Central London RSPB - January 2008 News

<BODY bgcolor="#FFFFFF" text="#000000" link="#0000FF" vlink="#000080" alink="#004000">  <font face="Arial, Helvetica, Verdana, sans-serif"> <A NAME="Top"></A>    <CENTER><H1> January 2008 Newsletter </H1></CENTER> <HR> <font size=-1> <A NAME="info"></A> <P><center> Our Group produces a twice-yearly newsletter which is sent to all members. <BR> This is an extract from the most recent edition. </center></P> </font> <HR>     <BR> <P align="center"> Wishing you all a Happy New Year and good birdwatching throughout 2008. <BR><BR clear=all> <HR WIDTH=60%>  <H4><font color="#0000A0"> Membership subscriptions... </font></H4> A reminder that your £5 subscription is now due and can be paid when booking coach trips, at indoor meetings or on field trips, or sent direct to the Membership Secretary. <BR><BR clear=all> <HR WIDTH=60%>  <H4><font color="#0000A0"> Coach Trips </font></H4> <IMG WIDTH=71 HEIGHT=32 SRC="images/bus.gif" align=left> Those of you who come on our coach trips will be aware that, since our faithful long-term coach provider of many years ceased to offer a coach service, finding a satisfactory replacement has proved to be not without some difficulties. Your committee has been very aware of this and we have made considerable efforts to secure an improved service. We are pleased to say that the arrangements we have now entered into have resulted in a marked improvement in the standard of both coaches and drivers for the two most recent trips in our programme. We have also obtained a written undertaking that there will be no 70 seater coaches! <P> While on the subject of coach trips, please note the following points to remember: <P> <UL> <LI>Please book early. Some coach trips can fill up quite quickly, others may attract fewer bookings, but either way we need to know the demand in good time. The committee has to keep bookings under review and to ensure that each trip is financially viable. As our regulars already know, the coach trips are extremely enjoyable and have resulted in some wonderful sightings. So, with an improved coach service and spring in the air, do use the enclosed booking form! <LI>When booking, please pay careful attention to the notes on the form about how to complete your cheque. Please date the cheque, insert "RSPB Central London Local Group" as the payee, and sign the cheque. Instead of entering an amount, write (in words) at the bottom of the amount space "not exceeding xxxx pounds" with xxxx being the total value of the trips/subscription/donations you have entered on your booking form. We will then insert the final total, taking account of any trips that are full or any refunds due to you from earlier trips, without the need to return your cheque and ask you to send another one for an adjusted amount. <LI>There are planned engineering works somewhere on the tube almost every weekend nowadays, so please allow plenty of time for your journey to Embankment as the coach needs to leave promptly at 8.00am. <LI>The trip leader will be happy to ask the driver if it is possible to have one or two drop-off points on the way back into London at the end of the day if people want these. Any request to be dropped off should be made via the leader who can then co-ordinate requests and discuss stops with the driver. The final decision has to rest with the driver - the coach company is contracted to collect and drop us at Embankment, and coaches are not allowed to stop just anywhere, although in practice drivers are usually very willing to stop at one or two pre-arranged safe stopping places. </UL> <BR clear=all> <HR WIDTH=60%>  <H4><font color="#0000A0"> Addition to the current programme </font></H4> <IMG WIDTH=33 HEIGHT=40 SRC="images/29mar.gif" alt="Vange Marshes and Wat Tyler Country Park - day trip on Saturday 29 March 2008" title="Vange Marshes and Wat Tyler Country Park - day trip on Saturday 29 March 2008" align=left> On Saturday 29 March we will make our first Group visit to the recently opened RSPB Reserve at Vange Marshes, in Essex. Here the RSPB have created a nature reserve from what had become a neglected area of wasteland, and water