1

If you are lucky enough to tick off a Cetti’s Warbler or even a Montagu’s Harrier, have you ever stopped to wonder who these men were who had a species named after them? I’ve been looking at a few of them, and they often had remarkable histories, as you will see on page 2. Also in this issue, we have the programme for the whole 2019/20 indoor meeting season, and I’m sure you will find a wide variety of talks to entertain and hopefully enthuse you. We have been fortunate with the quality of our meetings, and this has been reflected in the good attendances. I can reveal that the books and media sale out our meeting on 4

th April raised £104.68 for the

RSPB, so thank you very much to all those who brought their books, CDs and DVDs, and to those who bought them! We will be repeating the event in April next year. Another excellent source of funds has been our Quiz Nights, and our next will be on November 9

th –

more details are on page 10. Please come and support us, but also enjoy a fun evening which includes a ploughman’s supper (I don’t think we’ve told the ploughman yet)! Speaking of ploughmen, we will have a stall again at the Heavy Horse Show at Shoreham, organised by the Sevenoaks Lions, on September 1

st.

Group subscriptions are now due. Please complete the renewal form enclosed with

this Newsletter. Prompt renewal is greatly appreciated, preferably by post to avoid a

long queue at the May indoor meeting, especially as we will be using the small hall.

For those receiving this issue by e-mail, a renewal form is provided as an

attachment.

How to find out what is happening in the Group:

Via Facebook: Access your facebook account and type in

RSPB Sevenoaks Local Group. Here you can read about local bird sightings, conservation news, and you can join the facebook group and contribute photographs and comments. Do try it; we have a lively set of Sevenoaks and Kentish photographs and news the moment it happens.

Via the web: Details of our programme, updated news, and colour versions of Newsletters can also be viewed on our RSPB web site: - www.rspb.org/groups/sevenoaks - why not bookmark it?

Alternatively go to the RSPB main website www.rspb.org.uk,

click “Get involved” then “RSPB local groups” (listed under

Community & advice). At find a group, type in “Sevenoaks” and

enter, then click on “SEVENOAKS LOCAL GROUP WEBSITE”. For future use bookmark the site. You can of course use this route to find any RSPB Local Group in the country.

If you no longer wish to hear from RSPB Sevenoaks Local Group, please contact Brian Nobbs, Editor nobbsbrian@gmail.com. 36 Main Road, Sundridge, Sevenoaks, TN14 6EP, confirming your name and address and stating that you wish to unsubscribe from the RSPB Sevenoaks Local Group’s communications. The RSPB is the UK’s largest nature conservation charity, inspiring everyone to give nature a home.

The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) is a registered charity:

England and Wales no. 207076; Scotland no. SC037654

SEVENOAKS LOCAL GROUP

MAY 2019 NEWSLETTER

2

Who’s??? Bird Text and photographs by Brian Nobbs

Many birds are named after their colour, like the Purple Heron, or another physical characteristic such as the Long-tailed Skua or Great Crested Grebe. It may be where the specimen first described was “collected” (usually a euphemism for being shot, but then binoculars are a recent development) as in the three birds of Kent – Dartford Warbler, Sandwich Tern and Kentish Plover. The name may indicate the one place it lives, for example the St. Lucia Parrot, or a wider geographical area like Mediterranean or Caspian Gulls. However, some carry a person’s name and it can be interesting to find out who and why such an individual was honoured. In some cases it was a matter of creating order. George Montagu (1753-1815) realised that a number of previous identifications were incorrect because of failure to realise that some were males and females of the same species, or differences between breeding and non-breeding plumages. His landmark book was the Ornithological Dictionary published in 1802. Living in Devon, he first recorded Cirl Buntings, and also described Cattle Egret, Little Gull and Gull-billed Tern, but his study of harriers led him to discover what is now known as Montagu’s Harrier (Circus pygargus) breeding in southern England. Sometimes when you look into names, you find examples of networking between educated people of the time with shared interests, way before Facebook, Twitter or other ‘social media’.

