The South East Essex RSPB Group - The Electronic Egret

Wallasea Island Wild Coast Project Boat and Coach Trip

Boats, buses and walking boots!

The RSPB is holding an event on/around Wallasea Island. This event offers you the chance to come and get to know Wallasea Island and learn more about the Wild Coast Project. The three-hour tour will include a boat trip on the Crouch and Roach Estuaries followed by a minibus/walking tour of the island. There will be two tours – one in the morning and one in the afternoon. Places are limited and must be booked in advance

WHERE/WHEN: Wallasea Island on Sunday 28 March.

Tour I Boat leaves 09.15 from Wallasea Marina and 09.30 from Burnham Town Quay, arriving back at 12.30

Tour II Boat leaves 13.15 from Wallasea Marina and 13.30 from Burnham Town pontoon, arriving back at 16.30

COST: £10

TO BOOK PLEASE CALL: 01268 498627

Railway Journey

Now this I like a lot. If anyone is a bit bored they can travel the full length of the Trans Siberian Railway – in real time.

I kid you not, settle back and watch: http://www.google.ru/intl/ru/landing/transsib/en.html

You can even elect whether to hear the noise of the wheels, listen to Russian radio or hear War and peace read to you.

Bon voyage, and let me know if you spot any birds on the way!

Graham

Simple things…

Silly things that made me laugh No.237;

Two owls sitting on a branch, one says

“Guess what I did?”

The other says

“What?”

The first owl says

“ I got married last week”

The other owl says

“You twit, to who?”

RSPB's Chief Executive Rewarded with a Knighthood

The South East Essex RSPB Group is overjoyed at the news that Graham Wynne our Chief Executive has been awarded a knighthood for services to nature conservation in the New Year's Honours list.

We would like to take this opportunity to send Sir Graham our many congratulations and to say how proud this makes us all feel.

Graham Mee

Wind Farms and the RSPB Position

See: http://www.surfbirds.com/sbirdsnews/archives/2009/11/griffon_vulture.html

The UK Government has committed to obtaining 20% of electricity from renewables by 2020, but this target will need to be revised upwards, and possibly even doubled, in the light of new EU legislation. The Scottish Government has already pledged a more ambitious target of obtaining 50% of electricity from renewables by 2020.

To meet these targets, the RSPB favours a broad mix of renewables, including solar, wind, and marine power, wherever they are used in ways that minimise unnecessary damage to wildlife and the natural environment. We particularly support solutions that enable individuals and communities to generate their own power close their homes and businesses.

Switching to renewable energy now, rather than in ten or twenty years time, is essential if we are to stabilise levels of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere at safe levels. Wind power is the most advanced renewable technology available at a large scale during this time period. For this reason, the RSPB supports a significant growth in offshore and onshore wind power generation in the UK.

We believe that this growth can be achieved in harmony with, rather than at the expense of, the natural environment. We will therefore continue to require that wind farms are sited, designed and managed so that there are no significant adverse impacts on important bird populations or their habitats.

The RSPB favours a broad mix of renewables, including solar, wind, and marine power, wherever they are used in ways that minimise unnecessary damage to wildlife.
Renewables targets can be achieved without endangering sensitive wildlife areas, with the right level of appropriate planning, and with good co-operation between developers and conservationists.

How do wind farms affect birds?
The available evidence suggests that wind farms can harm birds in three possible ways – disturbance, habitat loss or damage (both direct or indirect), and collision. Poorly sited wind farms have caused some major bird casualties, particularly in Tarifa and Navarra in Spain, and the Altamont Pass in California. At these sites, planners failed to consider adequately the likely impact of putting hundreds, or even thousands, of turbines in areas that are important for birds of prey. Tragically, killing many hundreds of birds as a result.

If wind farms are located away from major migration routes and important feeding, breeding and roosting areas of those bird species known or suspected to be at risk, there is a strong possibility that they will have minimal impact on wildlife.

The environmental impact of wind farms needs to be monitored and analysed as they operate – and policies and practices will need to adapt as we learn more about the impacts of wind farms on birds closer to home. We scrutinise hundreds of wind farm applications every year to determine their likely wildlife impacts, and object to about 7%, because they threaten bird populations.

A strategic approach
We are also calling for a more strategic and long-term planning approach to wind development than is currently being taken, including a closer examination of the effects of interactions among wind farms and between wind farms and other forms of development.

