Speaker: James Lowen
Reporter: Sue Gale
We have had talks from James Lowen, a good friend of the club, before this, and talks from many enthusiasts, but I think this was the evening that most forcefully promoted the presenter’s enthusiasm for his subject. It was on 7.7.2012 that James first met a Poplar Hawk Moth, and everything changed! He then delved into the world of mothing, discovering that there are around two thousand five hundred species to be seen, including migratory moths like the Silver Y Moths are important pollinators, almost half of them carrying pollen. Since his conversion James has travelled over 14000 miles in search of them!

At long last, after patiently waiting for clarification about the Covid regulations, we were able to hold our first Indoor Meeting for nearly 18 months. In fact, the word Indoor is a misnomer, as we were fortunate to have good weather and five appropriately socially-distanced tables were set up outside. 
Members brought a picnic and enjoyed the “Pimms “ and deserts and the air was filled with convivial chatter as friends caught up on the news. There were some dastardly table quizzes to enjoy too! It seemed a hugely successful and enjoyable evening and thanks are due to members who helped set up and clear away and some amazing Origami skills as the tables were set for the evening. 

Speaker: Abi Mustard
Reporter: Sue Gale
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Abi is the leader of this project, which aims to firmly re-establish the Osprey as a breeding bird in central England. The Osprey is our third largest bird of prey with a wingspan of 1.4 to 1.8 meters. The females are largest, and it is possible to distinguish chicks in the nest on the basis of size only. In the UK 2 or 3, occasionally even 4, eggs are laid, the current pair at Rutland being exceptionally
efficient in rearing 4 chicks each year. Ospreys are exclusively fish eaters and are adapted to do so. They can rotate an outer talon to give a better grip on the slippery prey. They also have excellent eye-sight, and especially strong wing muscles so that they can rise from the water while holding their prey.

Speaker: Paul Stancliffe
Reporter: Sue Gale

Paul addressed us via Zoom (and without the glass of red wine he usually has when on a Zoom meeting!) to try to persuade us that we can all play an important part in the work of the British Trust for Ornithology (BTO). Volunteers are the lifeblood of the organisation, and some 60,000 of them submit data about their sightings. They allow the BTO to spot trends that would otherwise go un-noticed, like the crash in the population of Chaffinches over the last 5 years.

Speaker: Allan Hale
Reporter: Sue Gale
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It has become a tradition at WVBS that the AGM means a talk from Allan Hale, telling us about one of his exotic trips abroad. Indeed, I don’t know how we would manage the AGM without him, as he also acts as our returning officer. So he was in charge during the business of the meeting, at which the committee was re-elected with the addition of a new Minutes Secretary, Cath R. And still in charge immediately afterwards as he told us not to mute ourselves so that we would be free to interrupt or even heckle whenever we wished. I’m not sure we made much use of that privilege
but clearly Allan enjoys the interaction with members during his presentations and didn’t want to lose that.