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Flying Times The Newsletter of Nidderdale Birdwatchers

Issue Spring 2016

Welcome to the Spring Newsletter….

Mistle Thrushes are singing, Green Woodpeckers are yaffling and Robins have switched to their spring song. It really is getting lighter and Spring is not too far away. Bird watching never has an ‘off’ season but the anticipation of a whole new year filled with returning Lapwing, Curlew, Sand Martins and Cuckoos is heart lifting.

Recently, still in the depths of January, sixteen intrepid souls joined a bird outing led by Sue Harrison from Pateley Bridge towards Wath along the river. It rained and rained and then it stopped. We had a great time thanks to Sue, in part, for tea/coffee and mince pies of course, but mostly because of the social side of our Club. Sue quickly put pictures on the blog with a commentary. If you haven’t seen them yet the address for the blog is: niddbirders.wordpress.com.

We have news of a new sub group with some cracking ideas to help raise

money for research into the declining populations of Curlews. Also, great news of progress with Gouthwaite Wildlife Centre. Plus many other reports of events and news from around and about. Happy birdwatching. Ros Wade

Contents Page

Chairman’s Welcome Chirps

1

Spring events 2/3

Your events pin-up 4

Reports on Club events

5/6

Outreach

Award to Audrey

7/8

9

Gouthwaite Wildlife Centre

Volunteering

OBituraries

10

11

12

Pete’s Corner

Bird Club Details

13

4th November Attenborough adds even more power to the Bird Hide for the benefit of school groups ! Angus Gosman

10th December There are plenty of Red kites near us, but this was taken at a Red kite feeding station in Dumfries and Galloway where there were 130 kites in the air at the same time. The wing tags are a good indicator of a suc-cessful reintroduction programme. Tony Knowles

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SPRING EVENTS PROGRAMME The description of each outdoor event gives the name and contact details of the Event Organiser. Please let the Organiser know if you intend to go on a trip. This does not mean that you cannot attend at the last minute

but trips may be cancelled if there appears to be insufficient interest, so we need to know in advance who wants to go. Some events demand a

reasonable level of fitness depending on distances and terrain to be covered so if in doubt contact the organiser. Under 16s should be accompanied by an adult on all outdoor events. Non members are welcome at events. We would also advise that you check the website or ring the Organiser just before the event to ensure that it is still happening and the arrangements haven’t changed.

The rendezvous point for car sharing is Pateley Bridge— Southlands car park at the bottom of the High Street unless otherwise notified.

We will walk through Golden Acre Park past the lake to the YWT Adel Dam reserve, which is noted for kingfisher, woodpecker and water birds. There are a couple of hides with bird feeders on the reserve: the smaller hide overlooks a marshy clearing, which is surrounded by mature woodland and is usually frequented by several woodpeckers and nuthatches among other species; the other hide overlooks a pond, where we will hopefully see water fowl and maybe also kingfisher. Exploring the woodland and gardens on the way back, we will reach the toilets and cafe for refreshments around lunchtime. There is the option to extend the day by visiting Breary Marsh reserve near the car park. This is an SSSI with wet valley alder woods and a fishing pond popular with water fowl. There will be a fair amount of walking on mostly level, well maintained footpaths. Wear plenty of warm clothing. Boots are needed as footpaths will be muddy in places. Lunch may be taken at the cafe in Golden Acre Park, or there are plenty of benches near the cafe for those who prefer a packed lunch. Meet at Southlands car park (pay and display) in Pateley Bridge at 9:00 a.m., or at the (free) main Golden Acre Park car park on the A660 between Adel and Bramhope, LS16 8BQ, at 10:00 a.m. The Organiser is Anne Boneham

Friday February 12th Adel Dam and Breary Marsh

An illustrated talk by Ian Court. Ian is the Wildlife Conservation Officer for the Yorkshire Dales National Park. Come along and listen to this interesting speaker on a topic about a local area.

The Royal Oak, Dacre Banks at 7.30pm

Monday 15th February Birds of the Yorkshire Dales Evening Talk

A morning visit to this remote North Eastern

corner of our area, looking for raptors, waterfowl,

Winter visitors and moorland birds. Bring warm,

waterproof clothing and suitable footwear for

walking on uneven and muddy tracks. There are no

facilities in Colsterdale and limited parking. Our first

stop will be at Agill on the Lofthouse to Leighton

Reservoir road SE129762.

