This is our last newsletter of the 2025/2026 season. We write them to keep everyone abreast of all that’s happened in the society in the last few months, so please let us know if you are enjoying them and we will carry on. We hope that the trip reports will entice more people to join us.

We have welcomed some new members this season and our Treasurer, Stephen Williams, reported at the AGM that the society finances were in a healthy state. Following the closure of our previous website after Mike Hems passed away, one of the highlights of this last year was the setting up of a new society website by Ged Petch and hopefully this will be instrumental in attracting more new members in the coming seasons.

One sad note is that due to ill-health, our Secretary, Ian Williams, has had to resign from the role. Ian has done a wonderful job in the last few years organising excellent programmes of talks and we hope to carry this on for the next season. We wish Ian well for the future.

This means that there are vacancies on the committee, if anyone is interested in joining then please contact our Chairman, Paul Kenyon.

Look out for our next newsletter out in August when we will have our programme of talks and field trips, both midweek and weekend for the new season for 2026/2027 starting in October.

--------------------------------------------

Indoor Meetings

The final indoor meeting on our calendar was the AGM on April 10th. Only 16 members turned up for the meeting and after the business was concluded, it was followed by refreshments and a short, illustrated talk by our society Chairman, Paul Kenyon entitled ‘Uganda’.

--------------------------------------------

Mid-week Group

The April trip (14th) was to Mere Sands Nature Reserve and Martin Mere WWT and led by Stephen. Five members met at Mere Sands NR at 10am on a dry overcast day. We did the circular walk around the lakes anticlockwise and soon got our first spring migrants. A Blackcap was showing nicely and singing its head off!  A Reed Warbler was heard in the reeds by the lake but not seen. We clocked the usual water birds on the lakes and were treated to close views of a Great White Egret. We also saw our first House Martins of the year swooping over the lake.

At the end of the walk, it started to drizzle, and we set off for Martin Mere and had our lunch in the excellent café. Here we saw Marsh Harrier, Swallow and Avocet. Most geese had gone apart from Greylag. The lakes were teeming with Black headed Gulls who were very noisy. A volunteer helped us identify a lone Med Gull who had teamed up with a Black Headed Gull, not sure how this ended up! We totalled 47 species for the day. 

---------------------------------------------

Seven members turned up for the May trip (12th) to the Goyt Valley, led by Simon Smith. This was the final mid-week trip of the MCOS season. The weather forecast wasn’t promising and the roads into the Goyt Valley are basic and, on this occasion, subject to randomly signed closures for repairs. Coincidentally, a larger group from SECOS were doing the same walk but, after a brief chat with their leader, we decided to proceed separately. 

Early arrivals at the meeting point, the Errwood Hall carpark, were greeted by Common Sandpiper, Goldfinch, Mistle & Song Thrush and the omnipresent Willow Warblers. We started out up the field towards the ruins of Errwood Hall, then turned left onto a track at the edge of the woods. Soon a fine, persistent rain started that dampened us and bird activity, so we missed out on the Goldcrest & Siskin that often frequent the pines either side of the track, but enjoyed the usual, hardier passerines. Further along the track, we had a few glimpses of a male Redstart and heard a distant Cuckoo calling. Blackcaps were seen & heard, though Tree Pipits were missing from the open area on the right.

Crossing the road onto the wooded stream-side path, we admired the majestic Beech trees and noted the gaps where storm damage and felling of Larch trees for disease control had occurred. A Grey Heron was seen prowling along the stream margins and a Grey Wagtail shot through. There was no sign of the Dipper.

We decided not to ascend the steep steps up to the quarry and instead backtracked to the road. There we had the highlight of the walk with all of us having good views of a male Pied Flycatcher delivering food to a road-side nesting box. As we returned along the road to the carpark, we were hit by a squall of rain that sent us scurrying for the cars.

The return journey involved driving up the Goyt Valley to Derbyshire Bridge, where I had to stop while a Red Grouse crossed the road. In all, about 25 birds were seen or heard.

