Newsletter Number 27 December 2005
1. Secretarys Notes
2. AGM
3. Membership
4. Publications
5. Expeditions
6. Studies
7. Committee
8. Notices
a. 2005 has proved to be a very busy year for the AOS with the various trips that have been organised. There is no let up in 2006 with a busy programme of visits and expeditions. We are actively pursuing an autumn visit to Cyprus to carry out surveys of migrating birds on the Sovereign Base Areas. Once we have some details they will be distributed.
b. Roger Dickey provides us with an update on the MOD Bird Count. This is really progressing well. The next step is to involve more of us in this scheme. There was an increase in the number of sites surveyed compared to 2004. There are still gaps which Roger is trying to plug.
2. AGM 2006
The AGM 2006 will be held 12 -14 May 06. The weekend promises a wide range of birds including Stone Curlew, Woodlark and Redstart. Our guide is Paul Holness who has been monitoring birds on the area for more years than he cares to remember. The programme will follow the norm for our meeting; arrive Friday night and depart Sunday lunchtime. Accommodation is mainly in single rooms with separate ablution blocks. The Mess has a dining room and bar for all our social activities including the dinner on Saturday night. We will have a full days birding on Saturday and a half day on Sunday. All of this for the bargain price of £25 per head.
3. Membership
We continue to recruit more serving members than those who have retired from the Service. We will be providing an article for Soldier Magazine on Ascension. Our notice in the new Defence Notices is proving successful. Our membership currently stands at 185.
4. Publications
a. Bulletin. The latest Bulletin is enclosed. As the Osprey is distributed around about June, the Bulletin will in future be distributed at the end of the year.
b. Osprey. If anyone has an article of photograph that they wish to see published in the Osprey it must be with Simon Stickland by 16 Jan 06.
c. Library. The following new publications have been received:
(1). Birdlife International
· World Birdwatch, Volume 27, Number 3, September 2005.
· World Birdwatch, Volume 27, Number 4, December 2005.
(2). Ornithological Society of the Middle East
· Sandgrouse, Volume 27 (2), 2005.
(3). UK Overseas Territories Conservation Forum
· Annual Reort 2004/05.
(4) RNBWS
· Sea Swallow Vol 54.
5. Expeditions
a. An updated list of expeditions is attached. The Expeditions member is Lt Col David Vaughan.
Contacts: A list of contact phone numbers is given in the programme of events. If you are unable to establish contact with the expedition organiser, or e-mail the Expeditions Member Lt Col David Vaughan.
david.vaughan343@mod.uk
b. RNBWS. The list for 2006 is attached. blighty2@ntlworld.com.
c. AOS Visit to Portland Bird Observatory and Field Centre, 6 8 Oct 06.
(1). Introduction. The AOS visit to Portland for 2006 will be the first weekend in October. It is a weekend with great potential for some exciting birding, especially sea watching and migration.
(2). Booking. If you want to attend please complete and email the proforma at the bottom of the page. It is planned to arrive on the Friday evening and depart on Sunday afternoon.
(3). Accommodation. Most of the accommodation is in 4 man rooms but double rooms are available for couples. These latter are limited so if you would like one please let Hilary Nash know as soon as possible. The charge per night is still £10-00 (Ten Pounds) per person, which members must pay themselves.
(4). Transport. Travel to and from Portland is by your own arrangements. If you would like a lift Hilary may be able to put you in touch with another participating member who lives in your area.
(5). General Points.
a. Electricity. This is supplied from meters so bring a supply of £1 coins.
b. Bedding. Bring sleeping bags. Pillows, but not pillowcases, are provided.
c. Food. The Observatory is self-catering, but the kitchen has cutlery, crockery and cooking utensils. There are also several pubs in the area where meals can be bought.
(6). Please complete and return the proforma to Maj (Retd) R.H.J.Nash by 17 Jul 06.
6. Studies (Roger Dickey)
Changes were made to the MOD Bird Count in 2005, with 2 objectives in mind:
· First, to ensure that data collected from across the Defence Estate (DE) met the requirements of DE Environmental Support Team (EST) in providing governmentally mandated information to support Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI), Biodiversity Action Plans (BAP) and Species of Conservation Concern (SOCC). Regrettably this has not always been possible in the past with the result that DE EST has been presented with too much or too little data, an unnecessary percentage of which cannot be used.
· Second, to begin the process of relating Defence acquired data with that of the national collation agency, the British Trust for Ornithology (BTO). The lack of a common methodology has frustratingly left Conservation Groups and DE EST with data that although sound, has little utility in contributing to the national ornithological picture.
In early November, DE EST and AOS (in consultation with RAFOS and RNBWS) devised a simple database to meet the above requirements and which will allow subsequent detailed analysis. Such was the utility of the database that it was decided that 2004 data, previously held in Word tables, would be re-entered to match 2005s information. The intent is to be able to analyse the combined data in time for a report early in the new year.
The 2005 report sheet provoked considerable useful comment. With the pilot trials taking place this winter and spring on the new combined Breeding and Wintering Bird Atlas, as the AOS Survey Member, I have had detailed discussions with BTO as to the new data collection methodology so that the Bird Count can contribute directly to that mammoth project and that subsequent report sheets meet BTOs exacting standards. Regrettably we shall have to wait another year until BTO go firm but in the interim, further changes will be made to the record sheet to increase its utility.
