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LATEST
DONATION TAKES BEXLEY CONTRIBUTION PAST £67,000
Friday 13 August 2010
The Bexley Group is sending another cash contribution
to RSPB headquarters at Sandy. The committee has approved a new
donation of £1,500 for bird conservation. This cash has been
raised mainly through raffles, sales, activities at Fairs and coach
trips.
Since the Bexley Group was founded in 1978 it has
donated a total of£67,500 to RSPB coffers. The Group has asked
that the latest donation should go towards improving the new Cliffe
Pools RSPB reserve near Gravesend. It has now donated £18,000
towards the cost of establishing this marshland reserve.
Eric Brown
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DOG'S
BLANKET PUTS VOLUNTEERS IN THE SHADE
Friday 16 July 2010
Volunteers
at a Sidcup school fete rigged up emergency cover to shelter from
the heat.
For the third successive week a squad of Bexley Group volunteers
braved heatwave conditions to spread the RSPB word at a fete.
Diane Lelliott,
Maureen Thompson and Stuart Banks attached a Heath Robinson shelter
consisting of a dog's blanket, a tablecloth and bulldog clips to
their gazebo to provide more shade at the Longlands School fete
on July 10.
Sales were quite
slow with almost £50 raised which although not a great reward
for the time and effort was still welcome and yet again we were
able to meet the public.
Stuart Banks |
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TEMPERATURE
AND INCOME SOARS AT DANSON FAIR
Friday 16 July 2010
Bexley Group income soared along with the temperature
at Danson Fair on July 3 and 4.
Sweating Group volunteers worked tirelessly as the
Danson Park temperature hovered around 30°C.
They obtained an amazing 350 signatures for the
RSPB's Letter to the Future campaign.
When the forms ran out, volunteers switched to name
gathering cards for possible new RSPB memberships and collected
over 100 signatures.
Taken together, the total of over 450 signatures
for the two projects was the highest name gathering total at a single
event for several years.
The Bexley Group has now gathered more than 500
signatures for the Letter to the Future Campaign at various fetes
and fairs.
Unable to obtain the popular Bird tombola, an alternative
was organised using donated goods. This proved even more popular
since last year the Bird tombola raised £95.50 and this year’s
effort raised £177.
The sale of pin badges also increased from £46.89
to £52.50, helped by a new display unit and the introduction
of some new badges. Sales of RSPB goods also increased from £165
to £252.24.
Thanks to Frances Banks, Tony Banks, Alan and Jean
Mayes, Phil and Malachy Wren, John and Stephen Taylor, Gill Page,
Julia Maynard, Diane Lelliot, George Kalli, Peter Fox, Maureen Thompson,
John and Roberta Cove, Maurice Ewart and Jeanna Turner. Special
thanks must go to John Turner for not only helping out on the Saturday
and Sunday but also assisting with setting up on Friday and picking
up items on the Monday
If anyone would
like to add their names to the growing list of volunteers please
contact Stuart Banks at stuartbans@hotmail.co.uk.
Stuart Banks |
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HEAT
IS ON BUT 80 SIGN LETTER TO THE FUTURE
Tuesday
29 June 2010
Soaring temperatures, world cup football and Support
the Troops Day in nearby Woolwich all failed to affect attendance
at the Friends of Shrewsbury Park Fair on Saturday 26 June. This
was the second time that the RSPB Bexley group has attended and
although it is not a fund raising event for us the opportunity was
taken to obtain a further 80 signatures to the Letter to the Future.
We were also able to raise our profile among local
people and explain what we are trying to do as an organisation.
My thanks to John and Jeanna Turner who assisted
me on one of the hottest days of the year. We also sold £10-worth
of pin badges.
Stuart Banks
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STUART
PLAYS IT BY THE BOOKS – BUT DON’T ASK FOR A PICTURE
Sunday 13 June 2010
On May 14 Stuart Banks was elected by members
the new leader of Bexley Group. For those who may not know Stuart
here is some background.
There is more than a little of the Greta Garbo or
Howard Hughes about Stuart Banks. Both famously shunned cameras
and would take extraordinary measures to avoid being photographed.
So it is with Stuart. Produce a camera in his presence and he’ll
be off and running faster than Usain Boult in an Olympic final.
Which explains why there is no picture to accompany this article.
Stuart claims he has no passport and even refused to have his picture
taken for a photo ID at work.
He says he has a phobia about being photographed
and insists pictures of him are rarer than dodos in Danson Park.
We will have to rely on a word picture instead.
Stuart declined to give a birthdate or birthplace too but admits
to being 58 "this year". He married Frances on the day
the notorious heatwave finished in August 1976 and they have two
sons: Graham aged 31 is assistant racing manager at Crayford Greyhound
Track, while Martin, 29, is a data analyst for EDF.
