Your CommitteeGroup Leader Treasurer & Outings Secretary & Publicity Raffles Local Walks & Newsletter Editor100 Club Organiser Membership Secretary Website Editor

Stan Kitchiner Steve Kiln Dorothy BlatcherRosie Bell

Mike Oakland Lyn Horsley Janet WhybrowAndy Johnson

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

Wales no. 207076, Scotland no. SC03765

Editorial

Have you ever been in a hide and perhaps a couple or young family enter and sit down on one of the benches, maybe intrigued to find out what these big garden sheds in the middle of nowhere are all about? They look out onto the landscape and see a scene of reedbeds, islands, mud and water. There may be a flock of seagulls in view and perhaps a couple of swans, but seemingly very little else. After a few minutes they get up, walk to the door and continue their stroll, unimpressed by their experience. So, is there anything we can do to possibly inspire and encourage people to take an interest in watching wildlife? To new birdwatchers we can be a little intimidating; there we are in the hide in our sombre jackets, with our expensive binoculars and a tripod that appears to be supporting a peculiar telephoto lens or something. We sit there silently, gazing intently, occasionally lifting our binoculars to our eyes to peer out at some distant speck. And when we do talk - in library-like hushed tones - it is often in gobbledygook:

SOU.TH EAST HERTS RSPB LOCAL GROUP E-NEWSLETTER

Editor: Mike Oakland September 2018

No.81

"Anything about mate?”. “If you look across towards that dead tree, in front on the mud; purple sand”. “Is it near the five black-wits?”. “Just to the left, between the two Meds and the green sand!”. “Yeah got it! Thanks!”.... What!!??

Purple Sandpiper

To most experienced birdwatchers it all makes perfect sense! There is a interesting bird (a Purple Sandpiper) out on the mud. It is just to the left of five Black-tailed Godwits (large, long legged wading birds) and between two Mediterranean Gulls and a lone Green Sandpiper (Starling size wading bird). Simple! But what chance has a ‘newbie’ got of understanding all this? There are very few opportunities for the birdwatcher to interact with the ordinary general public and for them to see what our hobby is about. Although, on rare occasions this does occur. Every few years we may be fortunate to encounter a Waxwing 'irruption', when these enigmatic winter visitors invade our shores looking for food. Flocks roam our towns and cities searching for edible berries that emerge from the numerous evergreen berry-bearing shrubs, planted to add a little seasonal colour to our retail parks and town centres. As birdwatchers search for these Waxwings it may well bring them in contact with a curious ‘Joe Public’, eager to find out what all the fuss is

about and perhaps given an opportunity to observe these punk haired foreigners for themselves. Even so, under normal circumstances the vast majority of people have little contact with naturalists and birdwatchers, and we are often portrayed by the popular media as hordes of scruffy, bearded (mostly the men), woolly-hatted ‘twitchers’, chasing rare birds around the countryside. Therefore it is sometimes an uphill struggle to convince people we are just ordinary citizens who simply enjoy looking at wildlife.So, perhaps next time you are in a hide and a family walk in and sit down wearing their garish cagoules, peering through their £19.99 Argos binoculars, you might mention the Great Crested Grebe on the nest at the edge of the reeds or the Grey Heron about to strike an unsuspecting fish in the shallows. Maybe if you are lucky, you might be able to point out that ultimate ‘holy grail’ for new birdwatchers - a Kingfisher - perched opposite on a low branch almost hidden from view. A sight you share through your telescope, as this halcyon is magnified and brought to the distance you read a book. Surely a memory few would forget and possibly the beginning of an interest that could last a lifetime.