Meet at Pateley Bridge Southlands car park at

8.30am or at Agill lay-by at 9am.

The Organiser is Colin Slator

Saturday 20th February Leighton Reservoir and Colsterdale

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This is a half day trip up Nidderdale from Pateley Bridge to Scar House

Reservoir looking for early Spring migrants and hopefully Ring Ouzel and

raptors. Our first stop will be at Gouthwaite Reservoir viewpoint. We will

then drive up the dale to Scar House Reservoir possibly stopping at

points on the way. Please bring warm, waterproof clothing and footwear

suitable for a short walk at Scar House reservoir. There are toilets in

Pateley Bridge and at Scar House Reservoir.

Meet in Pateley at Southlands car park at the bottom of the High Street

at 8.30am or at the Gouthwaite Viewpoint car park at 8.45am.

The Organiser is Chris Seaman

Please note this trip is part of the 2016 Nidderdale AONB Events

Programme so we may be joined by members of the public who have

booked a place and paid a small charge.

One of the club's major conservation projects is the Sand Martin Wall. The

evening will feature a presentation on the project, how the wall was built, the birds’

reaction to it, and how we've been working with school children to increase their

interest in birds as part of the project. All members and friends are welcome. The meeting is at The Royal Oak, Dacre Banks at 7.30pm

This is a full day trip exploring the area and woodland along the River Swale at Richmond. The river holds

good populations of Dipper, Grey Wagtail and Heron throughout the year. There is also the possibility of seeing

Goosander and Kingfisher. We will walk from Round Howe car park along the river to Green Bridge and back

through Billy Bank Woods looking for late Brambling and Crossbill and maybe early Spring arrivals. There will be the

option to drive into Richmond or to further explore the area around Hudswell Wood. Some of the footpaths could be

muddy. Bring suitable footwear, warm waterproof clothing and a packed lunch. There are toilets at Round Howe car

park.

Meet at Pateley Bridge Southlands car park at 8.30am or 10am at Round Howe car park (just off the A6108 Reeth

Road, map ref. NZ157008).

The Organisers are Pete & Chris Seaman

Saturday 26th March Richmond & the River Swale

Come along and have your say at the Annual General Meeting. This will be followed by a report on 2015’s Full-day Birdwatch in the AONB At The Royal Oak Dacre Banks at 7.30pm

Monday 18th April Annual General Meeting

Friday 8th April Updale to Scar House Reservoir*

There has been serious flooding in the area recently and access to Foulshaw Moss could be interesting, so I am planning to meet at Sizergh Castle first thing. We can have a quick coffee and have a look for Hawfinch then go to Foulshaw Moss, if we can, and then Dallam Tower. Dallam Tower is a private estate near Milnthorpe with an ancient heronry which now has some Little Egret breeding too. Viewing of the heronry is from a nearby footpath. Foulshaw Moss is across the River Kent and is a large nature reserve which is a bog that could have wintering birds of prey and other birds. All 3 places are south west of Kendal. Please come prepared for wet or boggy ground and bring warm and waterproof clothing, as well as a packed lunch. There will be some walking on fairly level ground. Meet at PBCP at 8.30 am or at Sizergh Castle carpark/cafe at 10.15 am. LA8 8DZ. Sizergh Castle is National Trust, £9.90 with 20% off on Fri or is free to members. The Organiser is Sheila Nash.

Monday 21st March (Evening) Gouthwaite’s Sand Martin Wall

Friday 11th March Foulshaw Moss and Dallam Heronry

Teesdale Field Trip 22nd to 24th April

This trip is fully booked so look out for the report in the next Newsletter

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Date Venue Organiser

Fri 12th Feb Half- or Full-day

Adel Dam & Breary Marsh A half- or full-day visit to these reserves with varied habitat, near Golden Acre Park, North Leeds

Anne Boneham

Mon 15th Feb Pub Evening

Birds of the Yorkshire Dales An illustrated talk by Ian Court, the Wildlife Conservation Officer for the Yorkshire Dales National Park

Sheila Nash

Sat 20th Feb Half-day

Leighton Reservoir & Colsterdale A half-day walk looking for raptors and Win-ter visitors

Colin Slator .

