In-flight!Welcome to the Spring 2011 edition of the Airedale & Bradford Newsletter. We hope to produce the Autumn edition in September. Any contributions to future editions of this newsletter would be gratefully received: either speak to Paul (Treasurer) or e-mail abrspb@blueyonder.co.uk. To keep up-to-date with happenings within the group visit our website:

www.rspb.org.uk/groups/airedaleandbradford/

BIRD SONGMany of us enjoyed the talk by David Tolliday at our December meeting. The theme was 'Sights and Sounds of British Wildlife.' We were reminded that it is often the sound of a bird that initially attracts one's attention. During the meeting it was suggested that, in order to learn bird song, you should choose one bird and listen to recordings of its song until it becomes embedded. You then move on to the next bird. If you have not got the appropriate CD (or your cassette tape has worn out!) help is at hand. You can listen to a number of sounds (some of which are free to download*) on the BBC Radio Four web site at: www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/science/birdsong.shtml(*Download these recordings to your mp3 player and match the songs you hear in your garden or on a country walk.)The RSPB also provides sound recordings on its Bird Guide pages:www.rspb.org.uk/wildlife/birdguide/name/The British Garden Birds web site has tutorials that will help identify some of our common species. Each tutorial covers the songs of two or three species that are often confused and include some sound clips and links to others elsewhere on the internet.www.garden-birds.co.uk/information/tutorials/index.html

LOW WOOD, KeighleyThis woodland, managed by the Yorkshire Wildlife Trust, supports a wide range of bird and animal life. The reserve holds a number of breeding species of tit and finch. Little owls and tawny owls breed on the reserve as does woodcock. Green and great spotted woodpeckers are resident, whilst lesser spotted woodpecker is a frequent visitor. A nest box scheme has encouraged pied flycatcher to breed annually and the Leeds-Liverpool Canal supports breeding wildfowl. You may be fortunate enough to catch a glimpse of a Kingfisher. Chiffchaff, willow and wood warbler are regular spring visitors along with cuckoo, whilst redwing and siskin appear in winter.

At dusk, the wood comes alive with many species of mammal such as fox, badger, roe deer and three species of bat. The localised water shrew is present along with other shrew, vole and mouse species. Both frog and toad inhabit the reserve and common lizard is sometimes seen on the dry-stone boundary walls. A number of species of dragon, damsel and mayflies has been recorded along with 14 species of butterfly.

The reserve is situated three miles north of Keighley, near East Riddlesden. By car, approach along the B6265 and take the Granby Lane turning north at the traffic lights outside East Riddlesden Hall, crossing the Leeds-Liverpool Canal. Turn left immediately and continue along Scott Lane through Riddlesden village. As the road comes to an end it becomes an unimproved road until it reaches Riddlesden Golf Club car park. Follow the track down past the car park to the parking area at the side of the canal by Booth’s Bridge.

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

PLACES TO SEE BIRDS

For those familiar with our Group website you will know that there is a page designated 'Places to see Birds'. To date the information contained on that page has been hit and miss and it hasn't been used to best advantage. We would be grateful for any 'favourite haunts' either verbally or by e-mail. They will be included both on the site and in the newsletter – like the one below.

Booth's Bridge

PuzzlesSOLUTIONS TO LAST EDITION:

Nicknames of British Birds 1. Aberdevine. Siskin2. Ailsa Cock. Puffin3. Alp. Bullfinch4. Arran Ake. Red throated Diver5. Bank Jug. Willow Warbler6.Black Poker. Tufted Duck7.Blacksmith. Yellow hammer8. Black toed Gull. Great skua9. Blind Dorbie. Purple Sandpiper10. Chit Pearl. Little Tern

Cryptic Bird Quiz

Communist High Flyer: RED KITEBatman's Friend: ROBINPastime: HOBBYInfluential Chinaman: MANDARINAuthor of Gulliver's Travels: SWIFTA famous steam engine: MALLARDWilliam is annoyed: CROSSBILLMade by Madame Tussauds? WAXWINGHe's a wizard! MERLINArborial Vine: TREECREEPERWith 23 others in a nursery rhyme BLACKBIRD Rocky conversation: STONECHATFound among the Brownies: BROWN OWLThe sound of a steam engine PUFFIN