Father Francesco Cetti (1726-1778) was a Jesuit priest, born in Mannheim, Germany, who was sent to teach in Sardinia, and was a Professor of Mathematics. His interests were wide ranging and he studied the natural history of the island. His “Storia Naturale di Sardegna” (Natural History of Sardinia) ran to four volumes covering quadrupeds, birds, fish, and insects and fossils. Cetti is commemorated in the name of the Cetti's warbler (Cettia cetti), which was collected on Sardinia by Alberto Ferrero La Marmora (1789-1863), an Italian soldier and naturalist who extended the study of Cetti. He sent the first specimens of the warbler that bears his name, Sylvia sarda or Marmora's warbler, to Turin, where he was born. Many of the animals collected by La Marmora were sent to Franco Andrea Bonelli (1784-1830) at Turin University, who in turn has Bonelli’s Eagle and Bonelli’s Warbler - which has recently been split into Eastern

(Phylloscopus orientalis) and Western (P. bonelli) species. So the island of Sardinia connects Cetti, Marmora and Bonelli. Explorers often “discover” places and species that were obviously already well known to local people, but the early scientists had a golden opportunity to describe and name them to a much wider audience. Perhaps one of the most prolific at naming birds was Peter Simon Pallas (1741-1811) who has a dozen species bearing his name, including Pallas’s Leaf and Grasshopper Warblers, Pallas’s Fish Eagle and Pallas’s Sandgrouse. A German naturalist, he was appointed by Catherine the Great to lead an expedition between 1768 and 1774 to central Russia, including the Urals, West Siberia, the Amur River and Lake Baikal, reporting on the geology, native peoples, plants and animals. Between 1793 and 1794, Pallas led a second expedition to southern Russia, visiting the Crimea and the Black Sea.

Male Montagu’s Harrier, Sweden

Cetti’s Warbler, Dorset

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Some birds have been named in honour of other distinguished people. One such was Sir John Barrow (1764-1884), a founder of the Royal Geographical Society. At the age of 16 he went on a whaling expedition to Greenland, but by his twenties was teaching mathematics at a school in Greenwich. Attached to the first British embassy to China from 1792 to 1794, then to South Africa in 1797, he returned to London in 1804 and was appointed Secretary to the Admiralty. In this role he promoted a number of Arctic explorations, including those of John Franklin and James Clark Ross. He is reputed to have proposed St. Helena as a suitable place of exile for Napoleon Bonaparte (Bonaparte’s Gull is named for the Emperor’s nephew, Charles Julien (1803-1857), an eminent ornithologist living in exile in America). The town of Barrow in Alaska is named after Sir John, as is Barrow’s Goldeneye (Bucephala

islandica). As mentioned above, among the expeditions encouraged by Barrow were those of Rear Admiral Sir James Clark Ross (1800-1862) to the Arctic and Antarctic. He charted much of the coastline of the latter and gives his name to the Ross Ice Shelf, Ross Seal, and Mount Erebus (the name of the ship he captained) – he even has a crater on the moon named after him. The Ross’s Gull (Rhodostethia rosea) is named for him, but should not be confused with Ross’s Goose (Anser rossii) which was named after Bernard Rogan Ross (1817-1874), who was a trader and agent for the Hudson Bay Company.

Alaska has already been mentioned above, but prior to its purchase by the United States in 1867 it was Russian territory, and the German botanist, zoologist and physician Georg Wilhelm Steller (1709-1746) worked in Russia and joined an expedition, led by Vitus Bering, first to Kamchatka and then to Alaska (via of course the Bering Strait). He only spent less than a day on Alaskan soil, but still became the first European naturalist to describe a number of North American plants and animals, including a jay later named Steller's Jay (Cyanocitta stelleri). His name is also attached to Steller’s Eider (Polysticta stelleri), Steller’s Sea Eagle (Haliaeetus pelagicus), and a Sea Lion and a Sea Cow (alas now extinct).

Arctic exploration was a rich field, and another man active in the field was General Sir Edward Sabine (1788-1883) who became President of the Royal Society. As well as a lifetime interest in the measurement of global magnetism, barometric pressure, oceanic temperatures, and other aspects of meteorology, he also studied the movement of rocks by glaciation, the Hawaiian volcanoes, and the birds of Greenland, featuring of course Sabine’s Gull (Xema sabini).

These are just some of the characters who have been immortalised in bird names. If you want to fill in a quiet moment, try looking up Jean Victoire Audouin (1797-1841) a French entomologist and ornithologist (Audouin’s Gull), Thomas Bewick (1753-1828) British naturalist, artist and engraver (Bewick’s Swan), Coenraad Jacob Temminck (1778-1858) Dutch ornithologist (Temminck’s Stint and Lark) or try Alexander Wilson (1766-1813) Scottish American, a great poet, naturalist ornithologist and illustrator (Wilson’s Phalarope, Plover, Snipe, Storm Petrel and Plover).

