Welcome to the Spring edition of Tonbridge Local RSPB group’s newsletter.

Read on to learn more about raptors, get the latest news from the Wealden

reserves, try your hand at some anagrams and more....

Geoff Mason who has volunteered to join the committee, in addition to his hard work with Liz in organising the quiz.

Thelma has also been giving service to the group for more than 20 years. She is finally retiring from the refreshments service, which I hope will allow her to enjoy our speakers in full. I’m grateful to her, and to Liz for stepping in to help Gabrielle and Doreen.

Finally, many thanks to all the volunteers who help out with setting up and clearing down the indoor meetings. We were very short-staffed in September due to holidays (including my own) and illness, but with new volunteers we should be OK for the future.

No Wildlife Fair this year, but we do want to keep a presence at other events - letting other people do the organising! So far we plan to be at the Friends of Grosvenor and Hilbert Family Fun Day in Tunbridge Wells on May 2, but we’re looking for others. We can use these events to raise the profile of the RSPB and the group, raise funds and meet people who don’t come to our meetings but might be interested. So if you know of village fêtes or similar that would benefit from a Tonbridge RSPB stall, do let me or another committee member know.

Best wishes,

Martin

Dear supporters,

Happy New Year!

A rather shorter message this time, as I’ve been out of action for a while because of a September holiday and then ill health. I’m glad to say I’m fully recovered now. In any case, it’s been a rather quieter time for the group, after all the excitement of our 40th anniversary celebrations. I’d like to thank our treasurer, David, for stepping in at short notice to helm our September and November meetings, including the AGM.

It’s been business as usual then, including a welcome return of the annual coach trip. Many thanks to Doreen and Tamsin for responding to my appeal to take it on – Doreen is running it this year.

Gabrielle has now stood down from the committee. Having been leader of the Tonbridge group for 12 years, she left and then returned to the committee to help. She’ll continue to assist with newsletter distribution and setting up and serving refreshments for the indoor meeting. She deserves all our thanks for her great, continuing contribution. Thanks also to

The RSPB is encouraging people to become more

active as part of a new partnership with Sport

England. The joint venture offers the chance for

people of all ages to try running, canoeing, climbing

and cycling with wildlife on two RSPB nature

reserves.

Using £199,865 of National Lottery funding, the two-

year project will see RSPB Strumpshaw

Fen in Norfolk and RSPB Rainham

Marshes in Essex equipped with bikes,

canoes, running routes and a

bouldering course to help visitors

experience wildlife from a different

perspective.

At Rainham Marshes, the cycle scheme allows

visitors to loop the perimeter of the reserve and

explore the surrounding area, taking in views of the

River Thames from the river wall. A bouldering

course has also been installed for those wanting to

test out their climbing skills.

Meanwhile at Strumpshaw, visitors can take a

canoe out onto the river Yare or cycle

round the quiet country lanes before

taking a walk through Strumpshaw’s

reedbeds where bitterns, otters,

dragonflies and butterflies can be seen.

There will also be weekly runs following

a 5km route.

Visitors to Broadwater Warren may notice some

changes to the footpaths. With the major heathland

restoration work completed, the wardens have

decided to change some of the forestry tracks to

seasonal paths. Two routes will be closed between

February 1 and September 30 (the same period the

‘dogs on leads’ policy applies) making one

continuous 32 hectares block of heathland and

woodland. Several viewpoints and new ponds are

being created on the edges of this area to provide

places to enjoy the wildlife.

Volunteers have been busy with scrub coppicing

and pine pulling on the heathland. A scattering of

pines will be left as song posts for woodlark and tree

pipit across the heath. Work in the woodland has

mainly focused on ride management and the

creation of scallops and glades along the rides to

open them up. The coppicing work will benefit a

range of spring and summer flowers including

bluebells, violets and honeysuckle which in turn will

help pollinators such as bees and woodland

butterflies including the white admiral.