Fri 11th March Full-day

Foulshaw Moss & Dallam Heronry A full-day visit to these sites near Arnside for raptors

Sheila Nash

Mon 21th Mar Pub Evening

Gouthwaite’s Sand Martin Wall A presentation reviewing the Wall’s devel-opment and first year of use

Tony Knowles

Sat 26th March Full-day

Richmond & the River Swale A full-day trip for river and woodland birds

Chris & Pete Seaman

Fri 8th April Half-day

Updale to Scar House Reservoir A half-day trip up Nidderdale for Spring up-land birds

Chris & Pete Seaman

Mon 18th April Pub Evening

Annual General Meeting Followed by a report on 2015’s Full-day Birdwatch in the AONB

Main Committee Adrian Roberts

Fri 22nd-Sun 24th April W/E trip

Weekend trip to Teesdale Staying at Langdon Beck and including an early morning visit to a Black Grouse Lek

Jane Uttley & Lesley Knight

Fri 13th May Half-day

Barden Bridge & Strid Woods An early morning bird walk listening for the “Dawn Chorus”

Anne Boneham

Mon 16th May Evening Walk

Staveley YWT Nature Reserve An evening walk around this ever-popular reserve

Jill Hicks

Sun 22nd May Full-day

A Full-day Bird Watch in the AONB A team event to locate the number of bird species in our recording area

Adrian Roberts

Fri 10th June Full-day

RSPB Leighton Moss A full day visit – there’s always something interesting to see here

Ros Wade

Mon 20th June Evening Walk

Stainburn Forest; a late evening walk for Woodcock and Nightjars

Pete Seaman

Sun 26th June

Full-day

North Cave Wetlands; a full-day visit to this developing YWT reserve with lots of interesting birds

John Dowson

PINUP OF EVENTS for The first half of 2016

Fully Booked!

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Friday 13th November Staveley

Winter certainly seemed to have arrived when eight members visited the viewpoint along the side of

Gouthwaite Reservoir. There was a dusting of snow on the surrounding hills and ice patches at the side of the

roads. There were a number of small birds feeding in the trees and hedges around the car park. Among these were

a flock of Siskin, a flock of Long Tailed Tits and at least one Lesser Redpoll. The recent rain had raised the water

level in the reservoir so the usual islands were covered leaving no mud for any waders to feed in. Among the first

birds seen out on the water were two male Goldeneye doing their head nodding display which is thought to be part

of the bonding ritual, this seems to go on all winter until the birds leave for their breeding grounds. Due to the high

water levels many of the gulls seemed to be gathered further up the reservoir but we managed to record both Black

Headed and Common Gulls as well as a selection of waterfowl. Gouthwaite Reservoir is often good for raptors and

today did not disappoint. We found a Common Buzzard on the hill behind the car park and three more up the Dale

towards Ramsgill village and a Sparrowhawk flew in front of the viewpoint. It is always nice to see Red Kites around

in the upper dale area and on this visit we had three birds including one wing tagged bird that was carrying prey.

After a couple of hours we all decided that we had got cold enough and decided to call it a day. It had been a good

morning’s bird watching on our local patch and we had a chance to meet two new members. Pete Seaman

Sunday 22nd November Gouthwaite

Eleven hardy souls arrived at Staveley on a wet morning which continued with sunshine and showers. Bob Evison very kindly met us and showed us around the reserve. Despite the weather we saw 42 species, highlights included Bullfinch, Jay, Redpoll, Water Rail, Buzzard, Willow Tit and some very nice Goldeneye. We had also been hoping for flocks of winter thrushes, but it was a bit early for them and we saw only a small flock of Fieldfare fly over and one Redwing. There had been recent reports of 50 thousand starlings coming in to roost at Staveley, Bob showed us the best hide to see them from, and told us what time we would need to arrive, but stressed that it could be very hit

and miss to see them, as they weren’t all coming every night and

the spectacle wouldn’t last for long before they moved on.

