Peter Standley to retire as County Recorder

After almost forty years as Recorder for the ROC and having been the only Recorder for the County of Berkshire,
Peter Standley has decided to stand down from 1 January 2005.

We all owe a debt of gratitude to Peter for all he has done for Berkshire?s ornithological heritage. From my
experience of working with him on the Birds of Berkshire Annual Report 2002, I have grown to realise how much
conscientious effort he has put into his role over many years. The
Birds of Berkshire Annual reports are challenging pieces of work and while Peter has produced them almost
single handed in the past he has also contributed massively to the county avifauna
Birds of Berkshire

Reedbed development plan for Lavell?s Lake gets the go ahead

The Friends of Lavell?s Lake are embarking on a major expansion of their reedbeds with the help of a
Countryside Stewardship grant at Dinton
Pastures. The 10 year plan will see a five-fold increase in the area of Phragmites. Fraser Cottington,
FOLL?s chairman, said:

?The bit I am most excited about is the Phragmites reed bed expansion, as we have already begun felling Poplars on
the main island and will soon commence removing vegetation from the lake edge, to make way for three 10 metre deep
strips of about 100 metres sections of island lake edge will be pushed into the lake to create a shallow shelf,
which will be duly planted with Phragmites. Phase one is now and is likely to be the most visible area to the right
as you look out of Teal Hide. The other two phases are set for year 3 & 7, resulting the whole West, North &
Eastern sides of the main island are one long reed bed.?

The net result will be something like a 500% increase in Phragmites reed area and Fraser is pushing hard to get
that ‘Wintering Bittern Watch Point’ status thoroughly established for Lavell?s.

To do it, FOLL will be running 2-3 more work parties through September, as quite a lot of tree removal is going to
happen and the timber has to be cleared. Fraser needs as many new hands as he can get to ensure finishing before
October, which is the immediate deadline. Working parties will be on Sundays 12th, 19th and Saturday 25th
September from 10 am, meeting at the Lavell?s car park.

If you can help, please contact: Fraser Cottington:
fraser1947@hotmail.com, Tel: 07855 333616.

Renton Righelato –

Conservation Fund call for proposals: Winter 2004/5

The profits from the sales of The Birds of Berkshire

Moor Green management grant

Moor Green Lakes Nature Reserve is set to benefit from a major grant due to its continuing links with the aggregate industry.

The grant has been awarded by the English Nature Aggregate Levy Sustainability Fund to SEEDA (South East England Development Agency) in support of SEEDA?s ?Building For Nature? programme.

Moor Green Lakes, one of the most popular bird-watching sites in East Berkshire, was created by mineral extraction and continues to be owned and managed by RMC Aggregates (Southern). It was a natural choice for SEEDA who wanted to support a site that demonstrated how industry can benefit wildlife.

The full grant, worth £94,000, will enable SEEDA to produce a website demonstrating and encouraging best practice for habitat creation and management as well visitor provision on sites affected by a wide range of industries.

The grant has allowed £38,000 for work on site. This will enable a suite of projects to go ahead that might otherwise have taken many years to achieve.

Habitat work will include scrape, ditch and stream management as well as various ecological surveys. A removable bridge to the Long Island will enable management of this important feature of the site.

Repairs to footpaths, gates and fences on site will improve access for visitors, whilst work on bridges and other barriers around the site will improve facilities for disabled visitors.

To meet grant requirements work on site will have to take place shortly some disturbance to the site may be noticed over winter but work should all be completed in time for next spring.

Colin Wilson –

Italian bird watchers need our help!

Italy has a growing number of keen bird watchers and their own equivalent of the RSPB, called LIPU. Unfortunately the bird lovers are still heavily out-numbered by those who want to shoot birds of prey especially the easy targets of flocks of migrating raptors.
A few years ago LIPU successfully campaigned to get the anti-hunting laws strengthened to give protection during the breeding season and migratory periods. But now there are plans to reverse much of this.

You can make a difference by signing the petition before the end of August. More details are in the RSPB ?Birds? Autumn 2004 magazine in the top left hand corner of page 94.

Dot Lincoln –

Oxfordshire?s Avifauna Atlas Project 2005

The ROC has been advised of the above project by the Thames Valley Environmental Records Centre. The main support organisations are: Oxford Ornithological Society, Banbury Ornithological Society, BTO and the RSPB. The Records centre is providing project support.

The project will follow the survey methodology used for the last Oxfordshire Atlas in the 1980?s, specifically asking volunteers to survey randomised tetrads throughout the county. The volunteers will be sought soon, including survey area co-ordinators.

Where members of the ROC actively watch cross county tetrads they may wish to be involved or to support the work of the project. ROC members with experience of atlas surveys are also invited to attend presentations on the project and to share their experience.

Further details are available from Gavin Bird, Oxfordshire Records Centre Manager, c/o Oxfordshire Museum, Fletcher?s House, Park Street, Woodstock, Oxon, OX20 1SN. Tel. 01993 814147.

Colin Wilson –

Come to the BirdFair

The ROC coach trip on 21 August is now financially viable and the booking of a 32 seater coach is being confirmed.
We still have a few places so there is still time to book if members or non members would like to come for an
excellent day out. The trip starts in Reading and will cost £25 per head including admission. A pick up point in
East Berks is possible if required.

Contact Ray Reedman for further details on 01189 864 338 or meander2@hotmail.com.

Colin Wilson –

The current hotspot for birds

Some of our members may know that while things are generally quiet around Berkshire on the birding front there is an excellent opportunity to keep your year lists filled by visiting Staines Reservoirs. The North basin has been drained for pipe repairs and is expected to be very low with much exposed mud until September.

During June 23 species of wader were seen there and Hobbies and Peregrines, Little Gulls and many other species have been sighted. On a brief visit on 19 July, two of our members enjoyed views of several Greenshank, about a dozen summer plumage Black- tailed Godwits, a solitary Turnstone, many Little Ringed Plover and Ringed Plover and about one hundred Dunlin, with a Common Sandpiper thrown in for good measure. A Little Gull, not yet in adult plumage has been around but disappeared for this visit. Many other species can be seen but take your telescope as birds can be quite distant.

There is an interesting website in case you are not sure where to find the reservoirs or don?t know the area well. We cannot vouch for the content of the site, or come to that for the birds you will see when you go to Staines, but this is an opportunity not to be missed this summer which has even had the well known Lee Evans regularly visiting.

Colin Wilson –

See a Montagu?s Harrier courtesy of the RSPB

The RSPB have made arrangements for birdwatchers to see a pair of Montagu?s Harriers at their breeding site. They
have done similar things in the past for example, with Peregrine?s at Symonds Yat and Goshawk at New Fancy View and
it enables birders to see the birds at a carefully managed site. The details are on their website at
www.rspb.co.uk/england/eastanglia/watching/monty.asp and while it is in Lincolnshire it is the best reliable
opportunity to see the species. In the area are several good reserves and the Norfolk coast is not so far away. So
if you want to see a Monty?s this is the best place to go until 15th August.

Colin Wilson –

Audouin’s Gull added to British list

On 28th June 2004 the British Ornithologist’s Union Records Committee and the British Birds Rarities Committee confirmed that Audouin’s Gull has been admitted to the British list. A bird found at Dungeness on 5-7 May 2003 has been confirmed and brings the British list to 567 species.

Colin Wilson –