At Fore Wood, volunteer work parties have been

opening up the ride system, creating micro habitats

for a range of species. A flush of wildflowers should

be seen in the new glades which will provide nectar

for insect species including the fringe horned mason

bee, a kind of bumblebee that is associated with

coppice and only recorded at a few sites in the UK.

Last year was a very good year for silver-washed

fritillary butterflies at Fore Wood, with a peak count

of 35 butterflies on the reserve’s transect, the

highest since 2006.

Other highlights of 2015 include a first record of

hawfinch, golden-ringed dragonfly, two lesser

spotted woodpeckers heard and two nightjars seen

flying out of a newly coppiced area.

At Tudeley Woods, the focus has been on the

restoration of Brakeybank meadow. The pond is

being revitalised and, where the meadow has been

extended, the nutrient rich litter layer is being

scraped off. Waymarkers for a new trail will be

placed in the spring.

Meanwhile, volunteers have been busy carrying out

ride management in the Plants and Brakeybank

woods. Maintaining an open ride network is vital to

support several species of butterfly including silver-

washed fritillary which can be seen in the summer.

With suitable management plans in place, it’s hoped

It was heartening to read Martin Harper’s blog at the end of 2015 reflecting on the RSPB’s successes during the year. As Conservation Director, he can clearly see what’s going well.

Among the triumphs are some that are close to our hearts here in Kent. Woodlarks and nightjars—two species that can be found on our nearby Tudeley Woods and Broadwater Warren reserves—both achieved record numbers on RSPB reserves in 2015. Another Kent resident, the bittern, reached its highest population in living memory with over 155 recorded booming males at 70 sites in the UK, including Dungeness. It’s not just birds benefitting either. The short-haired bumblebee is being reintroduced in an ongoing project at Dungeness which has seen worker bees recorded on the reserve for the third year running, giving hope of long term success.

Further from home, the Great Crane Project in the West Country saw four chicks fledged in 2015. A reintroduced population of cirl buntings topped 50 pairs in Cornwall. White-tailed sea eagles exceeded 100 territorial pairs in 2015, meaning the bird is now thriving in parts of Scotland. And, on Coquet Island in Northumberland, roseate terns had their best breeding season for over 40 years with 111 pairs nesting.

Protecting nature from inappropriate developments is another key role of the Society. The proposed housing estate at Lodge Hill, Chattenden, which would put one of the strongest nightingale populations in the UK under threat, has been strongly opposed by the RSPB. The developer has pulled out but there is still an enquiry planned. So this battle is only partially won and there is still more work to be done. With proposals emerging too for a second River Thames crossing to link Essex with Kent, further important habitat is under threat.

Research into the decline of the turtle dove is ongoing. Once a common sight in our local area, it is in great danger of slipping into extinction if a solution cannot be found. So our support for the RSPB is as important as ever. As Europe’s biggest nature conservation organisation with over 200 reserves in the UK giving homes to over 16,000 species, it has a strong voice and it’s one that needs to be heard.

Lesley

that a reintroduction of the pearl-bordered fritillary

(a nationally scarce butterfly) will be viable in future.

October’s fungus foray walk yielded 37 species. The

reserve’s fungal tally was brought to an amazing

1150 species with a recent find on Brakeybank.

The Wealden reserves rely on the help of volunteers

to undertake management and survey tasks. If you

would like to lend a hand, even for just one session,

please contact the Wealden team on 01892 752430.

The UK government has designated 23 new Marine

Conservation Zones (MCZs). There are now 8,000

square miles of UK waters with environmental

protection. In the south east, new MCZs include the

Swale estuary and two areas around Dover.

However, there are concerns that there is no

management plan and further important areas have

been omitted.

The RSPB believes licensing should be introduced

for intensive grouse shooting. While the

organisation agrees that grouse moors are not an

inherently bad thing – well-managed moorland can

provide homes to many species including golden

plover and curlew – concerns are growing over the

continuing persecution of birds of prey and certain

management practices. Intensification has seen an

increase in the frequency of burning, use of grouse

medication and killing of mountain hares to control

grouse disease. Licensing, with effective

enforcement, would potentially encourage grouse

moors to strive for the highest standards of

environmental management, thereby benefitting

wildlife and walkers in the moorlands.

