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| Jim Gordon in 1984
In 2012 RSPB Liverpool celebrated it's 40th Anniversary, and over the years our membership has seen people come, go and return.... Recently we were reminded of our past when a new member Neil Gordon told us of his father's lifelong interest in birds and his past connection to RSPB Liverpool. Sadly Neil's father died recently, but in his memory we asked Neil to put together a small piece on his time with our group.
Neil and his family have bequeathed Jim's funeral collection to our group funds, for this we wish to offer a huge thanks for this most thoughtful and generous donation.
Neil Writes -
Jim’s love of birds began at an early age. As a young boy he
would wander the farmlands of Norris Green.
With no field guides or books at home, Jim was one of the generations of
self taught birders’, his only source of information being a “borrowed” school
book on common birds.
Family life took over for Jim and it wasn’t until his
children grew that he began to fall in love with his childhood hobby
again. Living in Fazakerley he would
spend hours watching Redpoll and Bullfinch in Fazakerley woods finding the
occasional good bird like Long Eared Owls and would come home excitedly telling all the family of his great
finds.
The big breaking point in his birding life came when he
bought his first car, a VW Beetle and he was soon to be found at Seaforth,
Lunt, Hale, Frodsham and Marshside.
Jim joined the local RSPB Liverpool group in the early
eighties and spent many great days out with the group enjoying the meetings as
he loved to learn and soon realised the other birders in the group were happy
to pass on their knowledge. Jim and his
family spent many happy trips to the Solway with RSPB Liverpool led by Ted
Richards and even ventured abroad for the first time to Majorca on a group
holiday. His appetite for scarcer birds had now been lit by the group.
What followed for Jim were many happy late summer holidays
to Norfolk, ticking off birds he had only dreamt of seeing whilst reading his
bird books at night. The one major trip he always longed for was a two week
birding holiday on the Scillys’, which he and his family enjoyed in ’84.
Jim loved to travel to see rare birds, from the Little
Whimbrel in Norfolk to the White Billed Diver in Northern Scotland. If he could
get there it was game on.
When Jim retired from bus driving after 30 years, it was
back to local birding, with his favourite patch being Seaforth Docks. As Jim’s health began to decline and he
stopped driving, it was down to park and garden birding with the occasional
twitch if he could get a lift off someone.
His love of birds, common or rare, never faded and is last day in the
field was to see a male smew at Lunt this year. He came home that day tired and
sore but with a broad grin on his face.
Birding full circle for my dad over the space of 70 plus
years’ with lots of memories of good friends and great days out.
Jim Gordon
18/03/1936 – 12/09/2016
Thank you Neil
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Monday, 17 October 2016
In Memory : Jim Gordon's birding life
Tuesday, 11 October 2016
Ringing the reedlings – another successful year for special birds at RSPB Leighton Moss
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Autumn is certainly on its way and at RSPB Leighton Moss nature
reserve in Silverdale, that means some of its most secretive residents –
the bearded reedlings, are coming out of hiding, offering
visitors a greater chance of spotting these elusive birds.
Leighton Moss is the largest reedbed in North West England, home
to rare and special wildlife. Bearded reedlings, also known as bearded
tits, are very uncommon and rely on this special environment to
live in. They first began breeding at the reserve in 1973 and
their numbers have been closely monitored by dedicated staff and volunteers
ever since.
Earlier this year, following stormy weather that flooded the
reserve, it was feared the bearded reedling population may have
declined. However, through ringing studies, where young birds have
colour coded leg rings fitted, staff at the nature reserve have found that it
has been another good year for these secretive birds.
Kevin Kelly, Visitor Operations Manager at RSPB Leighton Moss
and Morecambe Bay nature reserve said: “We have caught
or seen nine adult males and ten adult females so far this summer, as
well as fitted colour rings to 22 baby birds and nine other young
bearded tits. This shows that there have been plenty of successful
breeding attempts despite the challenging weather conditions last
winter.”
Kevin added: “Autumn is the best time of year to
come and see these iconic reedbed residents, as they venture out onto
special grit trays. We put the trays out for them to stock up on grit which
helps them digest reed seeds – their main food source during the cold winter
months.”
Visitors can look for bearded reedlings at Leighton Moss any day
in October but for the best chance to see these rare birds feeding on
the grit trays, take a walk down the Causeway between 9.30 am-12 pm.