Wind power has a significant role to play in the UK’s fight against climate change. With the right strategic approach and planning safeguards, it can be expanded without significant detrimental effects on birds of conservation concern or their habitats. We will work with Government and developers to ensure this outcome.

1984…

According to the Guardian, yesterday: Today's published Commons order papers contain a question to be answered by a minister later this week. The Guardian is prevented from identifying the MP who has asked the question, what the question is, which minister might answer it, or where the question is to be found. The Guardian is also forbidden from telling its readers why the paper is prevented, for the first time in memory, from reporting parliament.

Legal obstacles, which cannot be identified, involve proceedings, which cannot be mentioned, on behalf of a client who must remain secret.

Osprey Tracking 2009

As with Nethy and Deshar last year you will be able to follow the progress of this year’s ospreys, Rothes and Mallachie, on Google Earth.

Google Earth is a free piece of software that simulates our planet with satellite photography.

Downloading Google Earth for free
Google earth is available free from the Google website: http://www.google.com/earth

Adding the osprey data to your Google Earth software
It's easy to add the osprey satellite data to your copy of Google Earth - just follow the steps below:

Launch the Google Earth software
Go to the Add menu and click Network Link...
Enter Loch Garten Ospreys in the Name field
Paste the following address into the Link field
http://www.rspb.org.uk/kml/lochgartenospreys.kml

Click OK to add the Loch Garten Ospreys data to the Places list on the left hand side of the screen.

Using Google Earth to keep an eye on the ospreys
Once the ospreys are in your list of Places you can double click them to zoom straight to their location. You can also use the standard Google Earth controls to zoom and pan around the globe.

Choosing how often to update Google Earth
The satellite data will be updated approximately once per day. To make sure you have the latest updates, you can tell Google Earth how often to refresh its data. To do this, right click on the Loch Garten Ospreys item in your Places list and choose Properties. Go to the Refresh tab and change the options so that it updates Periodically every 12 hours.

Have Your Say!

20th July 2009

Joint media release issued by the RSPB on behalf of Veolia Environmental Services and the RSPB

Your views sought on new wetland development

A unique partnership between the RSPB and Veolia Environmental Services is delivering a new 270 hectare wetland nature reserve on the South Essex marshes. The two organisations have signed a 150-year lease for a peppercorn rent on Bowers Marsh, which adjoins Veolia's Pitsea landfill site. The RSPB is inviting residents in South Essex to give their views on the RSPB’s proposals for this new nature reserve.

The public consultation is being held at the Pitsea Mount Community Hall, Brackendale Avenue, Pitsea, Basildon on Friday July 24 between 1pm – 8pm and Saturday 25 July 10am – 3pm.

RSPB and Veolia staff will be on hand each day to answer your questions and take your suggestions. There will also be artist's impressions and information available on display.

For anyone not able to make this event, the RSPB would be happy to discuss the future of Bowers Marsh. The RSPB's South Essex office is on 01268 559158.

Paul Levett, Deputy Chief Executive of Veolia Environmental Services says,

"We have worked closely with the RSPB in south-east Essex for nearly a decade. Within Basildon and Castle Point, the Veolia ES Cleanaway Pitsea Marshes Trust has contributed over half a million pounds towards the purchase of nearly 258 hectares of land at West Canvey Marshes, public access and other infrastructure improvements at Vange Marshes and the employment of a full time RSPB Wildlife and People's Project Officer.

"The land covered by this new lease will form part of the 15 square kilometre 'green lung' of the South Essex Marshes. We welcome the active involvement of the RSPB in building on the 20 years of restoration already completed at our Pitsea landfill".

Richard Powell, Regional Director, RSPB, Eastern England adds:

"We are extremely excited by our partnership with Veolia and this significant and very welcome opportunity to extend our existing interests in the area at West Canvey and Vange Marshes. 550 hectares of additional land for nature conservation and public access will mean we can make a real difference to the living landscape of South Essex – for wildlife and for people. This is a marvellous contribution to the South Essex Greengrid and Thames Gateway Parklands.

"This is a long-term commitment by Veolia and the RSPB and shows how waste management and nature conservation organisations can work together for the good of our environment, our wildlife and our communities."

Butterfly Website

I have just come across the butterfly website at: http://www.ukbutterflies.co.uk/index.php

This appears to be the definitive website on this subject.