To mark National Meadows Day on July 2 and

celebrate the restoration of Brakeybank meadow,

RSPB Tudeley Woods is hosting a day of guided

walks and wildlife watching. Visitors will have the

chance to help out with spreading green hay and

scattering seeds to further enhance the habitat.

Wildflower meadows have decreased by 90 per cent

in recent years; they are an important habitat for a

range of pollinators and other species.

To book, contact Nick Feledziak, tel: 01892 752430;

email: Tudeley.Woods@RSPB.org.uk

To find out more visit

www.magnificentmeadows.org.uk

In late summer two new bird species started to visit

my garden feeders. On August 18 I saw the first

nuthatch. It became a regular for a while, then after

a break away it returned at the end of November.

On one occasion I spotted two, one on the peanut

feeder, the other on the ground beneath. Another

first time regular was a coal tit flitting in between the

bolder blue tits. Both are welcome additions, but

what made them come? Perhaps a lack of food

elsewhere?

Some other interesting autumn observations

included my last sighting of a butterfly in the garden

on October 8 when a large white flew across and of

a pipistrelle bat on the evening of October 20, a

much later date than I’ve noticed in previous years.

Also in October, a grey heron settled on top of a

neighbour’s cherry tree, on its way no doubt, to a

nearby pond. Overall, grey squirrels were less

frequent, but were seen several times over the

Christmas period.

I have recently introduced ¾ coconuts containing

suet mixture. These are tucked away on the inside

branch of a central tree and have attracted, among

others, great spotted woodpecker, blue tit, coal tit,

great tit, sparrow, starling and nuthatch. My record

for the number of bird species seen in the garden on

one day was 15 on December 20.

Elsewhere during the autumn, I saw a treecreeper

going up a tree by the bridge outside Tonbridge

swimming pool. It looked just like a mouse in size

and colour. A lovely moment on a very wet day. In

early October I was also lucky enough to see at

least half a dozen red kites in a remote valley in

mid-Wales. A memorable autumn indeed.

Sticking to Britain to avoid too many complications, our raptors are: falcons, hawks, buzzards, eagles, harriers, kites, ospreys and owls. But I’ll leave owls out of the discussion as they are so clearly a separate and easy to recognise group.

All these words have ancient origins. Raptor comes from the Latin rapere ‘to take by force’. Falcon itself is probably from Latin ‘falco’, meaning hawk (oops!), but related to ‘falx’ meaning sickle, reflecting the typical narrow curved wing shape. Harrier comes from Old Norse ‘herja’ – to lay waste. Kite is from Old Norse ‘kyta’ meaning to soar and glide.

Others make less sense, such as osprey, from Latin ‘ossifraga’ meaning bone breaker.

These old names for groups of raptors are still useful for birding, reflecting overall appearance and behaviour. But do scientific classifications support these distinctions?

Not long after starting to take a serious interest in birds I became aware that, among birds of prey, falcons seemed to have a special place. But are falcons really different from other raptors, and, if so, how?

Perhaps we should start by thinking about what exactly a raptor is. Birders tend to talk about raptors, rather than birds of prey, but they mean exactly the same. I prefer to think that we say ‘raptor’ because it’s a more concise word to use in the field, and not just to show that we’re proper birders. We’re not like that are we?

The dictionary definition of raptor is ‘a bird such as an eagle or a hawk that kills and eats other birds and animals’. The phrase ‘such as an eagle or a hawk’ is important – many kinds of birds, such as crows, gulls or herons, are quite capable of killing and eating, but we don’t call them raptors. In the field, we can often spot that a distant bird is some kind of raptor, before telling whether it’s a hawk, harrier, buzzard, etc, so there’s clearly something distinctive about their appearance and behaviour.