Linda Pridmore

Monday 16th November (Evening) Life On The Ledge

'Life on the Ledge' was the theme of Steve Race's excellent, illustrated talk on Monday 16th November. Steve takes wonderful photographs and he showed those skills with many pictures of birds in flight off Bempton cliffs during the breeding season. He ran through the 'big eight' birds including Gannet and Guillemot. 28 people oohed and aahed as he progressed through his pictures. Steve is a partner in Yorkshire Coast Nature with Richard Baines. They offer guided days out and photography courses. We are very grateful for Steve stepping in when Richard could not attend for personal reasons. Ros Wade

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Friday 11th December High Batts Nature Reserve & Christmas Lunch

Monday 21st December Christmas Social at The Royal Oak at 7.30pm

'Soggy but social’ is how Ros Wade described our first group outing of the year. Just for a change, it was raining on January the 8th as 15 of us set off from Pateley up stream along the Nidd. The river was flowing far too quickly to host many species. Mallard seemed to be the only species happy to ride the turbulent waves… perhaps they were hopeful of bumping into one of the 62 species of other duck that they could successfully mate with. But there was ample still water provided by the numerous ‘spontaneous’ pools which had emerged in the fields and it was near one of these that a Snipe was spotted - thought to be a possible Jack Snipe (but not conclusive). We finally found Moorhen, after commenting on their absence, in quite large numbers in the field with the Greylag Geese on the other side of the river. In the riverside trees we encountered Siskin amongst a rather mixed flock and then again, more Siskin down at Wath and Mistle Thrush put in an occasional appearance. Thoughts of coffee and mince pies were enough to enable the group to climb the extremely muddy and treacherous steps through the wood up to the Top Wath road where, sadly, we were so busy drying off that we failed to see the Great Spotted and Green woodpeckers that were on view! We were, however, celebrating Audrey’s well deserved Volunteering accolade and invitation to the Palace. Inevitably our hunt for birds took us down to Wath and, with remarkably good timing, we were able to take advantage of warmth and shelter at the Sportsman’s. Everything improved after that, although the dedicated, who abstained from the Sportsman’s, managed to add 2 Buzzard and a flock of Long-tailed Tits to the list! Also more Tree Creepers were seen which took the number of separate individuals to at least 4.

As you can see though, a good time was had by all. Sue Harrison

We had a wonderful turnout of over 20 members for our pre Christmas lunch birdwatching

morning at Nosterfield. It was very cold but the sun was shining. Some hardy individuals

stayed awhile at the viewing screen and were rewarded with views of large flocks of birds in

flight disturbed by a Sparrowhawk. Several people sought shelter from the cold in the main

hide and others walked to the Tanfield hide where we had excellent views across the reserve.

Among the usual large numbers of Lapwing, Wigeon and other wildfowl there was a small

flock of Golden Plover which are always a delight to see. We also had fun observing a distant

Buzzard which obligingly remained on the ground long enough for us to practice our id skills. Most of us managed to

avoid a couple of heavy showers and walked over to North Lake where we found the flock of Golden Plover in a field.

For some it was their first visit to Nosterfield and they were all very impressed. As one of our members so rightly

remarked 'Nosterfield never disappoints'.

It was then a short drive down to The Bull at West Tanfield where a very warm welcome awaited.

The staff managed to manoeuvre 27 of us into what seemed an incredibly small space yet we didn't feel cramped

and were easily served. Thanks must go to Anne Boneham for organising the very good, reasonably priced 3 course

menu with Gil the landlady and for managing the list of all our choices.

What a pleasure it was to join fellow members and friends for Christmas Lunch and to see so many smiling faces.

The food was good and the company even better.

Chris Seaman and Ann Crouch

The winners of the quiz were rewarded by lovely little knitted christmas pudding covered Frerra Roche chocolates, hand made by Hannah.It was good to see so may people and a great way to start the festive season, for me as a first timer any-way. Special thanks to Hannah and Dave and the organizers - looking forward to see you again next year.