Proposal for a Directive on the Conservation of Wild Birds

see:

http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=COM:2009:0129:FIN:EN:PDF

Government sets out wildlife crime priorities

Wednesday 25 February 2009 12:46

Department for Environment, Food And Rural Affairs (National)

Government sets out wildlife crime priorities

Birds of prey and a near-extinct shellfish are among the animals earmarked top priorities in a strengthened fight against wildlife crime in the coming year.

The freshwater pearl mussel, once widespread throughout Europe, is now extremely rare and outside of Britain and Ireland is found in less than 50 rivers worldwide, while and birds of prey such as hen harriers are under threat from nest destruction and deliberate killing.

Wildlife Minister Huw Irranca-Davies today set out the government's wildlife crime priorities for 2009-2010, including poaching, crimes against bats and the illegal trade in endangered species, and urged people to help combat the criminals.

Police and customs officers will work with the National Wildlife Crime Unit, conservationists, countryside groups, wildlife traders and owners to focus on the new priorities, which are based on the numbers of crimes or the effect crime is having on the future of a species.

Action will include stronger, coordinated responses to wildlife crime, specialist training for enforcement officers, raising awareness of wildlife crime and encouraging people to report crimes, and intelligence to identify, detect and prosecute the criminals involved.

Huw Irranca-Davies said:

"People and communities can help us in the fight against wildlife crime. Nobody can afford to sit on the fence and let these crimes go unpunished.

"Wildlife crime matters, it has an impact on our environment and on the ecosystems, habitats and wildlife that supports our very existence. Information and intelligence are going to be key in this fight, we need to tackle these crimes through effective partnerships."

Detective Inspector Brian Stuart, Head of the UK National Wildlife Crime Unit, said:

"The UK police and customs officers are committed to tackling wildlife crime, and these priorities will ensure they have the right training and intelligence to help prevent and prosecute these serious crimes.

"Only through the co-operation of everyone interested in preventing wildlife crime have we been able to identify the best ways to tackle these crimes that affect our shores."

Speaking at the annual Partnership for Action Against Wildlife Crime (PAW) conference in London today, Mr Irranca-Davies also announced that Britain is taking over the chairmanship of the Coalition Against Wildlife Trafficking (CAWT) this summer, building on its establishment by the USA.

The Minister also presented the Conventions and Policy Section at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew with the PAW partner of the year award for their work on tackling wildlife crime.

For more information go to http://www.defra.gov.uk/paw/

Notes to Editors

The Partnership for Action Against Wildlife Crime (PAW) is a multi-agency body comprising representatives of the organisations involved in wildlife law enforcement in the UK. It provides opportunities for statutory and non-Government organisations to work together to combat wildlife crime. Its main objective is to promote the enforcement of wildlife conservation legislation, particularly through supporting the networks of Police Wildlife Crime Officers and officers from HM Revenue and Customs and UK Border Agency.

CAWT's aim is to raise the profile of wildlife trafficking with governments and law enforcement authorities across the world. It is currently made up of the UK, USA, Australia, India, Canada, and Chile, as well as twelve global business and conservation partners, including the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW), the Wildlife Trade Monitoring Network (TRAFFIC), the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), and World Wildlife Fund (WWF). Further details can be found at http://www.cawtglobal.org/cawt/public/

The Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew has been a member of PAW since its launch in 1995, and their Conventions and Policy Section has played an important role in assisting enforcement agencies in regulating the illegal trade of wildlife by providing expert advice and identification skills, and in training and advising police and customs officers on plants and their derivatives in trade. . RBG Kew acted as an expert witness in a court case of a trader involved in the smuggling of some of the world's rarest orchids. This resulted in a four month custodial sentence, and in July 2007 a further hearing ordered the offender to pay £110,000 (the proceeds of his trade) and £15,000 in costs (including research).

Public enquiries 08459 335577;

Press notices are available on our website http://www.defra.gov.uk Defra's aim is sustainable development

Directive on the Conservation of Wild Birds

Directive 2008/102/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 19 November 2008 amending Council Directive 79/409/EEC on the conservation of wild birds, as regards the implementing powers conferred on the Commission http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=OJ:L:2008:323:0031:0032:EN:PDF

Heron as a Bird of Prey?

