For people dros bobl
For ever am byth
Regd charity no 207076
CYMDEITHAS
FRENHINOL ER GWARCHOD ADAR
West
Glamorgan RSPB Members Group
November 2001 Newsletter
Letter from the
Group Leader Maggie Cornelius
Hi! Hello and welcome.
There, that's the first line of my first newsletter as the new group leader -- Help!
It is sad that Mark is stepping down as group leader, having achieved a great deal for both the group and RSPB. He is not escaping completely, having promised to continue with both the newsletter and web site.
Thank-you Mark from myself, the committee and the group for your commitment and hard work.
Blackpill Wildlife Centre goes from strength to strength, under Daphne and Colin's organisation. You will certainly be made very welcome when you visit.
I hope to be able to lead the group forward with our many projects, both fund-raising and education. But the committee and myself do need your support. So suggestions and offers of help are always welcome. Please remember that families will be welcome to all of our walks.
Maggie Cornelius
PS Happy Christmas to
all
Now you see it, now
you don't!
Stop Press
Big Garden
Birdwatch 2002 26th and 27th January 2001. Count the birds in your
garden for one Hour during the week-end. Send results either via the RSPB Web
Site or collect a form from the group in January. (Forms should be in the RSPB
Magazine). Forms will also be published in the Times, daily Telegraph and the
Daily Mail. Radio 4 breakfast time will be promoting the survey, and results
will no doubt be broadcast. 52,000 people took part in 2001.
Cork
Collection The
cork collection organised earlier this year will stop after December 31st
this year. So get those wine bottle corks to us before then, so that they can
be posted to Sandy. For those who did not see the original appeal, RSPB is
making a montage form wine bottle corks, in order to publicise the plight of
the cork forests in Spain and Portugal. Plastic corks are becoming more
popular, which if is allowed to carry on, will threaten the superb wildlife
habitat in those forests.
Blackpill
Wildlife Centre. After a successful trial
period at the end of last winter, the Lifeguard hut in Blackpill became the
Blackpill Wildlife Centre again on September 23rd.Colin and myself, along with
Rhian from GOS, were kept busy chatting to the visitors about everything from
their garden birds to the importance of the SSSI. They were able to view the large
number of birds through scopes and binoculars.
The Wildlife Explorers table, filled with
magazines, puzzles and leaflets, went down well with the youngsters. We were
glad of help from several group members in listing the 23 species of bird
spotted on the day, namely Oystercatcher 1000+, curlew 150, bar-tailed godwit,
ringed plover, Sanderling, black-headed gull, herring gull, lesser black-backed
gull, great black-backed gull, Mediterranean gull, kittiwake, shelduck, Dunlin,
knot, cormorant, pied wagtail, jackdaw, carrion crow, magpie, wood pigeon,
linnet, goldfinch and swallow. Russell and Alistair, along with Audrey, manned
the centre on October 7th, which was World Birdwatch Day, but the weather was
very windy and rather wet, so visitors were few and far between. However the
bird count was again excellent and, as well as many of those listed above, they
also saw a curlew sandpiper, 3 Mediterranean gulls, Grey plover and a juvenile
little stint. On both days members of the public had to be spoken to about
deliberately disturbing the birds on the foreshore. Rhian dealt with the
problem by taking her scope over to the family concerned and letting the young
lad watch the birds through it while explaining the error of his ways.
Hopefully one youngster has been educated.
The opening dates
for the rest of this year are Oct. 21st, Nov 4th and 18th, Dec 9th and 23rd.You
are all welcome to drop in and see us so do come along. I am currently planning
the dates from January to Easter and would be glad of more volunteers to help
man the centre from 10am to 1pm on a Sunday. I try to have at least three
people on duty each time to share the load. If you are able to help please give
me a call on 01269 822876. Thanks to all those who have already given their
time, I'll be in touch! At the present time we are in consultation with Swansea
City Council with a view to producing a leaflet to promote the Centre and the
SSSI which I hope will be available in the not too distant future. In the
meantime tell all your friends about Blackpill and help boost our visitor
numbers.
Daphne Jones.
AN APPLE A DAY MAKES A WILDLIFE BUFFET WINDFALL
FOOD FOR BIRDS ON APPLE DAY
This Sunday (21 October) marks the annual celebration of Apple Day. Initiated
by charity Common Ground in 1990, Apple Day is an annual celebration of apples,
orchards and local distinctiveness. People
organising their own local events celebrate this special day each year.