Friday 8th January Pateley Bridge to Wath

Twenty seven members in festive mood enjoyed an evening of quizzes, food, crackers and 'catch up' chat - not necessarily about feathered friends! Fresh sandwiches, hot crispy chips and mince pies enhanced the taste buds of one and all, enjoyed even more after the brain power required for the quizzes. Hannah and Dave challenged us with two great games, a quiz and 'last man standing' a true or false game. The tricky statements saw most of us sit-ting down pretty quickly among much laughter. The winners of the quiz were rewarded by lovely little knitted Christmas pudding covered Ferrero Rocher chocs, hand made by Hannah. It was good to see so many people and a great way to start the festive season, for me as a first timer anyway. Special thanks to Hannah and Dave and the organisers - looking forward to see you

again next year. Lorelie Fox

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Nosterfield Volunteer Work Party - October

Thank You! From Simon Warwick

What a great start to our volunteer work

parties. And a big thank you to all who

turned up.

We’ve held two weekday sessions and one

on a Sunday and in total just over a dozen

individuals contributed with a day’s hard

labour. Four of you actually turned up

for two of them. Enthusiasm indeed.

· Well-over 50 metres of non-native

alder scrub cleared and stump-treated on

the western bank of the reed bed

· Unwanted ash saplings cleared from

around the silt lagoons

· Seeds of Greater Fen-sedge and other valuable wetland plants collected and stored ready for

germination.

The days have been such a success that for the first of our November days – Tuesday 3rd – I

have my thinking cap on to find a fresh challenge. We were expecting to continue the work

around the silt lagoons but that having been done ahead of schedule, the work party will be

moved in somewhere else - back clearing non-native alders adjoining the reed bed.

So see some of you next Tuesday, start time 10.30am – meeting at the layby in Noster-

field (see earlier newsletter for directions)

And thanks again!

Washburn Heritage Centre

Some weeks ago we were asked by Clive, fellow member of Nidderdale Birdwatchers, to do a session at the Heritage Centre about how we can all help birds, including a nest box making session. On 29th October we turned up with a Power Point presentation, bird feeders and seed, and materials and tools for box making. Four people attended, and we talked first about Nidderdale Birdwatchers, then the birds of the Washburn Valley, before starting the practical business of sorting out the pre-cut wood, screwing the parts together in the correct order, hammering the rubber hinges onto the box lids and attaching wire to hold down the lids against strong winds. We also provided information about the breeding cycle of birds, the importance of feeding them, wildlife friendly gardens, and showed photos of the development of the nests, eggs and chicks. The four people who joined us didn’t manage to make nearly as much noise as the schoolchildren we worked with although to be fair the numbers were

uncompetitive, but they showed a satisfying ability to name the boxes with humour. It was all very enjoyable with a lot of interaction and discussion about birds, and was followed by an excellent lunch provided by the Centre. We think we may gain a new club member as a result, and there has been a small increase in the size of the club coffers, thanks to the generosity of those attending, and a donation from the Washburn Centre.

Alwin and Tony

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Big Schools Birdwatch

In October last year St Cuthbert’s School in Pateley Bridge enjoyed an afternoon of nest boxing for some of the pupils and this was followed on 18th January with entry in the Big Schools Birdwatch organised by the RSPB. Three groups of 5 or 6 pupils went to three different sites to watch and record the birds there – school grounds, playing fields and Millennium Green, each group accompanied by a teacher and two club members. The club binoculars and scopes were put to good use along with those supplied by members and despite a misty and cold morning 25 bird species were identified and counted. Back at the school the records from the three teams were collated and uploaded by pupils into the RSPB website.

It’s always a pleasure to work with children and encourage their interest in birds and we think that perhaps two of the pupils may become members of Nidderdale Birdwatchers. As a follow up to the day the school will let pupils know about the Big Garden Birdwatch at the end of January, and we left a gift to the school in the form of two bird books for their library. Thanks go to the school for the advance organisation – three separate groups selected, children name tagged, each pair of children ready with clipboards, pencils and recognition charts. All well behaved and interested, a credit to the teachers and other staff there.