I am at present putting together a new evening talk on our birds of prey. I had already decided to include the Grey Heron in the talk as I have personally seen all sorts of fish, a large eel and even a rat being eaten by herons. I now feel vindicated in including this bird in a list of birds of prey as I have just seen the following article:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/main.jhtml?xml=/earth/2008/09/29/eaheron129.xml

web Author

Latest From the Osprey Blog

I should really start with the news on Deshar - The last data point I have is from 15.00 yesterday (28th September) where we found him at an altitude of 430m above sea level, 300km east of the small island of Santa Maria, the warmest and most southern of the Azores,it is approximately 50 miles from São Miguel. The island has an area of 97.18 km² and is the third smallest of the group - let's hope he can find it. So far Deshar has flown 1470miles ,or 2365km - and the data would suggest that it has been a non-stop flight. - the next data set will be very revealing.

As for Nethy, - at 11.00 yesterday (28th) she started to move, she flew almost due south for 3 hours, covering a distance of 91km before switching course, between 14.00 and 15.00 she flew SW, only covering a distance of 15km before settling in a tree. The last data point for her was at 17.00, still in that tree in the Downton area, only 1.6km from the south coast and the English Channel.

I will be checking on the hour for the next satellite pass - believe me, as soon as I know I will report - good or bad.

Published 29 September 2008 11:34 by davidgascoigne

See: http://www.rspb.org.uk/reserves/guide/l/lochgarten/blog.asp for full blog.

See: http://www.rspb.org.uk/wildlife/tracking/lochgarte... for the osprey tracking website

More Web Album Experiments

Further to the article below I have tried to add some customisation to the web album see: http://sharemyalbum.com/SEERSPB

Web Author.

Google Web Album

I am experimenting with a Picasa web album for the photographs that don't make our website.

Take a look at http://picasaweb.google.co.uk/SEERSPB and let me know what you think. You can even post a comment below one of the photos if you feel inclined!

Web Author

Scope of Plans For Wallasea Island Revealed

05th September 2008

Plans for Britain’s biggest coastal wetland restoration are set to take a step forward this autumn.

The Wallasea Island 'Wild Coast Project' will see three-quarters of this island in south Essex restored by the RSPB to saltmarsh, creeks and mudflats, building a haven for wildlife and a wonderful place for people to connect with the Essex coastal landscape.

The RSPB has just given its developing ideas for the project to Essex County Council in a new 'Scoping Study'. This sets out the scope of the Society’s plans, giving the County Council and other regulators, including Rochford District Council, the Environment Agency and Natural England, the chance to raise points and check the project meets their needs.

For the RSPB, this gives a welcome opportunity to develop the detail of the scheme and confirm that it follows best practice, before submitting a planning application later this year.

RSPB Wallasea Island project manager Mark Dixon said: "At a time when the east coast is under siege from rising sea levels and our wildlife is on the move in response to climate change, it's great that we have a once in a generation opportunity actually to put some of our coastline back on a really big scale."

Key points of the proposal include:

A landscape-scale wetland restoration, including managed realignment of the sea walls
Intensive studies to confirm no adverse impacts elsewhere on the Crouch and Roach estuaries
Proposals to raise land levels ahead of wetland creation by bringing in high quality, pollution-free material by ship. Sources for this are under investigation.

The RSPB hopes to start the wetland creation project within three years, with completion at least 10 years away, the timescale reflecting the size and complexity of the project and the extensive consultations needed.

More information or to make a donation towards the Wallasea Wild Coast project: "www.rspb.org.uk/wallasea

Notes for editors

The RSPB scheme is called the Wallasea Island Wild Coast Project. It will lead to the creation of new wildlife habitats including 133 hectares of mudflats, 202 hectares of saltmarsh, 44 hectares of shallow saline lagoons and 72 hectares of coastal grazing marsh.
About eight miles of coastal walks and cycle routes will also be created as part of the project.
Wallasea is close to Ashingdon, where, in the Battle of Ashingdon in 1016, King Canute’s Viking armies defeated the English king, Edmund Ironside. Remains of trenches in the nearby parish of Canewdon are thought to indicate the site of Canute’s pre-battle camp.
What birds can be expected? The knot, Calidris canutus, a wading bird which will use Wallasea, has a Latin name after King Canute. Other returning species will include avocet, dunlin, redshank and lapwing. In winter, Wallasea will attract large flocks of brent geese, wigeon and curlew. Saltmarshes and other inter-tidal estuary land currently supports two million wildfowl and wading birds in the UK in winter. The new reserve could lure several new species to Essex, including spoonbills, Kentish plovers (absent from the UK for 50 years), and black-winged stilts, which have only bred in Britain three time.
Saltwater fish including bass, herring and flounder are likely use the wetland as a nursery. Plants such as samphire, sea lavender and sea aster are expected to thrive.
Saltmarsh is the zone between land and saltwater. Its range of species can rival the diversity of rainforests because daily tidal surges bring in nutrients and because of the mixture of creeks, exposed mud and specialist plants.
Because of development and sea level rise, saltmarshes and mudflats are disappearing at a rate of 100 hectares each year. The government has set a combined target for the recreation of saltmarshes and mudflats, of 3,600 hectares (8,895 acres) by 2015.
One cubic metre of mud contains enough worms and insects to match the calorie content of 16 Mars Bars. Mud and plants absorb pesticides and other pollutants.
Most of Wallasea is farmland. There are few houses on the island and even fewer roads.