levels are being managed in order to maintain a sustainable wetland habitat. There are currently no facilities on the site, but there are viewing platforms and a screen, situated along a one mile nature trail on a footpath which starts close to Pitsea Station. I am planning to combine this with a visit to Wat Tyler Country Park, which is close by and has a visitor centre, hides, café and toilets. We will meet at Pitsea Station at 10.20am - the train leaves Fenchurch Street at 9.25. Bring lunch. <BR><BR clear=all> <HR WIDTH=60%>  <H4><font color="#0000A0"> Lee Valley Birdwatching Fair </font></H4> This year, the regular Birdwatching Fair will not be held in February. No date has yet been announced for the 2008 event, which may have a slightly different location and format from usual. Keep an eye on the website www.leevalleypark.org.uk for news. <BR><BR clear=all> <HR WIDTH=60%>  <H4><font color="#0000A0"> Group fundraising </font></H4> <IMG SRC="images\cash.gif" WIDTH=87 HEIGHT=71 alt="Microsoft Clipart" align=left> There have recently been some changes to the way in which local groups can donate funds to RSPB projects. Previously a Project Book was produced each year, from which groups were invited to choose one or more specific projects to which their fundraising could be directed. Under the new arrangements, the RSPB is inviting groups to choose from a list of priority funding areas, rather than donations being tied to a specific project. This will give the RSPB greater flexibility in how it uses the funds for its critical conservation work. <P> Unfortunately, the list for this year did not become available until the autumn, which meant it was not possible to invite members to vote at the AGM for our Group's funding priorities. After careful consideration of the list, the committee has voted to donate funds to two areas - Lowland Heathland and Children & Education. The first includes work to restore and recreate heathland, and to protect existing heaths from the effects of housing developments. The second includes employment of RSPB field teachers to work with schools which visit reserves. <BR><BR clear=all> <HR WIDTH=60%>  <H4><font color="#0000A0"> House sparrows - an update </font></H4> Work by the RSPB London House Sparrow Project continues. During the previous two winters, feeding experiments have been carried out in over 60 sparrow colonies in people's gardens and local patches, to try to find out if a shortage of insects is the main factor in the decline of London's house sparrows. This has involved providing mealworms at half the sites. The sparrows loved these, and managed to get by far the largest share despite competition from starlings, robins, blue tits and great tits. So far, mealworm sites have been shown to produce more fledglings per pair of sparrows but counting chirping males in the following spring showed no evidence of a resulting increase in the adult breeding population. It wasn't clear whether the extra fledglings were moving off to breed elsewhere or not surviving the winter. It has been decided to provide seed to the sites this winter, to see if this results in more adults in spring 2008. <BR><BR clear=all> <HR WIDTH=60%>  <H4><font color="#0000A0"> Report on a visit to Two Tree Island, 29 November 2007 </font></H4> <IMG SRC="images\twotrees.gif" WIDTH=91 HEIGHT=67 alt="Microsoft Clipart" align=left> At the end of November 2007 I made my first visit to Two Tree Island in Essex. I took the train with my companions to Leigh-on-Sea, arriving at 11am. The first hour was spent walking past the cockle sheds, looking for birds in the estuary. The tide was out, but relatively close views of dark-bellied brent geese, redshank, curlew and little egrets were available. Looking down from a jetty a single turnstone was busy pecking through the seaweed. <P> We retraced our steps to the station, then took the path that leads to Two Tree Island, part of which is an Essex Wildlife Trust reserve. The path was muddy in places, but navigable with care. Once on the island, we started by heading to the eastern part. We made a detour to a small hide where we believed there was a good chance