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RSPB SOUTH DORSET LOCAL GROUP NEWSLETTER

No 64 January 2014 The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) is a registered charity: England and Wales no. 207076, Scotland no.SC037654

The RSPB is the country’s largest nature conservation charity, inspiring everyone to give nature a home. Together with our partners, we protect threatened birds and wildlife so our towns, coast and countryside will teem with life once again. We also play a leading role in a worldwide partnership of nature conservation organisations.

The RSPB is a member of BirdLife International, a partnership of conservation organisations working to give nature a home around the world.

GROUP LEADERS COLUMN

I am writing this, my last column as group leader, with much sadness. On April 10th I will stand down as leader and leave the committee. I have served almost 17 years on local group committees (North Bucks and South Dorset) the last 6 as South Dorset leader. I have enjoyed my time as leader, although at first I found chairing the indoor meetings very difficult, as I am not a natural orator.

It can be very healthy, now and again, to step back and take a look at how things are working, not to bring about change for changes sake, but to see if there are things that could be improved or enhanced, and a leader’s leaving is, perhaps, a good time to do just that.

By coincidence, the RSPB as a whole is doing the very same thing, and we, in South Dorset, may have the chance to contribute to that process so, at the last committee meeting, we began to think about what the group does, and how it does it, and already some really interesting ideas have emerged.

There is, as you can imagine, still much to discuss, but this is, nevertheless, a very exciting time, with the opportunity to shape how our group works in the future, and even, perhaps, to contribute to how groups across the UK work. So, if you have any ideas or suggestions, or if you feel you want to be a part of re-shaping the group, we would love to hear from you. It is, after all, your group, so, please, do help us make it the best it can be

The first part of the indoor meetings programme has run to schedule but the second part will be subject to change. The January16th indoor meeting will now be addressed by Charlotte Bruce-White the Farm Conservation adviser from Salisbury and will be in two parts. The first part will be (as advertised) on the Stone Curlew Project and the second part on Farmland Birds. February 18th meeting will be as advertised, Philip Mugridge on Bulgaria. The March 20th speaker is still to be decided. Finally after our Annual General Meeting on April 10th group member Chris Milner will talk on her visit to Kamchatka, She has called her talk ‘Auklets and Punk Puffins’. Our new indoor meetings secretary Cherry Sanders has largely completed the 2014/15 speakers programme and some excellent talks are in prospect for next season. During my 11 years on the committee there have been many memorable indoor meetings and field trips. I would like to remind you of one of each. In March 2012 the group was addressed by Rebecca Nason sometime Assistant Warden and Seabird monitoring officer at the Fair Isle Bird Observatory. Her talk was entitled ‘A Fair Isle season’ and included many shots of birds, places and people that I knew from my numerous visits to Fair Isle. Fair Isle and Radipole Lake are my birding spiritual homes. One autumn a field trip led by Don Cotton visited Ferrybridge and Portland. While were lunching on the patio of the Portland Bird Observatory the Warden Martin Cade caught a Gray Cheeked Thrush, an American species and the rarest bird I have ever seen on a group field trip. After I stand down as group leader on April 10th I hope to continue as an active group member. I have told the committee that I will be available for consultation if needed but I will resist the temptation to offer un-solicited advice. The committee are entitled to that courtesy. I may if asked chair an indoor meeting or two. I will continue (eyesight permitting) to help in bird surveys at Radipole Lake and I am sure I will see many of you there. The time for the farewell speech is not yet, that is for the AGM (although I promise then not to be too long winded) but, aware that many of you may not be at the AGM, I will take this opportunity to thank all those who have offered help, advice and constructive criticism in my six years as group leader. I hope to see many of you at the remaining indoor meetings Andrew Parsons

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FIELD TRIP REPORTS

Bowling green Marsh—September 8th 2013 16 members met at the Tern Hide car park on a dry sunny morning and it was decided to split into 2 groups. One group left for the hides around Ivy Lake with Stan as leader and I led the other group visiting the hides around Ibsley Water.