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Audrey Summersgill Lifetime Volunteers Award

Harrogate and District Volunteering Oscars Awards have been presented annually for the past eight years. Audrey was presented with her Lifetime Award as the major event of the evening, by the Lord Lieutenant of the County, the Queen's Representative. Below is the

The winner of this year's Lifetime Award goes to a very special lady who has been passionate about wildlife conservation and caring for the environ-ment long before the rest of us caught up. For decades this lady has nurtured wildlife, volunteering with, among others, the Nidderdale AONB, Nidderdale Bird Watchers Nest Box Con-servation Project, Harrogate Naturalists and the BTO. Her volunteering activities take up huge chunks of her time, and she also still finds time to be a church warden and church hall keeper and take part in meadow surveys and the Yorkshire wildlife watch. At 80+ she is still more nimble and efficient than most, insisting on carrying the ladder back from each nest box checking And her flapjacks are legendary...!! As one of the many people who nominated this lady for the award said: " Her wealth of knowledge and experience of all things wildlife is amazing, as is her willingness to share. If anyone deserves this award, she does!!" Please welcome to the stage, the winner of our Lifetime Award - AUDREY SUMMERSGILL

BTO Preliminary report on the 2015 breeding season Some very interesting stats from the BTO on breeding birds' success rates or otherwise during the 2015 season. Owls and raptors near the end of the piece for those of you who need to mug up for the next WEA course in January! The report is too long to reproduce here but can be found at:

http://www.bto.org/volunteer-surveys/nrs/results/nrs-preliminary-results-2015

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Gouthwaite Wildlife Centre We are making progress with plans to build a public, prestigious, eco hide below the present viewing platform at Gouthwaite Reservoir. In partnership with Yorkshire Wildlife Trust, Yorkshire Water and the Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty we have now had a thumbs up to our Pre Planning Application to Harrogate Borough Council. Yorkshire Wildlife Trust will now put out the sketches shown here, drawn by member Rob Lees, to architects. Yorkshire Wildlife Trust will own and manage the building. We still have a long way to go to achieve our aim but this is most encouraging. Up to this point we have received support and advice from local landowners and organisations with interests in the area, for

which we are very grateful. Money will be raised from grant giving bodies. The partners are sure the building will be an outstanding educational, visitor and local resource. It will be both a focal point and a link between the lower and upper dale; its businesses and heritage attractions. Above all, it will have the conservation of the bird life of the upper dale, through education, at its heart.

If you have any queries or comments please contact the Committee on niddbirds@gmail.com or directly to me or other members of the Committee, personal details at the end of this newsletter. Ros Wade

Gouthwaite Wildlife Centre Nidderdale Birdwatchers Volunteers

Would you like to be a part of this exciting project? We will be needing volunteers from members who want to help people who visit the hide. Jobs might include: helping visitors to use equipment, pointing out bird life, directing visitors to information boards on heritage attractions and facilities further up the dale, working with Yorkshire Wildlife Trust personnel when they run events. You might be able to offer a couple of hours at a weekend occasionally or you might feel able to commit to a more regular rota. Either way, please let us know without obligation at this point. We simply would like to get an initial feel for numbers to strengthen the GWC partnership when talking at a corporate level. Other jobs on the general side would be keeping an eye on a regular basis on the hide and giving it some housekeeping attention. We won’t have any electrics or loos!

Please let me know as soon as possible if you are interested in any way. It would be really helpful.

Ros Wade email: niddbirds@gmail.com

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Curlew Research BTO Fundraising by Nidderdale Birdwatchers?

The Curlew has been placed on the Red Data list by the conservation bodies of the UK. Breeding Curlew numbers are falling very rapidly in the UK and wintering numbers have fallen by 20% too. The Curlew is a very important bird for us in the dales and to lose it altogether would be a tragedy for most people. The declines across its range are so rapid that this is a real possibility. The British Trust for Ornithology (BTO) are going to do a major research project to understand the reasons for the Curlew decline in numbers and are hoping to raise £100 000 in this the first year. The research will be very wide ranging, from ana-lysing data in breeding and wintering atlas to tagging birds on the breeding territories. The BTO website has a leaf-let with more details about the decline and research (www/bto.org). The Committee supports the idea of forming a small group within the Club to look at possibilities for rais-ing money towards this vital research. If you think it's a good idea too, would you like to help? SOME IDEAS FOR FUND RAISING ARE; Evening event - Famous wildlife person, BTO staff member or anyone who could give interesting talk. Use the Nidderdale bird count in May to raise money and awareness, 100 species, Cake stall, Coffee morning, Raffles, Individual challenges. IF YOU HAVE ANY IDEAS or WANT TO BE INVOLVED CONTACT SHEILA NASH ON sheila.nash3@btinternet.com or BECKY HUFF on info@stationhousegrassington.co.uk