Stuart, who lives in Plumstead, has been employed
by Greenwich Council for 36 years and is currently administration
manager for building services there. That means he co-ordinates
all the work undertaken by the admin staff, ensuring that Key Performance
Indicators are met, indicating problem areas where targets are not
met and what measures to take and ensuring admin staff are trained
for the work they are expected to do. He is currently involved with
the training of staff in a new computerised system being introduced
in September or October. In his leisure time Stuart plays darts
for the Crayford Arms and badminton at Berwick Road School.
Stuart’s rise to Group Leader has been meteoric.
He is a relative newcomer to birdwatching and the Group, joining
the RSPB only three years ago with membership a wedding anniversary
present. Stuart and Frances had regularly fed birds in their garden
and thought membership would help them with identification.
On their first visit to an RSPB reserve in August
2007 Stuart and Frances logged 17 birds including "seagull"
and "waders" at Dungeness. Stuart admits they had little
knowledge then but it rapidly improved as they broadened their horizons.
Two wardens walks with Howard Vaughan at Rainham
Marshes proved instructive and they attended their first Bexley
Group meeting. They came under the wing of committee member Maurice
Ewart and booked their first Group coach trip to Paxton Pits in
October 2007. Explained Stuart: "Maurice was the leader of
the trip to Paxton and was the first person we met at the group
meeting. After that he seemed to look after us on the trips."
With such expert help, when Stuart and Frances re-visited
Dungeness in February 2009 they were able to name 50 different birds.
They began volunteering and are now well-known at fairs where they
have established a reputation as booksellers.
A year ago Stuart was invited to join the committee
as name gathering and membership co-ordinator. His children’s
goodie-bags handed out at fairs and events have become collectors
items. "While running some of the children's competitions I
realised we should encourage youngsters to take interest in all
aspects of nature," says Stuart. "So to try and encourage
them with birds I started making up bags of information for children
who had a go in our competitions. I am not sure how successful these
are but I am aware that one child took his bag into school and they
used some of the information to join in the Big Garden Birdwatch.
"When I heard the Group would be under threat
of closure if no successor could be found for John Turner as leader
I had no hesitation in coming forward."
Stuart says he has a mental list of 10 birds he
would love to see. It is headed by the hoopoe. One of his most memorable
birding moments so far came in Norfolk. "Every time I see a
bird for the first time it’s memorable although seeing a bittern
while watching golden oriole at Lakenheath was pretty special,"
he said.
As well as shunning cameras, the group’s new
leader confesses to a phobia about walking over bridges and a fear
of heights. Yet he’s planning a parachute jump in October
to raise funds for the RSPB!
ERIC BROWN
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INCOME
RISE REWARDS VOLUNTEERS AT ELTHAM FAIR
Saturday 5 June 2010
Takings of £280, a healthy £38 increase
on last year, rewarded a hardy band of volunteers who supervised
RSPB goods sales and games at the Eltham Well Hall Pleasaunce May
Fair on Sunday 30 May. The weather was overcast to start with but
the arrival of the sun lured a large crowd.
Maureen Thompson sold steadily from her goods stand,
aided by Diane Lelliot, who also sold peanuts, bird seed, donated
books, plants and toys. Chas Parr ran his ever popular tombola.
Stuart Banks ran the children’s competition and was assisted
by new volunteer George Ali who also distributed bags of "goodies"
to children.
John Turner gathered 120 signatures for the RSPB’s
letter to the future along with 20 other name gathering cards while
Jeanna Turner answered queries and sold RSPB pin badges.
There were 88 entrants testing their identification
skills in the children’s competition. Congratulations to the
prize winner – Jacob of Eltham, aged 11, who won the book
prize. In all just over £280 was taken for the day –
£69 on the tombola, £111.45 on sales, £29 on pin
badges, £28.25 on bird seed while a further £42.45 on
sales of donated items - a very rewarding effort.
I should like to thank all those who volunteered
and worked so hard throughout the day.
Stuart Banks
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KAREN
RETURNS TO CROSSNESS AFTER PINING FOR BEXLEY
Saturday 5 June 2010
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Karen
Sutton |
Karen Sutton has returned to the Crossness Nature
Reserve in Thamesmead after a year working in East London. Touring
parties of RSPB Bexley members were often welcomed to the Thames
Water-owned site by Karen who has been appointed Crossness Nature
Reserve Manager.
