CLUB NEWS
This is where we put all our society news. If you have any news that you think should appear here, contact the webmaster.
RSPB Needs WeBS Surveyors
The RSPB are looking for WeBS suveyors for Butleigh/Walton/Sutton (a two-man site due to size) and Kingsmoor/Witcombe Bottom (we have combined these two to be done by one surveyor, but it might be a two-man opportunity).
Please contact Trish Harper if interested:
Trish Harper
Office Administrator - RSPB Somerset Reserves - West Sedgemoor, Greylake & Ham Wall
Tel: Business:- 01458 252820
Public:- 01458 252805
Fax:- 01458 252184
trish.harper@rspb.org.uk
Dewlands Farm
Redhill
Curry Rivel
Langport
Somerset TA10 0PH
Stop the Bird Killing in Malta
The RSPB are raising a petition to help in bringing about the end of the slaughter of birds in Malta. If you wish to sign it please visit this link.
County Bird Atlas Project
In co-operation with the BTO, the Somerset Ornithological Society is undertaking a County Bird Atlas. David Ballance has asked if all counters taking part in Somerset (especially non-members of the S.O.S.) could – where ever possible – please try to give TWO hours of commitment on each visit. Thank you.
Bitterns at Ham Wall
The General Committee have agreed a donation to help Bitterns survive the current cold spell. RSPB wardens at Ham Wall will be putting out sprats at strategic points on the reserve in the hope this will prevent starvation, and the SOS is pleased to support this.
Roving Records
David Ballance has just started what may be a long process of inserting a selection of the 2008 records as Roving Records in the BTO Atlas. He shall be working mainly from the original raw data distributed to editors by BDG. As far as possible he wants to avoid duplication, so he shall assume that he need not bother with records submitted by observers who have been taking an active part in the scheme by assuming repsonsibility for Timed Tetrads, and that such observers will have entered records from outside their tetrads as Roving Records. Eve Tigwell is providing him with an up-to-date list of these observers, which he can use in conjunction with the key to intitials in Somerset Birds. He shall also exclude:
most records ffrom well-known reserves
all offshire birds and most purely coastal species
very common species unless they occur at unexpected seasons or places
most records, at least of commoner species, where the precise tetrads cannot be determined from the information submitted, unless it seems desirable to make a record for a 10 x 10 square
records derived from published surveys (such as the Exmoor Moorland Breeding Bird Survey), for which other arrangements have been made by the BTO
records relating to Somerset tetrads on or adjacent to the Mendips (east of 30, north of 50) which have been managed by the Bristol societies
He shall include:
records from tetrads inside Somerset but managed for Atlas purposes by Devon (e.g. the western parts of Exmoor Forest) or by Dorset or Wiltshire
If any members have queries about this procedure they should get in touch with David Ballance by telephone as soon as possible 01643 706820.
Telescope for Sale
We don't generally allow advertising on the site, but due to sad circumstances a members telescope is for sale:
AG 60 RSPB Telescope. 25x Eyepiece. 6x640 Tripod. Little used, bought August 2008. £225. Contact M. Bloom on 01458 441554.
Photographs submitted for Somerset Birds 2008
As a disinterested party I was given the task of choosing twenty photos for inclusion in Somerset Birds 2008 . I had no idea just how hard this would be. Over one hundred individual photographs were submitted for consideration and all were, without exception, an enormous credit to the photographers.
Without knowing the names of the photographers, and with no little difficulty, I whittled a short-list of 30 down to the final selection. We needed a good range of species and, unless there were very good reasons for doing otherwise, needed to select birds that had not been included in the most recent Reports. It was also important to include some photos of rarities, accepting that some of these would not necessarily be the winners purely on photographic standard. These considerations precluded the inclusion of some outstandingly good photos.
As an example of what I mean, 17 photos featured gulls and terns, and these included an excellent series of Iceland Gull shots, all of which would in other circumstances have 'walked it'. In the end, gull selection came down to two flight shots, one of a Bonaparte's Gull and the other, the winner by a narrow margin, a superb photo of an adult Mediterranean Gull. Similarly, there were some great wader shots, most notably of a Dunlin and a Dotterel that should surely be considered for national competitions. After much agonising, however, the action shot of a Sanderling won through, together with a feather perfect Little Stint.