Ornithology clarifies the distinction – raptors have exceptional eyesight for finding food, strong, curved, tearing beaks and, usually, strong curved talons for catching and holding prey. Crows, gulls and so on use their feet for walking, paddling, perching, etc.

page 4. I’ve included some rarities that have been around in our area in the last few years – and no doubt I’ve missed some.

What’s the verdict on our traditional terms? Well ‘hawk’ and ‘harrier’ are good terms, each forming distinct groups. However, while buzzards, ‘true’ eagles and sea eagles form a related group, this does not include the snake eagles and honey buzzard. The osprey is more distantly related to all of these – it is a single species with an entire family to itself.

What of falcons then? DNA studies have found that they are not at all closely related to any other raptors, their closest relative being parrots and passerine (perching) birds. So they are truly special.

The trouble is that classifications are changing. The old simple system of class, order, family, genus, species was never perfect. Sub-divisions had to be introduced at each level. For example, a subgenus may group similar species within one genus. Life is complex and hasn’t evolved to make things easy for biologists!

Now, with DNA analysis, it’s getting more complicated, but probably more accurate. It’s becoming possible to find groups of species that all have a common ancestor. That doesn’t always tie in with the former classifications, based mainly on similarities in anatomy. So change will continue.

With that proviso, the relationships of day-flying raptors found in Britain are shown on the chart on

The Kent Breeding Bird Atlas 2008-13 aims to give

the current status of Kent’s breeding birds and

provide an indication of how populations are faring.

It is an extract from the national Breeding Birds

Atlas that was published last year and reviewed in a

previous newsletter. The advantages of a Kent

version are the ease of access to our local data,

with excellent Kent maps, and the lower cost of the

publication. The photographs of birds in this edition

are every bit as good as the national atlas.

The last survey of this sort was 20 years ago and

there are some notable changes in our Kent bird

life. In fact, the book’s introduction stresses that,

although there has always been change in our bird

populations over the centuries, the speed of change

is accelerating largely due to climate change and

farming practices. On the plus side in Kent, the

flooding of old gravel pits when workings are

finished has benefitted many water birds.

Looking in more detail at some of the changes in

Kent, attention is drawn to the rapid recolonisation

of the county by the buzzard. There are also

significant increases in little egret, Mediterranean

gull, peregrine and ring-necked parakeet.

Woodland birds, as we know, have suffered badly in

the last 20 years but four species have bucked the

trend and increased: green woodpecker (35 per

cent); great spotted woodpecker (108 per cent);

blue tit (9 per cent) and great tit (25 per cent).

Feeding birds in our gardens has no doubt helped

the last three species. Many other woodland

inhabitants are much reduced or now extinct in Kent

– we have lost breeding willow tits from the county.

I remember when I first

moved to Kent in 2003

that I could still see

willow tits at the local

Tudeley Woods RSPB

reserve. Seeing or

hearing a lesser

spotted woodpecker is

now a rare occurrence.

It is also evident that

farmland birds have

declined dramatically.

Corn buntings and

grey partridges are

difficult to find in many

parts of Kent. House

sparrow numbers have fallen by a third and are

absent from many gardens and fields. However, the

barn owl population is recovering (up almost four

fold) and several local birders I know see them

regularly in early summer over the fields around

Tonbridge and Hildenborough.

One surprise for me was to learn that eagle owl

bred once in Kent in 2012 and we have to wonder if

this species will return. If it does, what effect would

that have on our wildlife?

Changes are happening at a faster rate than in the

past. Supporting the RSPB and other wildlife

organisations can only help to stem the losses and

we must enjoy whatever chances we get.

stumbling across something a little unusual. Or you

can simply enjoy looking at the pictures and reading

the comments of fellow bird lovers.

If you’re not sure where to start with Twitter, all you

have to do is type the Twitter handle (for example

@WaxwingsUK) or simply what you want to find

(waxwings UK Twitter) into a search engine such as

Google.