Latest News Local WalkMonkhams HillThis was our first event on our 2018/19 programme. 11 members met at LVRP Cornmill Meadows car park for a leisurely walk up Monkhams Hill near Waltham Abbey, led by Mike Oakland, on what was initially a rather cool but dry Tuesday morning.The first part of the route took us along the path created by the LVRP that follows the Greenwich Meridian. We stopped to view the “Travel and Discovery” granite sculpture at the end, with its carved symbols representing time, distance, navigation and travel. Making our way across the busy Crooked Mile to Eagle Lodge - the former gatehouse of Monkhams Hall - we chatted to the owner while admiring the picturesque circular cottage and its well kept garden, complete with beehives. Several of the group arranged to purchase a jar of their delicious honey on our return later in the day. We then negotiated the rather steep public footpath to the top of the hill.

Here we enjoyed views across the Lee Valley and south towards the London skyline, picking out the numerous well known skyscrapers that tower above the City, along with other famous landmarks such as the London Eye and BT Tower with, further to the west, the white arch that spans Wembley Stadium.At the summit of Monkhams Hill we looked over the remains of a gun emplacement initially built during the Great War (1914-18) to defend the Capital and protect the nearby Royal Gunpowder Mills against the threat of the Kaiser’s Zeppelin raids. Due to the clear vantage point overlooking London, the site was reconstructed and reused during the Blitz of the Second World War.From here the walk followed the bridleway leading down towards the hamlet of Aimes Green, the hedgerows either side of the track laden with fruit: blackberries, elderberries, rosehips and particularly sloes, the long hot summer seemingly having little effect on the crop. We came across a couple of mixed feeding flocks, mainly tits but also Chiffchaff, which could be picked out by its single note call. It was then back up the hill to Monkhams Hall at the top, eventually rejoining the path that took us back to Cornmill Meadows and the car park, not forgetting to stop en route to pick up our honey from Eagle Lodge.

Eagle Lodge Honey The birding highlight was a fly by Hobby, with Kestrels and Buzzards providing additional raptor interest. A covey of around a dozen Red-legged Partridges could be seen in a field adjacent to the track, with ones and twos elsewhere on the route. Despite a rather quiet day birdwise, everyone seemed to enjoy the first walk of the new season and hoped to join us for future events.See the website for the full report.

Coach OutingRSPB Frampton Marsh31 members travelled by coach to Frampton Marsh enjoying a very productive day’s birdwatching. We had our first outing with a new coach company who provided a luxury 52 seater coach although we had booked a smaller 38 seater.Frampton sits on the west side of The Wash in Lincolnshire just south of Boston. The weather was mostly sunny with a slight westerly breeze and the temperature reaching 19 degrees at the warmest part of the day.The day got off to a cracking start when on arrival at the reserve an osprey was seen flying south over the car park but unfortunately not all of the group were off the coach at the time and some did not get a view. After an introductory talk from one of the wardens we split into three groups and went our separate ways. Soon after a Hurricane and a Spitfire flew across the reserve but could not really add these to our list.Two of the three main scrapes were very dry and one looked more like a plantation as the wild flowers had taken over. However there were still plenty of birds to see and the groups managed to see most of the main attractions. The star bird was an American wader, long-billed dowitcher, which kindly stayed in the same channel for most of the day. There were at least 2,000 black-tailed godwits resting on the wetter scrape and they gave good flight views when making their way in small parties out to The Wash to feed at low tide. Two spoonbills, 27 spotted redshanks, a curlew sandpiper, little stint and whinchat were the other good finds on the day.See the website for the full report.

Indoor Group Meeting Andy Sands "The Birds and the Bees" Andy Sands gave an excellent and enjoyable presentation on the Birds and the Bees, taking us on a tour around Teesdale, the New Forest & more. Andy photographs British wildlife and has the appropriate licences. He started the evening with superb pictures of Kingfisher courtship. Andy then took us to the New Forest, a stronghold of Firecrests, and also Stonechats and Dartford Warblers. The audience were invited to ‘guess the nest’ for a variety of nests. Green Sandpipers and Water Rails were pictured at Lemsford Springs - without rings as these would