A fine series of grebe photos, including the Red-necked at Cheddar were high quality, but the winner, that of a Great Crested with food, selected itself. I broke my own (self-imposed) rule in paragraph two by selecting a Wryneck photo even though this species featured in Somerset Birds 2007 . It was, in the final analysis, just too good to exclude, as was a cameo of Little Egrets. This gave us two heron shots, but we could hardly leave out Cattle Egret in this of all years!
Where selection was really tight, flight shots, always difficult to execute, generally won through. My personal favourites, though not top of the list, were a juvenile Swallow and a Cormorant, but the Bonaparte's Gull, which brought back pleasant memories, came close.
To summarize, it was a privilege to judge this quite superb selection. Brian Gibbs will be contacting those whose photographs have been chosen. Those whose shots never made it need not feel disheartened. The standard was extremely high, and all would have enhanced the Report. The whole exercise has served to demonstrate just how well-served the SOS is by photographers in the County. We have come a long way since my very average Nightjar shot of ten years ago was considered worth a look, even though it rightly never made it!
Brian Hill
WANTED - WeBS counters
For the coming season, 2009/2010 (Oct-March), the RSPB are currently short of WeBS counters for the following sites:
Curry Moor & Hay Moor (W)(ST308266)
Kingsmoor (ST483238)
West Moor (ST416221)
Witcombe Bottom (ST483228)
Butleigh/Walton/Sutton ST442348
Please contact Trish Harper at RSPB West Sedgemoor by emailing to trish.harper@rspb.org.uk or by phone on (01458) 252805 for further details.
Bird News and Discussion Forums
You may have noticed that the Discussion Forum has disappeared. This is an unfortunate decision that the webmaster has taken after becoming increasingly concerned with having to remove rude and inappropriate postings. This issue will be discussed by the General Committee, and if is decided to reinstate it we will let you know.
I cannot stress enough the need for postings to any forum to be polite and courteous. Please ensure that all messages to the remaining Bird News forum meet these basic guidelines.
Discounted Optics
David Culverhouse has kindly organised discounts off optics, with a donation going to the Somerset Ornithological Society. Please click here for more details.
Somerset Birds 2007
Somerset Birds 2007 (the latest County Bird Report) is available for £8.50 (including UK P&P) or £9.00 (including overseas P&P) from David Ballance, Flat 2, Dunboyne, Bratton Lane, Minehead. TA24 8SQ
Please make your cheque payable to Somerset Ornithological Society.
Membership Update
Please note: subscription is due on January 1st each year.
Following the April 2008 AGM, where membership was discussed, I thought that this update would be in order, especially after carrying out a membership review.
I sent out (by post) 101 overdue subscription reminders in mid-April 2008 covering the previous two years unpaid subscriptions. Of these, 5 resigned and a further 25 had not been replied to by the end of June. These 30 names have now been removed from the current list of members.
There were 15 names on the membership database with no record of payment against them since 2005 and a further 7 with no record of payment since 2001. These 22 names have also been removed from the current list of members.
I have compiled a register of the names and addresses that I have removed from the current list of members. So anyone who doesn't receive their "expected" copy of the next bird report, Somerset Birds 2007, when it is published towards the end of this year, should contact me and they can quite easily rejoin.
Present membership (including 26 new members since the beginning of April) is somewhere between 330 and 335 fully paid-up members - I'm waiting to hear from a very last few. This includes 30 who are still paying at the old subscription rate before its last increase in 2002. A reminder and a new Bankers Standing Order form will be sent to them as a flyer with their next autumn mailing.
I intend to place a 2009 subscription reminder, together with a Banker's Standing Order form in the autumn issue of Bird Notes. Hopefully, this will encourage more members to pay by this method which will make my job that much easier!
Jeff Hazell
SOS Hon MS&T.
July 8th 2008.