On Apple Day, RSPB Cymru is also reminding everyone to consider the importance
of apples as food for wildlife, especially as winter draws on. Fruit is a
favourite food of redwings and fieldfares, members of the thrush family, and
winter visitors to the UK
from their
breeding areas in northern Europe. "Apples, pears and other fruit,
including windfalls and bruised fruit, are very popular with wild birds,"
said Siβn Howell, from RSPB's South Wales office. "Storing a few apples to
put out for the birds during the winter will provide essential food supplies
for wildlife and attract a wide range of eager diners." As windfall apples
can go off quickly, they should be used first for bird feeding, while apples
that have
been picked can be stored and used later in the
year.
Newly arrived
redwings have already been recorded in the region and the RSPB says that Apple
Day is a good time to start providing tempting food that can help these and
other birds survive the winter.
Ms Howell added: "Winter is the most important time for feeding birds, as
their natural food source becomes increasingly hard to find. Birds should have
a range of food to choose from, so apples and other fruit are an ideal part of
a varied menu when feeding garden birds. Over 100 different sorts of bird are
known to visit gardens for food in winter and, depending on where you live,
most people can expect to see between five and 50 different species."
WILLOW MAZE RESTORED TO ITS FORMER GLORY SATURDAY
27 OCTOBER, EBBW VALE
The popular willow snake maze at the RSPB's Education Centre at Ebbw Vale is to
receive a well earned face-lift on Make a Difference Day, Saturday 27 October
(between 1pm and 3pm).
The snake maze was originally constructed for the Garden Festival Wales in
1992, where it has been much loved and used by visiting school children ever
since.
But after more than a decade of enjoyment the willow maze is looking rather
worse for wear so the RSPB is looking for a team of willing helpers to weave
the willow and restore the maze to its former glory.
Willow weaving training will be provided on the day and RSPB Education Officer,
Stuart Thompson says it will be an ideal day out for all the family,
"Willow weaving is easy to do, anybody can do it - and we hope we'll get a
good crowd over on Saturday. The maze has always been a popular feature at the
Education Centre and we're looking forward to seeing it look as good as it did
on the day it arrived."
For further information on Make a Difference Day at the RSPB Education Centre,
Ebbw Vale, contact Stuart Thompson on 01495 303971. Suitable clothes and shoes
should be worn on the day.
Now
you see it now you don't.
My wife had gone
off the Great Spotted Woodpeckers that visit the garden feeders,
since one attacked our Blue Tit nestbox last year, and made off with a couple
of the chicks. However during August and September she had been watching with
delight the antics of a juvenile Great Spotted, that had discovered our garden
and seemed to be making it it's second home. When it first arrived it pottered
about the lawn beneath the feeders, picking up the odd bits and pieces that
tits drop, staying for nearly an hour. It wasn't too bothered when we went into
the garden, it just kept to the far side beneath the apple tree.
The following day
it discovered the peanut feeder hanging beneath the platform of the bird table.
It went up the pole of the bird table like one of those 'zig-zag' toys that
small children love so much. It then spent quite a long time, with numerous
attempts, trying to discover how to transfer from the pole to the hanging
peanut holder. Each time it failed to cling to the holder it then zigzagged
back to the base of the pole before making it's way back up to try again.
Eventually, of
course, it found out how to make the leap across from pole to nut holder, but
then it amused us again. After pecking away at the nuts for about 10 minutes it
seemed to tire, so it hopped back across to the pole, edged up close to the
table above, then seemed to go to sleep for a few minutes before hopping back
onto the nuts and feeding once more.
This pattern was
repeated for the next three or four weeks, with it's visits extending to three
times a day. Then one evening, while we were sitting having our evening meal,
disaster struck. It arrived in the form of a female sparrowhawk that swept into
the garden, plucked the youngster off the feeder and dropped with it onto the
lawn.
My wife gave a
scream and rushed to the door, but to no avail, as getting a good grip on the
young woodpecker the sparrowhawk flew off with it into the woods.
Its appears that
a peanut diet may not be good for woodpeckers health.
R. King of Swansea
November 2001
RSPB stall at the Green Fayre in the Patti
Pavilion, Swansea on the 13th of October.
Colin and Daphne
Jones set up the RSPB boards and table at the Green Fayre. Leaflets were given
to the public, and pin badges were given away in exchange for a donation to the
RSPB
Ed
Why did the owl
Howl???? Because the Tit bit!
Who's Who in West Glamorgan RSPB Members
Group
Maggie
Cornelius Group Leader 01792 229244
Russell Evans
Outdoor Events 0797 400 7716
Colin Jones
Blackpill Wildlife Centre 01269 822876
Daphne Jones
Blackpill Wildlife Centre 01269 822876
Ron Fellows
Hon Treasurer 01639 881981
Alister Flanigan
Minutes Secretary 01792 524318
Mark Johnson
Newsletter Editor 01792-882146
Martin Humphreys
Cwm Clydach Reserve Warden 01792 842927
Nester Steins
Membership Secretary 01656 740960
Miss J John Nest
Box Secretary
Identification Sometimes confused with its cousin the
Great Tit, the Blue Tit has a small rounded head and short stocky neck, with a
distinctive black eye stripe and small blue skullcap. It has bright yellow
under parts with a narrow grey/black stripe on the centre of the belly. The
female is much the same as the male but juveniles have a much duller colour
with a yellowy-green replacing the usual blue areas.