Tern Hide gave us excellent views of a spit on the right hand side where we had seen approx 200 Black Tail godwits fly over and land there. Already on and around this spit were Cormorants male and female Goosanders and Pintails with the drakes having full breeding plumage. Malcolm spotted a redshank and the only other waders seen were Lapwings flying about. We then walked to the furthest hide called Lapwing avoiding the short cut due to flooding and on route Siskins and Egyptian Geese were recorded and a Green Woodpecker kept call-ing but was not seen. On our final approach we were able to see singing Reed buntings on trees and several Gadwalls on the far side of a pool.

At the hide we were entertained by drake Golden eye displaying to the females and we took photographs of the display. At the left hand side of the hide we saw a male Great Spotted Woodpecker and Stonechats on the new fences which all were able to see and some deer were nearby. Other birds seen were Grebes (Little and Great Crested) Shoveler Wigeon and Tufted Ducks. Leaving the hide Mary called out as a Chiffchaff was singing in the willows and then she just missed stepping on a small adder and it lay there for more photographs to be taken. Returning to the car park we made a brief stop at Goosander Hide were we saw the birds already recorded and also the Sand Martin Wall ready we hope for returning birds next month. Lunch was taken at the car park and the other group met us . Don Cotton

Seaton – Axmouth and Blackhole Marsh Sunday 13 October 2013 8 members met in the lay-by at Axmouth Bridge, first looking on the adjacent mudflats at waders, gulls, curlew, black tailed godwits and a few early returning wigeon. We walked briskly along the road to Coronation Corner, the high tide was due at 12.45 and we wanted to make the most of the birds on the mud along the river. Very visible are herring, black headed and greater black backed gulls, with a few cormorants among them. Also busy feeding were little egrets, curlew, godwits red-shank and ringed plover. A feral pigeon was bathing in a flow of fresh water, standing motionless for several minutes enjoying the cool massage. In the hedge nearby were chiffchaff, long tailed tit and goldfinch. We walked back along the road pausing at suitable places and finding greenshank, some sandwich terns, dunlin and a bar tailed godwit. We went the short distance to view the sea at the river mouth, a passing cormorant and a single common scoter were seen. By now it was midday and hopefully the rising tide would push the birds from the river to the reserve at Black-hole Marsh. After lunch in the car park we visited Island Hide, a splendid construction with all round viewing of a new scrape, the water levels controlled by a sluice to the river. Here, in addition to some species seen previ-ously were teal, green sandpiper and a group of young swallows, we wished them well on their imminent jour-ney. We passed the visitor/education centre with its new Hilton Hotel for sand martins with incorporated bat roost. We decided to walk to Colyford Common despite the imminent rain; bravery was rewarded, in front of the hide a spotted redshank was strutting its stuff, with seven little egrets. The spotted redshank is a more elegant version of the common redshank with a longer, thinner bill. We also saw lapwing, grey heron and a single ruff. The steady rain drove us back to the cars with a tally for the day of 47 species. The Blackhole Marsh reserve is well worth a visit with excellent viewing facilities over varied habitats. Ample parking is available through the cemetery at ST247916.

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Keyhaven—9th November 2013.

The weather forecast was of very heavy showers so it was a welcome surprise that 10 people turned up at Keyhaven after a very wet journey. On getting out of the cars we were greeted by an enthusiastic party of turnstones, no doubt used to being fed by visitors. We walked to the edge of the harbour and turned right along the raised bank, a large group of black tailed godwits were in the shallow water with curlews, all under the eye of two peregrines perched nonchalantly on nearby posts. We walked towards Hurst Spit seeing several different waders and waterfowl, our

target was a long staying red breasted goose with the winter visiting brent geese at Sturt Pond. On the pond were Mediterranean gulls, two bar tailed godwits, two greenshank and for everyone’s pleasure the exotic looking goose was grazing happily on the field next to the pond. A little gull had been seen here the day before so we spent some time trying to find it. Desperation caused some hopeful but ultimately inaccurate ID of a juvenile Mediterranean gull as a laughing gull. We were thoroughly wet by now so headed back to the cars via nice views of reed buntings, and who can resist stopping to watch a flock of Canada geese rise up from behind the trees and pass overhead, honking wildly as they go. We ate lunch close to a group of mute swans preening and could not but feed the hungry turnstones seeking an easy crumb. The showers seemed to be over by now so we headed east along the estuary side towards the lakes set back from the sea. Here we had beautiful views in perfect light of pintails, such an elegant bird and we

admired the green speculum of the teal. A circuit was completed, there is always some new habitat here with all the land restoration work going on. We finished the day with an excellent total of 66 species seen and heard by the group.

