Here is the 'Latest Happenings' from our Local Group Secretary, Pauline Wilson.
Hi Everybody
Sorry to send so many group emails close together but I am trying to catch up since our broadband was down for half a week - Deerness member Kathryn Southerington wonders if the rats ate ate the cables because they knew they were full of SPAM!
I'm attaching 3 photos, the first one being a redwing from Ian - a timely pic as there are lots of these migrant birds around just now, together with fieldfares.
The other two pictures are also timely because, of course, we have Feed the Birds Day this coming Saturday 29th at Wellpark Garden Centre where there will be plenty of information on the importance of providing food and water throughout the winter months. The first photo is one I took from an open window this very morning and shows a squawking Starling while a tiny Blackcap sneaks up behind it, with intents of eating the apple. Thirdly, we go back to one of Ian's super pictures, this time a Song Thrush posing on top of a wall near his home.
If you are in Kirkwall on Saturday call in and have a word with the staff and volunteers - we'll be very pleased to see you. Morag, from the Stromness office, will be on Radio Orkney tomorrow (Friday) morning speaking about FTBD so make a note to listen to this if you are an early bird yourself!
Charities Bazaar
Speaking of volunteers, I wonder if any of you would like to give a hand on the Sales table at the Charities Bazaar on Saturday 12th November? I already have a few names but if anyone has an hour to spare this would be much appreciated. Please either email me or telephone 741382. Many thanks.
Of course, the Charities Bazaar is a fine opportunity to buy RSPB Christmas Cards, calendars, diaries, etc. plus there are lots of Christmas gift and 'stocking filler' ideas on sale. As usual there will also be a raffle and this year we have a super painting of a Lapwing by member Kate Barrett, plus other prizes. I am hoping we get the usual good support for this.
Annual General Meeting
Another reminder about the RSPB Local Group AGM which will be next Thursday 3rd November atThe St. Magnus Centre, Kirkwall starting at 7.30 pm. Find out what's been happening during 2011 and welcome in the 2012 committee. Following the AGM there will be tea, coffee and biscuits plus the chance to buy RSPB Christmas cards, calendars, etc. It will be nice to see a good turnout of our local group members. A raffle will be held - we have a Snowy Owl 'Limoges' plate kindly donated by Neil & Rosemary McCance, also a bottle of Orkney wine so worth having a go. Many thanks to Neil & Rosemary for this generous offer.
Following the AGM members are invited to stay for the SOC talk on 'The Wetland Bird Survey in Scotland' by Neil Calbrade. There is no charge for the meeting, although a small donation towards the cost of room hire would be appreciated.
Exhibiton for Local Artist
Tim Wootton is exhibiting at the Scottish Seabird Centre, North Berwick this autumn and the show will run until 16th November. More information can be found here:
http://tim-wootton.blogspot.com/ Go if you can! Or, if you're not able to get that far, visit the Wildscape Gallery in Stromness and the website to see birds portrayed in detail and character that come from Tim's careful observation and passionate love of the wild.
Puffin Mystery
Eric Meek has posted the following item on the Orkbird site, but I thought our members might also be interested in it:
Something strange is happening with Puffins! It was thought that they always moulted in late winter and were almost finished by the time they returned to the colonies in spring. However, birds that have come ashore in autumn in recent years in Orkney and Shetland have involved birds that were heavily in moult to the extent that they would have been flightless. Has there been a change in their moulting period or has it always been a moveable feast? Either of these scenarios would be extremely unusual.Mike Harris, author of the Poyser monograph on 'The Puffin' and who has studied the species intensively on the Isle of May, is trying to work out just what is going on. If you find any dead Puffins at any stage over the winter, could you let me know and I'll arrange to get them frozen prior to despatch to Mike. Eric
I hope any of our members finding dead puffins will contact Eric asap. Thanks.
Stamps!
I'm still getting a steady flow of postage stamps - thanks to Penny Park at SAS Supplies, Laing Street, Kirkwall. All this is set to move up a gear, though, as we approach the festive season. Please save postage stamps (if foreign ones can be marked separately this would be a great help) towards the RSPB Save the Albatross Campaign. Stamps can be taken to SAS Business Supplies (address above), alternatively they can be dropped in at the Stromness Office.
Many thanks.
Make Everyclick your search engine
While on the subject of good causes, can I again remind our members about Everyclick which is a search engine raising money for the charity of your choice each time you search the web. Simply go onto www.everyclick.com and select the RSPB as your chosen charity then each time you make a search, money goes towards the RSPB. I've been using Everyclick for a number of years now without any problems. Please give it a try.
Swallows noted
I have a few bits of news about swallows. On 19th October a juvenile swallow flew into my neighbour's house! She was able to capture the bird and duly arrived at my door with it but, of course, there was nothing I could do it as it was not injured. It was the time of the gales and the poor bird was probably disorientated. The only course of action I could take was to let the bird fly off into a neighbour's sheltered garden and hope it eventually reaches its destination which, of course, is South Africa!
Lindsay tells us there was a swallow still zooming up and down Marengo Road in St. Margaret's Hope on October 22nd.
Still on swallows, Sue Whitworth writes: Our swallows are still about Pauline. I think we had 3 batches from our's this year, so the last lot are still about hands, but will probably go soon, though they are often with us well into October. They always nest in our outbuildings and often produce three batches ofyoungsters over the season.
Other birds around
There are too many just now for me to mention them all but here are a selection of reports:
Morris Rendall: 1 Snow Bunting at Sandside Deerness on 23rd;
Lindsay Taylor: A lovely view of a Brambling in the garden in Finsdown on 24th;
Celia Hills: M & F Blackcap, Goldcrest, Robin and 2 Wrens on 26th; also large flock of Redwings and a few Fieldfares;
Eric Meek: A Treecreeper in the north-east corner of St. Magnus graveyard on 26th;
Julian Branscombe: A Firecrest at Mossquoy in Deerness was the star of the day, but
also a blackcap and couple of goldcrests there also, on 27th.
Here at Sunnybank the birds have been entertaining us. For a couple of evenings at dusk I was watching a robin and a lovely male brambling argue about who should use the caged feeder - the brambling always ended up shooing the robin away. Today we've had 3 blackcaps (one a male with black cap and the other 2 with brown caps) so I've been throwing out apples and pears onto the lawn to keep their attention, also skewering them on trees to attract more. By the sounds of things it seems that, if you peer into any clump of bushes you're sure to find something flitting about!
Lorna's special treat
Finally, an item not about birds as RSPB warden Lorna Dow reports:
I had an unexpected encounter with an otter on the road, coming in to Kirkwall from Finstown direction tonight. It was running up the middle of my side of the road towards the car - right below the otters crossing sign! (Maybe I should have been expecting it...) It disappeared off into the field where the horses normally are.I know it's a bit off topic but it was the best view of an otter I've had in Orkney so far and it was so close to the town! Lorna.
So you see, the 'Otters Crossing' sign isn't just a tourist attraction!
That's all for now. Hope to see some of you at Wellpark on Saturday and I'll send a reminder about the AGM.
Best wishes
Pauline W/Local Group Sec.