Army Ornithological Society(3) Blog Posts Made in November 2018
The Adjutant 2017
The 2017 edition of The Adjutant (Volume 38) is now publicly available via the AOS website.
CommentsBarnes WWT 2018
A small but select group made it for this year’s annual visit to the London Wetland Centre (aka Barnes WWT) on 27 Oct.
A total of 42 species were seen of which the highlights were undoubtedly:
• A pair of Peregrine Falcons perched on Charing Cross Hospital.
• Two Cetti’s Warblers singing in the open adjacent to the Water’s Edge Café!
• A Short-eared Owl resting in the Grazing Marsh and, as you would expect, pretty well hidden!
None of the attendees had any camera kit so a picture of the LEGO Short-eared Owl will have to suffice! Should you have young family members and are within striking distance of Barnes the Giant LEGO Brick Animal Trail is still present but the last day is scheduled for 18 Nov. You never know but, as we did, you may get to see the real thing!
SPTA West
Time has flown past and I held my final AGM as Chairman of the Imber Conservation Group (ICG). Next year the 3 groups will amalgamate. The only difference will affect the hierarchy and the members will still continue to do their thing. This year I have seen 65 species on the Plain though this list is not the total number of species for the ICG. The latest involvement has been the Hen Harier survey. Whereas my location has a Kestrel, Wren and plenty of corvids passing by the other 2 locations have recorded Hen Harrier, Short-eared Owl, Merlin, Golden Plover to name a few. We have just recorded a Wheatear on the Plain and the Starling murmuration is starting to form up. Last month I conducted one of my monthly Nature Walks and near Brounkers Well there were plenty of Yellowhammer, Blackcap, Reed Bunting and Meadow Pipit. There were still plenty of Skylark on the old Stone Curlew plot where chicks were raised. During the hot summer there was hardly a bird but it did not strike until the big ponds had delivered their toads! We will also conduct a winter survey so hopefully I will have something to write about besides my travels across Europe (326 including firsts of Gyr Falcon and Little Bittern).
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