Would you volunteer to help Adult Education continue to thrive locally in Nidderdale? We currently have classes on offer from the WEA, a national education charity. These are organised through a Branch which is run entirely by volunteers. Our local Branch here in Nidderdale has been organising classes for nearly sixty years. Our Committee needs a Treasurer. (You don’t have to be an accountant). Just a couple of hours a month would ensure the Branch keeps on as an important part of the Dales. Without a Treasurer the branch will close. We need a Secretary. Two people have kindly offered to give the job a go, sharing out what needs to be done to support the Branch in organising and running classes. But they could do with other people for back-up.

If you would like to help keep WEA classes going in Nidderdale or would be interested in finding out more – without commitment! – please contact:

Ros Wade rwade@wea.org.uk or phone: 01423 712132.

Nidderdale Branch

Treasurer’s twitter Membership Subscriptions Members may recall a lot of paper arriving in the post last April as we sought to convince you of the merits of paying your annual club subscriptions by standing order rather than by cheque. We have been very pleased by the response, and most of you now do so. A big thank-you to those who have: this saves Angus and me a lot of administration faff and trips to the bank. For those still considering, can we make a plea to use a standing order? It is a very simple form to send to your bank and they then deal with the payment each year. If at some time in the future you decide that you no longer wish to be a club member, then a simple note to your bank is all that is needed to cancel the arrange-ment. There is nothing to lose, and the smile that each one brings to Angus’ face is an added bonus. Gift aid The club as you will know is registered with HMRC as a charity, which means that we can reclaim tax on subscrip-tions and donations. I am delighted to report that the reclaim on subscriptions for the past four years has brought in over £500, a great boost to club funds. Future annual claims at the current membership level will be worth more than £150. If you think you may be eligible (i.e. you pay income tax!) and have not yet sent us a declaration form, please consider doing so: it costs you nothing but increases the value of your subscriptions by 25%. Angus & I will be sending new forms to those of you not currently enjoying that nice feeling of helping club or-ganisation run more smoothly. Thanks in anticipation.

Barry

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Mike Carroll From Gareth Jones—Wildlife Police Officer

It may be of interest to your members to know that Mick Carroll passed away last week. He had been suffering from cancer for a while and died in a hospice in Scarborough. He was a very keen and knowledgeable birder and champi-on of various species mostly raptors. He was never happier that being out in Nidderdale where he farmed as a young-er man. I had many a day out with him monitoring Hen Harriers in the dale and beyond.

Tessa Huggett Tess died on Christmas Eve in a hospice near her home in Shropshire. She had been suffering with motor neurone disease. Although not a member, Tess was known to many of us over the years for her love of the north and of bird watching and the great outdoors. She came to a number of our club events and delighted in reminiscing about her time at Bewerley Park outdoor centre. We send our condolences to her friends, family and to her partner Ken. Becky Huff writes about Tess: She trained as a teacher in Derby and after teaching at Kenilworth, went to Outward Bound in Devon. After that she was at Bewerley Park for some time where a number of Nidderdale people met her. She loved Canoeing, Caving, Sailing and Walking and was one of the first women to join the Upper Wharfedale Fell Rescue Team. Scuba Diving was another great love and Tess was like a fish in water. She moved down to Bideford in Devon where she taught Outdoor Education , taking her pupils on many an exciting adventure. After her mother died, she went to Antartica, a lifetime dream and travelled back via the Great Barrier Reef—a wonderful opportunity for Scuba Diving. After coming back from this trip she went into Antiques, eventually moving to Cullminton in Shropshire where she took up another passion—Golf—and met her partner Ken. Tess was also a keen birdwatcher and as well as enjoying the Shropshire Countryside, she would often come back North to her friends in the Dales and joined bird trips to Norfolk, Bamburgh, Orkney, Fair Isle and many other places. Tess had a full and happy life which she thoroughly enjoyed. From Lesley Knight:

Very sad news. I met Tess on several of Sheila’s holidays and I was always delighted to see her, even if she was the cause of my temporary addiction to that wretched upwords game of hers. An absolutely SPLENDID woman. From Pete Seaman: Very sad news. Birding and The Outdoors in general has lost a true character. I met Tess in some odd places over the years and we did a winter course in the Cairngorms many years ago. From Sue Hickson The picture on the bike is of Tess when we were in Portugal, having a break from birding for a spot of lunch and shows Tess as her usual quirky self, getting the most fun out of life. She will be missed.