of seeing a kingfisher. Our luck was in, as a female was sitting on a branch overhanging the far end of the water. The bird stayed in situ, allowing very good views. Also present were a group of about 10 teal. The light was kind, and showed up their delicate markings to good effect. A shoveler was loitering on the bank. <P> We left the hide and carried on to the island's eastern end. Lunch was taken at the seats, (or balanced on the concrete structure as I let the senior members of our gathering take the easy-seating options). Telescopes were required to identify the birds on the exposed mud and in the water: more brent geese, wigeon, shelduck, redshank, oystercatchers, dunlin, grey plover, curlew and knot were all present. Time was passing, and the tide was coming in (and fast) so we started the walk to the western end of the island. On the way we stopped at an inlet and saw some ringed plover, the first of the day. Lapwing were also 'ticked', together with a close and curious meadow pipit and a pied wagtail. <P> <IMG SRC="images\goldplov.gif" WIDTH=309 HEIGHT=148 alt="Golden Plover - R.A.H." align=right> The walk ascended, and views of Canvey Island to the south were enlivened by the regular movements of large flocks of waders flying past, pushed off by the incoming tide and making their way downstream. There could have been a thousand birds in some of the flocks, making wonderful patterns in the sky. We reached the lagoon hide at the perfect time: high tide was about an hour away, and as we took our seats there was a continual incoming of waders and other birds. The most immediately eye-catching sight was a large flock of golden plover to the right. The sunlight caught their backs and revealed the golden 'threads' in their plumage in a way I had not seen before. Slightly further away, and in smaller groups, were flocks of grey plover and knot. Ringed plover were present in good numbers. More birds dropped down seemingly by the minute, and those that were present would occasionally take off and then land not much further away. A few avocets could be seen, along with black-tailed godwits, little egrets, and a grey heron. <P> Aware that the light was not going to last much longer we left the hide and made our way back along the road to the station, catching the train back to Fenchurch Street. Highlights of the day were the multitude of plovers from the lagoon hide, especially the golden plover in the low winter sun. I would recommend this day trip to everyone, but make sure you plan your trip around the tides to maximise your chance of seeing waders from the hide. <DIV ALIGN=RIGHT><I>(Debbie Pledge)</I></DIV> <BR clear=all> <HR WIDTH=60%>  <H4><font color="#0000A0"> Griffon vultures galore in north-east Spain </font></H4> A couple of dozen griffon vultures glided over our hotel, and there were spotless starlings on the church spire. This was our first day in Aragon in north-east Spain, not a particularly well-known birding destination but if you want to see some terrific birds not too far from home you certainly won't be disappointed. <P> We landed in Barcelona, where in the airport car park we spotted several feral monk parakeets, and on our four-hour drive to our first base, the village of Loarre in the foothills of the Pyrenees, we saw a number of red kites and caught a fleeting glimpse of a golden eagle. Loarre is famous for its magnificent Romanesque castle, where we had distant views of rock sparrows and a couple of crag martins flew over our heads. Even more excitingly, a lammergeier swooped briefly by this is Europe's rarest vulture, with about 80 pairs in the Pyrenees, of which about 70% are found in Aragon. We also heard and had fleeting glimpses of crested tits, and inspected some pink stuff that we were authoritatively informed was beech marten excrement. During a coffee break in a local café we saw ravens, red kites and more griffon vultures - Spain is home to by far the largest griffon vulture population in Europe and we must have seen hundreds of them during our six days in Aragon. In the afternoon we visited the Vadiello reservoir in the Sierra de Guara national park, where we