THE ROYAL SOCIETY FOR THE PROTECTION OF BIRDS

Cleveland Local Group Newsletter

April 2013

Nature’s voice

Dear Members, I hope you are all keeping warm and dry! Will this winter weather ever end? It’s all

to do with global warming I’m told, and we can expect more extremes of weather to

come. However, don’t let that put you off going out and enjoying nature.

Spotting your first wheatear of the spring, listening out for the first cuckoo or

photographing the latest flush of bluebells or wood anemones should cheer us all up.

This bad weather has had some tragic impact on birdlife. Puffins have been

reported washed up on beaches all along the North-East coast, with starvation the

presumed cause, again a result of the adverse weather systems we have had.

There is also concern over the ship aground on the Farne Islands. How and why will

be discovered in good time but for now there is a

real threat to the wildlife of the area.

The AGM is our final meeting at Nunthorpe

Institute; in September we move to the Jack

Hatfield Sports Club just off Acklam Road. Keep an

eye on the website or keep in touch with the

committee for further news.

Apart from that, enjoy your birdwatching!

See you soon. Editor.

RSPB Cleveland Local Group Committee 2013 Terry Reeve: Group Secretary. Tel: 01642 512693 Peter Chadwick: Treasurer. Tel: 01642 781274 Vana Chadwick: Indoor Meetings Organiser. Tel: 01642 781274 Joan Hornby: Membership Secretary/ Door Collection. Tel: 01642 299312 John and Elaine Cook: Fund-raising. Tel: 01642 710889 Ian Boddy: Website Editor and information displays

Other contacts Steve Hunter: Newsletter Editor. Tel: 01642 876921(email silverste@ntlworld.com) Cleveland Members Group web site: http://www.rspb.org.uk/groups/Cleveland RSPB North of England Regional Office, Newcastle. Tel: 0191 256 8200 RSPB HQ, The Lodge, Sandy, Beds. Tel: 01767 680551 RSPB web site www.rspb.org.uk RSPB Saltholme reserve : http://www.rspb.org.uk/reserves/guide/s/saltholme/ Telephone: 01642 546625; E-mail: saltholme@rspb.org.uk The RSPB is a registered charity: England and Wales no. 207076, Scotland no. SC037654

Illustrations; fulmar, puffin,, little egret,, Steve Hunter.

Birdwatching but not as we know it In September 2010 I was on holiday in Israel, visiting my elder son. So it was not a specific birdwatching break. However, in Spring and Autumn it is difficult to avoid birds in Israel, because they are the times of mass migration from Europe to Africa and back, funnelling through the Middle East. My son is based in Jerusalem. For three days during our stay it was the festival of Yom Kippur, during which the city comes to a halt – no shops, no transport, no restaurants. So we moved to a holiday village on the shore of the Sea of Galilee. The “sea” is approximately 4 miles long by 2 miles wide. The River Jordan flows into the Northern end of the sea, and out at the other end. I am sure there would have been fantastic birding opportunities at the marshy Northern shore of the sea, but without transport and with social commitments they passed me by. Still I managed to see little and cattle egret, purple and night heron, sparrowhawk, spur-winged plover, and the ubiquitous (in Israel), exotic-sounding, yellow-vented bulbul and Palestinian sun bird, woodchat shrike, hoopoe and Isabelline wheatear around our site. About 25 minutes drive from Ein Gev (our holiday home on Galilee), up into the Golan Heights, is the nature reserve of Gamla. This is a prime birdwatching site, but because it also has the highest waterfall in Israel and ancient ruins dating back to the Bronze Age and then Roman occupation and on through the Middle Ages, it was of interest to the whole family. I knew that the site was home to various vultures and eagles, but only discovered accurate detail of the breeding species on my visit. The Sea of Galilee is 680 feet below sea level (if that is not Greek) so it was even hotter at this depth than in Jerusalem. The cool breeze at Gamla was bliss; the temperature was only in the 80’s! I had been in Israel for only four days; long enough, however, to see great paradoxes; terrific natural and historical architectural beauty overlooked by military presence everywhere; to travel to tourist hotspots through walls, fences and checkpoints reminiscent of the Berlin Wall On our way up to Gamla it was still a surprise, though, just after passing tanks on an army firing range, to come across a dozen beehives by the roadside, apparently in the middle of nowhere, conveniently situated underneath telephone lines, which provided ideal perches for bee-eaters. It is always a thrill to see these exotic, colourful birds. I wondered who the hives belong to, because, as I was to find later, there are terrible problems of bird persecution in Israel, through poisoning, not only of birds of prey, but also fishing birds. So somebody was seemingly most generous in providing meals for the bee-eaters, presumably to the detriment of honey production. (cont’d on back page)