have looked like leg warmers! His tour moved on to Teesdale with beautiful photos of Snipe, Woodcock and a Black Grouse Leck. Highlights included a picture of 5 fluffy Merlin chicks and a Grey Partridge looking bemused in the snow. The second half of Andy’s talk was on bees, a passion of his. We learned that bees have their associated ‘cuckoo bees’. The larvae kill and feed on the host larvae and are fed by the host species. One of the most common bees is the Red Masonry Bee. Bumble bees and honey bees are social insects, whereas most bees are solitary. In answer to questions, Andy advised that only social bees and wasps sting you. Solitary bees are harmless. Bumble bees are suffering from competition with honey bees for early flowers and pollen.Andy was thanked for his informative talk and impressive photography. He offered a talk on wasps for the future…

Hundred Club winners: Mrs Carol Lewis £16 and Mrs Christine Von Hagen £8.

Coming Events

Local WalkHMWT Amwell Nature ReserveWednesday 3 October We make no apologies for again including this wonderful nature reserve on our Local Walks programme, this SSSI is one of the region's best known and most popular sites. Amwell Nature Reserve is owned and managed by the Herts & Middlesex Wildlife Trust. The reserve was created as the result of gravel extraction in the mid 1970s, with several local birders having the foresight to persuade the gravel company to restore the area to provide sympathetic habitats for wildlife when extraction finally ceased. Consequently, Amwell has become one of the best sites in Hertfordshire to see a variety of wildlife, with rare and scarce birds regularly recorded. It is also the county's best dragonfly site, all 21 of Hertfordshire's resident species have been recorded here.Stan Kitchiner is your leader for this walk. Meet in Amwell Lane near the War Memorial (on road parking) by 09.30. Nearest postcode: SG12 9SS. https://goo.gl/maps/NY9xwSNF5sD2 N.B. The walk may be cancelled in the event of bad weather. Check the website for updates.

Group HolidaySunday 14 to Wednesday 17 October Our annual mid-autumn break in North Norfolk, staying at Le Strange Hotel, Old Hunstanton. We will be exploring the sites and reserves of the area during the most exciting month of the Norfolk birding year.

Car OutingSunday 28 October The next group outing on Sunday 28th October will be led by Ruth Shinebaum. We will start at Wat Tyler Country Park main car park (cafe and toilets), Pitsea Hall Lane, Basildon SS16 4UH at 9.30am. Depending on what birds are around, we will then go onto Vange Marsh, Bowers Marsh or any of the other sites close by. Please bring your lunch and suitable clothing for the weather conditions.https://goo.gl/maps/4iZ72ziHtoJ2

Car Sharing ReminderThis is something we should be doing as our part in caring for the environment. Ruth has again agreed to be our Car Sharing Organiser so if you are going on the outing and have a spare seat please let Ruth know. Conversely, if you need a lift, again let Ruth know and she will try and pair you up with someone. Ruth can be contacted on rshinebaum@yahoo.com or leave a text on 07985 028861. The more notice you give the easier it will be to make arrangements for lifts.

Indoor Group Meeting Tuesday 30 October The RSPB's Regional Director for Eastern England, Jeff Knott presents: 'Birds of Prey - On a wing and a prayer’.Jeff will tell us about the history of bird of prey conservation in the UK; the encouraging successes, the ongoing challenges and our changing attitudes to nature.

The Group Meetings are held at the United Reformed Church Hall, Mill Lane, Broxbourne,EN10 7BQ. Doors open 19.30 for 20.00 start. Admission: £3.00 for RSPB members, £3.50 for non members. Refreshments available during the interval. Access and facilities are suitable for wheelchairs.

Parking is available in the car park at the back of the hall or in Mill Lane. N.B. The bays at the side of the hall are reserved for "Teens Unite" and are not part of the URC Hall parking.

