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Next Meeting

Watch this space!

(Details and more meetings)

Saturday 7th September
Heysham Nature reserve and coastal area
(LDBWS/RSPB)

Leader: Pete Marsh

(Details and more trips)

2011 Report

Members should have received their copies of the 2011 Annual Report by now. If not please contact the Secretary (contact details under the “About” tab). Non-members can purchase a copy from the Secretary for £8.00 inc. postage. Please make cheques / POs payable to Lancaster & District Bird Watching Society.

NERF Annual Review 2010

The Northern England Raptor Forum published their 2010 Annual Review in November 2011.

The report is in three parts: an overview of the work of NERF, the detailed individual species reports and a third section of raptor related articles, ranging from Lesser Kestrels in Italy to the story of the migration of two Osprey chicks from Cumbria.

Copies can be purchased from Steve Downing for £12, including p&p. Email throstlebower@hotmail.com.

A small number of copies of the 2009 Annual Review are still available at the reduced rate of £5 per copy. £17.50 including p&p for both Reviews.

Field Trips 2012/2013

General info

A programme of field trips is in the process of being instigated in association with various partners, specifically the RSPB local members group (as the current arrangement, but hopefully including more local events from January 2012 onwards), the Lancashire Wildlife Trust (including the Morecambe Bay Wealth of Wildlife project) and the local U3A group, which has a very active bird-watching section.

We strongly recommend that anyone who has reached retirement and would like to be involved in additional mid-week outings, mainly local or near-local, joins the local U3A group. Further info from Jeff at j.butcher273@btinternet.com

Stout footwear, warm clothing and packed lunches are recommended for the full-day field outings.

Need a lift?

If any LDBWS members need transport to any of the outings organised by/with the RSPB group, please contact Eileen Harrison on 01524 412349. She will try to arrange a lift, provided she is given at least a week's notice. All are welcome, especially new or inexperienced bird-watchers.

If you need transport to any LDBWS outings organised with the other partners, please contact Pete Marsh (LDBWS secretary) on 07532433043 or PMrsh123@aol.com. U3A people, please contact Jeff Butcher j.butcher273@btinternet.com as usual

Inclement weather & possible cancellations

If there is doubt as to whether an RSPB-organised event will be held due to weather conditions, please ring 01524 65211 on the previous evening prior to 9pm. The leader will have decided by then whether the forecasted conditions are suitable

All other events will definitely go ahead as they are early enough in the autumn to rule out dangerous driving conditions and snow/ice, but the programme may be modified as determined by the weather conditions

1st week of June (TBA)
Visit to Abbotts Reading Farm, Ulverston (as per LDBWS talk last winter) and Roudsea.
(LDBWS/RSPB)

Details to follow including transport logistics
Leader: David Morris

On a date between Sunday 9th and Saturday 15th June
Opportunity to join Pete Marsh and/or Jean Roberts checking nestboxes in upper Hindburndale.
(LDBWS/RSPB)

About 25 percent of these boxes are occupied by Pied Flycatcher and the other species usually include Redstart. This will probably be a morning visit. Contact PMrsh123@aol.com mobile 07532433043 or Jeanrbrts6@aol.com mobile 07815979856 between 6th and 8th June.
Leader: Pete Marsh/Jean Roberts

Saturday 7th September
Heysham Nature reserve and coastal area
(LDBWS/RSPB)

For migrants, waders and possibly seabirds. Morning event. Whilst watching the tide in from mid-morning is a known quantity, the remainder of the morning will be migration-orientated. Therefore making the most of what is on offer depends on the weather conditions and we need to be able to contact anyone interested with appropriate timing/activity taking place (e.g. observing early morning bird ringing). Please email PMrsh123@aol.com or phone/text 07532433043 if interested
Leader: Pete Marsh

Sunday 20th October
Marshside Marsh RSPB reserve, Southport.
10:00 am: Meet at Marshside Reserve car park
This interesting RSPB reserve near the Ribble estuary offers good views of many waders and wildfowl. Also a chance to see raptors such as Merlin. Meet at the reserve car park
Grid Reference: SD353203

Thursday 5th December
Hest Bank - a pre-Christmas meeting
(RSPB with LDBWS invited)
10:30 am: Meet on Hest Bank shore
Initially we will be watching waders gathering on the incoming tide and then move up the coast towards Heysham and the traditional mince pies.
Grid Reference: SD467665
Leader: Chris and Bill Ashby

All LDBWS web pages are the copyright of Lancaster and District Birdwatching Society and should not be reproduced elsewhere without the express permission of the Society. The opinions expressed in the LDBWS newsletter are not necessarily those of the Society. The content of LDBWS Member's Web Pages is the responsibility of the member concerned. LDBWS ask all birdwatchers to observe the Birdwatchers' Code of Conduct and the Country Code.

Thanks go to Pete Crooks for today's header photo of Aldcliffe. If you have a suitable picture of a local birding spot, why not send it to the webmaster, at andymccafferty@gmail.com? I need to resize (and if necessary crop) pictures to make them 600x130 pixels, so ideally send it at that size (definitely not smaller).

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