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Edition 89

April 2017

Swift Survey – Spring 2017

Ben Andrew (rspb-images.com)

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RSPB CHESTER GROUP

NEWSLETTER rspb.org.uk/groups/chester

facebook.com/RSPBChester @RSPBChester

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Group Leader’s Spot

By Norman Sadler

When you read this, spring will be well and truly with us. I can hear the blackbird singing its heart out as I write this.

At the February meeting this year I took enormous pleasure in being able to announce FIVE long service awards for RSPB volunteers. Carol Tresadern made the journey from Lancaster to present the awards. All the recipients have given generously of their time over many years in support of this group, so a big thank you to:

Margaret Curtis (5 years)

John Chapman (5 years)

Christine Kay (15 years)

John Dawson (15 years)

Roger Nutter (15 years)

Together with Margaret Bain who was presented with her 20 year award at the end of last year and Viv Mountford, who received her 10 year award last autumn, this represents a staggering total of 85 years of volunteering keeping this group alive and thriving.

We and the RSPB in general, owe all of them a great deal of thanks. Personally, I have certainly appreciated all their support over many years.

Enjoy your spring and summer. Don’t forget our outdoor programme continues after the last indoor meeting (and AGM) in April.

The Membership Secretary’s Report

By Margaret Bain

We have had quite a few new members join our group since January and a warm welcome to you all. We hope you have enjoyed the indoor talks and joined us on the outings. Renewals are still coming in slowly but if you do not renew, this will be the last newsletter sent to you and you may miss out on our exciting programme.

Committee

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Outdoor Events

Unless otherwise stated our meeting location is the Sainsbury end of Caldy Valley Neighbourhood Church car park, Caldy Valley Road, Chester, CH3 5PR

Newcomers and beginners are particularly welcome on these trips. Please contact the leader at least three days beforehand to confirm arrangements. If the leader does not know you are coming, they cannot let you know of any last minute changes to the trip. Wherever possible, car sharing is encouraged. If you would like a lift, let the leader know.

Date and Time Destination and description Leader

Wed 26 April 18:30

Farndon / Crook of Dee An evening trip to look for water birds, often including Mandarins, plus recently arrived migrants

Meet at: Dee Bridge, Farndon

Rob Adams 01829 270654

Sat 06 May 08:00

Sandstone Ridge Looking out for redstarts and raptors

Peter Stevenson 01352 716886

Wed 24 May 18:30

Chester Meadows An evening exploration of Chester Meadows, a local jewel.

Meet at: Bottoms Lane, Chester

Andy Ingham c/o Roger Nutter 01829 782237

Sat 03 June 8.15 for 8:30 departure

RSPB Ynys-Hir – COACH trip Please book several weeks in advance to avoid disappointment. A fabulous range of wildlife in west Wales, including woodland and estuary specialities.

N.B. Disabled access is limited. Bring a packed lunch and water as refreshments are limited.

Meet at Sainsbury’s car park, row nearest the bus stop, Chester, CH3 5QJ

Viv 01244 400433

Wed 14 June 18:30

Greenfield Dock An evening visit, for warblers and chats, in this fascinating historical reclaimed site in Holywell

Roger Nutter 01829 782237

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Wed 05 July 08:30

Puffin Island / Anglesey Mainly for summer seabirds. Please note, the Puffin Island boats are dependent on the state of the seas. If cancelled, there are many good birding places on Anglesey to explore instead. N.B. Limited numbers - please book several weeks in advance to avoid disappointment.

Boat price: £8.50 in advance

Peter Stevenson 01352 716886

Cheshire and District Ornithological Society – CADOS

Date Destination Leader

Sat 29 April World’s End / Glyndyfrdwy Ron Shewring 0151 339 0696

27-29 May East Anglia Weekend Nick French 01829 271 945

Sat 17 June Anglesey Alun Harley 01925 269 430

Sat 08 July Butterflies & Orchids David King 0151 327 7212

Sat 26 Aug Migrants Nick French 01829 271 945

Broxton Barn Owl Group – BBOG

Date Destination Leader

March - May Owl Box Field Works Various Locations

Jenny 01829 771628

May - Sept Barn Owl Ringing Various Locations

Jenny 01829 771628

Thurs 15 June BBOG Display and Open Day Stockton Hall Farm Open Day

Chris 01948 860333

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Latest Developments on Bird Species