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Vis Mig at Hale 09/10/16
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| Sun's up. Runcorn/Widnes bridge in distance |
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| Church lane watchers |
It was a beautiful morning on Sunday at Hale for our visible migration field trip.
Highlight for me was the Merlin, tree sparrows, redwings and flappy fieldfare, looovve our scandinavian visitors.
Laura
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| Fieldfare |
Sunday 9 October 2016
| Counting period: 07:25 - 09:30 Count type: incomplete species list, not all species submitted Weather: wind NE1, cloud-cover 3/8, visibility 25m, temperature 9 ℃, Sunny , cool NE wind F1, 3/cloud slowly decreasing cloud cover through watch Observers: Jeff Clarke, Chris Tynan plus RSPB group
Totals: 6245 individuals, 26 species, 2:05 hours Bold = Remarkable observation (scarce or rare species or large number) * = Additional info (on mouseover species) Comments: Probably significant undercount on passerines due to large group presence impeding call reception. All migrants vectored south or south-east unless otherwise stated. Count Website http://www.trektellen.nl/count/view/392/20161009
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Thursday, 29 September 2016
Prepare for an awesome autumn spectacle on the Dee Estuary
As summer draws to a close, the Dee Estuary enters arguably its most exciting time of year due to the arrival of vast flocks of birds returning from their Arctic breeding grounds. The RSPB is inviting visitors to take part in a series of events across their Dee Estuary nature reserve to share some of the most impressive natural spectacles in this region.
Dan Trotman, Visitor Experience Manager for RSPB Dee Estuary nature reserve, said: “I’m a huge fan of autumn, it could even be my favourite season of the year. The reserve here comes into its own, supporting thousands of wetland birds as they swap the cold Arctic for our warmer climes. High tides around the equinox make for some excellent wildlife watching too, pushing the vast swathes of ducks and wading birds into closer view along with the birds of prey that hunt them.”
The Dee Estuary is home to the largest little egret colony in Northern England and, with earlier sunsets which are another special autumn attraction on the Wirral, it becomes easier to witness the daily spectacle of over 300 flying in from the marsh to their night-time roost. To celebrate this wild wonder, ‘An Evening with Egrets’ guided walk is taking place on Saturday 8 October at RSPB Burton Mere Wetlands. The event costs £6.50 per person (£5 for RSPB members), half price for children. Booking is essential by phoning 0151 353 8478 or email deeestuary@rspb.org.uk.
Visitors can also take part in ‘Autumn Arrivals’ on Saturday 15 October at RSPB Point of Ayr near Talacre. This short guided walk involves crossing beach and sand dunes so suitable footwear and a decent level of fitness are required. The event is free of charge, but donations are welcome. Booking is essential by phoning 0151 353 8478 or email deeestuary@rspb.org.uk.
To experience the autumn tidal phenomenon, join ‘Parkgate High Tide Watch’ events on Monday 17 and Tuesday 18 October at the Donkey Stand and the Old Baths car park on Parkgate parade. Suitable for people of all ages and abilities, these events are free of charge, but donations are welcome. RSPB staff and volunteers will be on hand with telescopes and binoculars to enhance the impressive views. Timings vary depending on the tides, so visit rspb.org.uk/deeestuary for more details.
Dan added: “You don’t have to be an avid birdwatcher to appreciate the vast numbers of birds that call the Dee their home at this time of year. These upcoming events are planned to showcase these awesome natural occurances and show why it’s so important for the RSPB to keep almost half of the estuary under its protection. So pop on an extra layer or two, and come along, we’d love to see you!”
For further information on events and wildlife at RSPB Dee Estuary, visit rspb.org.uk/deeestuary.
Thursday, 8 September 2016
Help children in Liverpool discover the wonder of nature
RSPB seeks volunteers to help with schools nature project
The RSPB is calling on nature lovers to help inspire children about wildlife as part of an ambitious schools nature project in Liverpool.
Funded by the sale of single use plastic carrier bags by ALDI, the RSPB’s Connecting Children with Nature project enables children in 15 cities across the UK to experience and explore nature first-hand by running sessions in their school grounds.
In the first few months of the project in Liverpool, the RSPB has already helped to introduce 600 local primary school children to the delights of the natural world and is planning on inspiring many more young minds in the coming year.
To achieve this, the RSPB needs to expand its existing team of excellent schools outreach volunteers in Liverpool.