Karen supervised the transformation of grazing marshes,
reedbeds and wetland habitat at Crossness into an award winning
reserve during a five year stint as Conservation Warden before leaving
last summer. The 41-year-old went to work for Lee Valley Regional
Park Authority, managing sites at Three Mills Island, Bow Creek
and East India Dock Basin. But Karen began to pine for the unique
habitat at Crossness and its energetic band of volunteeers, some
of whom also belong to RSPB Bexley. She also missed running events
and educational visits but mostly missed the Bexley area and its
wildlife. Karen, from Crayford, has been plunged in at the deep
end. Day-to-day site management tasks line up alongside managing
a group of volunteers, school visits, liaising with partners and
stakeholders, organising community events, writing a newsletter,
working with contractors, writing a new site management plan and
grappling with a new IT system. Thames Water are creating new reedbeds
and ditches at Crossness to receive water voles (the UK’s
fastest declining mammal) currently in a captive breeding programme
at Wildwood near Herne Bay. They were removed from Crossness and
transferred to Wildwood during development work.
*To join the Friends of Crossness Nature Reserve
Scheme, which provides access to the wildlife-sensitive ‘Protected
Area’, costs £5 for one year or £10 for three.
Contact Karen at karen.sutton@thameswater.co.uk
or call 07747 643958.
Eric Brown
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ROUND
THE CLOCK WATCH SET UP TO PROTECT RARE VISITORS
Saturday 22 May 2010
Purple Heron
Picture: Adrian Kettle
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Purple
Heron
Picture: Adrian Kettle |
Purple Heron
Picture: David Featherbe
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Purple
Heron
Picture: David Featherbe |
Police and the RSPB have set up a round-the-clock
scheme to protect purple herons nesting for the first time in the
UK. The striking birds breed in southern Europe and visit the UK
in small numbers each year. But the nesting pair which recently
made its home on the Dungeness peninsula is set to be the first
to lay eggs and raise young in the UK.
Although purple herons have struggled in Europe
over the last few decades, experts say the numbers of breeding purple
herons are expected to increase in the UK in the future. PC Michael
Laidlow, Environmental Crime Coordinator at Kent Police, said: “This
is a popular area for birdwatchers and the local community so I
would urge anyone in the area who sees any suspicious activity to
call the RSPB or Kent Police on (01622) 690 690.”
While the eggs are being brooded there is little
for visitors to see but once they hatch the RSPB hope to set up
a special viewing point for spectators.
The purple heron, closely related to the larger
and widespread grey heron, can reach 90cm in height with a wingspan
of up to a metre and a half. In Continental Europe the purple heron
usually breeds in colonies in reedbeds and feeds in wetland areas
on insects, reptiles and amphibians as well as other small animals.
The European population of purple herons winters in Africa.
Meanwhile the RSPB is calling on the government
to call in the planning applications for proposed expansion at Lydd
Airport, near Dungeness. The local authority Shepway District Council
controversially consented the applications in the face of a recommendation
to refuse given on environmental grounds by the councils own planning
officials. So far over 10,000 representations have been made to
the Government Office of the South East to ensure this decision
is scrutinised in a full public inquiry.
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STUART
GETS THE NOD AS SEVENTH GROUP LEADER
Thursday 20 May 2010
Stuart Banks was elected new leader of the RSPB
Bexley Group by members at the annual meeting on Friday 14 May.
He becomes the Group's seventh leader in its 31-year history and
succeeds John Turner who stood down at the end of a five year stint.
Stuart, a committee member with responsibility for
Memberships, had to impress RSPB London office at a formal interview
before his name could go forward for election by the Group. His
original interview date was scrapped when the Volunteer Development
Officer left at short notice.
Martyn Foster, RSPB London office manager, finally
gave the green light for Stuart to be considered after an interview
on Thursday 29 April - only 14 days before the Group annual meeting.
This was the first occasion a potential Bexley Goup Leader had been
subjected to the new RSPB selection process.
At the interview Stuart outlined his plans for the
future of the Bexley Group which he will reveal shortly.
Eric Brown
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INCOME
PLUNGES AT PLANT AND CRAFT FAIR
Wednesday 12 May 2010
Takings dropped significantly at the Group Spring
Plant and Craft Fair in Freemantle Hall, Bexley, on Saturday 1 May.
Income plunged by more than £200 although admission fees were
up on last year.
Plants appeared for sale and filled the hall together
with the tombola, lucky sevens, book stall, white elephant stall
and craft stalls. Ken Saxby collected the entrance fees and took
£51.79 slightly up on last year’s figure of £50.
The plant stalls supplied and staffed by Anna Staple,
John and Jeanna Turner and Leslie Warner sold steadily throughout
the morning taking a grand total of £285.81 (£454.05
last year). The sales stall staffed by Maureen Thompson, Patricia
Large and Sylvia Say took a total of £130 (£138.51 last
year). The ever popular bottle tombola staffed by Anthea Reynolds
drew much support taking £98 (£103 last year), Chas
Parr’s Lucky Seven taking £64.80 (£59.81 last
year).