By John Chapman

The recent publication of the second volume of the Illustrated Checklist of the Birds of the World completes the presentation of a new complete list of the world’s birds. The list is based on a new taxonomy that incorporates the most up-to date information and uses a comprehensive, systematic and consistent methodology. The list builds on the huge effort put into the publication of the 17-volume Handbook of the Birds of the World published between 1992 and 2013. The Handbook and the Illustrated Checklist have been prepared with the cooperation of BirdLife International and the list will therefore carry considerable weight in conservation circles.

BirdLife International is the authority charged with coordinating the process of evaluating the status of all the world’s bird species and maintaining a Red List of birds of conservation concern. The Red List categories – Critically Endangered, Endangered, Vulnerable, Near Threatened and Least Concern – sets out the conservation status of all species. The list is vital in determining conservation priorities and in convincing governments of the need to adopt policies that protect nature. Governments and society in general will only be convinced of the need for conservation action if the evidence is clear and well presented. The great fear of conservationists is that a bird species, sub-species or important population will become extinct because of a lack of knowledge.

There have been many attempts made over the years to list all the birds of the world. Recently three separate lists have been in use. These are generally referred to as:

1. The Clements Checklist 2. The International Ornithological Congress (IOC) Checklist 3. The Howard and Moore’s Birds of the World.

All three lists depend on reviews of published papers on bird identification, behaviour, anatomy and distribution. The lists, therefore, depend on the work of many authors with differing standards, priorities and prejudices. The Checklists do their best to monitor the process and to provide consistency but each has its own principles and the lists differ significantly. Implicit in listing species is a way of determining what constitutes a species and all three Checklists subscribe to the Biological Species Concept (BSC). This defines a species in terms of whether populations that appear to be substantially the same, interbreed, or whether they would do if they came into geographical contact. In the 1990’s an alternative concept – the Phylogenetic Species Concept – gained ground. This, in simple terms, states that any sub-

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species/population that is geographically isolated and has even the smallest unique character can be considered to be a good species. The latter concept, of course, leads to the naming of significant numbers of new species.

Work on bird DNA has led to a greater understanding of the relationships between bird families but it has also led to proposals for the splitting of current species based on small differences in mitochondrial DNA. There is, however, no consistent percentage variation in DNA between species and such proposed splits should be backed up with other evidence if they are to be taken seriously. (For a fairly simple guide to DNA-based identification of birds see British Birds; January 2017)

Proposals for new species based on only DNA and/or phenotypic data has increased confusion to bird taxonomy and BirdLife decided that a new approach was necessary. A Paper published in 2010 (Tobias et al. Ibis 152: pages 724-746) provided an opportunity: it is titled “Quantitative Criteria for Species Delimitation”. It provides a means of scoring differences in biometrics, (size, etc.) plumage, voice, behaviour and ecology. Recent advances in digital photography and sound recording (sonograms) together with many detailed studies of species including mating and nesting behaviour, migration strategies, etc. provide adequate information for applying the Tobias criteria to all species and sub-species. This is what has now been done to produce the new world list of birds mentioned above. It is considered to deliver taxonomic decisions with a high level of objectivity, consistency and transparency. The list still largely follows the Biological Species Concept but, with the additional information available, it accepts a significant number of new species.

The total number of birds on the new list is 10,960. (In comparison the Clements List has some 10,514 species, the IOC List has 10,660 species and the Howard and Moore List has 10,135 species.) There is very little change in European birds, most additions are of tropical birds, particularly island species and those associated with tropical forest. The Tobias approach is not without its critics and the new list will probably be challenged but acceptance by BirdLife, IUCN and the European Union gives it credibility. New species will be proposed, some will be accepted but the new list may provide a better baseline than the lists previously available.

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The Beauty of Bickerton

By Richard Sayle

After over 30 years living in Chester, I have only been in the Cathedral or the Grosvenor Museum a few times each. Sometimes tourists know more than the people who live there. So people often ignore some of the splendid things which are near to them. Take the National Trust’s Bickerton Hill, for example.

