Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council and its partners need your help to collect information, which will allow them to improve recreation and leisure opportunities and facilities across the Borough. Recreation and leisure facilities include everything from open spaces to sports facilities and community centres to museums. They are collecting information on all recreation and leisure activities so they can find out what activities you like to do and where you would like to do them. There main aim is to make sure that the Borough is well equipped to provide opportunities for recreation and leisure for its residents.

If you wish to fill in the online survey please click here. They will be collecting information until 28 March 2008.

CRIMINAL DAMAGE AT SLEDDALE  

At Sleddale on Sunday morning 10th February, several of our members were parked in one car at the chevrons on the Commondale to Kildale road looking for raptors (grid ref NZ 640100). Being a nice day, they left their car to walk up the road towards Commondale and, on returning a short while later, found a man in a green Landrover interfering with their tyres. When the man saw them, he got into his vehicle and sped off down the road towards Kildale. It transpired that he had slashed all 4 tyres of the car. Other birders who were present gave chase and the Landrover turned left on to the Westerdale road, down to the ford at Hob Hole and up the steep bank on the other side. Unfortunately, due to icy conditions, the birders' car couldn't negotiate the bank and follow the man any further. The Landrover was a hand-painted green, with an old style number plate and a vertical exhaust pipe at the front near the bonnet. The man himself was in his 30s, with bushy hair and of medium build. The Police have been informed and the birders have given full details to them. I am assured that the vehicle was parked well off the road and not causing any problem, so it can only be assumed that this criminal act was conducted against those who were known to be birders, presumably by a local gamekeeper, farmer or other person who, for whatever reason, doesn't like birdwatchers. Incidents such as this against people who merely wish to enjoy the countryside are totally unacceptable and one can only assume the motives of the perpetrator and what other criminal acts he is carrying out in our countryside. If anyone is visiting this area, please ensure that your car is kept under scrutiny at all times and if you see a vehicle matching the Landrover's description, please take its number and report it to the Police. It is to be hoped that the Police will find and prosecute this criminal. I have copied this announcement to Cleveland's Wildlife Crime Officer, Natural England, Adrian Pitches (BBC North East), the North East Branch of the National Farmers'Union and the North York Moors National Park. If any visitor to this website can identify the person and vehicle concerned, please contact the Police.

Ted Parker (Chairman)

SUBMITTING YOUR 2007 BIRD RECORDS

As 2007 is now over it is again time to send in your records for the 2007 bird report if you have not already done so. Can you please send them to the new Cleveland Bird Recorder Tom Francis at the following address.

TS20 1RE

He can also be contacted by email at mot.francis@ntlworld.com

BTO HANSON BIRD CHALLENGE 2008 - SCALING DAM

Northumbrian Water has again entered Scaling Dam for the Hanson Bird Challenge in 2008. In 2004 and 2006, the reservoir came 2nd in its category nationally, notching up a creditable 146 and 140 species respectively. These figures were due to regular watching and recording by a significant number of observers. In 2006, 210 visits were made, amounting to 4 days per week, and we are hoping to increase this to 260 visits in 2008 (equating to 5 days per week). We would be grateful if all sightings could be recorded in the hide logbook. A Checklist will also be provided and anyone sighting a new species for the year should not only enter this in the log but also tick it off the on the list. It would be useful if as many members (and non-members) as possible could visit the reservoir on a regular basis during the coming year, even if only for short periods, as blanket coverage does pay dividends (in 2007, for example, there has been Black-necked Grebe, Goshawk, Honey Buzzard, Hobby, Rough-legged Buzzard and Hen Harrier to name but a few). Thank you.

Ted Parker and Martin Blick (Scaling Dam Wildlife Advisory Committee)

BREEDING BIRDS ATLAS OF CLEVELAND - ANOTHER CHANCE TO SPONSOR A SPECIES

The Club has decided to 'sell' species which, although they did not breed during the survey period (1999-2006), have bred or attempted to breed, both historically and since completion of the survey work. Their accounts will appear as an Appendix in the Atlas. The price per species is £25, as before. Eight have already been sold but the following are still available: Shag, Little Egret, Egyptian Goose, Pintail, Red-crested Pochard, Mandarin, Short-eared Owl, Marsh Harrier, Buzzard, Corncrake, Spotted Crake, Dunlin, Black-tailed Godwit, Common Sandpiper, Nightingale, Black Redstart, Savi's Warbler, Marsh Warbler, Pied Flycatcher, Bearded Tit, Raven and Twite. Anyone who hasn't already sponsored a species or would like to sponsor another, please contact Ted Parker (01642 275369 or email ecparker@supanet.com) The Atlas will be published in 2008 and all sponsorship will be recognised in the book.