Undeterred by the soaking and armed with an improving forecast, Paul & Denise continued birding the Goyt Valley & further afield. Before leaving the car park they found a Common Ringed Plover on the shore of the reservoir, at Goytsclough Quarry they had Bullfinches, a female Pied Flycatcher, Mistle Thrush & Grey Wagtail and at Derbyshire Bridge they saw a displaying Short-eared Owl, Stonechat, Reed Bunting & Lapwing. While at Three Shires Head they saw Cuckoos being mobbed by Meadow Pipits, Curlew, Kestrel, Swallow & a distant Redstart, finishing with 31 species for the day.

Weekend Group

Only 6 members attended our Sunday 26th April trip to the Conwy Valley in North Wales led by Ray, to hunt for summer migrants. We met at Conwy RSPB at 9.00am where the weather was warm and calm. The reserve wasn’t open, but we entered through the side gate and walked down to Tal-y-Fan hide and eventually on to Carneddau Hide. Migrant highlights included Reed & Sedge Warbler, Blackcap, Chiffchaff, Whitethroat, Wheatear, Swallow and House Martin. Other highlights were Great Crested Grebe, Little Egret and Cetti’s Warbler.

We then travelled down the valley to Hafod Wood, just south-east of Llanrwst. We walked up into the woods and saw some woodland birds including Song & Mistle Thrush, Treecreeper, Great Spotted Woodpecker and had excellent views of both Pied Flycatcher and Redstart.

After lunch we moved on to Denbigh Moors and at a few roadside stops, we found further migrants in Willow Warbler and a Cuckoo in flight together with Common Buzzard, Kestrel, Stonechat and a single Redpoll. We travelled down the road to Llyn Brenig where at the feeders we added further Redpoll, Siskin and Willow Tit and Paul found a migrant Common Sandpiper on the edge of the reservoir. At the Osprey lookout we undoubtedly saw our best migrant of the day with the female sat on the nest at the platform and the male on sentry duty on a tree stump some thirty metres away. Further highlights here included another Willow Tit and a Garden Warbler.

Our final stop was at Bod Petryal, the picnic site in Clocaenog Forest where the only highlight was a single Goldcrest. It was disappointing again not to find any Wood Warblers anywhere despite calling at known sites. It was a beautiful sunny day with light winds, and we managed a very respectable 63 species and the highlights for me were the excellent views of both Pied Flycatcher and Redstart in Hafod Wood.

-------------------------------------------

May’s trip saw 14 members on a long weekend (21st-24th) to Dorset led by Ray. We stayed at the same hotel again, the Castleton in Swanage, and were well looked after by Kate and her staff.

Most of us met late morning on the Thursday, at RSPB Ham Wall reserve on the Somerset Levels and highlights here included Bittern booming but no sightings, numerous Great White Egret, Marsh Harrier, Hobby, Black tailed Godwit, Blackcap, Garden & Cetti’s Warbler. Some saw a Grass Snake basking in the sunshine under the old railway bridge. After having our lunch, we had a brief walk over the road to Shapwick Heath. We didn’t see any different birds, but the insect life included Hairy Dragonfly, Azure & Small Red Eyed Damselfly and Four Spotted & Broad Bodied Chaser.

Mid-afternoon we continued our journey to Swanage, checked in at the hotel, and convened at the Greyhound Inn at Corfe Castle for our evening meal. After eating we drove to Studland where we heard and saw a Nightjar plus Stonechat, Tree Pipit and a few Roe Deer and Brown Hare.

On Friday after a hearty breakfast, the group travelled up to the New Forest. The weather was bright and sunny, and we started off at Eyeworth Pond near Fritham where highlights included Nuthatch, Marsh Tit, Mistle & Song Thrush and Stonechat. Our next destination was Acres Down where we had our lunch, walked part way across the heath where we saw Common Buzzard, Siskin, Willow Warbler and more Stonechat. 

We then moved to Bolderwood and after an ice cream, we sat at some picnic tables and watched a pair of Firecrest plucking moss from the base of a tree to carry up to a nest they were building. A walk to the Fallow Deer Enclosure viewpoint gave us another pair of Firecrest and a Treecreeper. On the route back to the hotel some of us went to Holt Heath near Ferndown to look for a male Red Footed Falcon. Sadly, we were not successful, but we did see Crossbill and a Cuckoo flew past. Our car had a Barn Owl over the road near Wareham. We had our evening meal followed by a get-together for a few drinks back at the hotel.

