Birds of Berkshire Atlas 2007-11

As mentioned recently at Club meetings we are seeking photographs to illustrate habitats in Berkshire to use in the new book. As we have so many superb photographers in the Club we invite you all to submit photographs to colin.wilson berksoc.org.uk of the following:

• Flood plains in flood, preferably with wildfowl
• Gravel workings showing suitable LRP habitat
• Gravel pit – derived habitat (lake with reedy edges)
• Heathland (showing heather and/or gorse and birch scrub)
• Downland open area
• Lowland open arable area
• Deciduous forest, mature with and without rich understorey
• Coniferous forest ? mature, demonstrating Firecrest and Redstart habitat
• Urban environment: eg town centre view showing rooftops to illustrate Swift/Peregrine/Black Redstart breeding environment.

The book is intended to provide funds for conservation so no payment will be made but acknowledgment of the photographer will, of course, be included in the book. The best quality images possible will be needed and selection of suitable images will be made by the Berks Bird Atlas Group.

Colin Wilson –

BOC Photographic Competition 2012 ? Results

We are delighted to have yet another new winner of the competition, Brian Winter with his superb image of a hovering Kestrel. Brian is the first winner of the new Gordon Langsbury Memorial Trophy. The winner of the Flight section, it was challenged by a number of truly special entries including the runner up, a Red-tailed Tropicbird under attack from a Magnificent Frigatebird by Ken White.

In the Portrait section the judges were faced with a large and high quality entry. In the end, John Walker?s beautiful Snowy Plover edged a cracking Moussier?s Redstart from Mike McKee. In the Behaviour/Action category, another startling array included the winning Kingfisher with a fish by Dave Bartlett, last years cup winner, who also took the runner up slot with his Oystercatcher feeding on a Mussel bed.

Over 150 entries gave the evening a busy feel but the judges, Dickie Duckett and David Cromack offered valuable comments and advice for the big member gathering. Each year the quality has edged upwards to today?s superbly high standard.

Our sincere thanks go to Dickie and David and to Ted Rogers, our scorer. Most of all we applaud the members who submitted entries, all of whom added to the enjoyment of the evening. We also wish to thank London Camera Exchange for providing vouchers to the winners and runners up in each category.

All the section winners and runners up are shown here.

Colin Wilson –

President Announcement

The BOC Committee is delighted to announce that Neil Bucknell has accepted our request to become the Club’s President. Neil has made an outstanding contribution to ornithology in Berkshire and his engagement with ornithology nationally brings us a valued perspective, experience and authority.

Neil was born in Reading, educated at Theale Green (then Theale Grammar) School and read law at Cambridge, qualifying as a solicitor in 1980. He was Honorary Secretary of the British Ornithologists’ Union from 1997 to 2006, and has been on the Council of the British Trust for Ornithology since 2009, and its Honorary Secretary since 2010.

He joined the Reading Ornithological Club (now Berkshire Ornithological Club) in 1971 and has been an active member ever since, serving several times on the Committee and as its Chair. He was Wildfowl Counts/WeBS organiser for about 20 years, was one of the organising team for the first Birds of Berkshire Atlas and is working now on the second edition, based on the last four years’ fieldwork.

Renton Righelato, Chairman –

Auction of painting by Robert Gillmor

The Club has been given this beautiful water colour of a pair of Tufted Ducks by Robert Gillmor to raise money for the Club. Sealed bids are invited and will be opened at the last indoor meeting of this season on 28th March. Size: Painting 140 x 200 mm;frame 380 x 460 mm. Price guide: in excess of £300.

Bids, bearing the name and address of the bidder and bid value, should be put in a sealed envelope marked ?RG painting? which must be with the Secretary by 8pm on 28 March 2012.

Bids may be handed to the Secretary at an indoor meeting or sent to: The Secretary, Berkshire Ornithological Club, 7 Fawcett Crescent, Woodley, Reading RG5 3HX.

The envelopes will be noted by the Secretary with the time and date of receipt. A bid by the Secretary must be similarly noted by the Chairman. The Chairman and Secretary will open the bids and announce the winner during the interval of the meeting on 28 March 2012 in Room 109, Palmer Building, University of Reading. If there are equal winning bids the first that was received wins the painting. All bids, other than the winner, will be held confidential by the Chairman and Secretary.

Renton Righelato –

BTO Berks/Oxon Birdwatchers’ Forum on 3rd March 2012

There will be a Berkshire & Oxfordshire BTO conference to be held on 3rd March 2012 at the Benson Village Hall. Please see here for information and a booking form.

Everyone is welcome to come along for a great day’s birding indoors.