Almost But Not Quite!

Looking at the latest update for Deshar's route (27/08) it would appear that he just missed us. The Google Earth trace puts him leaving at Jaywick and the hitting the North Kent coast just north of Broadstairs and just missing us. Oh well, our previous osprey report wasn't Deshar but the Google tracking is still just as fascinating!

web Author

Deshar Over Southend?

On the Saturday 23rd of August Lee Ebbs observed an Osprey over Potton Creek which landed briefly on the Potton bridge. Looking at the latest satellite tracking of the two Loch Garten Ospreys on Google Earth (see previous item), we have to ask did Deshar drop in on his way through!? It would be lovely to think so.

Web Author.

Ospreys Nethy and Deshar Begin Their Migration

The two osprey chicks that we have enjoyed watching grow up to fledge via the Loch Garten web cam over the last month seem to have begun their long migration south.

A really fantastic way to follow their paths is to use the free Google Earth download. To use this software please follow these instructions:

Google earth is available free from the Google website: http://www.google.com/earth

Adding the osprey data to your Google Earth software

It's easy to add the osprey satellite data to your copy of Google Earth - just follow the steps below:

Launch the Google Earth software
Go to the Add menu and click Network Link...
Enter Loch Garten Ospreys in the Name field
Paste the following address into the Link field

http://www.rspb.org.uk/kml/lochgartenospreys.kml

Click OK to add the Loch Garten Ospreys data to the Places list on the left hand side of the screen.

Using Google Earth to keep an eye on the ospreys

Once the ospreys are in your list of Places you can double click them to zoom straight to their location. You can also use the standard Google Earth controls to zoom and pan around the globe.

Choosing how often to update Google Earth

The satellite data will be updated approximately once per day. To make sure you have the latest updates, you can tell Google Earth how often to refresh its data. To do this, right click on the Loch Garten Ospreys item in your Places list and choose Properties. Go to the Refresh tab and change the options so that it updates Periodically every 12 hours.

New Recruit to Help Farmers Help Birds

New recruit to help farmers help birds

Emily Field has joined the RSPB’s Eastern England regional office team as the project officer for the RSPB’s Volunteer & Farmer Alliance.

Based in Norwich, she will be organising free bird surveys for farmers across a region that covers Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire, Essex, Hertfordshire, Lincolnshire, Norfolk and Suffolk.

The highly successful scheme has already paired 4,000 farms with local RSPB volunteers nationwide. Emily’s next step is to recruit up to 80 farms in eastern England region to take advantage of a survey in spring 2009.

Emily is keen to recruit new farmers to the project, and is particularly keen to involve farmers in the Fens, west Norfolk and on the Essex coast.

Emily says: “Some farmers know they have some special wildlife on their farm and would like to help ensure its future, others just don’t know which of the many little brown birds are breeding on their land. Either way, the RSPB’s Volunteer & Farmer Alliance can help.”

By arrangement with farmers, volunteers will be surveying up to 80 hectares each on three or four mornings in the breeding season between April and July. The survey leads to the production of a report for the farmer with a farm map showing the location of birds of conservation concern.

Emily grew up on a small farm in west Wales where she studied biodiversity and farm management first hand and worked on crop science at the Institute of Grassland and Environmental Research.

She has lived in Norfolk for eight years, gaining her BSc in environmental earth sciences at the University of East Anglia. She has worked in horticulture and her local rural community in Hingham, Norfolk, spending free time exploring the countryside with her young family.

Emily continued: “Birds need what we call ‘the big 3’: nesting habitat, winter food and summer food. So for a farmer it makes sense to know what birds you’ve got and where, to help plan how to help them on the farm.”