Male Barrow’s Goldeneye, Iceland

Steller’s Jay, California

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Seabird recovery on Lundy following eradication of rats. In the last Newsletter we featured the work of Jeremy Bird on Macquarie Island following the removal of introduced predators, their planned removal from Gough Island, and the recent successful removal of rats from the Shiant Isles. The potential for bird population recovery following such actions is highlighted in two articles in the April 2019 issue of British Birds, relating to Lundy Island off the Devon coast, from which rats were eradicated in 2004. In the 15 years since, the estimated population of Manx Shearwaters has increased from 297 in 2001 (pre-eradication), to 1,081 in 2008 (4 years post-eradication) to 5,504 during the 2017/18 survey period. Shearwaters don’t breed that quickly, so the increase is almost certainly partly due to recruitment from neighbouring colonies on Skomer and Skokholm. Being hole-nesters, Manx Shearwaters are particularly vulnerable to rat predation, as are Puffins, which have increased from just 5 in 2004 to 375 in 2017. Cliff nesters also seem to have benefitted, with Guillemots increasing from 2,321 in 2004 to 6,198 in 2017 and Razorbills from 841 to 1,735 over the same time period.

Seabird recovery on Lundy – population change in Manx Shearwaters and other seabirds in response to the eradication of rats. Booker, H., et al., British Birds 112: 217-230.

Landbirds such as the Northern Wheatear also seem to have benefitted. The species nests in holes and crevices, so was also vulnerable. It has increased from around 20 pairs in 2004 to 114 in 2018.

Northern Wheatears on Lundy: the impact of rat eradication. Taylor, T., British Birds 112: 231-236.

These studies show just what can be achieved and how worthwhile such interventions are.

Let Nature Sing

From Martin Harper’s Blog, 5th April 2019. See also the Summer 2019 issue of Nature’s Home.

You can pre-order our new single of pure birdsong and join our new Let Nature Sing campaign.

This is a bit of a departure for us as we try to tap into people’s latent love of nature through music and seek to translate that into action.

Working with our partners in Greener UK and the Environment Links across the UK, we plan to mobilise as many people as possible to help…

…maintain existing nature protection laws as the UK negotiates its future relationship with the European Union; including through the creation of strong environment watchdogs and the adoption of environmental principles in all four countries of the UK; and through a strong co-operative relationship with the EU.

…secure legal commitments to nature’s recovery in all four countries of the UK, with measurable and binding long-term targets

…drive reform of agriculture policy to deliver the recovery of nature in all four countries of the UK

…press for the UK to take a leading role in developing a new global deal for nature in 2020

This is a big deal so please join us because together we can let nature sing.

Find out more in the RSPB website under “Get Involved/campaigning”, or following the link from the Sevenoaks Group website (click on “Links”).

5

We meet on the first Thursday of the month, at OTFORD VILLAGE MEMORIAL HALL, High

Street, Otford, TN14 5PQ. The car park is adjacent to the hall, and is free after 6 pm.

Entrance fee = Group Members £2.50, non-members £3.50.

Please note that meetings will START PROMPTLY at 7.45 pm, doors are open from 7.15 pm.

DONATIONS OF RAFFLE PRIZES ALWAYS APPRECIATED!

7.45pm Thursday 2nd May 2019

AGM – plus

Operation Turtle Dove – Nicole Khan

Nicole is an RSPB Turtle Dove advisor in the South East, and will update us on her work advising farmers on habitat management, and understanding the needs of Turtle doves and their feeding and nesting requirements in the UK Ensuring a safe passage on migration and research into the migratory route and wintering grounds is also covered.

Plus wine and nibbles

Note: As the Main Hall will be in use as a Polling Station for

Local Elections, this meeting will be held in the Club Room.

7.45pm Thursday 5th September 2019

Mary Braddock – Colour Magic in La Brenne A visit to this rural part of France, cluttered only by the 2.000 lakes that help create a haven for colourful orchids, butterflies, dragonflies and birds. Mary is a naturalist and superb photographer.

7.45pm Thursday 3rd October 2019

Red Kites and Peregrines – Keith Betton.

