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The RSPB Macclesfield Local Group

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Friday 7

CAWOS Meeting: AGM followed by Mersey Estuary Birds by author Dermot Smith 7:30 pm for a prompt 7:45 pm start at St. Vincents Roman Catholic Church, Tatton Street, Knutsford, WA16 6HR

Tuesday 10

Indoor Meeting: ‘Peruvian Birds – Pacific to Amazonia’ by Gary Prescott A fossil-fuel free birding journey, on land by bicycle and by pack-raft on the river, from the Pacific coast of Peru, over the Andes and into the Amazon rain forest. Introduced by: Lydia Taylor 01260 275248

Thursday 12

Special Event: RSPB Coffee Morning Enjoy a cup of tea or coffee with biscuits at Gawsworth Community Hall. There will be a raffle together with homemade cakes, preserves and bird food on sale. Gawsworth Methodist Community Hall, Congleton Road, Gawsworth, Macclesfield, SK11 9QZ, 10:00 am to 12:00 noon Contact: Lydia Taylor 01260 275248 (please call if you can help in any way)

Sunday 15

WGBG Coach Trip: North Wales / RSPB Conwy Depart at 7:30 am from Wilmslow Guild, Bourne Street, Wilmslow, SK9 5HD Contact: Steve McGann 01625 533652

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Tuesday 7

Members Digital Images and Videos for the AGM: Deadline for submission of your contribution (25 images or 10 min video) for the AGM Contact: David Tolliday 01625 432105 or david@macclesfieldrspb.org.uk

The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) is a registered charity: in England and Wales no. 207076, in Scotland no. SC037654

Keith is a highly experienced wildlife photographer, tour leader and lecturer and we welcome him back to what will be the seventh talk he has given to our group.

Sri Lanka is a land of immense natural diversity with fabulous National Parks and protected areas that are home to leopard, Indian elephant, sloth bear, and marsh mugger crocodiles. Birds are prolific with 33 endemic species including the Serendib scops owl which was only discovered in 2001. In addition to the endemics a plethora of other migrants and residents can be seen in this beautiful verdant island.

His talk will explore the many aspects of fauna and flora from the highlands, lowlands, plains and rainforests to the Indian Ocean where blue whales – the largest mammals on Earth, can be seen.

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Newsletter - February 2020

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40th Anniversary Dinner

Booked at the Tytherington Club, Macclesfield

on Tuesday 21st April 2020

We cordially invite members, partners and friends to join us for this evening's celebration of the

Local Group's 40th Anniversary with after dinner speaker Professor David Norman.

Cost excluding drinks - £25 per person for a three course meal and speaker.

Please book your place by contacting Daryll Bailey - 01625 430311 /

secretary@macclesfieldrspb.org.uk or purchase a ticket at tonight’s meeting

Cheshire Wildlife Trust Danes Moss Reserve - Breeding Bird Survey 2020

T he fifth annual Breeding Bird Survey at Danes Moss starts on Monday 16 March and continues with five further Monday visits until the end of July. All visits start at 06.45 am from the Lyme Green Business Park by the Home Bargains store (which recently replaced Homebase) for a 07.00 am start from the picnic area at the entrance to Danes

Moss Reserve alongside the Macclesfield Canal, and should finish no later than 09.30 am. Following a set route through the reserve we aim to identify and map as many of the birds we both see and identify by song. You don’t need to worry if your identification or birdsong skills are not perfect as we work as a group and help each other out. In fact this is an excellent opportunity if you are a relative beginner to improve your birding skills. Throughout 2019 a total of 76 bird species were identified on the reserve and 57 species were recorded during the period of the breeding bird survey. Some 2019 highlights:

• In mid-March there were still winter visiting redwing and fieldfare in the fields on the edge of the reserve that would soon be returning home to breed in Scandinavia after enjoying our milder winter climate.

• In April there were good sightings of a pair of willow tits, the key target bird we are trying to encourage to breed on the reserve. Unfortunately there were no further recorded sightings later in the year.

• Barn owls bred for the second time in one of the barn owl boxes on the reserve and in early July three healthy owlets were ringed.

• Elusive water rail and grasshopper warbler continued to be heard suggesting that they are likely to be breeding on the reserve.