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2016 No 1 The old saying, when many of us were younger and it was raining, was

that “it was nice weather for ducks”. I'm not sure if even the ducks were

getting fed up with all the rain we have had in recent weeks. Our local

reserve at Nosterfield has gone from a worryingly low water level to being

almost spread into one lake across the whole reserve. Luckily the hides

are well above any water level. The soft ground will have made it easier

for the waders, like the Curlew, which are often present on the reserve.

Curlew need quite soft ground to probe for food with that large bill and the

habitat at Nosterfield seems to suit their need. In a recent post from the

B.T.O. it was stated that their numbers are dropping so much they are now on the Red List. The Red List means that

there has been a significant decline in the U.K. breeding population. Some may find this hard to believe considering

that we seem to be hearing their evocative call in most months of the year, but there is now an appeal to raise money to

probe into the reasons for this drop in numbers. It will be important to learn what is causing this decline and how we can

turn things around before we lose even more of this moorland bird.

At the end of October and the beginning of November last year we spent an interesting week near Newton Stewart in

Dumfries and Galloway. We had only had one birding trip to this area a few years ago and we kept mainly to the

coastal area that time. This holiday we stayed on the edge of the Galloway Forest Park in a cottage that came with both

bird feeders and squirrel feeders and a supply of food for both. It was unfortunate that most of the week the 'Scotch

Mist' was down on the hill tops which scuppered our idea of looking for raptors but there were plenty of other birds to be

seen as we walked and drove around the area. During the week we must have seen or heard what would be a year's

supply of Ravens in our own area. On a trip down to the coast, with a couple of friends, we visited the old harbour

reserve at Wigtown. It was here that we had a good selection of waterfowl as well as a small murmuration of Starlings

with a young Peregrine testing his hunting skills on them. Maybe one of the highlights of the week was the visit to

Ballymack Farm Kite feeding station. The sight and sound of over a hundred Red Kites was quite mind blowing, I've

never heard them be so vocal. I do not think the visit has changed my mind about feeding Kites en masse, but I'm really

glad we went and would happily go again. My aversion to this way of feeding is because I don't think the birds spread

out as much, whereas Kites from the Harewood release scheme seem to have spread quite well and have even shown

up the Dale. I am not sure there is any science to support my theory, it is just a personal thing.

We still get reports of Hen Harriers wandering into our area and now that the moors are quieter after the Grouse

season is finished there may be more reports to record. Remember if you are lucky enough to see one of these brilliant

birds please report it to the R.S.P.B. Harrier Hotline as well as reporting it to our local police wildlife officer. An

alternative to this would be to pass the information on to a club committee member or our club recorder and they will

make sure that the information reaches the correct people. I know some of us keep on about this subject but it is very

important the birds are given as much protection as possible.

By the time the newsletter has gone out to members we will be watching our winter visitors preparing themselves for

moving off to their breeding grounds and the first trickle of our incoming visitors should soon be arriving. We can only

hope the early Spring will be more favourable for our upland breeders than last year.

Pete Seaman

Nidderdale Birdwatchers is a voluntary organisation which exists to promote interest in and

understanding and knowledge of birds, their environment and conservation, and in particular to promote the study and welfare of the birds within Nidderdale. Membership is open to all interested individuals; for details contact the

Membership Secretary, Angus Gosman on 01423 755276 or visit our website www.niddbirds.org.uk

Items for inclusion in the Newsletter are welcome and should be sent to Sue Hickson

The Committee for 2015/2016 is

Ros Wade – Chairman Barry Slaymaker—Treasurer

Pete Seaman - Secretary

Chris Seaman—Events Adrian Roberts Becky Huff