The Reading RSPB group held their AGM at Pangbourne Village Hall, I and all the present committee were unanimously re-elected except for Carl Feltham who has stepped down after some 30 years.
During that time, he has produced the club’s twice-yearly magazine the “Reading Warbler” the quality of which has been the envy of most groups throughout the land.
He has also managed the club’s IT needs which, not surprisingly, have grown considerably over the 30 years.
He will, however, remain on the RSPB’s Local Group Steering Committee, so he will continue to have some input into the running of the group.
A new face on the committee will be Jenny Gordon who will become the Indoor Meetings Organiser.
The members were delighted that the AGM was followed by a presentation from the Chief Executive Officer of the RSPB, Becky Speight, who provided an interesting update on the current work of the RSPB.
In May, the group were finally able to resume mini-bus trips which were curtailed during the epidemic. The trip to the New Forest was, however, marred by rain.
Nevertheless, a fine siskin male showed well in the car park on arrival where a pair of goldcrest were taking food to their nest were also found. A tree pipit was singing in the top of a dead tree and there were brief views of spotted flycatcher.
After lunch there was some difficulty identifying a juvenile mistle thrush which has white spots on its head, unlike the adults. Later, there were good views of stonechat and fleeting glimpses of dartford warbler, whilst cuckoo was heard but not seen.
The local trip to Woolhampton Gravel Pits actually brought good views of two cuckoo but the number of ducks were disappointing with only tufted duck and pochard present.
Around the lakeside, many garden warbler and blackcap were singing their delightful songs. In the woodland a family of treecreeper obliged good views.
Disappointingly, no swallows, martins or swifts were seen over the lake, but that seems to be a recurring theme in the south of England this year.
The next meeting of the RSPB group takes place at Pangbourne Village Hall at 8pm on Tuesday, June 14, when Professor Tom Oliver will take deliver an illustrated presentation entitled Nature and Social Connectedness – an attempt to look at how individual mindsets can influence biodiversity.
Visitors are always welcome.
For more information, log on to: www.reading-rspb.org
DAVE GLOVER