Size: 10.5 - 12cm Weight:
8 -10gms Habitat: Woodland, parks, gardens, busy cities. Nest holes
or nest boxes: nest lined with moss, grass and feathers. Eggs: 7-16
white eggs with a few spots. Food: peanuts, seeds, fat bars, insects,
fruit, nectar. Voice: fine, clear calls and song.
Characteristics the Blue Tit is many
people's idea of the most common garden bird. Nine out of ten gardens have a
Blue Tit. A small, active, acrobatic bird, in winter they move around in roving
flocks and flit around gardens and woodland constantly appearing hard at work.
They are a cautious bird but not afraid of human contact and as a result adapt
easily to garden feeding. The classic image of a Blue Tit is of them dipping
their heads into the cream on the top of a milk bottle, although this image is
dying out due to the increase in popularity of lower fat milks.
BTO Statistics The Blue Tit is a very
abundant species with stable and even increasing populations. This is thought
to be partly due to the fact that they are helped through the winter by garden
feeding.
Breeding Blue Tits have a fairly long breeding season
(March to June) and will use small holes or nest boxes quite readily. They have
an average of 1-2 large broods with between 7 and 12 eggs in each brood. The
size of the brood puts an extra strain on the adult birds during the breeding
season and the search for caterpillars and other grubs becomes a continual
struggle. The provision of supplementary food enables the adults to stock up on
energy rich foods and give the natural foods to their young.
Feeding The natural diet of a
Blue Tit is made up of insects, grubs, caterpillars, seeds, fruit and nectar.
They have adapted well to garden feeding and are particularly prominent in the
winter. Blue Tits are real woodland specialists, and excel at feeding in the
upper branches of trees and shrubs, often hanging upside down. They will eat
most seeds that are fed from bird feeders; sunflower seeds and hearts,
Hi-Energy mixes etc. and also peanuts and hanging fat bars. Printed by kind permission of CJ Foods from their web
page
So-named after
the sixth bishop of Lindisfarne, who retired to the Farne Islands in the
seventh century. The Eider (somateria mollisma) is one of our most
handsome of sea duck.
The Eider spends
most of its life on the open sea, but in summer large numbers of eiders, the
males in their stunning black and white plumage, gather on offshore islands and
around the rocky coast of northern Britain.
St Cuthbert's only companions on these islands
were the numerous eider ducks that nested there, one of their most southerly
breeding sites in Britain. He went to great lengths to protect them, and
effectively created one of the first ever bird reserves.
Eiders are diving
ducks, diving as deep as four metres, although 16 metre dives have been
recorded. They do not leap forward before they submerge. Instead they place
their heads under the water, half open their wings as they slip beneath the
water surface, using their strong webbed feet for propulsion.
Once under water, eiders search for their
favourite prey, bottom dwelling molluscs and echinoderms, which they prise off
the rocks using their powerful bills. Shellfish are swallowed whole and are
crushed and ground in the eider's extremely muscular gizzard. Occasionally they
bring larger creatures, such as crabs, to the surface, where they shake them
vigorously until they are dismembered.
Diving is not the
eiders only feeding technique. They have been seen "paddling" in
shallow water. Their flailing feet create a crater in the sediments, which they
then explore with their bills to seize any small food items disturbed by their
activities.
Eiders will even
upend in the manner of mallards.
Wintering flocks,
such as seen in the Burry Estuary consist of mixed groups of young and adult
birds, as eiders do not breed until they are three years old. The youngest birds
however are almost always on the periphery of the flock and play little part in
courtship activity. Pair formation takes place in winter, sometimes as early as
October.
Once a drake has
found a mate, he guards her jealously, making sure that she is not disturbed
while feeding. He ensures that she is in the peak of condition for coming
breeding season, although the male's attentiveness lasts only until the
incubation starts, when the female is left to rear the family alone.
During courtship,
the male eider is very vocal, constantly uttering a call that has been
described as crooning or cooing. It sounds as though the bird has just been
surprised, with an 'Ah-hooo' call accompanied by a backward jerk of the head.
Such displays are often performed by groups of up to 10 males all surrounding
just one female.
Once a female has
chosen her mate, she becomes intolerant of other males, and drives them away.
Copulation takes place on the water with a very active display from the male,
which consists of a range of wing flapping, neck stretching and ritual bathing.
