Wensum Valley Birdwatching Society

Archive for the ‘Bulletins’ Category

Membership subscriptions will rise £1 from 1st January 2010 to Single £11 a year and Couples £16.  Renewals are from 1st April as usual.  If you join in the first quarter of the year your membership is valid until the following April.

The price of tea/coffee (and a biscuit!) at our indoor meetings will increase from 25p to 30p.

Ray Gribble will be arranging a working party to row out to the tern raft at Sparham Pools, pump it out, shovel out the gravel, repair and clean it and put it back ready for the arrival of the common terns next spring.

If you are willing to join him on this wet, muddy, and heavy lifting job, please contact him.  Not that isn’t fun of course!

You’ll notice that we havent been able to update the ‘look’ of the website yet.  This is mainly because the committee is finalising a new logo, and when that and the colours are agreed we can get to work on some prettifying.

Meanwhile all the features of the old site are here, and what’s more, it is allowing me to post new messages.

Our first indoor meeting of the autumn (yes, in birdwatching terms it’s here already!) is on Thursday 20th August starting at 7.30 p,m, in the Weston Longville Village Hall, our usual venue.

Brazil – The Atlantic Rainforest
David Pelling, one of our members, will be the main speaker. Most of you will know David from his previous presentations and leading outdoor events. This will be an interesting evening so come early and get a good seat.

Chris Hudson, the BTO Regional Officer for NE Norfolk (also a member) will be giving us a quick update on the Bird Atlas as well.

We will be visiting Minsmere for a full days birdwatching and anythign can turn up at this premier site.  We plan to visit all the hides and possibly the heath, returning to the car park for lunch.  The exact format will be decided on the day by our leader, Bill Shepherd.

Bring packed lunch and stout footwear, RSPB members please remember to bring your cards.

Meet at the Longwater Retail Park, Longwater Lane. Meet and park opposite Staples, NOT Sainsbury’s.  We will leave there promptly at 08.30.  If you want to go on your own  you should meet us at Minsmere car park by 10 a.m.

 This event is very weather dependent and will takeplace over one late afternoon – evening  and morning either Sat/Sun 25th/26th or Sun/Mon 26th/27th July.  Ray Gribble and Allan Hale will be ringing at Whitwell Common and you should contact Ray ( tel 01603 -872709 or his mobile 07771 722889) on the day if you wish to see how birds are ringed (and find out why) and have a chance to have a close look at some of the species found.   Whitwell Common lies between Sparham and Reepham at TG084204.

Our summer social event is a Barbecue at Weston Longville Village Hall and the Taverham Scouts have kindly offered to organize this again. Join us from 19.30hrs. with hot food being served from 20.00. The cost will be £6 per person. Read the rest of this entry »

Outdoor trip into the wilds of Suffolk!  Anything could turn up but we hope to see Stone Curlews & Wood Larks at Weeting and Golden Oriels and much more at Lakenheath. Read the rest of this entry »

Join us for our annual Dawn Chorus event at NWT Sparham Pools. We meet for a 04.30 start and finish around 08.00. Bacon Butties are available at the end to all those who booked them( cost £1 each) Bring your own coffee/tea.etc.  Please contact the Event Leader, Alwyn Jackson urgently if you haven’t already done so. Please park quietly and tidily as space is at a premium.

By popular demand the Summer Bird Count is being re-introduced into our outdoor programme on Sunday 7th.June. Make a note in your diary. Richard Norris has kindly volunteered to organise it. Please contact Richard with your team and whether you wish to stay for meals. All by 24th. May, please,so arrangements can be finalised.

The Rules are:-

• You can start anywhere within the WVBS area and at whatever time suits you on Sun 7th June
• All species counted must be seen or heard
• In teams of two all must see or hear each species counted
• In teams of three, 2 must see or hear each species counted
• In teams of four, 3 must see or hear each species counted
• Feral pigeons are accepted, hybrid waterfowl are not.
• Birds within the grounds of Pensthorpe are not accepted

The finish time is 6pm inside the Fox & Hounds, Lyng. Leave A1067 go past Lyng Mill into the village and the pub is on your right. The car park is c. 30m past the pub.  The Fox & Hounds are well known for their good meals and have asked that we provide them with an indication of how many people will be there for the end of the Count and how many will want meals.

It would be helpful if the more knowledgeable birders will accept less knowledgeable members in their teams.

Our nightjar evening will follow the usual format. Those who would like to have a bit of a social and have a meal will meet at the Marsham Arms at 7:00pm ish so we can all sit down and order our meals at 7:30ish. If you would just like to have a drink you can join us at any time in the evening.

We will aim to finish our meals etc. so we can leave the Marsham Arms no later than 9:20pm and arrive at Marsham Heath by 9:30 in time to catch the nightjars coming out. Please let me know if you would like directions or more information and also numbers so I can inform the landlord. Over 20 members had meals last year so we like to give warning to the landlord by 10th. June latest as nothing is pre-ordered. Contact Josh Leeder.

Don’t forget your gnat repellent and appropriate clothing for the weather.

Outdoor trip into the wilds of Suffolk! Anything could turn up but we hope to see Stone Curlews & Wood Larks at Weeting and Golden Oriels and much more at Lakenheath. This is an all day trip so bring your lunch. Underfoot is reasonably flat and firm but sensible footwear is advisable.  Lakenheath is exposed so be prepared for all weathers.

We meet at Cherry Tree carpark in Dereham and leave promptly at 0900 to arrive at Weeting at 0940 and then on to Lakenheath.  Event Leader is Colin Fenn.  Please let Colin know if you intend going straight to Weeting or if you are unable to attend for some reason. 

Bring NWT/RSPB membership cards.

A note for your diary. More details next month

Following a suggestion for more activities birding in the Wensum Valley, the committee has approved the idea of an occasional Wensum Walk.

The idea is that, very informally, anyone who wanted to join up with others on a specific day at a specific place for a planned easy walk of about two hours or so, could do so.  The walks could be linear, in which case a shuttle of drivers from one end to the other depending on the best parking place would be arranged, or circular, starting and ending at the same place.

The first of these Wensum Walks is planned for Friday 31st July departing at 10.00, aiming to do Lenwade to Sparham Pools.

Meet at Lenwade Common (Great Witchingham Common) by turning into Common Lane, just to the west of the Bakery, Butchers and chip shop on the Fakenham Road in Lenwade.  Drive down the track to the gates for the fishing lakes.  Depending on numbers, we will send two drivers in two cars to leave one car at Sparham Pools, and the other car will return with both drivers for the start of the walk.

The route takes us through a willow carr that can be dry, soggy, wet, very wet or impassable depending on the amount of rain we’ve had and the height of the river.  So if it’s been wet, bring wellies.  If the river is high, we’ll change the plan and do a circular walk from the Common.

After the walk we might well repair to the Bridge Inn for lunch.  It’s under new management, and I’ve been in there and enjoyed it!

You can ask me about it and express interest in coming at the Dawn Chorus, the Summer Bird Count, the Nightjar evening or the Summer Barbecue!

Jacky Pett