The book stall run by Stuart and Francis Banks took
£61.80 (£50 last year), commission from the craft stalls
was £36.45 (£17 last year) and the White Elephant stall,
a new addition, manned by Tony Banks took £59.09. John and
Stephen Taylor were available to relieve weary stallholders.
The tea, coffee and cakes were provided by Alan
and Jean Mayes and made £41.51 (£31.90 last year). Stuart
Banks was available for new memberships.
The overall take was £699.90 (£217.32
down on last year’s total of£907.22) and after deducting
the fee for hire of the hall and expenses of £48 we made a
profit of £651.90. In addition the sales of £130 will
produce a commission to be confirmed later by The Lodge. A great
effort all round. Many thanks to all our volunteers who helped so
willingly on the day and we look forward to the next fair in the
autumn.
Special thanks are due to Tony Banks and Chas Parr
for their organisation and preparation of the event. We are very
grateful for the donation of plants from Bexley Garden Centre a
new donor who has acquired Stuart’s Garden Centre, Bexley
Heritage Trust, Homebase at Orpington and Dartford and B&Q at
Sidcup and Eltham the latter also being a new donor this year.
John Turner
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VISITORS
URGED TO ACT OVER CLIFFE VANDALISM
Sunday 2 May 2010
Visitors to Cliffe Pools RSPB reserve are being
urged to act as vigilantes and report any illegal activity they
see. The site has been hit by damage to and removal of notice boards,
other vandalism and illegal motor cycle riding. If anyone witnesses
such incidents, or any others, they should call police on 01795
477055 or Jason Mitchell at the RSPB Northward Hill office on 01643
222480.
Jason Mitchell is the new Cliffe warden, joining
from Kent Wildlife Trust and bringing a wealth of experience gained
at Sandwich Bay. He will focus on the management of North Kent Marshes
reserves around the Hoo Peninsula.
Adders
Picture: RSPB-images
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Adders
Picture: RSPB-images |
Recently logged at Cliffe have been shore larks and ring ouzels plus
garganeys while Mediterranean gulls may be breeding. A spoonbill visited
in April. Barn owls are present and short-eared owls may be breeding.
Adders sighted include a pair of males jousting.
Work to come in 2010
- New
signs: Damaged information boards in car park and at the Pinnacle
to be replaced. Signs to be erected asking visitors to keep dogs
on leads, stop them swimming in pools and use the dog bin provided.
- New
sluices: Two new sluices to be completed by the end of August
to improve control of water levels and flow between pools.
- Hiding
power cables! EDF will bury power cables that run through the
car park.
- Stronger
fencing and restoring the byway: Replacement of some car park
fences and all of the gates to make the site more secure, especially
from bikers. Access can then be restored to byway RS80 that was
diverted as a result of damage to the car park last summer by
illegal users.
Eric Brown
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GROUP
EFFORTS PAY OFF WITH RISE IN BEXLEY BGBW REPORTS
Tuesday 30 March 2010
Woodpigeon
Picture: RSPB-images
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Woodpigeon
Picture: RSPB-images |
The Group’s
efforts to raise awareness of Big Garden Birdwatch paid dividends
this year. Members distributed forms for the January 30 and 31 event
at Hall Place, Bexley, and to pet shop customers (see previous story).
Their efforts resulted in an increase of Bexley-based particpants
in the nationwide survey from the 2009 figure of 1,065 (82 children)
to 1,162 (73 children). But the total just failed to reach the 2007
Bexley figure of 1,165 adults and 42 children.
Bexley finished sixth in a participation table of
32 London Boroughs behind Bromley, Croydon, Hillingdon, Havering
and Barnet. Bromley recorded 2,502 participants (245 children).
The woodpigeon is now firmly established as Greater
London's number one garden bird, moving steadily up the list one
position each year from number four in 2007. However its lofty position
may be down to the cold snap that adversely affected smaller birds
like goldcrest and long-tailed tits this year.
Nationally nearly 530,000 people took part in the
survey, counting over eight and a half million birds with 73 species
recorded in 280,000 UK gardens. Some interesting trends were revealed
with London's declining house sparrows enjoying a slight increase
in sightings.
Numbers of almost all small to medium birds in the
Top 10 most common London garden birds were up compared with 2009
and 2008, with the exception of starlings. Flocks of these probably
flew out of gardens to collectively seek food and shelter on playing
fields, parks and the countryside surrounding Greater London.
The cold weather was also responsible for many more
sightings of countryside birds like fieldfares and redwings, in
London, but these mostly favoured large open spaces and failed to
make it into the Top 20 garden sightings. As well as redwings and
fieldfares, other members of the thrush family, including blackbird,
song thrush and mistle thrush, were seen in higher numbers this
year, also looking for food.