The fascinating story of how the Red Kite and Peregrine Falcon were brought back from the brink in the UK. Keith Betton is vice president of the British Trust for Ornithology.

7.45pm Thursday 7th November 2019

John Buckingham – Kerala – Birds of S.W. India

Sandwiched between the lofty green-shrouded Western Ghats and the Arabian Sea lies Kerala, the quiet mystic - Gods Own Country. Kerala is well endowed with avifauna as nearly 500 species of resident and migratory birds abound in this area. Lush green tropical forests, numerous freshwater and brackish lakes and waterlogged paddy fields form the major birding habitats of this region.

SAVE THE DATE!

Saturday

9th

NOVEMBER

2019

QUIZ NIGHT

OTFORD VILLAGE HALL, EVERYONE WELCOME

Further details on page 10 of this Newsletter

DIARY SECTION

6

7.45pm Thursday 5th December 2019

Simon Ginnaw – Britain’s Coastal Birds and their Secret Lives

Enjoy a scenic journey around the British coastline discovering the lives of our fascinating coastal birds, from Puffins to Purple Sandpipers, Guillemots to Gulls, Razorbills to Redshanks. Our coastal birds are some of the most specialised & nomadic species on this planet. Each species adapted to life in some of our wildest habitats.

Plus seasonal refreshments

7.45pm Thursday 2nd January 2020

Chris Collins – Birds of the Russian Far East

The birds and wildlife of this rarely visited region including the Kamchatka Peninsula. Chris will also show his involvement in the location of the critically endangered Spoon Billed Sandpiper in collaboration with Birdlife International and Birds Russia. China is now becoming actively involved in protecting migration feeding sites of this species on its coasts.

7.45pm Thursday 6th February 2020

Adrian Thomas - Homes for Wildlife

A welcome return to RSPB’s Adrian Thomas and his ultimate guide to nature friendly gardening based on Adrian’s new book “Gardening for Wildlife” rated ‘an excellent book… Informative and entertaining’ by Gardens Illustrated. Adrian has been involved in the planning of a new housing development ensuring gardens and green spaces give space for nature. A lively and entertaining evening.

7.45pm Thursday 5th March 2020

Andrew Cleave - Life between the tides

The fascination of seashore life in all its forms including birds, based on Andrew’s Collins complete guide to British Coastal Wildlife. Andrew is an accomplished naturalist and photographer.

7.45pm Thursday 2nd April 2020

Rick and Elis Simpson - Wader Quest

Introducing the charity Wader Quest. Introducing the beauty and diversity of waders to be found around the world, some of which are quite surprising. Liberally scattered with stunning photos and information about the birds, and some amusing anecdotes from Rick and Elis’ travels to see waders, and an introduction to their conservation.

Plus media sale – Books, DVDs and CDs

7.45pm Thursday 7th May 2020

AGM – plus Brian Nobbs, Trinidad, Tobago and St Lucia The landscapes, birds and wildlife of three of the south Caribbean Islands. Trinidad is only 7 miles off the coast of Venezuela and the wildlife is typically South American, but Tobago, only 19 miles to the north-east has a different character and some birds are only found on one or the other, but not both. St. Lucia is part of the Lesser Antilles chain, which originated as submarine volcanoes, and there are distinct signs of its volcanic past.

Plus wine and nibbles

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Our field meetings are a great opportunity to see a wide variety of birds and get some fresh air and exercise at the same time. The walks are for people of all abilities and for the most part cover easy terrain at a leisurely pace, providing a chance to enjoy birds and learn more about them and their habitats, and share a common interest with others. Target birds are indicated for each trip, but of course they are not guaranteed. On most walks we suggest you bring a packed lunch. Warm, waterproof clothing and stout footwear are advised on all trips. All walks are undertaken at your own risk. Remember to take your RSPB membership card to all meetings at RSPB reserves. Length of walk: “A” = 1 mile: “B” = 2 miles: “C” = up to 4 miles

For those with satellite navigation, we have included the nearest Post Code, but please note this only gives an approximation of the meeting point, but usually to within a few hundred metres.

May Wed 1

st

10.30 am “C” All day

Conyer Creek (TQ962648) ME9 9HL

Migrants, including Cuckoo and Nightingale, plus warblers & waders From the A2 in Teynham take Station Road north. Turn right into Lower Road, then turn north onto Conyer Road. Park near Ship Inn in Conyer Village.

