Recording and records for 2000 Winter 2000

It is interesting to delve into the history since I started the recorders job.  I took over from Bob Aitken who did an excellent job for many years.  I remember waiting in eager anticipation for Bob Aitken's annual 'Birds of the District' talk wondering what (not 'if there were any') interesting things I had not heard about during the course of the year.  No need to repeat what it is like now, with the information flow rendering the B.of D. talk redundant (unless we have a special one for Kevin Briggs' traditional end of year supply of information!). 

Therefore I expect most of the Year 2000 records are already in, via the information lines, Leighton Moss sightings book etc..  A further recent development has seen person(s) unknown checking the Leighton Moss sightings book and putting records on the Focal Point web-site/text message service.   Therefore I can write a rarity record in the Leighton Moss book, person(s) unknown put it on to Focal Point service, Birdline North West hears about it,  this is then poached by RBA pager, then I finally see my own record on the Birdnet pager just as it is going dark!   The point of this is to give a strong hint that the best way to share your sightings, as incorporated in the aims and objectives of LDBWS, is to inform one of the 'major players' (BNW, RBA or Birdnet) whence it should immediately filter through the system....as well as writing it in the Local Sightings book.    The easiest way is to dial 144 which puts you on to a freephone service.  Then dial 326 46775 8321 for connection to BNW hotline.    

Any records of interest, which we may not have received, can perhaps be narrowed down to the following:

a)       'Freshwater' wader sightings from the Lune Estuary south/east side, Conder Green/estuary etc.. It may not have been covered particularly well (c/p Aldcliffe, Sunderland)

b)       Lesser Spotted Woodpecker/Hawfinch from people who live in more suitable habitat than my 'one Blue Tit a year inner city terrace'.

c)        The Kent Estuary summaries from AHNS and the Halforth Log people for which I am annually grateful

d)       Any interesting records related to common species e.g. systematic migration counts of Meadow Pipits, early and lates

e)        Anything which has been suppressed for reasons of privacy.   The actual site will not be published if either that is the observers wishes or it is too sensitive (e.g. rare breeding bird)

f)         All records of  Stonechat recorded on passage i.e. at lowland sites.  This is the commonest of the migrant passerine species for which we publish/summarise all records.  Obviously anything rarer, such as lowland Ring Ouzel, is also of interest!

Please could they be sent to Jean Roberts as soon as possible at:

11, St Pauls Drive, Brookhouse  LA2 9PG

Jean will be collating records with Pete Crooks compiling the text for the 2001 annual report.

*Seabird records from Morecambe-Heysham

The Heysham Obs. report will be published as usual at the end of the month/very early January.   If this is a publication you subscribe to, please note that any seabird records from the Stone Jetty to Heysham Ocean Edge caravan park are documented therein.  Have you any contributions, even if just the odd Fulmar and Gannet as, whilst there has been a good variety of seabirds this year, the numbers of the commoner ones have been very low and every record will be published.   Thank you.

Pete Marsh

Other wildlife groups

The diverse interests of birdwatchers (in many cases sparked off by mid-summer boredom and the realisation that rare migrant dragonflies, moths, butterflies are there to be found)  is increasingly leading to co-operation between bird recorders and those involved in other faunal/floral groups.  Please could you help here?   Secondly, it would help our tetrad mapping scheme if some easily recognisable species could be reported

Hummingbird Hawk Moth 

Several were seen in our area in 2000.   Did you see any?  Were any reported to you?  Please let me know.

Cinnabar caterpillars 

These are the orange and black ones you find on ragwort.

Six Spot and Narrow-bordered Five-Spot Burnet Moths

These are the buzzy red and black moths sometimes seen in profusion in short grass habitats in June/July.  They can frequently be found nectaring on the likes of Creeping Thistle and Tufted Vetch, sometimes several on one plant.   They are very approachable at this time and you do not need a calculator to identify them!  This request is part of a special survey of these two species so please help if you can.  Thank you.

Anything else you may find or have found which is of interest. 

Please send all records to Pete Marsh - contact as on Newsletter heading