Ted Rogers –

Fishermen?s friends

Bird watchers and anglers have a lot in common. We both spend a lot of time out in the cold, staring at expanses of water in lonely places. We are both interested in Nature and wetland areas;though it seems to me that most anglers know a lot more about birds than birders do about fish. So it came as a shock to me to hear that some Berkshire bird-watchers had been offensive to a number of anglers over access to lakes and over maintenance work on angling sites, which has resulted in a loss of goodwill and the withdrawal of certain access privileges for bird-watchers.

Anglers often pay a lot for fishing rights and have costly equipment that they understandably do not want damaged. They also own or lease a number of private sites to which they may allow access to bird-watchers or the public at large ? we go there on sufferance.

Last year the BOC had a number of constructive meetings with Reading & District Angling Association to discuss their and our concerns. Amongst other things we discussed the clearance of scrub around parts of the Searles Lane GPs, which was needed for the health of the fish stocks, and possible mitigation measures for the resultant loss of some Nightingale habitat. We have also worked with the anglers on the planning of the new wetland reserve at Fobney Island. Bird-watchers and anglers have shared interests in protecting our natural environment ? let?s be friends!

Renton Righelato –

North east Poland

Those people that have heard Marek Borkowski talk will know something of the spectacular Biebrza Marshes, a unique habitat in Europe, well-known for its Aquatic Warbler and Great Snipe populations. It is also a good place for many birds of prey, including Lesser and Greater Spotted Eagles. Nearby Citrine Wagtails breed and you may see four species of Harriers. The Bialowieza Forest is home to most of the European woodpeckers, including White-backed, Three-toed, Black, Lesser, Middle and Greater Spotted. Nutcrackers may be seen.

Marek Borkowski has offered to run a tour to NE Poland for BOC members in May 2013: ?The way I much prefer to organize trips is an all included tour, covering accommodation, food, transport, English speaking leader, local guides where appropriate, entrance fees, permits, using some of our conveniences, etc. It is much more bird productive this way, as we do not loose time for long unnecessary drives, waiting for meals, dealing with inexperienced drivers, wasting time for finding places, queuing, waiting, etc. and I can also assure the quality. Accommodation then is in small, well placed, comfortable hotels, on twin/double rooms with private facilities en suite basis, with single rooms possibility. A reception at my farm, visiting “gardens”, seeing horses, early morning coffees, birdlists, etc. are also included – >basically everything except for alcohol (apart from one or two occasions) and items of strictly private character.?

The trip plan can be found here.

If you are interested in taking part, please let me know as I need to give Marek an indication of how many people to plan for. The all-in price will be around £1,050 excluding the flights to and from Warsaw and excluding alcohol).

renton.righelato berksoc.org.uk
tel 0787 981 2564

Renton Righelato –

Get shooting for the 2012 Photographic Competition!

In 2012 we will be revamping the annual competition in memory of Gordon Langsbury. The ultimate prize will be the Gordon Langsbury Memorial trophy a new trophy in his memory and as agreed with Gordon last year, we are introducing a new category of ?Birds in flight? in view of the many excellent images we have seen in recent years. We are delighted that David Cromack has agreed to support us again as an expert judge and publisher and he will be joined in 2012 by our very own Dickie Duckett FRPS, a superb photographer in his own right. We are also delighted Stuart Langsbury, Gordon?s son, will be there to present the trophy to the first winner.

Up to four entries for each of the three categories are permitted. The closing date is strictly 2nd March 2012 and earlier entries would be much appreciated to enable the judges to have a preview and have considered comments on the night. As always Members will choose the winner of the trophy on the night.

Remember a new winner has been chosen in each of the last 9 years, often photographers with limited experience and with images of common British birds so get shooting or sorting through those old images and make the evening as enjoyable as it always has been. Apart from the Cup there will be six voucher prizes on offer!

Have a look at the rules and if you need help give Colin a call or email him.

Colin Wilson –

Heathland birds on Greenham Common

Heathland birds on Greenham Common: monitoring and survey work over the last three years by BBOWT on Greenham Common, part-supported by a grant from the BOC’s Conservation Fund, has shown that despite two hard winters, the numbers of breeding Dartford Warblers and Stonechats have remained steady. The same was true of most of the ground-nesting species monitored: Ringed and Little Ringed Plover, Lapwing, Redshank and Woodlark, though there is a suggestion that Skylark numbers fell. Adrian Mitchell’s excellent report can be downloaded from here.

Renton Righelato –

Request for Publicity Officer

The Club is in urgent need of someone to take on the role of Publicity Officer to promote the work of the Club across the county.

Duties include distribution of membership leaflets, organising publicity (posters, media coverage, etc) as required, upkeep of the boards for indoor meetings and displays at external events and organising stands for local events as required. The role will also involve organising volunteers from with the Club membership to help with some of the above tasks.

As one of the Club’s key officers, the Publicity Officer should be a member of the committee. Elections to the committee take place at the AGM so, if you are interested, please have a word with Renton Righelato or Mike Turton before 20th November.

Renton Righelato –