The RSPB has a presence on Twitter too. The

official national account of the organisation is

@Natures_Voice (apologies for the lack of

apostrophe, it’s not the Twitter way!). Various

conservation messages can be found here together

with plugs for products in the RSPB’s shop,

forthcoming events and inspiring photographs. Or

for more local content try @RSPB_SouthEast.

Some individual reserves have their own Twitter

accounts too, including Minsmere

(@RSPBMinsmere) which brings me seamlessly on

to our next topic...

This year’s coach outing to Minsmere on Saturday

May 14 still has a few spaces available. It’s a truly

magical reserve, especially during the month of

May, perhaps the most exciting month for

birdwatching in the UK. If the prospect of avocets,

marsh harriers, perhaps a bittern or bearded

reedlings and plenty of warblers sounds tempting,

then contact Doreen to book, tel: 01892 832130 or

email: doreendixon@talktalk.net

Cost is £20 per person (plus entrance charge for

non-members of the RSPB). The coach will leave

the depot (New Enterprise Coaches in Vale Road)

at 7.30am and will pick up passengers at Lidl,

Tonbridge School and Hildenborough. Arrival back

in Tonbridge is expected at around 6.30pm.

Twitter, love it or loath it, is an inescapable, modern

day tool for keeping up to date with news and

gossip from around the world. With its stylised bird

icon it seems a natural port of call for bird news.

One Twitter feed I’ve found myself taking a regular

glance at lately is @WaxwingsUK, ever hopeful of

finding a sighting not too far from Tonbridge.

There’s been nothing suitable so far but it’s been

fun to track their progress with flocks arriving in

Scotland and heading progressively closer.

Of course, this will lose its appeal as the winter

subsides but there are plenty more. For perennial

interest there’s @HawfinchesUK where it’s good to

see mention of the RSPB’s Nagshead reserve and,

closer to home, Bedgebury Forest. If, like me, you

haven’t seen one in the flesh (or perhaps that

should be in the feathers) for quite some time,

there’s an increasing array of photos and even

videos to remind you of the beauty of this enigmatic

and sadly declining finch, the UK’s largest.

As the seasons change and migration gets

underway, why not look out for sightings of that

most unusual woodpecker, the wryneck, at

@wrynecksuk. Dungeness National Nature Reserve

seems a favourite haunt for them in Kent. Then, as

spring progresses it may be worth turning attention

to @GoldenOriolesuk, @Hoopoesuk or

@Beeeatersuk.

You don’t have to be a twitcher to use these

resources, there’s no obligation to chase after the

birds once you know they’re out there. But it might

help you decide which direction to head in for a

day’s birding if you know you have a chance of

March 2016

Weds 16 Indoor meeting Chris Corrigan, Regional Director of the RSPB in the South East, will deliver a talk on the work of the RSPB in the region, ranging from growing support to safeguarding our most important sites. Along the way, Chris will highlight some of the challenges, and opportunities, of working to save nature in the most populous region of the UK.

Sat 19 & Weds 23 Field trips Grove Ferry—a long list of species is anticipated including spring migrants.

April 2016

Sat 16 Quiz night Hadlow College. Fully booked—thank you for your support.

Weds 20 Indoor meeting Peter and Pauline Heathcote—Belize, its birds and their habitats.

Sat 23 & Weds 27 Field trips Broadwater Warren RSPB reserve and the Ashdown Forest for woodland and heathland specialists including the woodlark.

May 2016

Sat 14 Field trip Coach outing to Minsmere RSPB reserve. See page 6 (opposite) for details.

Sat 21 & Weds 25 Field trips Cliffe Pools RSPB reserve. Breeding avocets, redshanks and common terns among the many possibilities.

June 2016

Sat 18 & Weds 22 Field trips Splash Point, Seaford, for nesting kittiwakes.

A nightjar walk will run in late June/early July but an exact date is yet to be decided. Please let Carol know if you are interested.

Indoor meetings are held at St Philip’s Church, Salisbury Road, Tonbridge, TN10 4PA and begin at

7:30 pm. Admission charges for RSPB members are £3.50 or, for pensioners and under 16s, £2.50. Non-

members are charged £4.50. Valid membership cards should be shown please. Refreshments are

available during the interval.