Ferrybridge and Portland Harbour 27th November 2013 2013 We were pleased to see some new members among the 21 who turned up at Ferrybridge for one of our local meetings. We started off by walking along the road towards Weymouth and overlooking the mudflats. Here were plenty of ringed plovers, quite difficult to see, with a few dunlin and turnstone. The usual Mediterranean gulls were preening by the water and a few brent geese flew over and circled around. Further on was a stonechat and after we crossed the road a black redstart was spotted, this has become a regular wintering bird here. We walked along the Rodwell trail to the first viewpoint and spotted distant great northern diver and about 15 black necked grebes. We retraced our steps quickly so as to keep within our paid-for parking, then moved to Portland Castle. It was fairly quiet here, we shared cars to go on to the Portland Bird Observatory. Here Martin Cade showed us a greenfinch and a reed bunting in the hand, it is quite a thrill to see the intricate detail of the plumage of these tiny feisty birds. Our numbers had dropped by now but the remaining party walked around the Bill area, which was unusually quiet with very little activity out to sea. The most noticeable birds were the rock pipits jumping around in the seaweed. On the way back to the cars some spotted the reluctant little owl well hidden among the rocks of the quarry. We ended the day seeing 43 species. Mary Robins

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Chard Reservoir—7th December 2013

After last year’s very wet visit it was disappointing for 7 members to arrive at Cogden in thick mist, however we set off in good spirits. This is a site that attracts passing migrants at this time of year and many species make use of the varied habitats for breeding. In the shrubby hedges we saw or heard chiffchaff, linnet, yellowhammer, chaffinch, greenfinch, blackcap and stonechat. It is worth looking out to sea for gulls and sandwich terns on this occasion, but other visits may yield gannet, scoter or wader flocks. In the fields we found green woodpecker, skylark and wheatear with plenty of swallows swooping low. The open water is home to little grebe and moorhen with sedge and cetti’s warblers in the reed beds. We listened to the marsh frog chorus and managed to see several with their expanding cheek pouches. Everyone was pleased to get good views of the usually difficult to find lesser whitethroat in full song in a tall hedge.

By the end of the short walk we had recorded a list of 31 bird species. Mary Robins

RSPB Nagshead Nestboxes Members may remember that I have sponsored a neat box here at Nagshead in the Forest of Dean for many years and I have received the report for the 2013 season and the results are as follows: Pied Flycatchers Only 15 boxes used compared to 26 and 31 for the previous two years and the first egg date was 1615 compared to 1315 and 615. Total young fledged was 52 compared to 126 and 131 birds for the previous years. Blue Tit Only 157 boxes were used compared to 194 and 207 for the previous two years and the first egg was date 815 com-pared to 2414 and 2114 Total young fledged was 850 compared to 731 and 740 birds for the previous years. This result was due to a delayed breeding cycle avoiding the previous cold late season. Great Tit Only 48 boxes were used compared to 77 and 76 for the previous two years and the first egg date was 1115 com-pared to 2714 and 2114. Total young fledged was 217 compared to 312 and 316 birds for the previous years. Nuthatch Only 5 boxes were used compared to 16 the previous year yet the first egg date was 614 earlier than the previous year of 20/4 Total young fledged was 18 compared to 37 and 79 birds for the previous two years. The management team hope for a more settled spring in 2014 for nest boxes used and birds fledged. Report by Don Cotton

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A visit to Lundy

The article about rats on Lundy in the August Newsletter took me back to a week long visit there in the 1980’s. I went as one of a group of volunteer help-ers to provide catering and general assistance to the teachers for a party of schoolboys from Basingstoke. We all met in an empty field on Hartland Point in North Devon, the adventure started in a helicopter, four at a time, too noisy but exciting and over far too soon. We landed on the high point of the granite island, 12 miles from the mainland but a world away from the then current min-ers’ strike. The helpers made the acquaintance of the boys, town children, streetwise and wary with faces pale from lack of good fresh air. The chief cook provided a wholesome menu from basic ingredients, the boys were amazed at what could be provided with no supermarket nearby. We joined in the day long exploration of the island wildlife with its seashore, cliffs and inland grassland dotted with precipitous holes and many wonders. The youngest boy was thrilled to find a herring gull nest – “that’s the first real egg I’ve ever seen.”

