgemoor (and Greylake)

A large group of us assembled in the farmyard at West Sedgemoor and, with only 2 car-loads from Exeter, it was rather congested. The weather was dry and quite windy, which was good. We set off up the hill and across some fields so that we could see the panorama of Sedgemoor in front of us. The RSPB now owns about 1000 acres, nearly all we could see.

We then walked down to a barn, which includes a viewing platform, from where we could see the moor in front of us. There were a great many ducks, rather a long way away, so without a ‘scope it was incredibly difficult to sort them out. The Shovelers were the easiest with their white breasts showing well; also they are longer in shape. There were a great many Wigeons, with the yellowish stripe on their heads. There were a few Mallards dotted around, and even fewer Teal right at the back. There was only one Pintail found, and only seen if he had his head up to show the very smart white line up to the ear.

There were Mute Swans further out, and the odd Cormorant. A few Wood Pigeons flew over and lots of Crows. Also in the distance were two Cranes which were no more than 2 grey blobs even in a ‘scope. They then flew off away from us, so I actually went to Stathe afterward and saw 30 plus of them grazing in the middle distance, as I wanted better views. A Hen Harrier appeared from the extreme left side seen by most, but only a few saw her well. She certainly put up a lot of Lapwings. The sky seemed full of them. Then a Peregrine appeared causing havoc among the Lapwings again. Having flown around for a while, it calmly sat on a fence, but decided that it was a little windy so sat on the grass instead. A Kestrel appeared for a short time.

We walked back up the path, to look for small birds in the hedgerow. Not a lot, which was sad, except for winter thrushes. There were Redwings in twos and threes, and a tree of Fieldfares. By then the



light was poor so hard to see their smart grey heads. Small groups of Finches flew overhead. Then we got back to the cars.

A few of us went on to Greylake as the weather was still OK-ish!! There were excellent views of Reed Buntings in the car park, with a selection of tits and Chaffinches. Then we went on to the hide, where the ducks were so much closer, mostly Wigeon with Shovelers out to the side. The most exciting birds were the Snipe. They were difficult to see, but once one had seen one then you kept finding others, and they were not far away. We were told that Marsh Harriers had been around, but we did not see them; by then it was very windy and squally so I guess they had sought shelter somewhere.

Ann Crawford

Tuesday 1st

December – “Birding In Ethiopia” by Oliver Smart

Having worked in Ethiopia for a couple of years in the mid-1970s I was very interested to hear Oliver’s talk about birding trip there 40 years on. Ethiopia has an enormously varied geography; a large laval plateau rising to 4,600 meters in the Simien Mountains, bisected by the great African Rift Valley, falling to well below sea level in the hot deserts leading to the Red Sea. This great variety of habitats leads to a great variety of bird species – around 1000. This was well shown by Oliver’s excellent photographs, ranging from Kori Bustards, one of the world’s heaviest flying birds, to the beautiful little Cordon Bleu finches; from the mighty vultures like the Lammergeier or Bearded Vulture, the comical and immediately recognisable Hornbills to the highly drab and impossibly difficult Cisticolas.

It was also interesting to see how much things had changed. My spell there unfortunately coincided with a military coup and the early signs of a civil war. Apart from one or two centres there was no tourist infra-structure; you travelled with camping gear. Those like us interested in the natural world were highly concerned about the future for wildlife. The very few National Parks and Conservation areas were poorly funded and poorly protected in a land-hungry country with a rapidly increasing population.Oliver showed us a much more stable country, catering for tourists interested in wildlife. Bush camping is no longer the only option; there are tour operators and relatively luxurious lodges. The money spent by tourists is obviously helping the economy and thereby boosting the case for conservation. While I fear much has been lost, this boost increases the chance that some of the rare wildlife of Ethiopia might yet survive to delight our grand-children.