Details of meeting places and transport arrangements for the field trips are available from Carol Goulden

(07867 970512) or, for the coach trip only, Doreen Dixon (01892 832130 or email:

doreendixon@talktalk.net). Remember to bring membership cards (where relevant), appropriate clothing

for the weather, binoculars and a packed lunch. There is a minimum £2 per person donation to the RSPB

for each field trip.

The Tonbridge Local RSPB Group would like to keep your details to send you further information about group activities and the work of the RSPB.

If you want to amend or update your details or you do not want us to use them in the way stated, please contact a member of the committee.

The next issue of the newsletter will be produced for distribution in late summer and will contain details of

the programme for 2016-17. As usual, contributions will be warmly welcomed. In particular I’m looking for

members to share their knowledge of birding sites around the Tonbridge area that are a little off the

beaten track, not the obvious nature reserves but the lesser known places. Or perhaps you’ve had a

memorable encounter with a particular bird or would like to share your experiences of birding somewhere

new—elsewhere in the UK or abroad.

If you would like to help with the next issue then please get in touch with the editor, Lesley Ribbens (tel:

01732 362177, email: lar123@virginmedia.com). The copy deadline will be June 12.

Anagram answers: 1. Dungeness; 2. Fore Wood; 3. Leighton Moss; 4. Pulborough Brooks; 5. Arne;

6. Rainham Marshes; 7. Blacktoft Sands; 8. Loch Garten; 9. South Stack; 10. Coombes Valley

Group leader: Martin Ellis, 26 Byng Road, Tunbridge Wells, TN4 8EJ, martin@ellismp.plus.com, 01892 521413

Secretary / Group sales: Bernice Catt, 60 Dry Hill Park Road, Tonbridge, TN10 3BX, bernicecatt@googlemail.com,

01732 353620

Treasurer: David Simmons, david@davidsimmons.plus.com, 01892 536659

Newsletter editor / Programme secretary: Lesley Ribbens, 14 Rowan Shaw, Tonbridge, TN10 3QB,

lar123@virginmedia.com, 01732 362177

Membership secretary: Doreen Dixon

Newsletter distribution: Gabrielle Sutcliffe

Quiz organiser: Geoff Mason

Advertising and publicity: Don Douch

Field trips / Conservation and volunteering: Carol Goulden

Website editor: Sarah Ingle

The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) is a registered charity: England and Wales no. 207076, Scotland no. SC037654

As you may remember from previous newsletters,

aside from birds seen in the real world, I like to

record birds seen on television and at our indoor

meetings. The total for 2015 was 187 species, down

from my 2014 total of 203. I include birds which are

listed in the RSPB Birdwatcher’s Field Lists. The

best ‘sighting’ for me was the twite on the BBC’s

Autumnwatch. It is a bird that I have never seen

when out birdwatching, so to see it on the television

was great. Who knows, perhaps I will see one for

real in 2016!

In real life birdwatching, I was lucky enough to see a

lesser spotted woodpecker in my church grounds,

which is becoming quite a rare bird. In fact I had not

seen one for around ten years!

Birdwatching for me, whether for real or via

television, is truly fascinating.

1. Send genus (9)

2. Owed roof (4, 4)

3. Elm shootings (8, 4)

4. Blobs rough rook up (10, 6)

5. Near (4)

6. Maria marsh hens (7, 7)

7. Bald facts knots (9, 5)

8. Chat longer (4, 6)

9. Hat tussock (5, 5)

10. Clams obey vole (7, 6)

It’s just for fun so if you’re stumped you can find the

answers on page 7. The numbers in brackets refer

to the letters in each reserve’s name

Thank you for choosing to receive your copy of the

newsletter by email. This saves money and allows the

group to donate more funds to the RSPB for vital

conservation work.

If your email address changes, please contact Martin

Ellis, rspb@ellismp.plus.com, with your updated

details.