Out and AboutOn Saturday 30th October the annual Feed The Birds Day event took place at Cliffe Castle in Keighley. We were pleased to welcome almost 100 visitors. With a variety of craft activities, puzzles and quizzes, this event proved, once again, to be a popular event. With volunteers on hand to offer advice on feeding birds and opportunities to go on guided bird watching walks around the grounds of the museum, there was something for everyone.The guided walks provided an opportunity to see and identify a couple of dozen species of birds: Great Spotted Woodpecker, Crow, Black Headed Gull, Mistle Thrush, Song Thrush, Blackbird, Redwing, Chaffinch, Brambling, Tree Creeper, Nuthatch, Blue Tit, Great Tit, Coal Tit, Long Tailed Tit, Magpie, Pigeon, Dunnock, Sparrowhawk, Fieldfare, Jay, Kestrel, Robin.

The Group provided a sales table at the Wharfedale NATS Coffee Morning on 7th November and were delighted to record sales well in excess of £200.

We took the sales table to the October and November Indoor Meeting of the Craven and Pendle RSPB Local Group in Skipton and sold over £200 of goods.

On 28th November we ran a sales table at the Christmas Mince Pies Bazaar at Bolton Abbey, taking £70.

At the end of January, we spent a day at the Homebase Store in Bingley. We promoted the RSPB goods as well as publicising the work of our Local Group, the RSPB in general and flagging up the following week's Big Garden Birdwatch. We were able to speak to over 70 people and hope to see some of them at future Indoor Meetings and Walks.

RECYCLINGWe collect aluminium cans, cooking trays and foil and any other aluminium items. We also collect used postage stamps which are forwarded to the RSPB: it would be very helpful if stamps could be trimmed with about ¼” of surrounding paper and sorted into UK Definitive, UK Commemorative and Foreign packets. These items may be brought to indoor meetings.We are also collecting, on behalf of the RSPB, disused:Mobile telephones, Printer cartridges, Binoculars, Telescopes and TripodsPlease bring any you no longer require to an indoor meeting and we will send them to the Regional Office.

A heads up for next year! From February 2012 we will be changing the date of the Indoor Meetings from the second to the fourth Friday in the month (December excepted). This move has been forced upon us because we were not first in the queue when the 2012 bookings were opened at the beginning of January. Looking on the positive side, a change of date could bring in more people to our meetings – let's hope so!

RSPB SalesWe have a sales table at each indoor meeting and at an increasing number of local events. Carol holds a range of the more popular goods but can order other items for you – saving you the postage costs. Items can be found in the catalogue and there is an even greater range of goods in the RSPB's on-line shop. Make a note of the item, let Carol know and she'll have it for the next meeting. She will also deliver locally.All the monies from sales we generate go to support the RSPB in its conservation work.

FEED THE BIRDSWe are encouraged to feed our garden birds throughout the year. There is plenty of advice on the types of food needed in order to attract the different species of birds. However, the birds don't necessarily follow this advice!

A couple of years ago, Paul started to put out nyjer seed in order to attract finches into his garden. It worked – very soon flocks of goldfinches and bullfinches were seen on his feeders. “But they don't go anywhere near the nyjer seed,” Paul explained. “They just gorge themselves on our sunflower hearts. I don't know what it is about nyjer seeds that attracts the finches but it's obviously not the taste!”

The weather can also have an effect on birds' feeding habits. The RSPB website says of the Redwing that it "rarely visiting gardens, except in the coldest weather".

As we all know - birds know best - so it has been officially declared “cold” over the Christmas / New Year holiday because Maurice and Pam saw a number of these delightful birds on a number of occasions in their garden. What a treat.

“However we must own up to a bit of bribery,” confessed Maurice. “A couple of years ago we planted a couple of bushes and they have had a good number of berries on them this year. On one occasion we even saw a blackbird fly on to the fence which the bushes rest against, and enjoy a berry or two.”