Spring migrants, in particular blackcap, chiffchaff, common whitethroat, garden warbler and spotted flycatcher continued to supplement the resident bird population on the reserve which includes blackbird, blue tit, bullfinch, chaffinch, coal tit, goldcrest, great tit, great-spotted woodpecker, jay, long-tailed tit, mistle thrush, nuthatch, reed bunting, robin, song thrush, treecreeper and wren which are all either breeding, or likely to be breeding, on the reserve

If you would like to take part, or require further information, please see me at the February or March Indoor Meetings, or contact me directly—email aa.brereton@btinternet.com, telephone 01625 615628 or mobile 07760 156153. Further details, including all the survey dates and directions to the reserve, can be found on the local group website – www.macclesfieldrspb.org.co.uk

Alan Brereton

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The Big Garden Birdwatch at West Park

M acclesfield RSPB Wildlife Explorers ran a special event at West Park in Macclesfield as part of The RSPB’s Big Garden Birdwatch. Enthusiastic

families of amateur birdwatchers, armed with binoculars and bird ID sheets, joined a team of experts to count the different bird species in the park. After a quick identification recap of the Top 10 garden birds (from the 2019 survey results) the group set off to look and listen for the birds in the park. Thanks to our keen group the final bird list recorded 23 species including mistle thrush, goldcrest, long-tailed tit and bullfinch. Highlights for most of those involved included seeing Britain’s smallest bird - the goldcrest - and great views of a very confiding treecreeper. The data that Wildlife Explorers collected during the hour-long birdwatch will be submitted to the RSPB along with results from many thousands of gardens and parks across the country Thank you to all of the families who supported our event in West Park. The more people that get involved counting their garden birds as part of this ‘annual survey’ the better the information gathered by The RSPB on the state of our wild bird populations. This important national citizen science survey has been running for over 40 years - everyone can make an important contribution to the largest wildlife survey in the world.

Big Schools Birdwatch Fortnight

V olunteers from Macclesfield RSPB Wildlife Explorers have visited a number of local schools as part of the annual RSPB Big Schools’ Birdwatch, the largest survey of its kind in the world. By counting the number of different bird species seen in school grounds students help The RSPB to create a snapshot of the status of bird populations across the

country. This year 14 volunteers put in over 150 volunteer hours visiting 12 school locations and providing 42 separate sessions involving more than 830 children and over 100 adults and teaching staff in this important citizen science project. A large range of bird species were spotted reflecting the very different bird habitats in around different schools.

The 2020 campaign kicked off with a visit to Rainow Preschool (left) where even the youngest participants learned about garden birds and tried their hand at using binoculars. These tiny birdwatchers spotted an incredible 33 starlings as part of their morning. After an assembly at Mottram St. Andrew Primary Academy, where children impressed the volunteer team with their bird knowledge, Nursery and Reception wrapped up warm for their birdwatch and were serenaded by a friendly robin for the whole of their time outside.

News from our Wildlife Explorers

Photograph Darren Mayer

Photograph Abercrombie

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At another enjoyable return visit to Kettleshulme St. James Primary school (left) children were lucky to spot lots of finches – chaffinch, greenfinch, goldfinch and bullfinch all made the list. Binoculars were used to watch blue tits flitting around the hedges.

The first bird spotted at Puss Bank Primary School was a surprise - a cormorant flying low over the playground. Eager bird spotters also counted lots of jackdaws and wood pigeons and a total of 15 different species.

Years 3 and 4 from The King’s School Junior Division visited Victoria Park (left) for their birdwatch. Top spots included nuthatch, dunnock and great spotted woodpecker. The Wildlife Explorer team also ran a lunchtime drop-in session for children at the school on Fence Avenue, adding a huge flock of redwing to the list of sightings.

Volunteers joined Year 3 at Rainow Primary School for a 14th year of Big School Birdwatches. Children (right) were delighted to see a flock of long-tailed tits, several goldfinch and a mistle thrush this time around. Rainow pupils regularly feed the birds and this makes a huge difference to the number of bird species as well as helping wild birds survive when natural food is scarce. A snowy start to the morning at Ivy Bank Primary School did nothing to dampen the enthusiasm of keen birdwatchers (below) in Year 1 and Year 3. More than 20 species were recorded in total with several groups being treated to great views of a very confident black-headed gull striding across the playground and a colourful jay on the far side of the playing field. On a bright, sunny morning with the Nursery and

Reception classes at Terra Nova (below) well-stocked bird feeders also paid off. Nuthatch was the first to

Photograph Abercrombie

Photograph Tina Hanak

Photograph Tina Hanak

Photograph Tina Hanak Photograph Tina Hanak

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make the bird list with the children getting impressive views of three buzzards as they soared over the meadow. As if trying to experience every kind of weather, volunteers headed to Horton St. Michael’s (right) in Rudyard for a rather misty Big School’s Birdwatch. After a full school assembly different classes keenly explored the school grounds looking for birds. The best bird of the morning was left for the last group to spot. The smallest birdwatchers from the Catkins Nursery Class saw our smallest bird, the goldcrest.