From the car we saw a large eagle circling. It was very pale, hardly any dark markings showing - short-toed eagle which breed in the area. One pair of Bonelli’s eagle also breed locally, but we were told we would have been very lucky to have seen them. On arrival at Gamla we were greeted by a very friendly and helpful park warden and a great grey shrike, which flew in front of our car and perched on a shrub close by. A quarter of a mile from the car park stood a substantial stone-built hide on the edge of a deep canyon, with views of the sheer rock wall, opposite. The square hide was open on three sides. Against the fourth side of stone was a huge glass case containing a stuffed griffon vulture and chick. Looking out of the north-facing side, about 100 yards away, near the canyon edge, was a wire cage or aviary containing juvenile, live griffon vultures. My immediate reaction was one of indignation. To over simplify, you cannot tick stuffed and caged birds. Calm down, calm down read the notices. Next to the glass case was the explanation that in 2007 a birder had been watching the vulture in the case land at its nest, pass food to its chick, keel over and plummet to the canyon floor hundreds of feet below. Subsequently the chick had died of starvation. The birds had been recovered and a post-mortem found that the adult bird had been poisoned. A rash of poisonings followed. In 2008 it was decided that over 50% of eggs would be removed from griffon vulture nests and taken to Jerusalem to be hatched in incubators. The chicks were then returned to the aviary in Gamla to be hand-reared until ready for release into the wild. The young birds which we could see in the aviary were fully grown juveniles, presumably almost due to be released. Touchingly, there were a number of wild griffon vultures standing on top of the aviary, hopefully in friendly mode. Having got over the initial shock of seeming to have arrived at a museum or zoo, rather than a bird reserve, we began watching the griffon vultures. Their wing span is up to 2.7 metres (9 feet in old money) and they were absolutely majestic as they soared around on the thermals above the canyon. All the time we were watching the griffon vultures we could hear the plaintiff scream of another bird of prey. We scoured the skies, assuming the bird to be in flight, but could see nothing. Eventually a systematic scan of the rock wall opposite revealed two Egyptian vultures side by side on the narrowest of ledges, 100’s of feet from the cliff bottom. We assumed that these were this year’s chicks calling for their parents, but as they were full-grown and it was time to leave for their Winter break in Africa, the parents were encouraging them to fly the nest, being cruel to be kind. By 11 o’clock the small birds which had earlier proliferated were disappearing (mad dogs and Englishmen, presumably). In spite of this, on the way back to the car, we saw many wheatears playing hard to get; desert wheatear, I think. Bulbuls abounded. We saw Syrian rock hyrax, a mammal which looks like a hamster on steroids. And, probably the birding highlight of my holiday, I saw cream-coloured courser. There is a problem. According to the field guide the bird should not have been there. However, two wardens at different locations assured me that in September anything goes in Israel. One should not be surprised to see penguins, such anomalies occur. You have a look in a field guide. Could anybody, even me, misidentify a cream-coloured courser, if you saw one? Answers on a postcard…….. Keith Robson