After mating, the female eider moves ashore to nest on an undisturbed beach or
grassland. She selects a slight hollow in the ground, and lines it with grass,
and a dense layer of down, plucked from her breast. The eider is almost unique
among wildfowl, as it is a colonial nester with many other females making their
nests in close proximity. When the young hatch, after about 25 to 28 days,
their mother leads them to the nearest water. For protection for this journey
the ducklings are often accompanied by other females known as 'Aunties'. These
birds are either failed breeders or immature non-breeders.
They provide a
safeguard against marauding gulls that are the main predators of eider
ducklings.
During late
summer and early autumn, eiders gather in huge flocks, while they undergo their
annual moult, during which the males loose their splendid breeding attire, and
acquire the drab brown feathers known as eclipse plumage. They restore their
former glory in the late autumn and early winter.
Russell Evans
Eider Ducks
produce the famous Eiderdown that is synonymous with bed covers.
The farming of
these birds for their down was particularly common in Iceland and Norway. Down
was collected each year from ducks that were so tame that they could be lifted
from their nests. The farmers protected the birds from predators, thus
increasing their population. At its peak in 1915, the Icelandic trade gathered
some 4,300 kilos of down from 280,000 female eiders. Russell Evans
The Eider is the
fastest flying bird recorded in level flight, breaking the record at 76
kilometres per hour. Typically the birds fly at low level over the sea in 'V'
formation known as a skein. Russell Evans
You will need the
cheapest brand of lard and porridge oats available. I prepare by lining a cup
or mug with cling film. I use either string with a large button or washer tied
to one end, or a bent wire coat hanger cut off, which I place at the bottom of
the cup. Warm the lard in the microwave for 20 to 30 seconds at level 4 Be careful NOT to overheat it! Mix in a cup full of
porridge oats, birdseed, and raisons and spoon the resulting goo into the film
lined cup. Place the string so that it will be in the middle of the cup, and
will hang OK. I place the cup in the freezer for an hour. Peel of the cling
film, hang the ball in a tree, near to where you normally feed the birds, and
watch.
West Glamorgan
is re-launching the Wildlife Explorers Group on Wednesday 23rd
January 2002, at the Environment Centre, Swansea. The meeting will start at 6pm
and close at 8pm. The Big Garden Birdwatch 2002 is taking place on 26th
& 27th January 2002, so this will be the theme of the evening
Included will be a bird food making demonstration, recipes plus an informative
talk and slide show. The group is scheduled to meet next on Wednesday 27th
February, and 27th March 2002. A programme for the year will be
available on the night of the launch, and future meetings will include guest
speakers, summer barbecues, field trips, and more (& perhaps a few
surprises!) So come along and meet other young Wildlife Explorers, and make new
friends. COST £ 1.00 per child (includes squash and biscuits) Enquiries to TINA
01792-862305 or 01792-411139 or JO 01792-844027
This year proved to be a very busy one, with work
taking me all over the country. I was thrilled to have some work in Norfolk,
which is where my family originates. Even more thrilled, the work was near
Brancaster, and very close to the Tichwell Bird Reserve. So lunch was spent
walking through the wetlands area which is just yards inland form the sea,
Well, I achieved one of my own bird ambitions, in seeing a flock of Avocets
feeding in the scrapes. Along side these beautiful little waders were Godwits
and Lapwings. But an even bigger thrill was had in seeing six, yes six Marsh
Harriers at once. This reserve is certainly worth a visit if you are in the
Norfolk area.
The Environment Centre
The centre has now been our base for two years. It has proved to be a popular and warm venue for the groups meetings. It is very appropriate as the centre has many conservation projects on show, which interest RSPB members. The map shows where the centre is.
The West
Glamorgan RSPB Members Group has donated £2000 to projects in Wales, namely The
RSPB Cymru Lapwing Project, the Chough Conservation in Wales Project, and to
The Cwm Clydach Reserve.
The group has
been very fortunate to obtain sponsorship for the newsletter from 2 Travel Coaches, Swansea.
Pin badges in SB Landscapes Shed and Fencing Centre (Pyle), Gower Heritage
Centre, Allsops Newsagents, Uplands Pet & Garden Centre, Plas Farm Holiday
Cottages have contributed to funds. Robins at Wyevale Garden Centre (Pyle
and Gower Heritage Centre) have also contributed.
Please cut off and return
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
West Glamorgan RSPB
Members Group Joining Form 2002
Name
..
Address
PostCode
.
TelephoneNo
Date
..
..
Please send £2.00
for single person or £3.00 for Joint membership and this form to Nester Steins,
29 Woodland Park, Kenfig Hill. Bridgend. CF33 6EY.
If possible, could you enclose a stamped address
envelope. Money saved will be donated to good causes
Editor Mark Johnson, 55 Woodville Street, Pontarddulais, Swansea, SA4 1SH. Tel/fax 01792-882146 email mark@westgalm-rspb.org.uk