Hosehill Lake bridge repair work

Work has started on replacing the bridges at Hosehill on Monday 22 November. Some remedial work will be required on the bridge by the butterfly bank before the new bridge goes in. Also there may have to be remedial work done on the dead elms in the hedge by the road. The dead, diseased and dying will all be removed but left as short standing stumps of deadwood. The brash will be chipped and logs left in piles on site. Those planning to visit please note path closures and diversions will probably be required.

Colin Wilson –

Golden Oriole for Sale

Robert Gillmor has donated the original of the beautiful cover picture of The Birds of Berkshire 2002 to the ROC to raise funds for the Club. A painting like this by Robert could fetch in excess of £200. Sealed bids are invited by 24th November 2004.

By post Your offer, with your name, address and telephone number, should be in a sealed envelope marked ORIOLE on the back and sent to Renton Righelato, 63 Hamilton Road Reading, RG1 5RA (tel 0787 981 2564 email renton.righelato@theroc.org.uk).

By hand Offers in sealed envelopes as above may be handed to Renton Righelato at the ROC meeting on 24th November 2004 by 9 pm.

Bids will be opened by the Secretary, witnessed by a committee member not participating in the sale, and the highest bidder will be announced at the end of the meeting and contacted by phone if not present.

Renton Righelato –

Change to Programme of Field Trips

The trip to the Forest of Dean and Gwent levels shown on the programme for 23rd March 2005 has now been changed to Thursday 24th March as it clashes with the joint meeting we have arranged with NDOC, an identification meeting on the subject of ducks. A mid week date has been chosen to avoid the ?crowds? who go to New Fancy View to see Goshawks at weekends.

For the last few years a few members of the ROC have been visiting the Forest of Dean in March to find these birds and others, and last year added a visit to the Gwent Levels Wetlands Reserve (now known as Newport Wetlands). This place is close by and is really worth a visit.

Colin Wilson will be leading the trip and will see if lifts can be provided for those who prefer not to drive. Let him know nearer the date if you are coming or need a lift.

Colin Wilson –

Carrying your telescope the easy way

At the Birdfair the Scopac was on sale and I purchased one as it looked an extremely practical and flexible product. In practice I have found it to match expectations. I paid £59 for this ? expensive perhaps – but I had been looking for a way to carry my telescope longer distances while still being able to immediately use my binoculars without the scope falling from my shoulder or hampering my movements. The Scopac lets me do all this. It also has a pocket for a fieldguide or notebook or suchlike.

A few people have shown interest since and I have spoken to the distributors and negotiated a discount. We need at least 6 people to buy the Scopac for the discount to be available. This would bring the price down to £49. Of course, if I could get more interested we might get an even bigger discount. I believe it fits all scopes but you are welcome to try mine out if you wish at a field or indoor meeting.

Some pictures are attached and I am happy to answer any questions. I will need anyone interested to let me know soon so I can satisfy the people who have already shown a desire to buy. Please email me at colin.wilson@theroc.org.uk or phone me on 01252 837411 and give me a name and phone number and I?ll get back to you when I know the numbers so you can make a final decision. I will act on the list I have after the AGM on 24th November. There is no profit for the Club or me personally from this offer and it is just an effort to help members acquire a useful product at a reduced price.

Colin Wilson –

Birds of Berkshire 2003 ? submit your records

We are starting work on this in the New Year. We need as many records as we can get to make the Report as comprehensive as possible; common bird records, breeding records and rarity records are all required at the latest by 31 December 2004.

The way to submit records is outlined on the BerksBirds website and it can be done manually, by post or online using the methods shown. For this report Peter Standley remains the Recorder and any sensitive records or paper records you wish to submit direct should go to him or to Colin Wilson, if by email.

We welcome articles relating to birds in Berkshire, specific to the year or generally and also about birding sites and local patches or surveys where a story can be told. Articles on current conservation issues will also be sought.

Members of the ROC are encouraged to submit artwork, paintings, photographs or field notes they would like to see in the report ? the only caveat is the birds should be Berkshire birds and if rarities relevant to the year 2003. Please ask Colin Wilson if you need more information.

The Birds of Berkshire Report is produced from birdwatchers records and while it is used as a statement of the status of birds in the county each year, it makes a valuable record of the activities of birdwatchers for all time and enables those submitting records to make their mark on county birdwatching. Please do join in and make it a success.

Colin Wilson –

Pagham Harbour Wildfowling update ? still a risk

Waders (photo: Colin Wilson)

Since our last article on 31 May there has been some movement on this issue and we are now asked to support the Sussex Ornithological Society in the next stages. There will be no shooting in 2004 but the battle to keep wildfowling and other damaging pursuits away from the harbour is far from over.