How many of us have spent much or any time there? Just 20-30 minutes drive away, it is a much underrated place. Until I retired in 2015, this was true of me too. Wanting to do some voluntary work related to wildlife, I began reptile surveying at Bickerton assisted by three other regulars Mandy, Liam and Philip.

Common lizards are evident although you have to look - or more often - listen carefully. Our main goal is to find adders which have not been seen on the Heath for about three years now. But along the way, the slightly wild beauty of the place works its way through; there are small, dark pools and hidden paths disappearing into attractive woods. This rare lowland heath (in Cheshire, there are only a few such sites) is species rich. With careful management, the landscape will return

to the kind of habitat it has been for as much as three thousand years, heather will increase and more birds will be encouraged to nest. And maybe adders will be in evidence as well?

Did you know that there are two (small) bird hides? From there, relatively common woodland and garden birds may be watched at very close quarters - so close that the flutter of wings carries loudly. Chaffinches, blue tits, great tits, coal tits, wrens, treecreepers and nuthatches seen close up are an underestimated treat. I have also noted either willow or marsh tits - if only I could easily identify the difference! Linnets, black redstarts, redwings, redpolls, fieldfares and pied flycatchers are observable too. I was recently camped in one of the bird hides taking photos when, ambling up slowly, came a red legged partridge; he took a low, cautious look at me, thought about it and then scarpered with as much dignity as possible. For me, though, great photos from just a few metres away!

Red legged partridge

©Richard Sayle

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Among the larger birdlife, there are greater spotted woodpeckers which can be usually heard and sometimes seen. Green woodpeckers are resident too; listen for the yaffle and with a quick eye, you might see them too. Jays are frequently visible while birds of prey - buzzards, kestrels and sparrowhawks - are an enjoyable sight. Until last year, I had not even heard a cuckoo for more than 30 years so imagine my pleasure at their calls during their short stay (mid April to early June or so) with occasional sightings. Unfortunately, the three cuckoos of 2016 were all male, so no chicks resulted. Better fortune in 2017 perhaps. Some lucky person (not me) even recorded a ring ouzel last Spring!

Other wildlife at Bickerton includes the rare green hairstreak butterfly. Hard to spot but if you see leaves fluttering in mid-air in early Spring, then you have seen one of these. Cunning how the undersides of the wings are green so that, at rest, they are superbly camouflaged. Abundant sheep sorrel makes it easy to see Small Copper butterflies in summer and early autumn; apparently, they were seen only rarely in most places last year. It was, however a good year for peacock butterflies and there were many of those on the hill. In addition, moths, dragon and damselflies can, with care, be viewed. Mammals include stoats, weasels, foxes and badgers.

So a visit to nearby Bickerton can be rewarding. Even if you don’t see much wildlife, the walking and the fresh air are superb. Views of Liverpool are visible to the naked eye; the Shropshire Hills and Welsh mountains too. I swear I once saw - with binoculars - Blackpool Tower! (You might have to take that one on trust.) And if, while enjoying your walk, you happen to hear a whoop of delight, then it could well be that the reptile surveyors have just seen an adder.

Avian Flu

By Helen Wilson

Avian flu (bird flu) is a disease of birds. The H5N8 strain of the disease has been found in wild and farmed birds in the UK this winter. The disease spreads from bird to bird by direct contact or through contaminated body fluids and faeces. The virus can change its strain creating new strains and there is a risk that in the future new strains may spread among humans. There is however no evidence that this recent H5N8 strain of avian flu has been able to cause disease in humans. Public Health England advises that the risk to public health with this present strain is very low and the Food Standards Agency has said there is no food safety risk for UK consumers.

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Where avian flu has been confirmed, restrictions are in place to limit the spread of disease, with the use of Prevention Zones and investigations into the source of the infection.

The H5N8 strain of the disease has been confirmed at a farm in Northumberland, a poultry farm in Suffolk, in three linked premises on a commercial game farm in Lancashire, in three separate poultry farms in Lincolnshire, and in backyard flocks in North Yorkshire and Carmarthenshire.

3km Protection Zones and or a 10km Surveillance Zones are in place in the following cases (dates are when disease was confirmed):

Haltwhistle, Northumberland (24 February)

Redgrave, Suffolk with proactive culling of around 55,000 ducks (14 February).