At Bosley St. Mary’s (left) classes were in their element, despite a bit of rain, spotting and counting lots of house sparrows and starlings. One group even observed a couple of magpies collecting sticks for early nesting. The final session of the fortnight was at Bosley Bobkins Preschool (right) where another group of very young birdwatchers learned about different birds and their calls before getting some hands-on experience with binoculars.

The project is a fantastic opportunity for children to connect with nature whilst contributing to a nationally important wildlife survey. The Wildlife Explorer Team would like to thank all of the children and staff at the schools we have visited - we were made to feel incredibly welcome and everyone showed huge enthusiasm for finding out more about the birds in their school grounds. Tina received some feedback from a mother that really makes participating in the Big Schools Birdwatch so worthwhile - ‘You visited Terra Nova school last week. You have really made a big impression on my little boy. He is constantly talking about your visit and the names of different birds. He has bought 5 RSPB badges and I am about to order some Binoculars for him!’ A potential birdwatcher for the future.

Tina Hanak Wildlife Explorers Leader

Photograph Tina Hanak

Photograph Tina Hanak

Photograph Tina Hanak

Gawsworth Community Hall Coffee Morning

C ome and enjoy a cup of tea or coffee at our bi-annual coffee morning at Gawsworth on Thursday 12 March. We will have homemade cakes and

savouries, bird food together with preserves for sale at reasonable prices. In addition there will be a raffle all to raise funds for the RSPB. The doors open at 10:00 am until

12:00 noon. Lydia will be pleased to receive any donations of cakes and savouries on the day or pick up can be arranged if you contact by email - membership@macclesfieldrspb.org.uk or telephone 01260 275248.

Lydia Taylor

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Health and Safety

In the event of fire or other emergency necessitating evacuation of the building, please leave in an orderly manner via

the nearest available Emergency Exit or as instructed by a designated Committee member. Emergency Exits are indicated by the internationally recognised symbol of a ‘running man’ on a green background.

If required, there is a first aid kit in the kitchen. (If you do have an accident, however minor, while here tonight please

report it directly to a Committee member who, amongst other things, will ensure that details are logged in the Accident Report Book.)

W e're delighted to say that the Bird Report for 2017 is now available - with many people working together to develop the content

and get it printed. The Report is now produced in the larger B5 format with full colour printing. The front cover is graced by Leach’s Petrel, the CAWOS logo, captured at close range against the sands of New Brighton.

Full colour has given the opportunity to include 80 great images of birds whatever their abundance or popularity and includes two-page spreads for raptors, gulls, corvids and Leach’s Petrel. The Report has 160 pages and draws on over 170,000 records from a wide range of sources – Birdtrack, BTO WeBS and Breeding Bird Survey, rECOrd, major site reports, website records, ringing reports and of course records from individual observers. An annual Bird Report is the one document that brings all these records together on a County basis. In 2017 there were 241 species recorded in Cheshire and Wirral of which 35 were County or BBRC rarities. Pallid Harrier was new to

the County List – having been accepted by BBRC on a second circulation. This is the subject of a short article describing the sequence of events. Also included in the Report are articles on the successful breeding of Cattle Egrets at Burton Mere Wetlands, ‘Early and Late Dates for Migrants’ and Cheshire and Wirral in the BTO Online Ringing Report for 2017, which selectively focusses on recoveries chosen to illustrate movements and longevity.

The Bird Report is free to Cheshire and Wirral Ornithological Society members (ordinary membership costs £15),

Non-members £10 + £2 p&p and copies are available from:

David Cogger 71 Parkgate, Knutsford

Cheshire WA16 8HF

Tel: 01565 228503 Email: davidcogger@cawos.org

Cheshire and Wirral Bird Report 2017