Ray Lovett

Wednesday 16th

December – a morning trip to Broadsands

A fortunate break in the daily wind and rain saw a good number of keen birders gather in Broadsands car park. After being told of exciting birds recently seen, we moved to the back of the first car park where the stars were queuing up to be admired. Goldcrest, Firecrest, Yellow-browed Warbler, Chiffchaff, Bullfinch, assorted tits and more paraded past - much to the delight of the onlookers.

Behind the beach a solitary Cirl Bunting and a small flock of Linnet were spotted, and out on the sea Black-necked, Slavonian and Great Crested Grebe were easily found. A leisurely walk to Elbury Cove produced more assorted grebes, one distant Razorbill and one Great Northern Diver, plus a Grey Seal which seemed as fascinated with us as we were with it. Just to round the walk off nicely, a Blackcap showed in the scrub on the way back, giving a species count for the day of 43. An excellent morning well spent.

Dave Turrell

Sunday 3rd

January 2016 – a morning trip to Bowling Green Marsh

Seven of us assembled in the car park. Were we mad, brave or totally trusting in the Met Office? As it turned out, it rained for about half an hour and then went grey and by half time, as it were, the sun came out and it was a lovely spring, yes spring, morning!

We started by going into Topsham. It was raining and the birds were no happier than we were, so we had a grand tally of Feral Pigeons, Wood Pigeons, Collared Doves and Crows and Jackdaws by the time we reached the quay. Looking over the water was equally unproductive, but when we walked through the pretty narrow streets, by peering into gardens over hedges and through gates, we found quite a number of birds, including Goldcrests, and Song Thrushes. Once on the Goat Walk, we found



that there was no mud and the water was dirty brown due to the recent heavy rain, so the birds had gone elsewhere. We saw several flocks flying by, but they were too far away to identify. Once we reached the far end of the Goat Walk, we found that the road was underwater, ankle-plus deep. Unfortunately only two of us were wearing wellies so we went on to the viewing platform, while the others retraced their tracks through the village.

We splashed away and saw a few hedgerow birds, but nothing in the fields going to the platform, but ahead of us was a wonderful sight a large flock of Avocets shining white, in the sun flying over the Clyst. They settled on the water so that we could admire them. There was very little else, a Curlew calling and a flock of Shelduck, probably looking for a landing spot on dry land. Talking of Avocets: these are beautiful large black and white waders, which became extinct in Britain in 1840 because of habitat degradation and egg stealing. They returned to Minsmere in 1947, and they have done well and spread and are breeding in England now. They are birds which forage in brackish water and on mudflats. They scythe, moving their bills from side to side. They eat crustaceans and insects.

We then went to the hide, and soon afterwards the rest of the group joined us. There were masses of ducks, and we hunted in vain for the American Wigeon. There were Pintails, Gadwall, Teal, Mallard, Tufted Ducks, which kept diving and so forth. The most excitement was when we saw a pair of Water Pipits, which we spend ages identifying, as some thought that they were Meadow Pipits. The supercilium was clear. Then the flock of Avocets arrived, so no one felt that they had missed out. We then went to Goosemoor, where there was very little to see, so we walked up to the bridge. We strolled back, and had another look through the gaps, and much to our surprise there was a Stonechat, Little Egret, and, with great joy, we saw a Kingfisher on a post. It really brightened up our trip. It was hard work finding the birds, but great fun, with as many as 56 species seen. It was a small but happy group that returned to the cars, and we were dry too, which was a bonus.

Ann Crawford

GROUP CONTACTS

Leader: Membership: Indoor Meetings: Roger Tucker (01392 860518) Liz Saunders (01392 832080) Carolyn Channing (01884 242288)

Treasurer: RSPB Sales: Field Trips: Chris Jebb (07930 228906) Marilyn Steel (01392 258786) Richard Swinbank (01404 813666)

Secretary: Newsletter: Displays: Loran Waite (01392 874192) John Parker (01395 264527) Martin Chambers (01392 860627)

Website address www.rspb.org.uk/groups/exeter

http://www.rspb.org.uk/groups/exeter

exeter and district local group - the rspb · exeter and district local group newsletter no. 163...

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