Cleveland Local RSPB Group Secretary’s Report for the

Annual General Meeting: April 2013 This report covers the year from 1st April 2012 to 31st March 2013 and summarises the activities and business of the local group over that period. Change of Venue: The unexpected closure of Nature’s World necessitated urgent action by committee in finding a new venue. Nunthorpe Institute has provided us with a suitable short-term solution. We are grateful to the Centre Manager for her co-operation. Group Membership: Total membership of the group for 2012 – 13 was just over 130 – slightly down on 2011-12. Our annual subscription was held at just £4 per household, a figure unchanged for many years. Late payment has always been an issue and more so this year. For this reason, a change will be introduced next year requiring payment to be made by the end of September. Programme of Events; A varied programme of events is planned each year in committee and this year included:

• Evening Meetings: guest speakers have presented talks on a variety of subjects, including: RSPB Saltholme (Toby Collett), Henderson Island (Mike Harris), The Seychelles (Ian Robinson), Cats and Birds DO Mix (Brian Clasper), Sri Lanka (Peter Langham), Scotland? Naturally! (Brian & Ann Hague), The Birds of Namibia (Keith Gunning) and Our Patch (Dave Bowen). Attendance has ranged from 18 to 46, averaging a very encouraging 36.

• Sunday Morning Outings: these are informal and always enjoyable. All are welcome, whether RSPB members or not. This year we visited Saltburn Woods (April 2012), Upper Teesdale (June 2012), Hurworth Burn (July 2012), Scaling Dam/Lockwood Beck (Sept. 2012), Nosterfield Gravel Pits (Oct.2012), Zetland Rocks (Dec.2012), RSPB Saltholme (Feb.2012) and Tilery Wood (Mar.2012). Wintry weather conditions resulted in the cancellation of our January visit to North Tees. Generally about 20 members take part and written reports, with sightings, are recorded on our group website.

• Coach Trips: As per usual practice, two coach trips were planned for this year. The trip to Bolton Abbey on 20th May 2012 was attended by 34 members. The second, to Leighton Moss on 18th November 2012, was attended by 41 members.

Finances: This year our pin-badge activity around the region has raised in excess of £4000 for RSPB funds. Whilst this is less than last year, clearly reflecting the effects of the

LOCAL GROUP MEETINGS 2012 – 2013

Our Annual Programme is as follows. Indoor meetings are held every second Monday of the month from September to April. Refreshments are served from 7.00 p.m (charges apply). Sunday morning outings are monthly from September to July. Coach trips are organised twice each year. From Sept. 2013, our meetings venue will be the Jack Hatfield Sports Club, Rockingham Court, Middlesbrough, TS5 7BN

recession, it is nevertheless a significant total and our collectors are to be commended for their efforts. From our own local group account, a donation of £250 was sent to RSPB in support of Coastal and Marine Projects. I am pleased to report that, at long last, we have been able to purchase our own digital projector – a purchase which will relieve us of the anxiety of provision for visiting speakers. Once again, our financial position remains healthy, with no pressing need to raise any of our charges in the year ahead. RSPB Information: Through our regular newsletters, notice board displays and local group website, we aim to keep members informed about the business of the group and the work of RSPB. Members are reminded that minutes of committee meetings are displayed for all to see and copies can be obtained on request. Committee; Since the AGM in April last year, committee has met on five occasions - May, Sept., Nov. (2012), Jan., and Mar (2013). Completion of the Annual Return to RSPB (in which the activities of the group are recorded) and planning the Programme of Events for the coming year are key items in the work of the committee. At each meeting, recent events are reviewed and arrangements agreed for those events forthcoming; reports are received from the secretary, the treasurer, and other committee members where appropriate. Finally, items of correspondence are dealt with. Meetings are time-constrained to avoid late sessions. Vote of Thanks; My thanks are due to committee members Peter Chadwick (Treasurer), Vana Chadwick (Indoor Meetings Organiser), Joan Hornby (Membership Secretary/Door Collections), to John and Elaine Cooke (Fund-raising/Pin-badge Organisers) and to Ian Boddy (Web-site editor and Display Co-ordinator) for the time they give in committee and the contribution they make to the smooth running of the group. I wish also to record my gratitude to Steve Hunter for his continued good work as newsletter editor and congratulate Steve on his award for twenty years volunteering with the RSPB. I am sure members will echo my thanks to all mentioned. Once again I am pleased to report that the group continues to thrive and is in good heart. This bodes well for the future of the group and I thank members for their continued support and involvement. Terry Reeve

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April 2013 Indoor: 8th April 7.30pm. AGM The meeting will begin with refreshments and be followed by the formal business of the A.G.M. (which will be kept brief and to the point). Martin Wall will then share with us an illustrated talk on Spitzbergen. An amazing place for wildlife, Spitzbergen can (normally) only be visited in the summer due to the pack ice at other times. Martin tells us of his memorable visit.