Bring lunch. Led by Anne McGregor

May Sun 12

th

10.00 am “C” All day

Pulborough Brooks RSPB Reserve (TQ059164) RH20 2EQ

Wildfowl and Summer visitors

On the left on A283 – 3 miles before Pulborough, after turning off A24 at

Washington. Bring lunch & RSPB Membership card

Led by John Waterman

May Tues 21

st

to Fri 24th

Group holiday to Somerset Levels

A trip to the Somerset Levels organised in conjunction with NatureTrek.

May Wed 22

nd

10.30 am “C” All day

Ashdown Forest (TQ468305) TN22 3JD

Woodlark, Tree Pipit, Redstart and other heathland & woodland birds From A22 at Forest Row, take B2110 Hartfield Road to Coleman’s Hatch, then Kidd’s Hill, continuing on to B2026 and car park at Old Lodge.

Bring lunch. Led by Anne McGregor

June Sun 9

th

10.30 am “C” All day

Grove Ferry/Stodmarsh Nature Reserve (TR235631) CT3 4BP

Summer visitors Take the A299 from the A2 to the A28, turn S towards Canterbury. Take Grove Ferry turn off. Meet at car park next to Grove Ferry Inn (TR235631).

Bring lunch. Led by John Waterman

If you are coming to a WEEKEND field meeting, please let JOHN WATERMAN know by

phone or text [07935 206618], also if you wish to arrange a car share. Please note that John

works on Saturdays until 7.30 pm - apologies for any missed or non-returned calls.

Similarly, if you are coming to a WEEKDAY field meeting, please let ANNE McGREGOR

know by phone [01732 454304],

8

July Wed 17

th

10.30 am “C” All day

Stodmarsh (TR221609) CT3 4BB

Note this is the southern entrance to the reserve, NOT the Grove Ferry entry.

Bittern, raptors, warblers. If sunny – butterflies, dragonflies and damselflies From A257 east of Canterbury, take Stodmarsh Road. The reserve car park is a few hundred yards after Stodmarsh village, signposted from the main street next to

the Red Lion pub. Bring lunch. Led by Anne McGregor

July Sun 21

st

10.30 am “C” All day

Rye Harbour Nature Reserve (TQ942188) TN31 7TY

Waders and summer visitors. Possible Bittern, Bearded Tits, Marsh Harrier From A259 towards Hastings, turn L, after Rye Town on minor road to Rye

Harbour. Meet in car park. Bring lunch. Led by John Waterman

August Sun 18

th

10.30 am “C” All day

Dungeness Point (TR088169) TN29 9NB

Seabirds, summer visitors, early autumn migrants From Lydd, drive past the RSPB reserve and road to the power stations on the right. Then turn right onto the private Dungeness Estate Road and head for the Old Lighthouse. Meet in the car park. In case of a visit to the RSPB reserve later, bring

Membership Card. Bring lunch. Led by John Waterman

August Wed 21

st

10.30 am “C” All day

Samphire Hoe Country Park (TR295392) nearest postcode CT17 9FL

Raven, Peregrine, early migrants, butterflies, Adder and Wasp Spiders Access to Samphire Hoe is via a tunnel through the cliffs, reached from the A20 (Dover to Folkestone direction only). Meet by the Tea Kiosk.

Bring lunch. Led by Anne McGregor

September Wed 4

th

10.30 am “C” All day

Rye Harbour Nature Reserve (TQ942188) TN31 7TY / Casle Water

Migrants, reed bed residents, possible Ring Ouzel From A259 towards Hastings, turn L, after Rye Town on minor road to Rye Harbour. Meet in car park, then walk across past reedbeds and pits to Castle

Water hide. Bring lunch. Led by Anne McGregor

September Sun 15

th

10.30 am “C” All day

St, Margaret’s at Cliffe & Samphire Hoe (TR368445) CT15 6DX

Seabirds, migrants From A2, take A258 (Deal), turn right for St. Margaret’s, then turn right down High Street, leading into Sea Street. At roundabout, go over into Bay Road to the beach

and car park. Bring lunch. Led by John Waterman

Binoculars and Telescopes The Society can find good homes for used binoculars & telescopes. They can be refurbished and used by wardens and students overseas where

such equipment is difficult and expensive to obtain, so particularly valued.