Much is dependant on the results from the 2005 count but the list will change from Voous (1977) to alphabetical, and possibly from Breeding Bird to EURING (thereby increasing the range). Selecting 1km squares in typical habitat is workable for smaller sites but larger training areas need the more typical 2 x 2 km tetrad to better ensure a more representative selection of species. Habitat reporting has been particularly useful and is here to stay and there are many other smaller tweaks to make the report more user friendly. Once a common methodology is agreed, I will be running one or two short courses to assist transition and newcomers.
In the interim, it is always a pleasure to hear how individuals tackle their own patch and hear of ideas and problems. Although DE EST sign off the Bird Report and the Societies and Conservation Groups work on their behalf, comments and queries on bird surveys should be directed to Roger Dickey through:
Work: roger.dickey435@land.mod.uk
Home: roger@dickey4444.freeserve.co.uk (preferred contact).
6. Committee
The committee held a meeting in November. The Society is healthy with various activities on-going. We are always looking for volunteers so if you are interested in helping please let me know.
7. Notices
My wife, Judy, and I had never been to the Irish Republic, so we decided to take a short break in September to explore Cork and Kerry. As most of the crossings from Swansea are overnight, we arrived first thing in the morning to be greeted by gloomy weather that got steadily worse. By mid-morning we reached Roscarberry, our destination for our first night. The hotel was excellent and overlooked a large lagoon. As I stumbled into our room with the luggage, Judy shouted to me to come quickly. She had seen an Otter in the lagoon! As the tide went down, the mud attracted many waders and the quiet shoreside road provided an excellent vantage point for observation from the car. The hoped-for American rarities did not materialise but we had excellent views of many species including Curlew Sandpipers.
The rest of the holiday was disappointingly birdless and much of the magnificent scenery obscured by low clouds and rain. Still, there were plenty of other things to do and see as we toured the Ring of Kerry. So I was pinning my hopes on better things on our return, day crossing. My spirits rose as we drove to the port with the weather at last clearing and rose further when I met a fellow birder, Tony Swann, on deck. He had travelled over the previous night as a foot passenger. As we set up on the rear deck, an Arctic Tern in the harbour seemed a good omen. Judy, however, retired to our day cabin. The first third of the trip was pretty uneventful, though the presence of a Kestrel about five miles out to sea was a mystery. The diet of Gannets, Fulmars and the occasional auk was suddenly relieved by a Corys Shearwater gliding right past the side of the ship. This heralded a much more exciting afternoon that continued across the Irish Sea and all the way to Carmarthen Bay. Gannets and Fulmars appeared in large groups with plenty of Manx, a few Balearic and one Sooty Shearwater. But all this was surpassed as I spotted a spout of water about half a mile from the ship. Whale!! Fortunately, Judy had returned on deck for lunch and also shared in this special moment. We could not identify the species but Tony took some photographs that allowed the cetacean experts subsequently to declare it a Humpback. Later, a flock of about 200 Gannets circling and fishing may also have indicated cetaceans but too distant to see.
The afternoon wore on and became rather cold so Judy and I retired to our cabin. Fortunately, it was one of the few directly below the bridge with a view over the bows. For, as I warmed up, a school of fifteen Harbour Porpoises swam past, escorted by a flock of Gannets. A little later a Great Skua, closely followed by an Arctic Skua flew across our bows. None of these could have been seen from the rear deck.
And so our short holiday ended on a high note. The day crossing was on 23 September and this might have been rather late to get the best of the seabirds. Tonys idea of going and coming straight back as a foot passenger could be fun for a group and is massively cheaper than the Bay of Biscay trips. The only snag is that there are few day crossings in the ferry schedule, so it might mean having to take time off work. Even so, its an idea certainly worth considering.
A Diplomat and His Birds by Andrew Palmer
Andrew Palmer has written a charming account of how birds, and bird photography, have enhanced his life during a career in the Diplomatic Service and subsequently. The author first took photographs of birds as an aid to identifying species. He soon found that a certain magic lay in capturing the gleam in a birds eye, or its dramatic plumage. More than 90 such images are reproduced in the book. This book also contains illuminating and entertaining reflections on the places where Andrew Palmers profession enabled him to seek out various birds.
It is published by Tiercel Publishing, 2 Mill Walk, Wheathampstead, Herts AL4 8DT. Cost is £22.00 plus £3.00 p&p.
A J Bray
Hon Secretary
01264 382910
From: ..
.
.
.
1. I will / will not* be attending the AGM at STANTA, 12 14 May 06.
2. I will be accompanied by ..
3. I will require the following meals:
4. I have the following special dietary requirements:
5. My vehicle is: Make: VRN: . Colour:
6. I wish the AGM to discuss the following:
Date: Signed:
AOS VISIT TO PORTLAND BIRD OBSERVATORY AND FIELD CENTRE
6th to 8th October 2006 - REPLY PROFORMA
1. Name and Initials _________________________________________________
(IN BLOCK LETTERS)
2. Contact Address ___________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________Tel No/ E-mail ___________________
3. Accommodation Requirements. I require accommodation for:-
Name(s) _____________________________________________________________
Date and Time of Arrival _______________________________________________
Date and Time of Departure _______________________________________________
Type of Room Required Double /Dormitory* I am/am not* prepared to use *Delete as applicable segregated accommodation if necessary.
Please return by 17 Jul 06 to:- Maj (Retd) R.H.J.Nash Tel : DFTS 94261 3486
HQ Cbt Engr School, Civ : 01252 863486
Gibraltar Barracks FAX : DFTS 94261 3404
Blackwater, Civ : 01252 863404
CAMBERLEY,
GU17 9LP. E-mail: roshil_nash@ntlworld.com