“Arable farming is at the heart of the landscape of eastern England, it is home to some of the UK’s most special farmland bird populations, so I am delighted to be able to help farmers to learn about their birds.”

To apply for a free, no-obligation survey farmers can contact Emily Field on 01603 697514 or email emily.field@rspb.org.uk. Next step is to complete a short application form and return it together with a map of your farm highlighting the 80 hectares you wish to be surveyed.
For advice on management for farmland birds, or to find out if the RSPB can help you enter an Environmental Stewardship scheme to support wildlife friendly farming, contact the RSPB Eastern England Farmland Conservation Officer, Simon Tonkin, on 01603 697586 or email simon.tonkin@rspb.org.uk

Mull Sea Eagles Tracked

Two Sea eagles from the Isle of Mull have been fitted with GPS tracking devices. You can follow their movements in real time at: http://www.rspb.org.uk/wildlife/tracking/mulleagles/

South East Essex RSPB Events for Next Season

September 2008

Tuesday 2nd Evening meeting. Blenheim Centre, School Way, Blenheim Chase, Leigh on Sea SS9 4HX. Doors open at 19.30 for a 20.00 start
AGM followed by a talk “Keas, Kakas and Kiwis – New Zealand” by Chris Ward.

Sunday 14th Coach trip - RSPB Minsmere
Toilets, hides, visitor centre, shop & restaurant. Cost £12.00. Coach leaves Civic Centre at 07.30.

Sunday 28th Field meeting - Wat Tyler CP/Vange Marsh.
Meet at 10am in Wat Tyler CP Pitsea behind the Visitor Centre. Turn off the A13 at Pitsea and follow the Country Park signs.

October 2008

Tuesday 7th Evening meeting. Blenheim Centre, School Way, Blenheim Chase, Leigh on Sea SS9 4HX. Doors open at 19.30 for a 20.00 start
- “Wild West Birding” in California and the Grand Canyon by David Cromack.

Sunday 12th Field meeting - Foulness Island.
Numbers limited to 18 people. Cost £10 per head. Please telephone Steve Sanford on 01702 544614 to book your place.

Tuesday 14th Coffee Morning & Sale – WI Hall, Rochford Square. 9 – 12 noon.
Stalls include cakes, preserves, plants, crafts, books, RSPB goods.

Sunday 19th Field meeting – RSPB Rainham Marshes.
Meet in the car park at 10.00.

November 2008

Tuesday 4th Evening meeting. Blenheim Centre, School Way, Blenheim Chase, Leigh on Sea SS9 4HX. Doors open at 19.30 for a 20.00 start
“Deserts, Geese and Cranes” by Bill Coster, one of the world’s top bird photographers.

Sunday 23rd Coach trip - RSPB Elmley & Capel Fleet Raptor Watch Point
Hides & toilets at Elmley. Cost £12.00. Coach leaves Civic Centre at 07.30.

Sunday 30th Field meeting – Thorndon Country Park South.
Exit A127 onto Brentwood road A128. The entrance is almost immediately on the left. Meet at 1000 in car park.

December 2008

Tuesday 2nd Evening meeting. Blenheim Centre, School Way, Blenheim Chase, Leigh on Sea SS9 4HX. Doors open at 19.30 for a 20.00 start
“How Birds Work” by John Buckingham.

Sunday 7th Field meeting - Stambridge/ Barton Hall Creek.
Meet at 1000 in the layby opposite the trout fishery at Great Stambridge.

January 2009

Tuesday 6th Evening meeting. Blenheim Centre, School Way, Blenheim Chase, Leigh on Sea SS9 4HX. Doors open at 19.30 for a 20.00 start
Ann & Phil Farrer with a mixed programme entitled “Red Kites in the Chilterns and Humming Birds”.

Sunday 25th Field meeting - Southend Pier.
Meet at 10.00 at the top level entrance.

February 2009

Sunday 1st Field meeting – Two Tree Island.
Meet at 1000 in the car park. Follow the road behind Leigh railway station. Cross narrow bridge over the creek and park on the left.

Tuesday 3rd Evening meeting. Blenheim Centre, School Way, Blenheim Chase, Leigh on Sea SS9 4HX. Doors open at 19.30 for a 20.00 start
Brian Cleary (RSPB) will update us on RSPB planning matters.