Pilling, Wyre, Lancashire, culling of 10,000 birds (30 January)

From 28 February, all poultry keepers across England must continue to observe strict biosecurity measures, with housing or netting required in higher risk areas. The latest Order gives most keepers the option to let birds outside whilst still taking reasonable precautions against avian flu (see link below). The ban on poultry gatherings remains in force.

All poultry keepers are required to take steps to reduce the risk of infection via the environment, for example in wild bird droppings, by practising good biosecurity. This means taking precautions such as putting up netting, keeping food and water inside and disinfecting footwear and equipment after contact with birds.

It is imperative that all cases of avian flu are reported to DEFRA by calling the Defra Rural Services Helpline on 03000 200 301

Wild birds

H5N8 has been circulating in wild birds in Europe for several months were up to 900 outbreaks have been reported in commercial or backyard poultry. The same strain has also been found in wild birds in England, Scotland and Wales. Locally, a mallard, several pochard, a cormorant and a black-headed gull have tested positive in Merseyside and a teal in Conwy.

In early February, Martin Mere had a single case of avian flu in a greylag goose. Vehicle restrictions and disinfectant mats have been placed at the site's entrances and exits as precautionary measures.

Members of the public are asked to report dead wild birds. If you find dead wild birds, in particular; wild swans, geese, ducks, gulls, birds of prey or if you find

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more than five birds dead in the same location, you should report them to the Defra helpline 03459 33 55 77.

DEFRA collect some of these birds and test them to help understand how the disease is distributed geographically and in different types of bird.

More information can be found on the English government website https://tinyurl.com/jgoue53 For the Welsh Government information see http://j.tinyurl.com/z7atvyf

São Tomé and Príncipe

By Barbara Cooper-Poole

If you have never heard of São Tomé and Príncipe you join many others. It lies off the west coast of Africa, 250km west of Gabon. The total area of the islands is 1,001sq km which is roughly three-quarters the size of Greater London.

The equator runs through the off shore island of Ilhéu das Rolas. It is the closest land to the imaginary point where the equator crosses the Greenwich meridian. The centre of the world! As you can imagine from its position it is hot and humid and so rains a lot. I was unlucky it rained more than expected when I was there in January. It was a Portuguese colony but became independent in 1975.

I was not on a specialist birdwatching trip, just a general exploring holiday. For birders São Tomé and Príncipe is usually an extension to a Gabon trip. Still I did have my binoculars at the ready.

There are 75 species of birds which occur regularly on the islands of which 28 are endemic species and 11 endemic subspecies. Like the Galapagos Islands, São Tomé and Príncipe are volcanic peaks which have never been joined to the mainland. I ticked off 31 species including 11 endemics. To see the real rarities like the marron pigeon or the São Tomé grosbeak you need to be on a specialised birding trip, they don’t occur on the usual tourist track.

São Tomé

©Barbara Cooper-Poole

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One of the endemics which is easy to see is the São Tomé prinia. It is very noisy and active, jumping in the air and clapping its wings. Large white birds flying over may be just a cattle egret or it could be a white-tailed tropicbird with its beautiful long white tail. São Tomé and Príncipe may hold the largest population in western Africa. Another eye catching endemic is the São Tomé paradise flycatcher, the male has a beautiful blue-black plumage with a graceful long tail. Yellow-billed kites are everywhere! This is just a sample of the birds I saw, there were more.

One of the big charms of the islands is their lack of tourists. I never came across large parties at the “beauty spots” or main attractions. There are a few tourist hotels and also “eco camps” but both are small. The islands economy in colonial times was based on the production of coffee and cocoa but production has dropped a lot. What remains of the plantations I found sad. You can see what had once been magnificent buildings but now all in ruins. A sharp contrast to the still smart tea estates of Assam and East Africa.

If you want an African destination which is safe and unspoilt, I can recommend São Tomé and Príncipe but go soon before the secret is out and mass tourism moves in. Also try and go at the drier times of the year.