On Saturday, after another great breakfast, we travelled the brief distance to Durlston Country Park on the outskirts of Swanage. The weather was again hot & sunny but there was a gentle cooling breeze off the sea. On the walk down to the lighthouse, we had excellent views of Common Whitethroat and Linnet and along the clifftop walk highlights included Fulmar, Guillemot, Razorbill, Gannet, Shag and Rock Pipit. Paul also found a Hummingbird Hawkmoth. 

We drove the short distance to Arne RSPB reserve at the other end of Purbeck and had our lunch. We first had a walk over the road on Hyde’s Heath where we had excellent views of Dartford Warbler and very distant views of 2/3 White Tailed Eagle over towards the Wareham Channel. Sadly, the birds were flying away from us and didn’t come any nearer. There was some excitement amongst the group when a few saw a migrant Clouded Yellow butterfly much to the dismay of others. Over the weekend there were many Painted Lady around as well. A further walk on Coombe Heath gave Tree Pipit, Little Egret and two Ospreys at a nest platform on Poole Harbour with one of the birds fishing in the channel. We reconvened again at the Greyhound for our evening meal, followed by a little social gathering back at the hotel.

On the Sunday morning after yet another excellent breakfast, paying our dues and saying goodbye to the hotel we drove towards Weymouth and our first port of call was Portland Bill. A walk down to the headland gave us Wheatear, Fulmar, Gannet, Sandwich Tern, Guillemot and Razorbill and David found a single Puffin on the sea – the first one I’ve ever seen on the south coast. We walked across the carpark to the little quarry by Portland Observatory where a single Little Owl was showing well on the quarry face and other highlights included Lesser Whitethroat, Goldfinch, Kestrel and Raven.  

We moved to Ferrybridge, had our lunch, followed by distant views from the Visitor Centre of Little Tern from the colony on the beach there together with Ringed Plover, Dunlin and Sanderling. Our final stop for the weekend was RSPB Radipole Lake in the centre of Weymouth. Highlights were few and far between here and the best birds were Cetti’s Warbler and Reed Bunting. On that note, mid-afternoon. we called it a day for the long journey home.

We had a great weekend, excellent accommodation, good food and good company. Thanks to Mike for organising the evening meals at the Greyhound Inn. The weather was hot and sunny with wall-to-wall blue sky. Our final list of birds was 97.

---------------------------------------------

The final trip of the weekend season was on Jun 7th to Llangynog just south-west of Oswestry in Powys and led by Paul. Four members including the leader met at the car park in the village at 09:00 am. Our destination was Cwm Glan-Hafon which is a valley off the trail which heads parallel to the River Tanat.

Birds flying around the village included Swift, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Siskin and a fly over Red Kite. Sadly, although the weather was sunny it was also very windy which caused many of the birds to take shelter. Willow Warblers were everywhere alongside Chiffchaffs. A few Redstarts were seen but none of the usual Welsh specialities put in an appearance. Turning into Cwm Glan-Hafon a Peregrine was calling from the rock face on Craig Rhiwarth. More Willow Warblers and Whitethroats were seen and heard, and several Stonechats were also heard and eventually seen.

Many flowers were in bloom and as a result Painted Lady, Red Admiral, Green Veined White butterflies were seen plus Small Heaths. Buzzards were flying over the Rock plus a Kestrel. On the way back to the village, Swallows and a Garden Warbler were seen. In the thirty years I have been going here this was the poorest return bird wise I have had, but such a beautiful place to be.

We returned to the car park and had lunch. We then headed for Llanymynech nature reserve just a little further down the A483. A Yellowhammer was seen just as we headed out to the next venue. Parking up in the car park we spent two hours wandering round the reserve listening to Willow Warblers and Blackcaps. It’s not a reserve that’s signposted from anywhere but affords the most stunning views of Shropshire, and straddles both Wales and England and is home to many species of rarer butterflies, none of which were flying today. Common Blues and Red Admirals were seen but again the birds were affected by the wind. Although birds were difficult to see, the two areas had stunning views and are well worth a visit.

---------------------------------------------

Ray Evans/Andrew Aldridge