The most memorable part was choosing the darkest night to shepherd the reluctant lads along the cliffs to settle down and wait. Eerie noises could be heard from under our feet, apparently being answered by calls from way out to sea. These calls came closer, then suddenly all around were birds dropping to the ground around us. The manx shear-waters were back, visiting their chicks hidden deep in burrows, under cover of darkness. These effortless flyers are so clumsy on land and cannot compete during daytime with predatory gulls. They shuffled down the holes; somehow, miraculously, they must locate the correct area in the pitch blackness. By the end of the week our townie boys had started to become country lads with healthy tans and hopefully they took away some memories that have lasted. I treasure still a gift of a pebble one of them painted with a most beautiful gannet. We did see some rats around the island and no doubt they had some effect on the ground nesting birds. There is a recent plan to erect multiple wind turbines in the offshore area near Lundy, it is to be sincerely hoped that the efforts on Lundy to help the shearwaters will not see numbers reduced again if the turbines form a barrier to their nocturnal wanderings. Mary Robins

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UK’s only nesting “butcher birds” successful on Dartmoor Conservationists announce the fledging of two youngsters from the UK’s only nesting pair of red-backed shrike in 2013. The birds, at a secret location on Dartmoor, have been under close watch to guarantee their safety in a project managed bAy the RSPB with support from Dartmoor Study Group, Devon Birds, Devon & Cornwall Police, Forestry Commission, Dartmoor National Park Authority and Natural England. Kevin Rylands from the RSPB said; “This is now the fourth year they have returned to Dartmoor, but they failed to breed successfully last year, probably due to the awful weather. A lone male visited the previous breeding site in May this year but failed to find a mate. Fortunately though a pair was found at a new site in June and this bodes well for the future of the species on Dartmoor.” Red-backed shrikes were driven to extinction in the UK at the end of the last century and egg collecting remains a major threat. “As in previous years we used a combination of volunteers, staff and sophisticated wildlife surveillance equipment as part of site protection and monitoring. Although it’s been hard work, the efforts have been rewarded with two youngsters fledged. We are particularly grateful to the volunteers involved and to Devon Birds for funding some of the cameras used on site as part of Devon & Cornwall Police’s Operation Wilderness.” Wildlife Crime Officer, PC Josh Marshall, said “I deployed Operation Wilderness cameras to assist with the protection of the birds. Cameras were downloaded at regular intervals to ensure the security of the site”. Red-backed shrikes are a migrant species who return from Africa in spring. They are also known as “butcher birds” due to their uncompromising eating habits, which involve catching small creatures and often impaling them on sharp thorns or barbed wire. These ‘larders’ can hold caterpillars, beetles, bees, lizards and even small mammals. Once a familiar breeding bird across the country, they declined to extinction, last breeding in England (East Anglia) in 1992, before their return to Dartmoor in 2010. “The red-backed shrike is a beautiful bird with striking feeding habits,” explained George Harris, Chairman of Devon Birds. “Its loss from Devon last century was tragic, which is why we are so keen to support initiatives such as this, with necessarily wide-reaching partnership involvement, intended to see this bird’s recovery in Devon. It’s a big aspiration, but success will be worth the effort!” Kevin Rylands concluded “We hope red-backed shrikes will continue to re-colonise Dartmoor but that is dependent upon birds returning next year, finding suitable habitat and not being disturbed. In addition to facing threats from egg-collectors, red-backed shrikes, along with many other migratory birds, are in great danger when travelling between the southwest and wintering grounds in Africa, with many trapped and killed en route. The extent of habitat and amount of large insects and other available prey on Dartmoor has no doubt contributed to the recent success of this species. Surveys have shown that Dartmoor (and other SW uplands) holds a wealth of species previously widespread in lowland areas such as cuckoo, meadow pipit and whinchat and the RSPB is working with conservation partners to ensure that this important upland and its fringes can provide the food and nesting sites that birds need.”

