Jacky
Seen any Greylags with collars?
Published September 14, 2010 | ORKNEY GREYLAGS (from the BTO e-newsletter)
The Greylag Goose population on Orkney has been increasing dramatically in recent years, mostly due to the redistribution northwards of Icelandic breeders that used to winter further south in Scotland. A count in December
Sunday 26th September: The Length of the Valley – Part 2
Published September 3, 2010 | People sometimes ask about the places named on the bird list published in the Newsletter: what about all these places in Lenwade or is it Great Witchingham? Where are they? This early autumn walk will take you round the village(s) and show you where Lenwade Mill, Lenwade Bridge, Great Witchingham Common (or is it Lenwade Common?) and a few other places are. With any luck we’ll see lake, river and woodland species and a few passage migrants. I promise nothing but the fisherman swear that Ospreys steal their fish in the autumn, and we’ll go to the best place I know for Nuthatches and Treecreepers.
Thursday 16th. September – Highlights of a Long Term Study of Sparrowhawks
Published September 3, 2010 | We are privileged to welcome Professor Ian Newton OBE FRS FRSE as our speaker for the evening. As well as a world authority on the Sparrowhawk he is interested in the population ecology of birds,especially in the factors influencing numbers.
Roadside raptor takes a downward turn
Published September 3, 2010 | The Kestrel is one of our most well-known birds of prey, often seen hovering over motorway verges on the lookout for small rodents. However, all is not well with this roadside hunter.
The latest Breeding Bird Survey (BBS) report reveals a significant decline of 20% in the Kestrel population between 1995 and 2008, and a further fall of 36% between 2008 and 2009. Kestrel declines from the 1970s to 1990s were linked to agricultural intensification and the adverse effect this had on small mammal populations, but the reasons for the more recent declines are not clear.
Field trip: Minsmere, Sunday 25th July 2010
Published September 3, 2010 | We arrived in the car park before ten o’clock and, as the cafe was not yet open, set off to the North Hide picking up Sand Martins and the usual finches and tits on the feeders. As we settled down in the hide we all immediately locked on to a female Sparrowhawk sitting on a post some distance away but not too far away to see her fierce eyes and talons. There were a number of ducks and geese on the pools and a distant Little Egret was spotted. We then walked clockwise along the North Wall adding Marsh Harrier, Sedge and Reed Warblers to our list before coming down to the sea-edge. Here we added a couple of Tern species and as we entered the East Hide a Cetti’s Warbler welcomed us.