enjoyed superb views of a wallcreeper climbing up a dam wall as well as a couple of alpine accentors, a dipper and two more lammergeiers. <P> The following day we visited the magnificent red cliffs at Riglos, where we added cirl bunting and serin to our list as well as two more wallcreepers and a further lammergeier; in the afternoon we drove north to the monastery of San Juan de la Peña, where there were impressive views of the snow-capped Pyrenees, and recorded short-toed treecreepers, crested tits and an unexpected bat darting around a cliff face. <P> <IMG SRC="images\grifvults.gif" WIDTH=254 HEIGHT=145 alt="Griffon vultures - Dan Powell" align=right> At the Laguna de Seriñena the following morning highlights included a great white egret and a fan-tailed warbler, not to speak of crested larks, southern grey shrikes and half a dozen hoopoes, after which we headed south into the Ebro valley in the hope of finding great bustards. After a bit of a search we weren't disappointed and came across a flock of over 30, as well as thousands of Calandra larks and one or two Thekla larks. That evening we reached the medieval town of Daroca where we stayed a further three nights. We spent the next morning at the Laguna de Gallocanta where we saw thousands of common cranes, as well as red-billed choughs, a little owl or two and a couple of foxes. Near the lake we saw a couple of golden eagles displaying and later came across a group of around 80 black-bellied sandgrouse. <P> On our last full day we visited the SEO's (Spanish Ornithological Society) reserve of El Planerón in an unsuccessful search for Dupont's lark, followed by a more rewarding stop in the ghost town of Belchite which was destroyed in the Spanish civil war. Among the somewhat surreal ochre ruins we had excellent views of black wheatear and blue rock thrush, while towards evening, in hills overlooking a reservoir, we spotted an ibex on a distant ridge silhouetted against the sky. <P> Our final day in Spain was taken up mainly by the drive back to Barcelona, but fortunately there's a small wetland nature reserve near the airport (I wonder how much longer it will last as the airport is expanding fast). There we spotted over 20 night herons and a couple of spoonbills, which were a nice addition to an outstanding six day holiday organised by The Travelling Naturalist. I should perhaps add that although I went in late November the weather was mild and dry - they haven't had rain in Aragon for weeks if not months - and the scenery is spectacular and the hotels and food were excellent. It was a bit frustrating not seeing Dupont's lark or Bonelli's eagle but that's an excellent reason for going back to Aragon. <DIV ALIGN=RIGHT><I>(Michael Rank)</I></DIV> <BR clear=all> <HR WIDTH=60%>  <H4><font color="#0000A0"> Birds seen on Group trips in 2007 </font></H4> Below is a list of the 166 species seen by our group in 2007, and which have been entered onto the BirdTrack website. These birds were seen on coach, local and weekend trips: <P> <table width="100%" cellspacing=5 cellpadding=5 valign="top" > <tr valign="top"> <td align="center"> <table border=0 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 align="center"> <tr><td>  <tr> <td align="left"> <table border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 align="center"> <tr><th align="center">COMMON NAME<th align="center">SCIENTIFIC NAME <tr><td align="center">Mute Swan<td align="center">Cygnus olor <tr><td align="center">Bewick's Swan<td align="center">Cygnus columbianus <tr><td align="center">Bean Goose<td align="center">Anser fabalis <tr><td align="center">Pink-footed Goose<td align="center">Anser brachyrhynchus <tr><td align="center">White-fronted Goose <td align="center">Anser albifrons albifrons <tr><td align="center">Greylag Goose<td align="center">Anser anser <tr><td align="center">Greater Canada Goose<td align="center">Branta canadensis <tr><td align="center">Barnacle Goose<td align="center">Branta leucopsis <tr><td align="center">Brent Goose (Dark-bellied)<td align="center">Branta bernicla bernicla <tr><td align="center">Egyptian Goose<td align="center">Alopochen aegyptiaca <tr><td