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Christchurch winter wildlife cruises sail again

The RSPB and Mudeford Ferries are giving people the chance to see fantastic wildlife and enjoy the views on

special cruises around Christchurch Harbour this winter.

Sarah-Jane Buckle, RSPB South East Dorset People Engagement Officer said, “If you fancy trying something

different why not hop on a boat with the RSPB!

“There’s lots to see. In past years, people have been treated to close up views of razorbills, hovering

kingfishers, large flocks of lapwing and avocets as well as turnstones hiding on the buoys and Brent geese fresh

in from Siberia.

“You just never know what will turn up, each trip is totally different. That’s what I love about them”.

The first trip is on the Sunday 6th of October at 10am, and advance booking is essential for all cruises. For

more details and to reserve a place contact Mudeford Ferries on 07968 334441. The organisers ask that

everyone who comes along to wrap up warm!

Prices are Adults £12, Children (under 13) £6 and RSPB members £10.

Dates for the rest of the cruises are:

Sunday 20 October Sunday 3 November Sunday 17 November Sunday 8 December Sunday 5 January Sunday 2 February Sunday 16 February Sunday 2 March Sunday 16 March More details at http://www.rspb.org.uk/datewithnature/290049-christchurch-winter-bird-boats

Record breaking summer for Somerset’s wetland birds

Celebrations as one of the West Country’s premiere wetlands produces a bumper crop of rare birds. Conservationists in Somerset are celebrating this week with the news that the Avalon Marshes has had its best year ever for breeding birds. The Avalon Marshes is a huge wetland recreation site to the west of Glastonbury managed by Natural England (NE), Somerset Wildlife Trust (SWT), Hawk and Owl Trust and RSPB. Following the first UK nesting great white egrets last year in the marshes, this summer has seen two pairs nest; one again at Natural England’s Shapwick National Nature Reserve (producing two youngsters) and a new pair within the boundary of the RSPB’s Ham Wall nature reserve (producing three young) The RSPB reserve at Ham Wall has also been host to a nesting pair of little bitterns. This is the only known UK breed-ing location for these remarkably shy and diminutive members of the heron family and this year two young birds suc-cessfully fledged. And, to add to the totals, great bitterns have had yet another amazing year across the Avalon Marshes. On RSPB, NE and SWT land, as many as 33 “booming” males have been heard across the wetlands. This makes the area now one of the UK’s hotspots for this rare and remarkable bird. Alongside the nesting bitterns and egrets, the wetlands have also provided a home for marsh harriers, with four nests producing thirteen young. Ray Summers, RSPB warden for Ham Wall said; “We are all absolutely delighted. Since we took on the land at Ham Wall back in the mid 1990s we’ve been working hard to recreate a pristine wetland. To have all these nesting egrets, bitterns and harriers is a fantastic seal of approval for the work we’ve done, it really demonstrates the quality of the site for wildlife” “We are also enormously grateful for the team of dedicated volunteers who have worked hard this summer to protect the birds and keep them safe from disturbance.” Simon Clarke, Natural England’s Senior Reserve Manager for Shapwick Heath and the Somerset NNRs, said: “This year’s breeding success at Avalon Marshes is a great example of how strong partnership working can genuinely benefit threatened and vulnerable wildlife species. The partner organisations have all worked closely together to develop this habitat on a landscape scale. And the result is a safe, abundant and well-managed environment that is providing feed-ing and nesting opportunities for a startling range of wildlife – especially those we’ve seen at Shapwick." Mark Blake, Reserve Manager for Somerset Wildlife Trust said: ”It has been an exciting year on the Avalon Marshes and we are delighted to see marsh harrier breeding at Westhay Moor for the second year. The habitat creation and management being carried out by the partners is going from strength to strength and we look forward to further breed-ing success in future.” Chris Sperring MBE, Conservation Officer Hawk and Owl Trust, said; “The Avalon Marshes just get better every year. The success is down to a wonderfully balanced and organised partnership, particularly heartening when we see so many new species establishing, and some old friends like the marsh harrier on the rise as well. The careful man-agement also creates a very human experience, as I found out recently whilst on a footpath with a kingfisher hovering less than 3 metres from me.” Tony Whitehead speaking for RSPB in the southwest said; “Having all these birds breeding successfully in the Avalon Marshes demonstrates the power of landscape scale nature conservation. If you get the conditions right, the birds will turn up.” “Wetlands are under pressure the world over, not least, from climate change. To be able to recreate this landscape in Somerset is of huge significance. We know that large, well-managed wetlands can act as centres of establishment for colonising species such as little bittern and be crucial in helping them adapt to our changing climate as is being demon-strated in the Avalon Marshes."