A Winter full of Waxwings

By Helen Wilson

Waxwings (Bombycilla garrulus) are characterised by soft silky plumage. They have unique red tips to some of the wing feathers where the shafts extend beyond the barbs these tips look like sealing wax, hence the common name. The male and female are similar. They have mainly brown plumage, a black line through the eye and black under the chin, a square-ended tail with a red or yellow tip and a pointed crest. The bill, eyes and feet are dark. Calls are

high-pitched, buzzing or trilling monosyllables.

Waxwings breed within the substantial belt of boreal forest, that extends from Scandinavia, through Russia and across to the Pacific coast.

In some years, called irruptions, when the population on its breeding grounds gets too big for the food available these birds are forced to move long distances in search of food. This has been one of

Waxwing ©Helen Wilson

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those years. The favoured food is the berries of Rowan but they will also take berries from other plants in the genus Sorbus, as well as those of Cotoneaster and the hawthorns. Many urban areas contain suitable berry-producing bushes and shrubs, with supermarket car parks, industrial estates and new housing development often favoured by the birds.

I had never seen this beautiful bird so I was excited to hear that they had been seen in St Asaph, then further north in Wrexham industrial estate. Julie and I hotfooted it over to Wrexham, we saw evidence where they had been, the Rowen trees stripped bare but no waxwings. Then I heard they had been seen on a residential estate in Great Sutton, just round the corner. I really didn’t expect to be lucky but waiting for me were about 16 of the beauties sitting atop a birch tree preening and digesting after having feasted on the Rowen in a nearby garden. I saw them two days running, Julie on other hand missed them each time she tried. After a couple of days we heard they had moved on to Heswall. She may have to wait until the next irruption

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Cheshire and Wirral Ornithological Society (CAWOS)

By Ted Lock

Did you know there is County birding society called CAWOS?

CAWOS objectives are to encourage the study and preservation of avifauna and habitats within Cheshire and Wirral.

The Society produces the Annual Bird Report for the County where members and non-members provide their field observations which go into our database. Other groups such as Hilbre Island observatory, Rosthere Bird Observatory, Cheshire Swan group, Barn owl groups and Mersey and South Manchester ringing groups and the British Trust for Ornithology all provide records to enable a comprehensive status of birds in the county at that point in time.

Do you keep bird records and are they made available for the County Bird Report? The value of our field work is exemplified by a detailed publication Birds of Cheshire and Wirral: A breeding and wintering atlas 2004-2007. The book is now available on-line to anybody that is interested. This information is increasingly important for conservation use with the current need for housing and the erosion of the green belt, we use it to object to development or seek mitigation for bird life. Currently examples are the planned golf course on the Wirral at Hoylake and the recent drainage of the scrape at Gilroy Pasture a national important site for wintering black-tailed godwits.

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Fortunately, in this later case complaints to the local authorities enabled this to be quickly reversed. Increasing CAWOS works with the RSPB and Cheshire Wildlife Trust on major conservation issues to try and protect habitat for birds.

So if you are interested in birding please send you records to CAWOS at submissions@cawos.org also if you wish to join the County Society it is only £12/year adults, £15/year family or £6/year junior membership. For this you get a copy of the annual bird report plus 3 copies of Bird News in the spring, summer and autumn which give up to date news on birds in the County and articles of interest to birders. We also hold 6 indoor meeting a year, from September to March which is held at St Vincent Church Hall in Knutsford.

It you wish to join please contact memsec@cawos.org who will help you sign up.

CAWOS also manages with agreement through Natural England the A.W. Boyd Memorial Observatory overlooking Rostherne Mere. Members can obtain annual or daily permits to get a grandstand view of the Mere and the birds it supports. An annual report is produced to add to those from previous years of this National Nature Reserve, which is the deepest (30m) and largest mere in Cheshire. Annual permits cost £10 single, £15 family and £5 concession and are available from the membership secretary at the e-mail above.

If you have any questions, please to not hesitate to e-mail me at secretary@cawos.org

Field Trip Reports

Owls at Neston – 20 November 2016

By Richard and Catherine Corbett

The day was perfect – the best late autumn weather we could have hoped for – with no wind, cold bright against the setting sun ahead of us going down behind the Welsh hills to the West.

And the owls were there, at least six to eight short-eared owls patrolling up and back along the runnels, every now and then diving down and up again as they hunted. Short-eared owl

SAVE OUR SWIFTS

Now an Amber Listed species. Between 1995-2014 the swift breeding numbers halved.