align="center">Shelduck<td align="center">Tadorna tadorna <tr><td align="center">Wigeon<td align="center">Anas penelope <tr><td align="center">Gadwall<td align="center">Anas strepera <tr><td align="center">Teal<td align="center">Anas crecca <tr><td align="center">Mallard<td align="center">Anas platyrhynchos <tr><td align="center">Pintail<td align="center">Anas acuta <tr><td align="center">Shoveler<td align="center">Anas clypeata <tr><td align="center">Red-crested Pochard<td align="center">Netta rufina <tr><td align="center">Pochard<td align="center">Aythya ferina <tr><td align="center">Ring-necked Duck<td align="center">Aythya collaris <tr><td align="center">Tufted Duck<td align="center">Aythya fuligula <tr><td align="center">Eider<td align="center">Somateria mollissima <tr><td align="center">Common Scoter<td align="center">Melanitta nigra <tr><td align="center">Goldeneye<td align="center">Bucephala clangula <tr><td align="center">Red-breasted Merganser<td align="center">Mergus serrator <tr><td align="center">Ruddy Duck<td align="center">Oxyura jamaicensis <tr><td align="center">Red-legged Partridge<td align="center">Alectoris rufa <tr><td align="center">Pheasant<td align="center">Phasianus colchicus <tr><td align="center">Little Grebe<td align="center">Tachybaptus ruficollis <tr><td align="center">Great Crested Grebe<td align="center">Podiceps cristatus <tr><td align="center">Black-necked Grebe<td align="center">Podiceps nigricollis <tr><td align="center">Gannet<td align="center">Morus bassanus <tr><td align="center">Cormorant<td align="center">Phalacrocorax carbo <tr><td align="center">Bittern<td align="center">Botaurus stellaris <tr><td align="center">Little Egret<td align="center">Egretta garzetta <tr><td align="center">Grey Heron<td align="center">Ardea cinerea <tr><td align="center">Spoonbill<td align="center">Platalea leucorodia <tr><td align="center">Red Kite<td align="center">Milvus milvus <tr><td align="center">Marsh Harrier<td align="center">Circus aeruginosus <tr><td align="center">Hen Harrier<td align="center">Circus cyaneus <tr><td align="center">Sparrowhawk<td align="center">Accipiter nisus <tr><td align="center">Buzzard<td align="center">Buteo buteo <tr><td align="center">Rough-legged Buzzard<td align="center">Buteo lagopus <tr><td align="center">Kestrel<td align="center">Falco tinnunculus <tr><td align="center">Merlin<td align="center">Falco columbarius <tr><td align="center">Hobby<td align="center">Falco subbuteo <tr><td align="center">Peregrine<td align="center">Falco peregrinus <tr><td align="center">Water Rail<td align="center">Rallus aquaticus <tr><td align="center">Moorhen<td align="center">Gallinula chloropus <tr><td align="center">Coot<td align="center">Fulica atra <tr><td align="center">Great Bustard<td align="center">Otis tarda <tr><td align="center">Oystercatcher<td align="center">Haematopus ostralegus <tr><td align="center">Avocet<td align="center">Recurvirostra avosetta <tr><td align="center">Little Ringed Plover<td align="center">Charadrius dubius <tr><td align="center">Ringed Plover<td align="center">Charadrius hiaticula <tr><td align="center">Golden Plover<td align="center">Pluvialis apricaria <tr><td align="center">Grey Plover<td align="center">Pluvialis squatarola <tr><td align="center">Lapwing<td align="center">Vanellus vanellus <tr><td align="center">Knot<td align="center">Calidris canutus <tr><td align="center">Sanderling<td align="center">Calidris alba <tr><td align="center">Little Stint<td align="center">Calidris minuta <tr><td align="center">Curlew Sandpiper<td align="center">Calidris ferruginea <tr><td align="center">Dunlin<td align="center">Calidris alpina <tr><td align="center">Ruff<td align="center">Philomachus pugnax <tr><td align="center">Snipe<td align="center">Gallinago gallinago <tr><td align="center">Woodcock<td align="center">Scolopax rusticola <tr><td align="center">Black-tailed Godwit<td align="center">Limosa limosa <tr><td align="center">Bar-tailed Godwit<td align="center">Limosa lapponica <tr><td align="center">Whimbrel<td align="center">Numenius phaeopus <tr><td align="center">Curlew<td align="center">Numenius arquata <tr><td align="center">Spotted