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.Seabirds given new homes in Dorset

Conservationists and wildlife enthusiasts are celebrating this week with the news that the little terns on

Chesil Beach in Dorset have had an excellent breeding season, partly thanks to some innovative thinking

from local wildlife experts.

Little terns are small, graceful seabirds. They were once numerous but over the past 100 years have suffered huge

declines nationally. Their current breeding population is showing signs of recovery where colonies are protected, but

they still only number around 1,900 pairs in the UK. They migrate from Africa in the spring to breed in small colonies

on beaches.

The colony on Chesil beach is the only one in south west England. One of the main threats to little tern colonies is

predation by foxes, crows and kestrels as well as accidental disturbance from beach users. To give the birds the

best chance, the Chesil beach site is both fenced and closely protected by a dedicated team of conservationists,

many of whom are volunteers.

However, experts this year also wondered if the site where they were choosing to nest was also causing

problems.

John Dadds, RSPB species protection officer, said: “Little terns have been nesting on Chesil Beach for a long time.

Back in the late 1990s we had around 100 pairs breeding at Chesil, which at the time was five percent of the UK

population. However, following persistent breeding failures, within a decade this had fallen to just ten pairs.

When populations of birds fall to low numbers, disturbance and predation can become a problem. So, in response

the RSPB and its partners set up the current protection scheme in 2009 to exclude predators from the colony and

reduce disturbance as much as possible.

“This has paid off, and the colony is on the increase again. However, watching the birds closely, day in day out, I

realised that the birds might have another problem. Most terns nest on sandy beaches but Chesil Beach is made of

big pebbles. These pebbles allow the wind to whip through and chill the eggs and youngsters. With the run of cold

summer weather we have had, the hatching rate has been very low.

“So I had the idea of putting small patches of sand on the beach, sunken into the pebbles in ordinary hang-

ing basket liners. This would give extra insulation and give the terns a warmer, less draughty, place to settle

in to.

“And it has worked. We had 25 pairs this year, compared with 21 last year, 18 in 2011 and 12 in 2010. About three

quarters of the birds nested on the sand and 90% of their eggs hatched, compared to only 23% from those on peb-

bles. By the end of the season we have seen an average of 1.2 chicks per nest surviving to fledge, the best since

monitoring started in the 1970s. We are absolutely delighted!”

The job of protecting the colony has been made possible by a coalition of organisations including The Crown Estate

which owns the beach, the Portland Court Leet, Chesil and Fleet Nature Reserve, Natural England, MOD, the Dor-

set Wildlife Trust and RSPB.

Allan Drewitt, Senior Ornithologist at Natural England said “Chesil Beach is internationally important for its breeding

little terns and their recent recovery in numbers is excellent news and a great achievement for those dedicated and

resourceful individuals who work hard to protect the colony”.

Fiona Wynne, The Crown Estate’s Marine Stewardship Manager, said: “The Crown Estate is committed to support-

ing efforts that help improve the marine environment and the species and habitats that have a direct connection to

our foreshore and seabed. We have been delighted to provide funding for the little tern conservation project.”

“The success of this year’s breeding season is fantastic news and testament to the hard work and dedication of both

the professional and volunteer conservationists involved.”

Marc Smith from Dorset Wildlife Trust said: “It’s been a great year for the little terns. Chesil Beach Centre volunteers

and visitors were very lucky this summer as we could watch this wonderful story unfold on our live cameras. The

team’s hard work and inventive thinking really paid off and we are glad we could offer support through the use of our

newly refurbished centre. We are hopeful that this is the turning point for this charismatic little bird which is as much

a part of Chesil as the pebbles themselves.”In 2013 the project has been funded by the PANACHE Interreg project,

The Crown Estate, Portland Court Leet and Dorset Biodiversity Fund.