Impeckable does not make a profit with substantial investment going into the development of long lasting nest boxes and feeders.

With help from Swift Conservation, we went about designing a new Swift Colony nest box. The Swift Colony series

will be made from fibreglass which doesn’t crack in the cold like ordinary plastic. The elliptical entry is made from wood.

Our nest boxes come with a 25 year guarantee.

There are a number of nest box sizes available: Height 205 mm, Depth 150 mm

Colony Size

Length mm

Price Colony Size

Length mm

Price

One 306 £50 Six 1836 £220

Two 612 £90 Eight 2448 £260

Four 1224 £160

Fixing: Hung from stainless steel brackets

To pre-order your Swift Colony nest boxes contact use via email or phone:

info@impeckable.co.uk Tel: Len on 07554385878

Impeckable.co.uk

Swift (Apus apus) ©Billy Lindblom

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They tumbled together and their calls were plainly audible as it was so calm and they were so close to us. They were even plainly visible when they went to ground and those with telescopes kindly allowed us to see the owls as close as I expect I will ever see.

The marsh harriers were there, the hen harrier, egrets all over the place - even one disguised as a discarded white plastic bag which suddenly sprouted black legs and a black beak as it looked around at me!

We saw pink footed geese, a kestrel perched above us and there were curlews, gulls - various, even a robin masquerading as a bat, according to the bat detector! We all stayed until the light was almost gone. It is difficult to imagine a more perfect birdwatching afternoon.

Thanks to you all for your good company and we look forward to seeing you again.

Parkgate and Heswall Gutters – 17 December 2016

By Roger Nutter

Trip leaders must not take their eye off the ball (the list of people’s names is of little use if left on the sideboard, and counting everyone at each stop ensures you don’t leave anyone in the car park [sorry Gill]. Thus traumatised, I also forgot to ask anyone to write a report for the newsletter, so it’s a DIY job I’m afraid. My defence counsel will argue that I was cruelly distracted by the great weather, abundant and often spectacular birds and the friendly company of 15 other birders.

First stop, Thurstaston Country Park. From the top of the cliffs you get a great view over the upper part of the estuary, and although the birds aren’t all that close to you, telescopes or even binoculars reveal a wide variety of species. As we were trying to work out what they all were, it became slowly obvious that each group of waders or ducks was slowly moving position, as the tide started to flow southwards. To the north-west of us, a dozen or so Brent geese swam across from a sand spit towards the shore near Dee Sailing Club and by the time they got to the beach, the spit had been submerged. Some birds were less bothered about the flow, like the big group of pintail, but others, particularly black-tailed godwit, took more decisive measures by flying towards the mud banks at Heswall. There was so much to see on the sands that we didn’t have time to go looking for thrushes and finches in the bushes around the Wirral Way; by the time we moved on, we had seen a variety of waders.

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including bar-tailed godwit, knot and turnstone, plus shoveler, sparrowhawk and others

Second stop, Parkgate Old Baths. On a lovely day like this it was strange to see the car park almost deserted but this was probably due to the Wirral Rangers and RSPB staging their High Tide watch event at Hoylake.

It’s easier seeing all the best birds when there are so many pairs of eyes looking for them and this helped us get great views of hen harrier (adult male and a ring-tail) and marsh harrier.

Little egrets were plentiful as usual and a heron or two, but we didn’t find the great white egret that had been seen a few days earlier on Donkey Stand Flash. In recompense, the Flash did give us four handsome snipe, and two little grebes that had apparently given

up diving for food and just sat staring at the gulls: maybe they were hoping we might throw them some our battered fish. From our vantage points along the prom, pink-footed goose, stonechat, reed bunting, skylark, long-tailed tit, buzzard, teal, lapwing, twite and an unconfirmed brambling were also seen.

After more harrier-watching over lunch, we looked for winter thrushes on the fields next to the golf course but only got song and mistle (not to be dismissed so lightly – both red-listed species!). This prompted Shirley Bain to show us a picture of the black-throated thrush she had taken a few days earlier at St Asaph, and possibly inspired by this, Julie and Liz then found some field

blewits in the short grass on the way back to their car (alas too late to have as a side dish with the battered fish!).