NO MORE LOOSE STAMPS Unfortunately, the RSPB is no longer able to deal with loose used stamps, only Albums or First Day Covers. Thank you to all who have contributed in the past, those collected so far have been forwarded to the RSPB.

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If you’ve ever fancied getting involved with some practical conservation, why not come out to one of our work parties? Try coppicing, making a dead hedge or starting a bonfire; get some fresh air and

make a difference. Send an email to tudeley.woods@rspb.org.uk or call 01892 752430 if you

are thinking of coming, or if you’d just like more information.

Meet at the Reserve car park at 10:00 am. Post Code TN11 0PT. All work is conducted under

the supervision of the warden, and tools can be provided, though you may prefer to bring your own

(gloves, saw, loppers, etc.). Don’t forget to bring some lunch and a drink!

From the A21, take the turning signposted “Capel/Kent College/Old Church/Pembury Walks”, then

turn left, signposted “Capel” into Halfmoon Lane. The car park is approximately 0.3 miles on the left.

2019 Work Parties at Tudeley Woods

Wednesdays:- 8th

May, 5th

June, 3rd

and 31st July,

14th

and 28th

August, then weekly from 4th

September to 18th

December.

Alternatively, if you would like to work at Broadwater

Warren, work parties are Tuesdays:- 7th

May,

4th

June, 2nd

and 30th

July, 13th

and 27th

August, then

weekly from 3rd

September to 17th

December,

meeting at 10am, Also the second Saturday in each

month, meeting at 9.30am.

Meet in Main Car Park, Broadwater Forest Lane, off

A26, TN3 9JP.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

DON PAIN Sadly we have to report the death of one our long-standing members, Don Pain, who passed away in March after a long period of ill health. Don (aka Captain Birds Eye!) was a loyal supporter of the local group who came on numerous holidays we ran, often with his friend, Dick, who is also featured in the photo below taken at our gites in Brittany. Don loved the natural world but on his own admission, was not the most knowledgeable birdwatcher. However he had amazing eye sight and would point birds out and wait for someone to identify them but not have a clue what they were – something which if we are honest, we all are guilty of doing! Don was a gentleman in the true sense of the word and we will all miss him. Anne Chapman

Don on the left, along with a number of familiar faces from the Group, in Brittany, May 2010.

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To get you in the Quiz mood (or mode), just for fun try these questions, taken from “Bird Brain”, a collection of questions collated by Tim Appleton and Charles Gallimore in aid of Birdfair, and published by William Collins (2018). Don’t worry, the questions at the Quiz Evening will be much easier (probably). Answers at the bottom of page 12.

1. What eagle is named after the fearsome winged monsters of classical mythology, Aellopus and Ocypete?

2. What bird may be known as a Bodfforchog in Wales and a Salmon-tailed Gled in Scotland?

3. What rank was Jacob the Goose, the mascot of the Coldstream Guards (until the last one

was run over in the Mall)?

4. Where is a bird’s pygostyle?

5. What non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug is implicated in the catastrophic decline in Indian vultures?

6. Why are some German Nightingales now breaking the law (there)?

Saturday 9th November at 7.00 pm

Quiz Evening Venue: OTFORD VILLAGE MEMORIAL HALL,

High Street, Otford, TN14 5PQ. The car park is adjacent to the hall, free after 6 pm.

Cost £10 to include a ploughman’s supper

– please bring own drinks

Join us for a light-hearted & fun evening raising funds for RSPB

Bring your friends, everyone welcome

Enquiries: Anne Chapman Tel: 01732-456459

anneanddave.chapman@outlook.com

9 Nursery Close, Sevenoaks TN13 3PR

……………………………………………………………………………..

I / we would like to attend the Quiz Night as individuals

I would like to enter a team of ………….. people (between 6 and 8) Name ……………………………………………………………………………………. Address: ………………………………………………………………………………. ………………………………………………………. Tel: …………………………… I enclose a cheque for: £ ……………… (payable to Sevenoaks RSPB Local Group)

Enquiries: Anne Chapman Tel: 01732-456459

Email: anneanddave.chapman@virgin.net

11

Are you a quilter? Mini Quilt challenge

The RSPB has been contacted by the ‘Little House of Patchwork’, a quilting organisation, who are running a quirky mini-quilt challenge as a fundraiser for the RSPB. Once an entry is made, the company sends the participant one of our fabulous pin badges at random and the challenge is to incorporate the pin badge into the quilt design. It is £3 for an entry with all profits going to the RSPB. The company is based in Chichester but they are receiving entries from all over the world!! Check out the website to read more and why not enter yourself if you have an affinity for being creative or sewing. Sharing with friends and family would also be brilliant. http://www.thelittlehouseofpatchwork.co.uk/rspb-mini-quilt-challenge.html

Entries must be received by Friday 16th August 2019

From the RSPB “Impact” newsletter of January 2019 comes news of the RSPB seeking a ban

on Sandeel fisheries.