Some of the UK’s most familiar species continue
to suffer huge declines. In just the last five years alone, house
sparrows have declined by 17 per cent and starlings by 13.7 per
cent.
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BEXLEY'S TOP 20 GARDEN BIRDS ACCORDING TO THE BIG GARDEN
BIRDWATCH
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| |
Bird |
Average
per Garden |
Rank |
%
of Gardens |
Woodpigeon
Picture: RSPB-images
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Woodpigeon
|
3.82 |
1 |
88.0 |
House Sparrow
Picture: RSPB-images
|
House
Sparrow |
3.65 |
2 |
62.1 |
|
Starling |
3.49 |
3 |
62.2 |
|
Blue
Tit |
2.14 |
4 |
81.2 |
| |
Blackbird |
1.84
|
5 |
88.7 |
Feral Pigeon
Picture: RSPB-images
|
Feral
pigeon |
1.64 |
6 |
38.2 |
Robin
Picture: RSPB-images
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Robin
|
1.22 |
7 |
82.1 |
Magpie
Picture: RSPB-images
|
Magpie
|
1.12 |
8 |
56.4 |
Great Tit
Picture: RSPB-images
|
Great
Tit |
1.01 |
9 |
50.3 |
|
Collared
Dove |
0.98 |
10 |
43.1 |
| |
Ring
necked parakeet |
0.81 |
11 |
26.4 |
Carrion Crow
Picture: RSPB-images
|
Carrion
crow |
0.57 |
12 |
26.8 |
Chaffinch
Picture: RSPB-images
|
Chaffinch |
0.50 |
13 |
20.1 |
Dunnock
Picture: RSPB-images
|
Dunnock |
0.48 |
14 |
30.9 |
Greenfinch
Picture: RSPB-images
|
Greenfinch |
0.41 |
15 |
15.2 |
Long-tailed Tit
Picture: RSPB-images
|
Long
tailed tit |
0.40 |
16 |
14.1 |
| |
Coal
Tit |
0.32 |
17 |
18.8 |
Redwing
Picture: RSPB-images
|
Redwing |
0.26 |
18 |
6.1 |
Goldfinch
Picture: RSPB-images
|
Goldfinch |
0.25 |
19 |
8.8 |
| |
Wren |
0.14 |
20 |
12.0 |
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ERIC BROWN
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RSPB
APPEALS FOR HELP IN DEMANDING LYDD AIRPORT INQUIRY
Thursday 11 March 2010
The RSPB is appealing for your help to demand a
public inquiry into possible expansion plans for Lydd Airport. They
feel an expanded airport would threaten birds and other wildlife
at Dungeness, a popular destination for Bexley members, and want
people to write calling for a public inquiry.
As reported earlier on this website, Shepway District
Councillors voted to approve expansion plans for Lydd Airport against
the advice of their own council officers, their own ecological consultants
and Natural England, the Government’s nature conservation
advisor. The RSPB has been objecting to the expansion plans since
2005 as they would increase passenger numbers from the current 4,000
a year to half a million per year.
The Airport is next to the Dungeness Reserve and
near the Dungeness to Pett Levels Special Protection Area (SPA),
designated for its internationally important bird populations, and
the Dungeness Special Area of Conservation (SAC), designated for
its great crested newt populations and rare shingle habitat.
If approved, the Airport’s expansion plans
will be disastrous for the area. They could irrevocably damage the
area’s internationally protected wildlife, including internationally
important populations of birds and a range of plants and other wildlife.
Some species at risk are unique to the Dungeness area.
A larger airport would also degrade the wider environment,
not least through the extra pollution that will be generated by
both the additional flights and the increase in road traffic from
people getting to and from the airport.
The RSPB believes that the decision by Shepway Councillors
potentially contravenes key elements of UK and EU laws. Additionally,
the decision is both regionally and nationally controversial and
will have significant impacts outside the immediate locality of
the airport. Taken together, these factors means that the airport
expansion plans should be called in by the Secretary of State for
determination at a Public Inquiry:
- Conflict
with UK and EU law
When councillors decided to approve the airport expansion plans,
they did not fulfil their legal requirement to properly consult
Natural England.
- Regional,
national and international controversy
An expanded airport at Lydd risks adversely affecting internationally
protected wildlife sites. Therefore, approving the plans to expand
Lydd Airport would clearly be controversial regionally, nationally
and in a European context.
- Wider impacts
By its nature, the airport’s expansion is bound to have
impacts outside the immediate locality. These will include the
likely damage to both the SPA and SAC, increases in road traffic
and noise, and the impact that the increased emission of greenhouse
gases will have on climate change.