Redshank<td align="center">Tringa erythropus <tr><td align="center">Redshank<td align="center">Tringa totanus <tr><td align="center">Greenshank<td align="center">Tringa nebularia <tr><td align="center">Green Sandpiper<td align="center">Tringa ochropus <tr><td align="center">Wood Sandpiper<td align="center">Tringa glareola <tr><td align="center">Common Sandpiper<td align="center">Actitis hypoleucos <tr><td align="center">Turnstone<td align="center">Arenaria interpres <tr><td align="center">Mediterranean Gull<td align="center">Larus melanocephalus <tr><td align="center">Little Gull<td align="center">Larus minutus <tr><td align="center">Black-headed Gull<td align="center">Larus ridibundus <tr><td align="center">Common Gull<td align="center">Larus canus <tr><td align="center">Lesser Black-backed Gull<td align="center">Larus fuscus <tr><td align="center">Herring Gull <td align="center">Larus argentatus/argenteus </table> <tr><td align="right"><I>continued ...   </I> </table> <td align="center"> <table border=0 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 align="center"> <tr><td align="left"><I>   ... continued</I> <tr> <td align="center"> <table border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 align="center"> <tr><th align="center">COMMON NAME<th align="center">SCIENTIFIC NAME <tr><td align="center">Yellow-legged Gull<td align="center">Larus michahellis <tr><td align="center">Glaucous Gull<td align="center">Larus hyperboreus <tr><td align="center">Great Black-backed Gull<td align="center">Larus marinus <tr><td align="center">Kittiwake<td align="center">Rissa tridactyla <tr><td align="center">Sandwich Tern<td align="center">Sterna sandvicensis <tr><td align="center">Common Tern<td align="center">Sterna hirundo <tr><td align="center">Little Tern<td align="center">Sternula albifrons <tr><td align="center">Guillemot<td align="center">Uria aalge <tr><td align="center">Stock Dove<td align="center">Columba oenas <tr><td align="center">Woodpigeon<td align="center">Columba palumbus <tr><td align="center">Collared Dove<td align="center">Streptopelia decaocto <tr><td align="center">Turtle Dove<td align="center">Streptopelia turtur <tr><td align="center">Ring-necked Parakeet<td align="center">Psittacula krameri <tr><td align="center">Cuckoo<td align="center">Cuculus canorus <tr><td align="center">Barn Owl<td align="center">Tyto alba <tr><td align="center">Short-eared Owl<td align="center">Asio flammeus <tr><td align="center">Swift<td align="center">Apus apus <tr><td align="center">Kingfisher<td align="center">Alcedo atthis <tr><td align="center">Green Woodpecker<td align="center">Picus viridis <tr><td align="center">Great Spotted Woodpecker<td align="center">Dendrocopos major <tr><td align="center">Skylark<td align="center">Alauda arvensis <tr><td align="center">Sand Martin<td align="center">Riparia riparia <tr><td align="center">Swallow<td align="center">Hirundo rustica <tr><td align="center">House Martin<td align="center">Delichon urbicum <tr><td align="center">Tree Pipit<td align="center">Anthus trivialis <tr><td align="center">Meadow Pipit<td align="center">Anthus pratensis <tr><td align="center">Yellow Wagtail <td align="center">Motacilla flava flavissima <tr><td align="center">Grey Wagtail<td align="center">Motacilla cinerea <tr><td align="center">Pied Wagtail <td align="center">Motacilla alba yarrellii <tr><td align="center">White Wagtail <td align="center">Motacilla alba alba <tr><td align="center">Dipper<td align="center">Cinclus cinclus <tr><td align="center">Wren<td align="center">Troglodytes troglodytes <tr><td align="center">Dunnock<td align="center">Prunella modularis <tr><td align="center">Robin<td align="center">Erithacus rubecula <tr><td align="center">Nightingale<td align="center">Luscinia megarhynchos <tr><td align="center">Whinchat<td align="center">Saxicola rubetra <tr><td align="center">Stonechat<td align="center">Saxicola torquatus <tr><td align="center">Wheatear<td align="center">Oenanthe oenanthe <tr><td align="center">Ring Ouzel<td align="center">Turdus torquatus <tr><td align="center">Blackbird<td align="center">Turdus merula <tr><td align="center">Fieldfare<td