Wednesday 9th April - 7.15pm

Indoor Meeting - The Diamond LT7

Note a different Lecture Theatre (LT7)

Eastern Moors Partnership
 

John Mead & Kim Leyland

John is a warden with the Eastern Moors Partnership, who care for 3,400 hectares of moorland, woodland and grassland on the Sheffield side of the Peak District. It is a joint venture between the National Trust and the RSPB, and looks after this area on behalf of the National Park Authority and Sheffield City Council.
Kim is an ornithologist and has been involved with the Eastern Moors Partnership in a number of guises, from Ring Ouzel nest monitoring and colour ringing, to conducting full site Breeding Bird Surveys and Curlew productivity monitoring.

The Eastern Moors is designated a Special Protection Area (SPA) to reflect the presence of bird species such as short eared owl and golden plover. Skylark numbers have almost tripled and winchat numbers doubled, bucking national trends, since the partnership took over the management in 2010. The area is also important as a breeding site for curlew, a listed bird of high concern. Another special species to look, and listen out for during breeding season in the Ring Ouzel or mountain blackbird. In winter spot flocks of redwings and fieldfares enjoying the berries of hawthorn trees. Shillito Wood is an area well know to bird watchers who enjoy seeing species such as blue tits, yellow hammers, chaffinches, bramblings and great spotted wood peckers visit the feeders. Occasionally crossbills are spotted or heard searching out seeds high up in Shillito Wood plantation.  

• Welcome & notices / announcements 

• Main speakers - John Mead & Kim Leyland

• Q&A

• Interval – 10 minutes

• Recorder’s Report

• Close

Upcoming Field Trips:  Orgreave & Padley Gorge

We are pleased to announce confirmed dates for our traditional and popular spring field trips seeking out returning migrant species.

Orgreave Lagoons:  Saturday April 19th 7.30am

Padley Gorge:  Saturday 3rd May 8am

Both trips will depart from the traditional meeting points - details and map will be posted here closer to the time. 

Transport:  we have already had interest from several of our younger members and others who don't drive enquiring about transport options.  If any members are planning to attend and feel able to offer a lift to a fellow member please email secretary@sbsg.org or speak to the Chair or Committee Members at the April indoor meeting.  SBSG is an inclusive and welcoming group in the finest South Yorkshire traditions.

THE RSPB LOCAL GROUP - SHEFFIELD

Welcome to the RSPB Sheffield Local Group. RSPB local groups are a great way to meet friendly, like-minded people in your area while discovering more about birds and wildlife.

We hold our indoor meetings on the first Thursday of most months and run frequent midweek and weekend walks in and around Sheffield as well as coach trips to nature reserves further afield. SBSG members can attend meetings at RSPB members rates.

A key objective of our group is to raise money to support the RSPB’s work – on a local, national and even global scale.

Our indoor meetings - Sheffield Local Group

LIVE TREE SPARROW CAMERA 

In the 1970s Tree Sparrows used to be fairly abundant in the 1200 square km of the Sheffield region. They were present in over 60% of the area and sometimes seen in large flocks - in 2024 draft data shows only 27 birds were seen at only three sites; with 20 of them visiting my garden - this is the largest remaining stronghold so I'm sharing them live from Green Moor. This year I have had at least 22 birds together on the garden. 

Footage will be live when possible - the birds feed frequently but patience might be required. 

Click the Image to be taken to the live page of my YT channel - here you will see previous streams and if currently running the latest Live Stream.

Peter Garrity

 The Incompleat Birder

Martin Hodgson is the latest SBSG member to author a book

It’s a light-hearted account of his struggle over the years to gain some competence in birding.  In short, a story without a happy ending!  Printed by the University Press in the same style as the Annual Report, Martin hopes that it will attract people to make it their own.  Priced at £10 and containing 127 pages with many colour photos, it will be on sale at the March meeting and £2 of every copy sold that evening will go to SBSG.  Those who are interested but can’t make the meeting should contact him on mjhodgson43@btinternet.com 

Peak District Raptor Monitoring Group

The Peak District Raptor Monitoring Group are fund raising to buy some Satellite tags to go on Short-eared Owls, this year and next. Below is the link to their Go Fund Me page. The details of who Raptor Aid are are included, along with details about NERF. 

Raptor Aid Grant Fund & Short Eared Owl Tag Fund, organized by Jimmi Hill

MEMBERSHIP LATEST

A reminder that when you first access your SBSG account in January you will be asked to renew your membership or continue as a guest. The Membership Mojo information pack can be found here - it has detailed joining/renewal instructions to help you with any queries.

Easyfundraising

New QR Code to use when shopping on-line - why not take a picture and store it on your phone for use in the future

If you shop online, don’t forget to support SBSG at no extra cost by channelling through easyfundraising  - Here's how to do it 

Results from the National Willow Tit survey

In recent years, our endemic race of willow tit (Poecile montanus kleinschmidti) have been lost from large areas of southern and eastern England and from parts of north and south Wales. Senior Conservation Scientist Simon Wotton explains why a survey was needed for this woodland birds, and what it shows us.

A blast from the past

For those of you looking to while away the long winter nights, a copy of the 1985 publication Birds of the Sheffield Area by the late Messrs. Hornbuckle and Herringshaw has just been uploaded to the site. Available to members, it can be found via the "publications" tab under the annual reports section.  

Good news for younger members

Free membership is now available for persons under the age of 25.  The age limit was previously 22.  And it’s available regardless of whether you’re in full time education or not.  Existing members should by now have received revised membership certificates from Martin Hodgson, the Membership Secretary.  If you haven’t but you think you ought to have, or if you are a paying member who now qualifies for free membership, please contact him at membership@sbsg.org