Ted Parker

ACCESS TO DORMANS POOL AND RECLAMATION POND - MEMBERSHIP CARD NOW NEEDED

At the instigation of Impetus Reclamation Limited, the Club has just signeda 5-year, legally-executed Licence Agreement, valid from 11th December 2007, which allows access to the Reclamation Pond and Dormans Pool for Teesmouth Bird Club members only. This replaces the former, unwritten access arrangement, which was rarely enforced. From 11th December, a current TBC membership card must be produced when requested by security personnel and any persons who fail to comply will be requested to leave the site. The Licence has been drawn up by Impetus's legal advisers and has been favourably modified following consultation with the Committee. I would be grateful if all members could comply with these new arrangements. Thankyou

Ted Parker (Chairman)


TEES VALLEY BIO-UPDATE

The Autumn 2007 newsletter is now avaliable by clicking here

WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT OPEN SPACES? YOUR VIEWS ARE INVITED BY STOCKTON-ON-TEES BOROUGH COUNCIL (SBC)

SBC are asking what you think about open spaces in the Borough. Such areas include parks, play areas, woodlands, wildlife areas, sports fields, roadside verges etc. Are there enough? Are they well maintained? How would you like to see them improved for the aspects you enjoy?

The Club’s latest Newsletter reports on our participation at a seminar hosted by Middlesbrough Council earlier this year, which was seeking similar feedback, but approaching stakeholders rather than SBC’s more general approach to the public via ‘Stockton News’ (page 10). You do not have to live in the Borough to have a view.

If you have any views, please let these be known to: Rebecca Richardson on 01642 526050. Email: rebecca.richardson@stockton.gov.uk

Alistair McLee

BTO BIRD ATLAS 2007-11

TEESMOUTH BIRD CLUB CONTRIBUTION TO MAPPING BRITAIN AND IRELAND’S BIRDS

Bird Atlas 2007-11 aims to produce maps of distribution and relative abundance for all bird species breeding and wintering in Britain and Ireland. It will enable assessment of changes in bird distribution since the previous breeding atlases in 1970 and 1990 and since the last winter atlas of the early 1980’s. Fieldwork will span four winters and four breeding seasons, starting on 1st November 2007, during which the whole of Britain and Ireland will be cumulatively surveyed. To fulfil these objectives there are two core methods.

• Roving Records - For distribution maps to be comprehensive, we need complete species lists for every 10km square for the breeding season and for winter. Roving Records are a means of submitting lists for grid squares, one off records of hard to find species, and anything in between. They are also a means of accumulating evidence of breeding and for providing records of nocturnal species. Everyone can take part by supplying Roving Records.

• Timed Tetrad Visits - These are principally concerned with discovering the broad patterns of relative abundance by counting birds for fixed periods in tetrads (2km x 2km squares). These visits do not aim to produce a complete species list for the tetrad but a sample of what one can find during two visits in winter and two visits in the breeding season. Timed visits can be for one hour or for two hours. The aim is to cover at least eight tetrads in each 10km square.

HOW TO HELP

Anyone and everyone can take part by completing Roving Record forms. These are available from Regional Representative Vic.Fairbrother, (01287 633744), from BTO HQ or can be printed off directly from the website (www.birdatlas.net). Locally we need to produce the records that will give complete species lists for each of the ten 10km squares that feature Cleveland. In addition, we need to make Timed Tetrad Visits to a minimum of eight tetrads in each 10km square. Records can be submitted on paper or on-line If you would like to take on one or more local tetrads for Timed Tetrad Visits or require more information please contact Vic Fairbrother or visit the website.

Vic Fairbrother

SITE GUIDE

I have started to add a site guide to Cleveland birding locations to the website but it needs volunteers to write the guides for the various locations. If you are willing to write one please let me know at James_Duffie@Hotmail.com and I will then confirm that nobody else is writing that one.

Civil Nuclear Constabulary patrols at Teesmouth

As regular visitors to Teesmouth will be aware, police officers of the Civil Nuclear Constabulary (CNC) regularly conduct counter-terrorist patrols in the vicinity of Hartlepool Nuclear Power Station. They often stop members of the public and ask them to account for their presence, particularly if they are in the possession of cameras or optical equipment. Recently, on a number of occasions, officers have encountered people who have stated that they are members of the Teesmouth Bird Club and, whilst the police have no concerns over Club members' presence, they would like membership cards to be carried as proof of identity. The Chairman has given an undertaking to the CNC that he will make Club members aware of the situation and request them to carry their membership cards. Ted Parker (Chairman)

Instructions for reporting poaching can be found here

Please read this document and print a copy out to take into the field with you and please follow it to report any poaching you see.

Avian flu - an update

The RSPB is co-operating in a system to detect Avian Flu by watching out for unexpected bird deaths on its reserves. If you are in the Saltholme area and see a dead swan or 10 or more fresh corpses of any other waterbird, please contact Kevin Bayes :
Tel 0191 233 4303
Fax 0191 233 4322
email kevin.bayes@rspb.org.uk

In the case of a dead swan, please inform DEFRA (08459 33 55 77) as they are collecting and testing the corpses.

Even reports of no dead birds will be useful as this will be a way of assessing the monitoring effort.

The chance of wildbirds infecting humans with Avian Flu is very small. However, to be safe, do not touch any corpses.