To add your voice to the call for a public inquiry,
please write to:
Jennie Gilks
Sustainable Communities Directorate
Planning Casework Manager (Surrey and Kent)
Government Office for the South East
Bridge House
1 Walnut Tree Close
Guildford
GU1 4GA
Please refer to the three reasons given above in
your letter.
These are the key concerns the RSPB raised when
objecting to the Airport’s proposal.
Managing the bird strike risk
The Airport will need to reduce the risk of bird strike by controlling
birds and managing nearby habitats. They produced a draft plan outlining
how this will be achieved, however the RSPB has serious concerns
as the plan lacks sufficient detail to fully assess the potential
impacts on the internationally important bird populations. For example
they have not provided information on the location and scale of
habitat management required, and the impact that shooting and dispersing
hazardous species would have on non-target species which use the
internationally protected habitat.
Pollution
Air pollution is already known to be high in the Dungeness area.
The undoubted increase from additional aircraft movements and road
traffic will add to this. It is likely to cause irreparable damage
to the lichens and mosses, which underpin the fragile ecology of
this unique area and are legally protected because of the SAC designation.
The Airport claims that the new flights will not cause enough pollution
to damage the important plants, but we believe they have failed
to take proper account of the existing and future background pollution
levels.
Disturbance
The increased numbers of flights will increase both noise and disturbance
to the wildlife and people trying to enjoy the area’s tranquillity.
The noise envelope will have direct impacts on parts of the SPA
and the airport has not demonstrated that this will not have negative
impacts on important bird populations.
Adverse impact on protected wildlife
The RSPB does not believe that the airport has demonstrated that
there will be no adverse impact on the area’s internationally
important wildlife. This is something that they are required to
do because of the high level of legal protection for the area’s
wildlife. If they fail to do so, they must prove that there are
no alternatives to their plans and that they are of overriding public
interest. The RSPB does not believe that they could meet either
of these tests.
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STUART
TO BE INTERVIEWED ABOUT GROUP LEADER POST
Monday 8 March 2010
Stuart Banks, Membership and Name Gathering Co-ordinator,
has stepped forward to volunteer for the role of Bexley Group leader.
Stuart has completed an application form of several
pages in length and submitted it to the RSPB London Office in Petty
France where an informal interview with Amy Symons, Volunteer Development
Officer for the London Region, will take place in April. If he gains
her approval regarding his suitability for the voluntary post, Stuart
will then be proposed as the new leader to the membership who will
vote on his adoption at the Annual General Meeting on14 May at Hurstmere
School. Hopefully this should be a formality.
Formalisation of this process is something that
has changed in the last five years as I did not go through the same
procedure when I volunteered for the post.
Since becoming a member of the committee Stuart
has been enthusiastic and innovative in his role and the group has
become the leading London Group for recruiting new members. In addition
we have been mentioned in despatches as the second most successful
group in the country in the collection of signatures for the Bird
of Prey campaign using name gathering cards. He has also introduced
the distribution of free children’s goodie bags at the functions
we have attended this year, some of which have been taken into schools
by the children and used as teaching aids. When you see the zeal
with which Stuart distributes these bags and his rapport with both
parents and children in selling our children’s competition
you can appreciate his suitability for the role of group leader.
He has also been the innovator of the monthly news
sheet with its quiz at the indoor meetings. We look forward with
anticipation to future innovations.
The whole group are very thankful that its future
could be guaranteed and we all give Stuart our best wishes for his
interview.
John Turner
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CALL
FOR INQUIRY AS LYDD AIRPORT PLANS GET SHOCK APPROVAL
Friday 5 March 2010
Shepway District Council shocked conservation organisations
with their
decision on March 3 to approve plans for the extension of Lydd Airport.
The RSPB, along with a huge range of other organisations and individuals,
has expressed disappointment and concern at the decision by Shepway
District Councillors to ignore recommendations of their own officers,
Natural England and legal and policy requirements by approving the
plans.
Chris Corrigan, RSPB director for South East England,
said, “It is difficult to understand how the Councillors can
have reached this decision. The Council’s own officers and
their independent expert ecological advisors have pointed out the
problems and recommended rejection. Natural England, the Government’s
statutory advisors on nature conservation, also recommended rejection.
In the only public polls carried out, local people recommended rejection.
And yet, Shepway District Councillors have decided to approve the
plans.
“The RSPB believes that given the wide ranging
level of popular and technical opposition, the expansion plans must
now be called in for public inquiry so that the facts can face a
full and open public examination.”
The RSPB has stated from the outset that Lydd is
an entirely inappropriate location for an enlarged passenger airport.
As well as being in an amazing place for wildlife, much of which
is protected, it has no public transport links and the road network
struggles to cope with existing traffic levels, never mind any increase
that would have resulted from the expansion plans.