OUTDOOR VISITS PROGRAMME 2014 Field trips start at the advertised time and are all day unless otherwise stated. Please bring food and drink if you re-quire refreshment, and wear suitable clothing and footwear. Sorry, no dogs please. In the event of adverse weather conditions please check before setting out that the meeting is going ahead, to avoid unnecessary travel. We aim to advise cancellation on the web site http://www.rspb.org.uk/groups/southdorset CONTACTS: Phil Standfield on 078406 10098 about weekend trips (evenings only) Mary Robins 01305 871408 about midweek trips (evenings preferred).

2014 Saturday 11 January Christmas lunch and local walk at DWT Kingcombe Centre. Wednesday 22 January Radipole/Lodmoor. Meet at 10.00am at the RSPB Radipole visitor centre (parking charges apply). Leader Mary Robins Saturday 8 February Blashford Lakes Meet at 10.00am in Tern Hide car park SU151084. Toilets available at Visi-tor Centre across the road. Leader Phil Standfield. Wednesday 26 February Rodden Hive, Langton Herring. Morning only. Meet at 10.00am in the small lay-by on the minor road from Rodden to Langton Herring. SY610828. Limited parking, please share cars if possible. Could be muddy. Leader Mary Robins Sunday 9 March Bolderwood and Rhinefield, New Forest. Meet at 10.00am in car park at SU243086. In the after-noon we will move to the Blackwater arboretum off Rhinefield Drive to look for hawfinches roosting. Leader Malcolm Dowty. Wednesday 26 March Middlebere and Arne. Meet at 10.00am on roadside by lane leading to NT cottages SY963854 Leader Mary Robins and/or Rob Wilkinson Wednesday 16 April Cogden Beach, morning only. Meet in car park for Cogden Beach (charges apply for non-NT members). SY502885. Leader Mary Robins Sunday 27 April Somerset Levels for spring migrants. Meet at 9.30am Ashcott Corner car park ST450398. A new adjacent car park is planned to open early 2014 which may include a café and toilets, if so we will meet there! Leader Phil Standfield and/or Mary Robins

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EVENING INDOOR MEETINGS PROGRAMME

All evening meetings will take place on the third Thursday of the month in St Georges Church Hall Fordington Dorchester DT1 1LB.

Doors open soon after 7.15 pm for a start at 7.45 pm

January 16th 2014 A new speaker for the group Charlotte Bruce-White the Farm Conservation Adviser based in Salisbury will give a two part talk. The first part will be on the Stone Curlew Project and the second part on Farmland Birds. February 20th 2014 A welcome return for Phillip Mugridge who spoke last year on the Forest of Dean. His subject this year Bulgaria March 20th 2014 To be advised. We will post the details on the on the website as soon as they are available. April 10th 2014 The Annual General Meeting followed by group member Chris Milner on her visit to Kamchatka. Her talk is entitled Aukletts and Punk Puffins. N.B This meeting is on the second Thursday of April

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COMMITTEE Group Leader: Andrew Parsons, 15 Kellaway Terrace, Weymouth, Dorset, DT4 0HW Tel: 01305 772678 Treasurer: John York, Press and Publicity Officer: Sue Hampson, 22, Vespasian Way, Castle Park, Dorchester, Dorset. DT1 2RD Tel: 01305 265882 Membership Secretary: John York, 28 Verlands Road, Preston, Dorset, DT3 6BY Tel; 01305 832686 Field Trip Leader: Phil Standfield, 16 Middlemarsh Street, Poundbury, Dorchester, Dorset DT1 3GD Tel: 07840610098 Assistant Field Trip Leader: Mary Robins, 8 New Road, Portesham, DT3 4HD Tel: 01305 871408 Indoor Meetings Secretary: Cherry Sanders, 51 Reedling Close, Broadway, Weymouth, DT3 5RU Tel: 01305 813054 Events Coordinator: Sue Gannaway, 51 Coburg Road, Dorchster, DT1 2HN Tel: 01305 263273 Minutes Secretary: Mary Robins, 8 New Road, Portesham, DT3 4HD Tel: 01305 871408 Committee Members:

Jan Acres Nick Tomlinson—07500226374 Newsletter Editor (Not on Committee) Chris Wyeth. Tel 01305 778579