align="center">Turdus pilaris <tr><td align="center">Song Thrush<td align="center">Turdus philomelos <tr><td align="center">Redwing<td align="center">Turdus iliacus <tr><td align="center">Mistle Thrush<td align="center">Turdus viscivorus <tr><td align="center">Cetti's Warbler<td align="center">Cettia cetti <tr><td align="center">Grasshopper Warbler<td align="center">Locustella naevia <tr><td align="center">Sedge Warbler<td align="center">Acrocephalus schoenobaenus <tr><td align="center">Reed Warbler<td align="center">Acrocephalus scirpaceus <tr><td align="center">Blackcap<td align="center">Sylvia atricapilla <tr><td align="center">Garden Warbler<td align="center">Sylvia borin <tr><td align="center">Lesser Whitethroat<td align="center">Sylvia curruca <tr><td align="center">Whitethroat<td align="center">Sylvia communis <tr><td align="center">Chiffchaff<td align="center">Phylloscopus collybita <tr><td align="center">Willow Warbler<td align="center">Phylloscopus trochilus <tr><td align="center">Goldcrest<td align="center">Regulus regulus <tr><td align="center">Spotted Flycatcher<td align="center">Muscicapa striata <tr><td align="center">Pied Flycatcher<td align="center">Ficedula hypoleuca <tr><td align="center">Bearded Tit<td align="center">Panurus biarmicus <tr><td align="center">Long-tailed Tit<td align="center">Aegithalos caudatus <tr><td align="center">Marsh Tit<td align="center">Poecile palustris <tr><td align="center">Coal Tit<td align="center">Periparus ater <tr><td align="center">Blue Tit<td align="center">Cyanistes caeruleus <tr><td align="center">Great Tit<td align="center">Parus major <tr><td align="center">Nuthatch<td align="center">Sitta europaea <tr><td align="center">Treecreeper<td align="center">Certhia familiaris <tr><td align="center">Jay<td align="center">Garrulus glandarius <tr><td align="center">Magpie<td align="center">Pica pica <tr><td align="center">Jackdaw<td align="center">Corvus monedula <tr><td align="center">Rook<td align="center">Corvus frugilegus <tr><td align="center">Carrion Crow<td align="center">Corvus corone <tr><td align="center">Raven<td align="center">Corvus corax <tr><td align="center">Starling<td align="center">Sturnus vulgaris <tr><td align="center">House Sparrow<td align="center">Passer domesticus <tr><td align="center">Chaffinch<td align="center">Fringilla coelebs <tr><td align="center">Brambling<td align="center">Fringilla montifringilla <tr><td align="center">Greenfinch<td align="center">Carduelis chloris <tr><td align="center">Goldfinch<td align="center">Carduelis carduelis <tr><td align="center">Siskin<td align="center">Carduelis spinus <tr><td align="center">Linnet<td align="center">Carduelis cannabina <tr><td align="center">Twite<td align="center">Carduelis flavirostris <tr><td align="center">Bullfinch<td align="center">Pyrrhula pyrrhula <tr><td align="center">Yellowhammer<td align="center">Emberiza citrinella <tr><td align="center">Reed Bunting<td align="center">Emberiza schoeniclus </table> <tr><td>  </table> </table> <P> <DIV ALIGN=RIGHT><I>(Debbie Pledge)</I></DIV> <font size=-1><I> (<A href="http://www.bto.org/birdtrack/">BirdTrack</a> is an online year-round bird recording scheme that uses data supplied by birdwatchers to support species and site conservation at local, national and international levels. Results produced by BirdTrack will include mapping the migration and movement of birds and monitoring of scarce species in Britain and Ireland, as well as providing valuable information about such things as arrival and departure times of migrants. Debbie has undertaken to submit to BirdTrack details of the birds seen on our Group trips, but you can do the same for your own sightings in your garden, local patch, or further afield. For full details visit www.bto.org/birdtrack/) </I></font> <BR>    <BR clear=all> <HR WIDTH=60%>  <font size=-1> <BR> <A HREF="nl_old.html" target="_top" title="Our previous Newsletter">Previous newsletter</A> <BR><BR> </font> <HR>  <BR> <font size=-1>  <A HREF="http://www.janja.dircon.co.uk/rspb/index.html" target="_top" title="Home page of the RSPB Central London Local Group">[Home]</A> </font> <BR><BR> </font>  </BODY>