A large increase in air traffic could have an adverse
effect on birds at the RSPB's Dungeness reserve as well as those
that inhabit nearby Romney Marshes.
Eric Brown
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BEXLEY
IS TOP LONDON BOROUGH FOR FOXES
Thursday 4 March 2010
It will come as no great surprise to those kept
awake by their yelps and screams, those who discover bulbs uprooted
and holes in their lawns or those who sniff their strong aroma.
Bexley, it seems, emerged as the most popular London Borough for
foxes in an RSPB survey called "Make your Nature Count".
In fact foxes were seen in Bexley gardens more frequently
than cats! The fox was reported from 89.34 per cent of Bexley gardens
in the summer survey while the cat came second with 86.89 per cent
and grey squirrel third with 71.73. After that came the amphibians
with frog (47.54 per cent) and toad (21.31). Then came birds with
sparrowhawk (12.30) and kestrel 4.10. Hedgehogs may be declining
but they were still recorded in an encouraging 3.28 per cent of
Bexley gardens with badger a regular visitor to 0.82 per cent. Participants
from 11 London Boroughs contributed to the survey with reports received
from 161 Bexley gardens.
Bexley’s fox reporting rate far exceeds the
national UK average of 27.7 per cent and the Londonwide average
70 per cent. The fox came third in London gardens behind cat and
grey squirrel with badger surprisingly reported from as many as
2.43 per cent of gardens.
In the 1950s foxes knew their place – in the
countryside stealing farm poultry. They quickly adapted to take
advantage of the blooming fast food industry and moved into towns,
raiding litter bins for discarded scraps. Free lodgings were available,
too, beneath sheds and outbuildings. The dangers of hunting or an
angry farmer’s gun have been removed and motor vehicles are
now the urban foxes’ greatest enemy. Magpies, who took the
same route, were reported in 63.11 per cent of Bexley gardens. Nationwide,
more than 62,000 people took part in the survey with one in 10 participants
seeing badgers and a quarter of gardens home to foxes and hedgehogs.
More information on Make Your Nature Count at rspb.org.uk/naturecount.
*This article first appeared in the Bexley Times.
ERIC BROWN
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HUNT
IS ON FOR NEW GROUP LEADER
Tuesday 23 February 2010
The search is
on for a new leader of the Bexley RSPB Group. Current leader John
Turner, who officially succeeded David James at the 2005 annual
meeting, is to stand down after five years in the chair.
If no successor
is appointed at the May agm the Group may face closure after 32
years.
At last year’s
annual meeting Mr Turner revealed that no-one had answered his appeal
for a volunteer to join the committee and "learn the ropes"
with a view to becoming the seventh Bexley Group leader. He said
a new leader was "wanted urgently".
RSPB regulations
state that no Local Group can continue to operate without a leader
and Mr Turner added: "The Group has 12 months to find a new
leader or it will then be under notice of closure by the RSPB".
Two volunteers
have now expressed an interest in the post and members will be asked
to elect a new leader.
Eric Brown
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RSPB
IN TALKS ABOUT PAGHAM HARBOUR AND SHEPPEY
Thursday 18 February 2010
The RSPB is involved in talks about managing Pagham
Harbour reserve and acquiring more land on Sheppey. West Sussex
County Council, which runs Pagham Harbour reserve, first approached
the RSPB in Autumn and information is now being gathered on what
would be required to supervise the popular reserve successfully.
Pagham Harbour has been a regular venue for Group
coach outings over many years, most recently in October 2009 (for
report and bird list go to Trip Reports).
Chris Corrigan, the RSPB’s South East Regional Director, said:
"We are keen that somewhere as important as Pagham Harbour
has a secure future, both for its wildlife and for the many people
who enjoy it. We look forward to pursuing that goal in the talks
ahead."
A piece of Harty Marshes on the Isle of Sheppey
is also a focus for the RSPB. Harty Marshes is a small parcel of
land to the east of (but not directly connected to) the Capel Fleet
viewing point which is regularly visited by members to see harriers,
merlin, peregrine, barn owl and occasionally rough legged buzzard
and bearded tit as well as other species. It was bought by South
East England Development Agency.
The RSPB wants to restore the wet grassland habitat
but it is too small and the access too difficult to be a visitor
site. Its acquisition will safeguard another piece in the big Sheppey
jigsaw rather than becoming birdwatching site in itself. The RSPB
wants birdwatchers to continue visiting Capel Fleet or the Swale
NNR knowing that some of the birds they will see in the future will
be due to their improvements on nearby parcels of land.
It has been reported that the RSPB is hoping to
acquire Great Bells Farm near the Elmley reserve to provide extra
habitat for waders and wildfowl. There is no public access –
except through a prison!