Other News

RSPB Members' Day and AGMSaturday 20 October Don't forget Members' Day at the QEII Centre, London, a great opportunity to find out more about what the RSPB has achieved across the country for nature, and plans for the future. https://www.rspb.org.uk/reserves and events/ events dates and inspiration/events/agm/

RSPB Quiz Night Saturday 2 February At the time of compiling the programme we were unsure if we would be able to hold a quiz as part of this year’s programme. Fortunately we are now able to do this and the quiz will be held on Saturday 2nd February 2019 and as usual in the United Reform Church Hall, Broxbourne. Please contact Steve Kiln: steve.kiln@sky.com to make a reservation. Tables are £72, maximum of eight players and include ploughman's supper.

RSPB Groups 50th Anniversary 2019 marks the 50th anniversary of the formation of the first RSPB Local Members Groups. The RSPB is keen to celebrate this significant milestone in the Society's history and our Committee have recently been in contact withother Local Groups, with the suggestion of linking up for special events next September in a “Meet the Groups” weekend. We have already had positive feedback from several groups and we will keep you updated on how this venture progresses.

Local RSPB Group EventsDespite the obvious national interest in nature, with millions of people feeding their garden birds and television wildlife documentaries high in the

viewing ratings, many RSPB groups still have difficulties attracting new members. It is perhaps worth mentioning that all RSPB events and activities are open to everyone, regardless of location or even membership of the RSPB. Most groups run guided local walks. These are usually leisurely half day strolls around popular reserves, country parks and well known wildlife sites in the area and can be one of the best ways to introduce people to the joys of watching wildlife. Maybe sharing members, in addition to attracting new members, is the way forward for Local Groups!Below are links to the websites of other RSPB Groups in the region that may have local events of interest to you:

Enfield Local Group rspb.org.uk/groups/enfield/events/

Harpenden Local Grouprspb.org.uk/groups/harpenden/events/

N. E. London Local Grouprspb.org.uk/groups/northeastlondon/events/

Potters Bar & Barnet Local Grouprspb.org.uk/groups/pottersbarandbarnet/events/

St. Albans Local Grouprspb.org.uk/groups/stalbans/events/

Stevenage Local Grouprspb.org.uk/groups/stevenage/events/

Stort Valley Local Group rspb.org.uk/groups/stortvalley/events/

General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR)In May this year, the government strengthened regulations to reduce the number of unwanted mail shots and telephone calls from third parties. Under the legislation, organisations must only contact individuals if they have prior consent.The RSPB has to abide by those regulations and ran a big ‘say YES’ campaign from autumn last year until the legislation became binding in May. Approximately 70% of the membership gave their consent to be contacted by the RSPB. If you are one of those who did not consent, you can still ask the RSPB to update your consent to contact status by contacting the Lodge on

01767 693680, or emailing membership@rspb.org.uk . Our group, as part of the RSPB, must also abide by the same data protection regulations and therefore we want to assure you that we are taking this seriously. All of the Committee members have taken a training course on GDPR and successfully passed the examination. Apart from your name, we keep the following information about you depending on which of the below you have given your consent:Monthly Group Newsletter – your email addressWednesday Walk Newsletter – your email address

100 Club – Contact details (telephone number and address)

If you have not requested any of the above we will not keep any records about you. You can always opt in or opt out of any of the above by emailing se_herts_rspb@yahoo.co.uk and advising which of the above categories you wish to change. Please put ‘subscribe’ in the email title if you wish to ‘opt-in’, or ‘unsubscribe’ if you wish to ‘opt-out’. With ‘opt-in’, the group can also keep details of members who are booked on a coach trip, or are regulars to indoor meetings to update them on any last minute cancellations or important notices.

It's Your Local GroupYour Local Group is run by volunteers, you can be as involved as you like with the group, whether you just take part in the events programme or get more involved with its running. So if you are interested in supporting the group and can spare a few hours a month, please contact the Group Leader, Stan Kitchiner by replying to this email.Check the Group's website for updates of our events:www.rspb.org.uk/groups/southeasthertfordshire

Information regarding S.E. Herts RSPB events and news, along with posts of local wildlife interest are also available on our official RSPB Facebook page:https://www.facebook.com/RSPB SE Herts Local Group 131437220783061/