As the UK prepares to cast adrift from the EU, there’s a need to fill the gap created by leaving the Common Fisheries Policy with an even more ambitious management regime. The new Fisheries Bill aims to deliver sustainable fisheries for future generations and the RSPB has been championing an ‘ecosystem approach’ to how fisheries operate. This focuses on the health of the UK’s seas, with the aim of eliminating the collateral damage of fishing on seabirds, other marine wildlife and their habitats.

Among other things, this would enable us to push for reining in the Danish-led Sandeel fishery in the North Sea. As small, energy-rich shoaling fish, Sandeels are a staple of seabird

diets but warming seas have greatly reduced their abundance and, in turn, the populations of birds such as Kittiwakes. It’s vital that the commercial Sandeel fishery doesn’t make things worse. An area off the east coast of Scotland and Northumberland was closed to Sandeel fishing nearly 20 years ago, but the fishery continues elsewhere in wildlife-rich area such as the Dogger Bank and too few Sandeels are ‘set aside’ for seabirds. Our preferred option for tackling this challenge is a total ban on Sandeel fishing in UK waters. This bold move would help shore up our dwindling seabird populations, bolster the fortunes of dolphins and other marine mammals, and underscore the UK’s declared intent to be a world leader among environmentally progressive fishing nations.’

12

Hark the Lark

The following item is taken from the Spring 2019 issue of the RSPB Fellows’ news and was

written by Georgie Bray. ‘The Skylark is one of the most widespread UK birds, with its melodious and distinct flight song inspiring both music and poetry. Sadly, the Skylark has seen a 63% decline between 1967 and 2016, resulting in the inclusion in the red list of the UK’s Birds of Conservation Concern. What’s clear is that this emblematic farmland species is in desperate need of our help.

Why are Skylarks in trouble? Skylarks are a ground-nesting species, seen flying high over cereal and sugar beet crops in the summer, as this is where they hold a territory and nest. As farming has evolved, they learnt to use the spring-sown crops, with the perfect vegetation structure to nest and feed. Because they nest on the ground Skylarks are prone to a high nest-failure rate from predation. To combat the high probability of predation, Skylarks lay up to three clutches during a single breeding season between April and August. Studies into the population decline highlighted poor productivity in winter-sown cereals, which have dominated over spring-sown cereals in recent years. With 50% of the population nesting on arable land, this was a crucial finding. Research found that Skylarks fail to produce many chicks to fledging in winter-sown cereal crops from mid-May onwards, when the crop becomes too tall to enable the birds to access food in the crop. After this time, Skylark nesting is limited to areas of the field with easier access, such as near tramlines used by agricultural vehicles. Here they are also more prone to predation by nocturnal mammals using the tramlines to traverse the dense crop.

What’s the solution? A potential solution to this access issue for Skylarks is to create small patches of bare ground in the crop to allow the birds access to where they are safe from predation. Creating special Skylark plots was an approach first trialled at RSPB Hope Farm before being included in a wider project across 26 farms. The results have been extremely promising, revealing that fields with Skylark plots increased the number of late summer breeding attempts and enabled Skylarks to raise 2.5 chicks per nest, compared to less than one chick per nest in conventional crops after mid-May. Overall, Skylark productivity increased by 50% throughout the breeding season. From the initial trails at Hope Farm, we have seen skylark plots become part of agri-environment schemes. In the current Countryside Stewardship Scheme, landowners are paid £18 for every hectare of land with Skylark plots. With increased uptake of this option, there is a real opportunity to reverse the decline of this iconic farmland bird’.

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Answers to the questions on page 10. 1 Harpy Eagle; 2 Red Kite; 3 Lance Corporal; 4. At the end of its vertebral column (the last few fused vertebrae to which the tail feathers are attached; 5 Diclofenac; 6 Their song has become louder than 93 decibels in order to compete with traffic noise, which is above the legal limit in Germany.