Eric Brown
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| FREE
SHOW WITH CAST OF THOUSANDS
The RSPB is issuing an open invitation for people
to watch a show with a cast of thousands - completely free.
Waders, ducks and geese flock to the Medway over
winter and you can witness this amazing spectacle from a viewpoint
near Gillingham between 13 and 21 February. The area is of international
importance because it attracts up to 300,000 birds which feed on
the exposed mudflats at low tide during winter.
The stunning display can be seen from Horrid Hill
at Riverside Country Park near Gillingham where there are sweeping
views of the water. RSPB personnel will be on hand with telescopes
and binoculars to help visitors get a closer look at Teal, Wigeon,
Shelduck, Grey plover, Redshank and Oystercatcher. One of the greatest
attractions is the flocks of Dunlin, sometimes numbering thousands,
flying across the mudflats.
David James, of RSPB North Kent Marshes, said: “Watching
a flock of swooping and sweeping dunlin is like seeing a feathered
whirlwind. The feeding flurry as they move quickly along the mud
is quite spectacular. This makes a great day out for families during
the half term. It gets kids outdoors and excited about nature.”
Despite impressive flocks of waders and wildfowl
across the North Kent Marshes, many of these species are now Amber
Listed as Species of Conservation Concern. This means numbers have
declined by at least 25 per cent over the past 25 years or the habitats
populations rely on are scarce or under threat.
The event runs from 10am to 3pm on the dates above.
Parking & entry free. For more information call 01634 222480,
email: northkentmarshes@rspb.org.uk
or visit www.rspb.org.uk/reserves
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| KIDS
BRAVE FREEZING TEMPERATURES TO WATCH BIRDS Big
Garden Birdwatch 30-31 January 2010
The group decided
to encourage the numbers of Big Garden Birdwatch participants in
Bexley again by distributing forms to the public at various outlets.
Two hundred forms were ordered form the RSPB and distributed in
various ways. Maurice Ewart undertook distribution to pet shops
in Crayford and Sidcup and door to door distribution in the Sidcup
area. Libraries in Bexley, Bexleyheath, Crayford, Blackfen and Sidcup
displayed forms for completion as well as posters for the event
at Hall Place on Saturday 30 January. Hall Place publicity department
were also kind enough to print and display posters on their notice
boards.
Saturday morning
proved to be fine and sunny but our volunteers arrived at the courtyard
outside the visitors centre to find a temperature of minus one degree!
We set up three telescopes, a sales stall in the courtyard and an
information stall inside the centre.
The intrepid
volunteers were Stuart Banks, John Hawkins, Sylvia Say, Jean and
Alan Mayes and Diane Lelliott.
We were gratified
to meet many members of the public and their children who took a
great deal of interest in the bird watch through the telescopes
and in the birds in the surrounding area. Many took forms to complete
if they were not members of the RSPB.
A photographer
from the News Shopper arrived to take photographs of several of
the children using the telescopes.
Chief attraction
among the birds was a pair of grey wagtails seen on the bridge.
Other birds seen were pied wagtail, blue tit, great tit, chaffinch,
greenfinch, house sparrow, wren, blackbird, moorhen, mallard, Canada
geese, greylag geese, carrion crow, magpie and wood pigeon as well
as over-flying black-headed gulls and ring necked parakeets.
I am grateful
to all the volunteers who took part and pleased we distributed all
200 forms.
John Turner |
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VOLUNTEERS
READY TO HAND OUT GARDEN BIRDWATCH FORMS
Friday 8 January 2010
Volunteers from the Bexley Group will be at two
venues to distribute forms for the Big Garden Birdwatch taking place
over the weekend of 30 and 31 January.
An event in conjunction with Bexley Heritage Trust
will be held at Hall Place on 30 January from 10.00 am to 1.00 pm.
We shall have telescopes trained on birds feeding on the seed and
nuts provided, have bird food and feeders available for sale and
BGBW forms will be handed out. We shall also have membership forms
and information about the RSPB and the Bexley Group as well as free
goody bags for children.
Those wishing to collect forms earlier can do so
at Pets at Home in Crayford on Saturday 23 January. Survey forms
will also be available in some libraries.
Records were set in 2009 with more than 551,000
people taking part across the UK. Nearly 280,000 parks and gardens
were surveyed, and 8.5 million birds counted. The more results received,
the more the RSPB understands what is going on with garden birds.
Since 1979 there have been worrying drops in garden bird numbers;
three quarters of the starlings have gone and more than half the
house sparrows. This shows the importance of this survey and with
public participation the RSPB can help save the birds that are part
of our daily lives.
In Bexley we are hoping to raise the numbers of
participants from the 983 adults and 82 children who took part last
year, in order to exceed the number who took part in 2007 –
1165 adults and 141 children.
John Turner
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