Stephanie Hepworth, Schools Outreach Officer for Liverpool, explains: “We are looking for people with a passion for nature who can take children aged 5-12 outdoors and show them the brilliant birds, bugs and flowers that thrive outside their classroom window.
“We believe that connecting with nature should be a part of every child’s life. There’s loads of scientific evidence, which shows that getting outdoors and engaging with nature can have a wide range of benefits for children including improved physical and mental health, and even increased academic performance. It’s also great fun and can lead to a lifelong love and appreciation for everything that chirps, snuffles, buzzes and flutters.
“If you think you’ve got the skills to communicate your love of nature to children and can inspire them to cherish wildlife, then we’d love to hear from you.”
People interested in volunteering for the Connecting with Nature project in Liverpool should contact Stephanie Hepworth on 07841804793 or at stephanie.hepworth@rspb.org.uk.
Monday, 5 September 2016
RSPB nature reserve gets a facelift at 30
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| Progression of inner marsh farm -Alisdiar Grubb |
This month marks five years since RSPB Burton Mere Wetlands opened its doors, but parts of the land managed by the wildlife conservation charity have now entered their fourth decade as a nature reserve and have just undergone some home improvements.
The origins of the reserve date back to 1986 when the RSPB bought the flooded crop fields of Inner Marsh Farm in Burton. Five years of planning and hard work saw three freshwater lagoons created and then a hide was built in 1992, to bring the public closer to the great variety of birds that call the Dee estuary home. However, after years of natural change, the wetland had silted up in places and now major improvement work has provided a much needed rejuvenation of the old pools.
Colin Wells, Site Manager at RSPB Dee Estuary nature reserve said: “I’d not long moved to this reserve when the RSPB bought Inner Marsh Farm. I was responsible for creating the wetland which is now home to internationally important numbers of ducks, geese and wading birds, along with a whole host of other wonderful wildlife.”
In recent years however, despite regular ongoing management through mowing and sheep grazing, time had taken its toll and the pools were silting up, with rushes and reeds starting to dominate the water. This meant they were less suitable for the birds which were becoming further away from the hide, making it more difficult for visitors to view them. The RSPB decided more drastic work was needed, so set about a project to dredge the pools and remove the layers of silt and vegetation that had established over the years.
Colin added: “Before the diggers had even finished the work, there were various wading birds taking advantage of the newly exposed mud to find food. This bodes well for the weeks ahead as the reserve is a vital rest stop for wading birds on autumn migration from other parts of Europe.”
This desilting work is the first part of a series of improvements to the Inner Marsh Farm area of the RSPB reserve; the site team are hoping to change from sheep grazing to cattle later this year, with a view to tackling the tough rushes and restoring the area to a rich wet grassland. This along with the installation of an electric predator exclusion fence will make it ideal for nesting wading birds.
In addition, the RSPB are currently embarking on a project to fund the replacement of the aging hide, and upgrade the accessibility of the path, bringing the whole site up to the high standard of Burton Mere Wetlands.
For more information on the important work carried out at the reserve as well as upcoming events, visit www.rspb.org.uk/deeestuary
Wednesday, 24 August 2016
Inglorious day update. Now write to your MP
Not so happy inglorious 12th day , god help anything that flies over our Moors ðŸ˜ðŸ˜ 😡
On Sunday 7/08/16 a few of us (could you have gone? next year- if it happens?) went to the Hen Harrier day at Dunsop Bridge determined to add our voices against the wilful and criminal act of raptor persecution(any wild things that get in the way).
After the uplifting rally led by Terry Pickford from Raptor politics (including a visit from the Grim reaper who came for a grouse shooter-
We had a picnic on the Duke of Westminster's grouse moor.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p044fnlg - Packham v botham
RSPB NEWS 18/08/16 : Elwood - First tagged hen harrier of 2016 goes missing.
If this is important you
Where do you live? make sure your voice is heard. Sign,pass it on
and write to you MP
(Template below to help)
(Template below to help)
CONSTITUENCY
WEST DERBY 101 PETITION SIGNATURES TO DATE
WALTON 88
WAVERTREE 140
RIVERSIDE 234
GARSTON & HALEWOOD 166
KNOWSLEY 112
BOOTLE 138
SEFTON CENTRAL 154
HALTON 123
ST HELENS NTH 124
ST HELENS STH AND WHISTON 134
WEST LANCS 177
Laura
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