The Advisory Board has set up a focus group to consider submissions from the Wildfowlers and a joint one from the SOS, RSPB and Sussex Wildlife Trust on the subject of allowing further shooting. In the meantime, West Sussex County Council, who manage Pagham Harbour Local Nature Reserve, are updating their 5 year plan. To support this they are undertaking a public survey. They are encouraging people from the local parishes to take part and suggesting other ways the harbour could be used, e?g? should there be more scope for dog walking off leads, more bait digging, allowing wildfowling and even paragliding!

Common Seal (photo: Colin Wilson)

The survey is available for all visitors to complete and you can do this on paper or online. Paper copies can be obtained from ROC meetings or by phoning the Reserve Centre on 01243 641508 or the Council on 01243 756602.

Having visited this area on 26th October and seen many wonderful sights including Brent Geese, many Teal and Wigeon, Grey Plover, Black-tailed Godwits, Avocet, Little Egrets and even Long tailed Duck and a Subalpine Warbler and a Grey Seal basking in the sun, I could see how important it is for wildlife. Please help preserve this important place and fill in a questionnaire and submit it before the end of November. You could even win a prize for completing the survey such as binoculars, field guides etc.

Teal (photo: Colin Wilson)

Stonechat (photo: Colin Wilson)

Kestrel (photo: Colin Wilson)

Oystercatcher (photo: Colin Wilson)

Colin Wilson –

The President?s Evening ? Springtime in Spain ? 27 October 2004

Our indoor meeting on Wednesday 27th October promises to be outstanding. Gordon Langsbury always entertains us well
with stunning pictures and this week the talk will be about his highly successful visit to Spain earlier this year.
To cap it all, one of Gordon?s spectacular photographs will be raffled so the lucky winner will have a permanent
memento of what promises to be a great evening.

Other items to watch out for on the evening will be an opportunity to see the
Golden Oriole painting from Birds of Berkshire 2002 which will soon
be available for sale, and a demonstration of a Scopac backpack for carrying a telescope. An exclusive discount
price has been negotiated for these if the ROC can combine member?s orders.

We look forward to seeing you on Wednesday at Room 109 Palmer Building, Whiteknights check out the website for
further details and contact points.

Colin Wilson –

Opportunity to learn about bird conservation

On Saturday 4th December 2004 Ken Norris PhD is offering a Day School H12 from 10.00 to 16.00, entitled ?Silent
Spring: the conservation of birds?. The cost is £25 (£20 for over 60s) and a place can be booked by calling 0118
3788347 or email continuing-education@reading.ac.uk. You
can apply in writing and will need to provide name, address, date of birth and telephone number. The course runs at
the University of Reading premises next to the Royal Berks, London Road and parking is in Crown Place.

Colin Wilson –

Birds of Berkshire Annual Report 2002

The ROC is pleased to announce the publication of this report. Distributed free to members of the Club it is also
available to anyone interested in birdwatching in Berkshire from the
Club Chairman and Secretary on
payment of a sum of £5 plus £1.50 P&P. The report is being posted to members in the week beginning 20th September
with their new season information packs.

The book is the first published since the 1996/97 report. It has a full colour cover with a painting of the
Caversham Golden Oriole by Robert Gillmor on the front
and other full colour photos and a painting of a Bittern inside the cover. Other illustrations and photos of our
birds are also inside. Apart from accounts of all the species recorded in Berkshire in 2002, the book also has
articles about:

• Scarce Gulls in Berkshire by Chris Heard
• Berkshire Bird Index 2002 by Chris Robinson and Patrick Crowley (includes comparisons with Birds of Berkshire

Golden Oriole painting by Robert Gillmor

This is the first time a Birds of Berkshire report has had the benefit of a
painting by Robert Gillmor on the cover. In the past the use of limited colours has meant that the artwork has not
been available for anyone to enjoy. The beautiful painting of a Golden Oriole reproduced here (note the original is
of much greater quality than a website image can reproduce – click the image for a
larger version) will shortly be available for sale and
anyone interested in purchasing the picture should register their interest with
Colin Wilson and he will keep you informed about arrangements in due
course.

We anticipate the original will be available to view at ROC meetings from the beginning of the new season, 13th
October when John Eyre of Hampshire Ornithological Society provides a
talk about Gilbert White, one of the very first ornithologists. Details are available on the
Programme page. Non members are welcome to all meetings at a price of just
£2, payable on the night.

Colin Wilson –