Outdoor: 14th April, Sunday Morning Outing. Venue: Egglestone Abbey This is always a successful walk in beautiful surroundings. Walk will leave Egglestone Abbey heading towards Rokeby Park and the "Meeting of the Waters" of the rivers Greta & Tees. There is a mixture of woodland and river so there is the possibility of birds such as Dipper & Grey Wagtail as well as the woodland birds. Some of the summer migrants may be appearing by then and there should be some bluebells to admire. This is not a circular walk so we will retrace our steps back to the abbey. Map reference NZ062150. May 2013 Indoor: No indoor meeting Coach trip:19th May, Holy Island, Northumberland. Depart 8.30 from the Avenue shops just a short walk from Nunthorpe Institute (where recent meetings have been held). See the website for the latest information. http://www.rspb.org.uk/groups/Cleveland/news We need to get as many people as possible on the coach for it to be a viable trip. Please book your seats now! The Holy Island of Lindisfarne is a beautiful place to visit with its historic charm and natural beauty. There should be plenty of birds for us to see when we visit at this time of the year, Sea and shore birds should be about, also look in the hedgerows for resident and migrant passerines. There is lots of botanical interest on the island for you plant lovers.

Booking essential: Please return your booking form to Terry Reeve as soon as

possible.

PLEASE SUPPORT OUR COACH TRIPS AND WALKS Indoor meetings start 7.30 - doors open 7.00 pm. Coffee and biscuits 30p. There is a cover charge to pay for the room and speaker. for members (all ages) and £2.50 for non members. Sunday Morning Outings start 10.00 am unless otherwise stated. Suitable clothing and stout footwear is recommended

for all outdoor meetings. Contact the leader for further details. Coach trip pick up point:- Shops near Nunthorpe Institute.

June 2013 Indoor: No indoor meeting

Outdoor: 16th June, Sunday morning Outing.

Venue: Upper Teesdale

Location: Meet in the car park at Bowlees for a 10:00 am start. This is a venue for both birdwatchers and botanists. We can expect to see Dipper, Redpoll, Redstart, Grey Wagtail, Spotted Flycatcher, Curlew, Lapwing, as well as various Orchids and Meadow Flowers. The walk will be mainly up the side of the River Tees from Bowlees Car Park. Our last trip here yielded species such as Woodcock, Common Sandpiper and for those who ventured up to the top of the dale Black Grouse. July 2013 Indoor: No indoor meeting

Outdoor: 14th July, Sunday Morning Outing. Venue: Foxglove Covert, Catterick Garrison Location: Foxglove Covert LNR, Wathgill, Downholme, Richmond, North Yorkshire, DL11 6AH Foxglove Covert Local Nature Reserve covers 100 acres of moorland edge adjacent to Cambrai Lines at Catterick and has a remarkable mix of habitats and species. The reserve contains semi-natural woodland, heathland, flower-rich grassland, streams, ponds, a lake, willow and alder carr, coniferous woodlands and wet meadows. http://www.foxglovecovert.org.uk

August 2013 No meetings arranged for August Enjoy your holidays. September 2013 Indoor: 8th September 7.30pm. Speaker: TBA. Our first meting of the next season. Please put it in your diaries. Information to follow in a future issue.

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PLEASE SUPPORT OUR COACH TRIPS AND WALKS There is a cover charge to pay for the room and speaker. Current admission charges are £1.50

start 10.00 am unless otherwise stated. Suitable clothing and stout footwear is recommended for all outdoor meetings. Contact the leader for further details.

Shops near Nunthorpe Institute.