Sunday 15th Coach trip – London Wetland Centre. Barnes.
Toilets, hides, visitor centre, shop & restaurant. Cost £12.00. Entrance – WWT free (bring membership card), Adult £7.50, Conc £5.50, Child £4.20 payable on coach. Coach leaves Civic Centre at 0830.

March 2009

Tuesday 3rd Evening meeting. Blenheim Centre, School Way, Blenheim Chase, Leigh on Sea SS9 4HX. Doors open at 19.30 for a 20.00 start
“Identification of large & small gulls” by David Darrell-Lambert.

Sunday 29th Field meeting – Blue House Farm, North Fambridge.
Take the B1012 road towards Burnham. Make a right turn at the junction with B1010 to North Fambridge. Cross railway and follow road to Blue House Farm. Meet at 10.00.

April 2009

Tuesday 7th Evening meeting. Blenheim Centre, School Way, Blenheim Chase, Leigh on Sea SS9 4HX. Doors open at 19.30 for a 20.00 start
"Camouflage & Mimicry” by Dr Tim Seller.

Sunday 12th Field meeting – Bradwell Bird Observatory.
Follow B1021 to Bradwell and then follow signs to St Peters Chapel. Meet at 10.00.

Sunday 26th Coach trip - RSPB Top Lodge & Rutalnd Water.
Hides, toilets, visitor centre, shop & refreshments available at both. Cost £12.00. Entrance to Rutland Water £2.50 payable on coach. Coach leaves Civic Centre at 7.30.am.

May 2009

Sunday 3rd Field meeting - Holehaven Creek, Canvey Island.
From Benfleet railway station go over the bridge onto the island. At the 1st roundabout take 1st exit. At the next roundabout take 2nd exit onto A130. Stay on A130 until the King Canute Public House which is on the left. At this point turn right into Haven Road and park in the public car park in front of the Lobster Smack PH. Meet at 08.00.

Tuesday 5th Evening meeting. Blenheim Centre, School Way, Blenheim Chase, Leigh on Sea SS9 4HX. Doors open at 19.30 for a 20.00 start
“Birding the Silk Route through Uzbekistan” by Ann & Bob Scott.

Sunday 10th Field meeting - Foulness Island.
Numbers limited to 18 people. Cost £10 per head. Please telephone Steve Sanford on 01702 544614 to book your place.

Sunday 17th Coach trip – Stodmarsh National Nature Reserve.
Toilets, hides & Public House at each end of the reserve. Cost £12.00. Coach leaves Civic Centre at 7.30.am.

June 2009

Sunday 14th Field meeting – RSPB Strumpshaw Fen.
Please meet in the reserve at 10.00. Anyone wanting to car share or who needs a lift, please ring Steve Sanford on 01702 544614.

Jackdaws in Southend

I had our RSPB stand at the Hockley Woods 'Wiildwoods' event today talking to members of the public. The ususal main topics of these events are either Magpies, Sparrowhawks, Herons or cats. Today the most popular topic by a long way was Jackdaws. We know from our latest sightings pages that we suddenly seem to have a lot of Jackdaws in Southend but it would seem that they are everywhere, From the lady in Hockley that has them nesting in her chimney to another couple in Southend who have Jackdaws on their bird table on a regular basis.

I wonder just how many there are?

Web Author.

Loch Garten Ospreys

Watch the live video of the Loch Garten Ospreys at: http://www.rspb.org.uk/webcams/birdsofprey/lochgar...

Local Photographer's Website Launched

Steve Arlow from the Southend Ornithological Group who you will all be familiar with as he has provided some stunning photographs in our photo album pages, has now launched his own website. On Steve's website you will find many local photographs as well as national rarity shots and trip reports from his many foreign expeditions.

The address of Steve's website is http://www.birdersplayground.co.uk/

We wish him all the best for the future of the site.

RSPB TV Advert

Get an early look at the new RSPB TV Advertisement at: http://www.rspb.org.uk/tv/

Well done the BBC!

The Encyclopedia of Life

The first 30,000 pages have been unveiled of a vast encyclopedia which aims to catalogue every one of our planet's 1.8 million species.

The immense online resource is designed to greatly enhance our understanding of the world's diminishing biodiversity.

Take a look at: http://www.eol.org/

New Really Cool Image Search

This is really neat. If you use Google image search try this free download for your browser. After installation, do an image search on Google (http://images.google.co.uk/imghp?amp%3Bie=UTF-8&%3...) then hover over one of the thumbnails and click the little arrow that appears - wow!

Download the plug-in at: http://www.piclens.com