Wensum Valley Birdwatching Society

Author Archive

On a bright frosty morning seventeen members met in the car park of the Welney Wetland Centre to share a day’s birding together. Some of the group got straight down to business by identifying the birds around the car park environs.  Before moving into the Centre itself 35 species had been found including Tree Sparrow, Reed Bunting, Fieldfare and circa 50 Linnet and that was without going anywhere! Read the rest of this entry »

Lynford Arboretum is near Mundford and we will meet at 9am at the Arboretum Car Park.  Ref TL823943 (off the A1065 Swaffham – Mundford road).

The Arboretum, set within the Thetford Forest area, is run by Forest Enterprise. Lynford Hall served as a forester training school between 1947 and 1957 and trainee foresters started planting the older trees that are now found in the arboretum. The variety of pine and broadleaf woodland, wet meadows and open water habitats are suitable for a wide range of resident species. Read the rest of this entry »

A Birders Year in Norfolk

Member Allan Hale is known to most of you. He has given talks to our Society many times over the years and his last talk on Boughton Fen in November 2009 was a cracker. You can be assured of wonderful photography and great dialogue. Both old and new members are in for a treat.

The exact location for this outdoor trip will be decided at the last minute as it will depend on the birds.

We meet at Morrison’s car park Fakenham ( Grid Ref TF 934375 ) and leave there at 0900. We have permission from Morrison’s to park as long as we are well away from the main entrance.  Suggest we gather in the far left-hand corner near the road.

 Our Event Leader is Colin Fenn. Contact Colin on 01362-697783 to confirm your interest or complete the attendance sheet at any of our indoor events.  Please let Colin know if you intend travelling direct (and to check where we are going!) In case of emergency on the day Colin’s mobile number is 07941300038.

This will be an all-day event so bring packed lunch and wear suitable clothing/footwear as the weather on the coast can be changeable.  If you are members of RSPB, NWT or NOA then please bring your membership cards.

Titchwell Marsh – Coastal Change Project

We welcome Paul Eele of the RSPB who is our speaker for this indoor event.  Paul is the warden at RSPB Titchwell having worked there for the last 8 years.  He has been with the RSPB since 1994 spending time at Otmoor, Haweswater and West Sedgemoor before coming to Norfolk.  He is, in his spare time, a trainee ringer and a keen gardener.  We look forward to getting first-hand information on the planned changes at one of our favourite Norfolk Reserves.

Visit 10am – 3pm

Meet in the Wetland Centre free car park at 10am.

Welney is famous for its wildfowl and is probably the best place in Norfolk to see wild swans.   There is also a chance of finding Corn Bunting, Tree Sparrow and Peregrine besides other more common species.

The reserve is off the A10, seven miles south of Downham Market .  Turn right at the “Ten Mile Bank/Welney” brown tourist sign.  Follow the road for 0.8 miles to a bridge.  Turn left, then immediately right down Station Road (there is a brown tourist sign but it is difficult to see).  Follow Station Road for about 4.5 miles to the reserve car park on the left.  Be warned: this road is straight but keep your speed down as there are several undulations and potholes along the road.

It is hoped that a member of the WWT Welney team will be available on our arrival to give us an introduction to the Trust, the reserve and what birds may be seen during our visit.

There will be a swan feed at 12 noon.

Welney has excellent visitor facilities including a café which is open 10am-4.30pm with hot food available between 12noon & 2.30pm.  Members may prefer to take their own packed lunch.

If we have a group exceeding 12 then visitor permits cost  £5.60 (adults) £4.25 concessions (65+). 

If you wish to join the visit either add your name to the visit list at the indoor meeting on  21^st Jan or contact Alwyn (chair@wvbs.org.uk) by Monday 25^th January.

For our first indoor meeting of the New Year we welcome Phil Atkinson with a talk entitled

“Out of Africa Project” 

Phil  is Head of International Research at BTO and is currently managing an exciting new field project in West Africa to gain a better understanding of how our migrant populations have changed, where they go after leaving the UK and what they do when they get there.

Phil says “Come to the talk to get the ‘hot off the press’  results! ”        

We certainly will.

Sunday 17th January 2010         

Workshop led by Steve Cale 9.30am – 4pm. Morning indoor session at Sparham Old School Room and outdoor session during afternoon.

 The Workshop will focus on how to identify the commoner species found in Norfolk & the UK i.e. Honey Buzzard, Common Buzzard, Rough-legged Buzzard, Red & Black Kite, Marsh, Hen & Montagu Harrier, Goshawk, Sparrowhawk, Osprey, Kestrel, Merlin, Hobby and Peregrine Falcon.

 The cost of the workshop is £10 per person and there is a limit of 15 places.

Bring a packed lunch, tea & coffee will be provided during the morning session.

It would be useful if participants bring along a Bird identification handbook.  Particularly recommended is the “Bird Guide” by Killian Mullarney, Lars Svensson, Dan Zetterstrom & Peter Grant published by Collins, £14.99 softback £19.99 hb; available from www.wildsounds.com

If you wish to participate would you please contact Alwyn Jackson (chair@wvbs.org.uk ) by Monday 11th January.

Bird Sightings

Please keep sending  your Sightings Records. There have been problems which are now fixed. If,however, you have any problems getting through please be patient  and report the problem to Jacky Pett  on  webmaster@wvbs.co.uk.

Although all your sightings may  not always appear in the monthly Newsletter,  they are all recorded in our Database and used to compile the Society’s Annual Report, so they are very important. Please send all sightings to Liz Waller, recorder@wvbs.org.uk or records@wvbs.co.uk  within a week of the end of each month.  We ask you to include a grid reference of the sighting but this is not essential if you find it a problem.  The site location, however, is important. (See guidance notes here)

Appeal for Articles & Reports

We always want to hear from members who have any items of interest they would like to share, be it a holiday report,visit to a reserve, a research project etc. Do you photograph/digiscope wildlfe?  Have you been on a recent twitch?  We’d love to hear from you.  Contact David on editor@wvbs.co.uk

Our present Treasurer, Colin Fenn, will be stepping down at the Society’s AGM in April 2010 so we will be requiring a member who is willing to take on this task.  If you are interested or willing to do so would you please contact any member of the existing committee as soon as possible