Author: nclimpson

Some recent correspondence about a ringed Osprey in Cornwall.
I photographed the Osprey seen on April 2nd over the River Camel. I sent the photo to Roy Dennis in Scotland, to see if he could identify the rings. I’ve had Roy’s reply, see below.
Best wishes       Dave Thomas.

For a report on the Ospreys movement files see
http://www.cbwps.org.uk/cbwpsword/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/2012-Osprey-Study-Area-Report.pdf

This summer there will be regular pelagic trips heading out from Penzance onboard Mermaid II. The aim is to get offshore and head west, chumming a few miles south off Lamorna and Porthgwarra before heading out towards the Wolf Rock lighthouse. Target species are Wilson’s Petrel, Great and Pomarine Skuas, Sooty and Balearic Shearwaters as well as a good variety of marine megafauna such as Harbour Porpoises, Common Dolphins, Minke Whales, Basking Sharks and Ocean Sunfish. Other species likely to be seen are Storm Petrels, Manx Shearwaters and Gannets and possibly at this time of year Great and Cory’s Shearwaters.
3rd and 10th August trips are now fully booked but two more are arranged for Sunday 18th August and Saturday 24th August. Both are 8 hour pelagics this time leaving at the slightly earlier time of 8am. Cost is £70 and bookings can be made by calling Mermaid’s booking office on 07901731201
Numbers are limited so book early by calling 07901731201
For details of the boat check out http://www.cornwallboattrips.co.uk/b…ance-cornwall/
Organiser Paul Semmens

Can you hear Goldcrest song?
I am following up Richard Porter’s comments in British Birds 105(3):152 and gathering data on the age-related loss in the ability to hear Goldcrest song. I have close to 300 responses so far but need more data to fill in gaps in the data.
Please help: I need just your gender, age and whether or not you can hear Goldcrest song. You can let me know to goldcrest@lanius.org.uk or if you prefer to Oakerley, Clun Road, Aston on Clun, Shropshire SY7 8EW. Thank you.
I try to reply personally to every submission but if I receive too many replies to this, being sent to every county in Britain, I may not be able to keep up so my apologies now if I don’t get back to you with thanks.
The results will appear later this year in British Birds and online at http://www.lanius.org.uk/goldcrest John Tucker, http://www.lanius.org.uk

We thought members might be interested to know how we’re progressing with various overdue publications, so will post occasional updates on the website.
Currently, I (Chairman) am editing BiC 2008 and am waiting for two or three sections to come back from writers, although one may not be coming back so will need to be sent out to another writer. Once these have been received (hopefully before Christmas), I will need to do some final editing before adding any outstanding sections and final typesetting.
BiC 2009 is being edited by Dave Parker and is currently just missing one section, which Dave may have to write himself. Once this is finalised and species occurrences confirmed (accepted/unaccepted records), final typesetting will need to be done. (Draft typesetting has been done)
We have plenty of images and line drawings for both issues, but are always keen to receive more! We don’t want to set a deadline for publication for BiCs (especially as we’re investigating better printing options as well), but will keep you updated here.
As for the tetrad atlas, we are now looking to publish this online. In the first instance, this may just be the winter/summer abundance maps and we will hopefully add summarised and comprehensive species texts as they can be edited. The Board has agreed a budget for this and we will be looking to get the basic package of maps online by late spring.
Mark Grantham

To the CBWPS Membership
I’m writing to inform you of the death of my father, Chris Oliver at the age of 79.
I’m uncertain whether or not he is a current member of CBWPS, but he certainly used to be and had many friends amongst the membership.
In particular I remember Roy Phillips who he would meet up with every time we were down at our house in St. Just, and who he’s known since an early age.
Although we lived in Wiltshire for a long time, he spent his early years in and around St Ives.
I’d be very grateful if you could get a message through to Roy, and if there’s a noticeboard in the Member’s Area a message might get through to friends of his who I don’t know.
Many thanks
Tim Oliver

Artists Still Wanted

Your help is wanted.
The Society has two teams of people working very hard to clear the backlog in the production of our annual report Birds in Cornwall. In the past the pages of these reports were graced with firstly drawings and then later on photographs as well. We would like to carry on the tradition by including art work from members of the Society and we are appealing to members who have the occasional urge to pick up a drawing pen.
You don’t have to be a professional artist to produce what we are looking for. Sometimes the most simple of images evoke the spirit of the bird. It is not just rarities we want but the common ones too. Some images from the past are posted HERE to give you some idea of the range of images that might suit.
The deadline for sending in sketches for the volumes in preparationhas become more flexible and we will require more for future volumes so keep them coming. It is undecided at the moment whether the reports will support full colour art work so sketches that contain colour may be reduced to black and white.
If you feel you can help images can be emailed to webmaster@cbwps.org.uk and of course full accreditation to the artist will be given in the publication.

Core areas that still need your help.
Gweek, Connor Downs, St Columb Major, Newquay, Polperro, Wadebridge, Four around Colliford Reservoir towards Liskeard, Tintagel.
The BTO would like people across the UK to record when and where  they encounter any of our six species of thrush (Blackbird, Song Thrush, Mistle Thrush, Redwing, Fieldfare and Ring Ouzel), either found here on migration or during the winter months.
To take part in the survey all you will have  to do is map the thrushes you see on your favourite winter walks, or in your local neighbourhood,observe their habitat and behaviour and eport details to the survey using a simple online recording system.
The survey will run from 12th September 2012 to early April 2013 and again in winter 2013/2014
For full details about the survey and how you can participate, see the BTO website www.bto.org.uk and look under the Volunteer Surveys tab
Special attention is being paid to some core squares and we need coverage for some of the Cornish core squares, which are located roughly near:

• Hayle
• Carharrack
• Chacewater
• Newquay
• Wadebridge
• Lostwithiel
• Liskeard
• Siblyback
• Boscastle
• NW of Launceston

Anyone able to take on a core site in one of these areas can register their interest via the BTO website (http://www.bto.org/volunteer-surveys/winter-thrushes) and they’ll be allocated a square.
Can you help and have some enjoyable winter  walks at the same time?
 

A small number of visitors to the site have experienced intermittent missing pictures on the Recent Sightings page.
I am sorry for this but it is due to circumstances beyond  our control
It seems that this is a well known problem related to the use of Internet Explorer 8, and maybe earlier versions, as your browser.
The problem is only evident where there are pictures in tables. These are usually just the groups of smaller images in the Sightings page.
If you have this problem the solution is to use another browser to view the site. IE9 works well but cannot be used on Windows XP. Google Chrome and Mozilla Firefox also work well and can be used on XP and all later versions of Windows. These are all free dowloads and are easily installed. They can all be co-existent in your computer.
If you have any further problems or suffer this problem in a browser other than in IE8 I would grateful if  you could report it to me webmaster@cbwps.org.uk
Nigel Climpson
Web Manager CBWPS

07/07/2012
Lower Lakes in Somerset is offering a competition for a free bird watching holiday. You can see the details with the following link.

 http://bit.ly/free-bird-watching-holiday

This competition has not been endorsed by the Society, we are just bringing it to your attention. Be aware that if you enter your name will be on their database and you may receive promotional material.