Monthly Meetings

Edward Mayer will be talking about Swifts, the most spectacular and charismatic urban bird, their sad decline and what we can all do about it. He has devoted the past 20 years to working for Swifts, having noticed that many of the Swifts in his local population in NW London were vanishing. He set up a website providing a wealth of information and guidance, and then recruited helpers and set about giving talks with the aim of inspiring people to set up local groups to assist Swifts both here in the UK and in Europe too. The results have been surprising, and he will tell us about them in his richly illustrated talk.

Above the fireplace in the main meeting room at RSPB headquarters at Sandy, hangs a painting of a grey-whiskered Victorian gentleman clutching field glasses. His name is W. H. Hudson (1841-1922), a one-time celebrated author and naturalist. Conor Jameson will talk about his mission to restore W.H. Hudson to his rightful place as one of our most significant wildlife campaigners and pioneers, pieced together from old letters and books - a rags to riches, globe-spanning tale and an inspiration for today.

Peter Merchant will discuss his experience of working with this iconic bird from 2008, when the first pair bred under the Orwell Bridge, to the success of having raised 146 fledgling from 10 locations to date. Breeding sites have included Dockland, BT, Suez energy, From Waste plant, Churches, and not least the issues of the Jumbo Tower and the problems of siting nest boxes, and the rehabilitation of birds that have found themselves in trouble. Please note that this talk takes place after our annual AGM which starts at 19:30. All members are welcome to attend the AGM, but if you just want to watch the talk please wait in the foyer until the AGM has finished, thank you.

Paul Alistair Collins provides an insight into his favourite wildlife locations, taking us on a a whistle-stop tour of some of Europe's greatest bird photography destinations, and the stories behind the photos. These locations feature in Paul's photographic tours - from eagles and vultures in the Spanish Pyrenees, and woodpeckers in Estonia's taiga forests, to the pelicans of Lake Kerkini. 

Dr Rob Williams will provide a detailed introduction to the world’s smallest birds and the only ones that can fly backwards. Hummingbirds are only found in the Americas with the greatest diversity in the tropical Andes. This talk will examine their evolution, diversity and ecology, as well as their relationship with many plants that they have co evolved with.

The sight and sound of a Lesser Spotted Woodpecker (Dryobates minor) has become a rare thrill for any birdwatcher in the UK. This species is in serious decline in this country, and has been so for at least the last four decades, but the causes are still not fully understood. With an estimated 91% decrease in the population between 1967 and 2022 and a corresponding range contraction of 41%.

In 2015, concerned by the continuing decline of the species and the limited progress in developing conservation measures, Ken and Linda Smith created Woodpecker Network (www.woodpecker-network.org.uk), which aims to facilitate the study of LSWs by volunteers. This has involved producing help and advice to enable volunteers to observe LSW and their nests to provide good quality data on the breeding parameters, including the numbers of young fledged. In this talk we provide an update on what more we have learnt about these woodpeckers in the last decade, and consider their current status 

Dr Greg Conway (BTO) will present updated research that includes Nightjar ecology with a particular focus on diet, which consists mostly of large moths - many species of which in decline.  He will then explain how tracking has revolutionised our understanding of habitat use, for both nesting and foraging, with particular insights into how breeding habitat can be managed optimally. The talk will culminate with a review of what tracking data has revealed about migration routes and wintering destinations.

The Rare Breeding Birds Panel was established in 1972 as an independent body to collate data and report on the status of the country’s rarest breeding birds. Dr Mark Eaton will give an overview of the work of the RBBP, demonstrating how the data it collects supports research and conservation action to help some of our most vulnerable breeding species. He will share some of the RBBP’s most recent findings on rare breeding birds across the UK, and show how birdwatchers in Essex can help to inform the work of the Panel.

Mark Nowers (RSPB) provides an overview of his role as Turtle Dove Conservation Adviser for Essex, a role that he describes as his perfect job, close to birds and working with a variety of people all working for the revival of Turtle Doves. His main role is working with farmers and other landowners in core areas of our fine county providing advice on how they can make their land suitable for Turtle Doves. Mark will talk about this and the international work that has taken place for this vulnerable species.

1.4 Million waterbirds are harvested in the United Kingdom annually, where the majority of this harvest is of Mallards shot inland away from our coasts. Professor Tom Cameron discusses whether this is a sustainable level of hunter mortality on Mallard, or on any other of the 17 or more species/populations that are hunted in the UK each winter.

These questions shall be addressed, alongside raising the knowledge gaps and challenges that make answering these questions difficult. New research on estimating the relative harvest bag size of waterbirds, the ecology and behaviour of released Mallard, the long term survival of Mallard in the UK and how using novel research tools can help us differentiate between wild and released Mallard will be presented.

Claudia's talk takes place after the AGM which starts at 7:30pm and is open to all members. If you arrive whilst the AGM is taking place, please wait in the foyer, thank you.

Corvids are distributed worldwide and inhabit harsh environments such as mountainous regions, but also thrive in urban areas. They are of broad significance for behavioural and ornithological research not only because of their ability to adapt to diverse habitats and live in complex societies, but also because of their remarkable cognitive skills. This talk by DR. CLAUDIA WASCHER provides an overview of recent findings from cognition research in different corvid species, and discusses what we can learn about the evolution of cognition from corvids.