During a particularly dry spell a few years ago, Carol was watching a blackbird apparently drinking from her garden pond. All of a sudden the bird hopped off the lily pad with a newt in its mouth and disappeared into the bushes to devour its tasty meal. It was soon back for more. Carol had a real dilemma: does she allow the blackbird to continue fishing for much needed food (the worms would have been very deep underground), or does she save the endangered newts from further predation? Nature in the raw!

Have you witnessed any unusual feeding habits in your garden (or elsewhere)? If so we'd love to hear about them and publish the story in our next issue.

EMERGENCY FEEDINGDuring the recent cold snaps, the Group has received inquiries from the public regarding the feeding of wildfowl on and around the local rivers and canals. A particular concern has been whether they should feed bread to the ducks and swans.

The main concern surrounding bread is if too much is given. In these cases, excess food can go mouldy and any bird eating this bread can become seriously ill. Left-over bread can also attract vermin.

Bread is the equivalent to junk food for the birds, and too much bread can lead to excessive weight and malnutrition as well as many other problems. However, like junk food, offered in extreme moderation, bread is not harmful to ducks or birds!

Wild ducks and waterfowl can live longer, healthier lives by relying on natural food sources such as aquatic plants, seeds, grasses and insects. If you want to feed the ducks there are many healthier alternatives to offer them instead of bread. Great choices include:

• Grapes cut in half • Cracked corn, barley, oats, birdseed or other grains • Frozen peas that have been defrosted • Duck feed pellets available from farm supply stores

If possible, feed them as near to the canal/river as you can - this discourages them from wandering onto the public highways.

DON'T FORGET: You can get advice and purchase bird feed from Brenda and Joan at all of our indoor meetings.

"Much nicer than nyjer!"

The RSPB speaks out for birds and wildlife, tackling the problems that threaten our environment. Nature is amazing

- help us keep it that way.

We belong to BirdLife International, the global partnership of bird conservation

organizations.

RSPB Airedale and Bradford Local Group was established nearly 40 years ago and is run by volunteers. We hold regular events to which RSPB members, their families and members of the public are all welcome. However there are now only six members on our committee – in order for this group to continue running effectively we need more people on the committee. We are also looking for volunteers to help run our events. If you wish to help in any way please make yourself known at one of our Indoor Meetings.

GUIDED WALK REPORT

Denso Marston Nature ReserveSunday 14th November saw a large group of us gathering at Denso Marston Nature Reserve at Baildon. We were met by the warden, Steve Warrillow, who had given a well received talk to the Group a couple of months previously. He took us on a walk around the reserve and was, once again, extremely entertaining.The group ambled down the public footpath to the reserve, stopping regularly to identify birds in the trees and bushes. Steve explained that there was a possibility that building would be taking place on this land but went on to express his hope that a rare species or two could be attracted to the area nearer the river and so curtail any expansion of the building project.Upon entering the reserve, we initially walked along the bank of the river. The reserve occupies a 500 metre long strip of land prone to regular flooding when the river overflows its banks. The river was very swollen during our visit and there was evidence of a great deal of erosion. The quality of the water in the River Aire has improved considerably over the years, encouraging more wildlife to the area. Some wildlife - kingfishers (fleetingly sighted by Maurice) - are very welcome, others - mink have been sighted in the area - not so welcome. The hope is that otters will soon take up residence; they have been seen on the Aire.The reserve has approximately 80 nestboxes and well over 100 fledglings were identified this year. This year a Water Rail has been seen using the couple of pools on the site. There is a feeding area on site and we were fortunate enough to spot the first Nuthatch that had been seen on the site all year.

During our walk we were able to identify 26 species of bird: Blackbird, Carrion Crow, Magpie, Wood Pigeon, Mistle Thrush, Long-Tailed Tit, Goldfinch, Bullfinch, Great Tit, Redwing, Greenfinch, Coal Tit, Robin, Wren, Jay, Siskin, Sparrowhawk, Chaffinch, Goosander, Mallard, Cormorant, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Black Headed Gull, Nuthatch, Dunnock, Kingfisher.

Despite the chill in the air, Steve's enthusiasm and knowledge kept us all thoroughly engrossed for more than two hours.