Last stop was the quayside at Denhall, as it was just too tempting to grab another look at the short-eared owls that we saw on our November field trip a few weeks before. We only saw one bird but it put on a great show, catching some prey on one of its stoops. It was so easily visible that the neighbourhood kestrel flew over from a treetop to mug the owl for a bit of fresh vole. Have a look on our Facebook page for pictures, including the photographers who had walked out across the misty marsh to photograph the owls with the sinking sun at their backs, and got the bonus of all of our smiling faces as a backdrop!

Editors Note: The Parkgate fish and chips shop is still on top form so says; me, Liz, Helen and Julie.

Hen Harrier ©Shirley Bain

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Belvide Reservoir – 18 February 2017

By Brian Gresty

On a grey, rather cool morning 10 members of our Group set off following the little map Alan had given us all. We arrived at our destination, Belvide Reservoir, now under the control of the West Midlands Birding Group, https://tinyurl.com/hsohtw4 It is a 74 hectar canal-feeder reservoir, constructed in 1834 to supply what is now the Shropshire Union Canal. The site did not attract the attention of ornithologists until the 1920s but is now an SSI site and is a most enjoyable, well equipped birding location.

Entering through a large, very new security gate into the car park we were met with a man carrying a rifle with a huge silencer and seeing our looks of concern he said he only shot pensioners over 70! Actually he was quietly creeping around shooting squirrels, rats and foxes with his silenced gun to help keep down numbers. The silencer was a contradiction in terms as two fields away a party of shooters were creating WW3 shooting woodpigeons. Amazingly the birds on the reserve were not at all fazed by some very loud bangs.

Just inside the reserve we came across a large well equipped feeding station, with many common local birds attracted to its well filled feeders, including nuthatch, bullfinch, great spotted woodpecker etc. Moving on a short distance we entered the first of the five hides, climbing up some steps to a spacious area with good views across the reservoir. Within minutes we saw a water rail just below us calmly feeding on the reeds edge. On the water were good numbers of ducks,

including some goldeneye, pochard and a female smew. We stayed here for a while, being treated to courtship displays by goldeneye drakes and the early stages of display “dancing” by a pair of great crested grebe. The next hide had another large and well filled feeding station located very near the water’s edge, again very popular indeed with the “locals”, including a lively group of five tree sparrows.

As we walked to hide 3 a large group of siskin were feeding in the tree tops and we had exceptional eye level views of goldcrest busy feeding along the path’s edge.

Water rail

©Richard Sayle

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Inside the next spacious and well equipped hide we saw many other ducks, two water rail, a small flock of snipe and two lesser black-backed gulls. Suddenly one of them was seen with a length of fishing tackle hanging from its beak and behaving in a very distressed fashion. Flying up and backwards only to plummet back into the lake, this sad scene was repeated to our angry muffled curses about uncaring anglers and expressions of concern for the sad plight of this poor bird.

Walking towards the next hide we came across two very committed anglers and asked which one had caught the gull. They said they were fishing for pike, using herring as bait and whilst reeling in a line the gull had dived to grab it, hooking itself of course. Did you land it we asked? Yes, we were told and when it was unhooked it had its revenge by biting its saviour. Did you get a photo we enquired? Hell no was their response; we were glad to let it go as its mate was also diving at us. The strength of the bird was mentioned, the fight it put up whilst on the hook was greater than the biggest fish the angler had ever caught.

We saw many more birds from the nest hide, teal, pintail, shoveller, shelduck, etc, with lovely views of a snipe sunning itself. With the sun now shining we decided to revisit the first hide. Obligingly two water rail made lengthy appearances, unlike our fleeting glimpse of a kingfisher coming towards the perch in front of us.

We saw 53 bird species. Thanks to Roger for suggesting the venue and thanks to Alan for organising such a pleasant and fun field trip.

Editor’s Note

Thanks to all the writers who provided articles for the newsletter. Would readers consider writing something for the newsletter? Anything about birds or wildlife would be welcome. Please contact me, Nick Carey via

Tel: 01928 574 502 nj.carey@virgin.net

If you would prefer an electronic copy of this newsletter, then let me know.

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 registered charity: England and Wales no. 207076, Scotland no.SC037654

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