Tuesday, 14 February 2017

Annual General Meeting

Hello

The club's AGM is pencilled in for Wednesday 1st March but the majority of this indoor meeting will be taken up with a presentation by Mike Alibone on the birding delights of Israel. However we have some business to complete first which will hopefully be a short affair!

Sue Prouse has been a committee member and our club treasurer for many years but other commitments and interests now pull her in another direction and she will not be standing for election this year. Sue has been committed to her role throughout the difficult times of several years ago when our finances were low and overheads and the economic climate meant that it was difficult for all amateur clubs to keep going. Now of course the club is in a healthy condition and this is in no small part due to the commitment of the club committee including Sue's determination to ensure that we remained viable and able to flourish again. Thank-you Sue for unravelling the mystique of figures and providing us with direction and purpose over the years!

Nomination are invited from the membership to join the club committee, and of course we would be delighted to invite someone to take over from Sue's work as club treasurer!

Should you wish to be nominated to the committee, please make contact with me or Bob Gill prior to 1st March. 

An opportunity will be provided for questions during the AGM but if you have any questions or would like an opportunity of debating an issue associated with the running of the club please again make contact so that we have time to prepare any information. A spread sheet will be circulated detailing the club finances.

Thank-you and I look forward to seeing you on 1st March!

Neil McMahon

neil.mcmahonoriole@btinternet.com
Tel 01604 880009


Steppe Eagle, an iconic
migrant of the Middle East
and one of the earliest
spring migrants to be seen
in the skies over Israel.



Can you help surveying the Nene Valley?

Hello

A message from Ted Weber...

I’m currently putting together plans for carrying out the Nene Wetlands Breeding Birds Survey for the coming season and would like to expand the team of volunteers that undertakes it. Some of you Nene Wetlands volunteers are already involved but new members might also like the opportunity to participate.

We need experienced birdwatchers with the ability to confidently identify birds in close terrain and by song; training in the survey process will be given, but a good knowledge of birds is an essential prerequisite. The Nene Wetlands has been divided up into 4 sectors, each of which must be surveyed once a month in April, May, June and July, but the transect routes involved are quite large and may require a couple of days to complete.

Please let me know as soon as possible, if you are interested.

Ted


Edward Weber
Nene Wetlands Reserves Officer

Direct line: 01604 405285
Office: 01604 405285
Mobile: 07931325888

Tweet: @wildlifebcn 

Like: /wildlifebcn
Visit: www.wildlifebcn.org
The Wildlife Trust for Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire & Northamptonshire
Lings House, off Lings Way
Billing Lings
Northampton
NN3 8BE
United Kingdom


Lapwing

Cetti's Warbler

NBC PHOTOGRAPHIC COMPETITION continued

INSECTS IN FLIGHT    (arguably the most difficult category)


BARRY BOSWELL

BUTTERFLY Sp S Africa



ALAN COLES

BEE Sp



PETE GILBERT


Platycheirus albimanus HOVERFLY




BOB GILL

GREEN EYED BEE Anthophora bimaculata

BEE WOLF with prey

Sphaerophoria interupta HOVERFLY







ROBIN GOSSAGE

COMMON DARTER

FLY Doli sp

RED TAILED BUMBLE BEE











JOHN SHOWERS

HOVERFLY Eristalis nemoram guarding female

JACOB SPINKS

MIGRANT HAWKER







MARK WILLIAMS

BEE WOLF

BEE WOLF

BEE WOLF


Sunday, 12 February 2017

NBC PHOTOGRAPHIC COMPETITION Continued.


OTHER INVERTEBRATES

JEFF BLINCOW

VELVET WORM Costa Rica
BARRY BOSWELL

DRAGONFLY Sp Danube delta

WASP Sp S Afica

BEETLE Sp S Africa



CLIVE BOWLEY


EYED LADYBIRD

GREEN LACEWING

SPIDER and PREY
BOB BULLOCK

DRAGONFLY Sp Cuba

GREEN TIGER BEETLE

CUBAN LAND CRAB
ALAN COLES

COMMON DARTER

4 SPOT CHASER
PETE GILBERT

DOWNLOOKER SNIPEFLY

SNAIL KILLING FLY Sepidon sphegea

SPLAYED DEERFLY

BOB GILL

KITE TAILED ROBBERFLY

MOLE CRICKET

PARASITIC FLY Nowickia ferox



ROBIN GOSSAGE

LEAF CUTTER BEE

HAIRY SHIELDBUG

AFRICAN CARPENTER BEE
DAVE JACKSON

LITTLE SNIPEFLY

DRAKE MACKEREL MAYFLY

RED VEINED DROPWING
JOHN SHOWERS
BEAUTIFUL DEMOISELLE

THICK HEADED FLY Conops Quadrifasciatus 


BIRCH SAWFLY Larva





MARTIN SWANNELL


COMMON DARTER Female











Saturday, 11 February 2017

NBC PHOTOGRAPHIC COMPETITION continued

BUTTERFLIES AND MOTHS.

JEFF BLINCOW

MATING HORNET CLEARWING




BARRY BOSWELL

BUTTERFLY Sp

PAINTED LADY

CLIVE BOWLEY

SMALL SKIPPER

MATING SKIPPERS

MARBLED WHITE




BOB BULLOCK

BUTTERFLY SP Cuba

MATING HORNET CLEARWING

SILVERWASH FRITILLARY

ALAN COLES

COMMON BLUE

COMMA

SILVERWASH FRITILLARY






BOB GILL

BUTTERFLY Sp S Africa

GREEN VEINED WHITE

SKIPPER






D JACKSON

CINNABAR MOTH

MARBLED WHITE

PAINTED LADY




PETE GILBERT

BROWN VEINED WHITE

ELEPHANT HAWK MOTH





ROBIN GOSSAGE

RED ADMIRAL

MATING SILVERWASH FRITILLARY

COMMON CARPET MOTH







JOHN SHOWERS

MEADOW FRITILLARY

GRIZZLED SKIPPER
BRIMSTONE




MARTIN SWANNELL

MARBLED WHITE

COMON BLUE

LARGE SKIPPER




DAVE THOMAS

MOTH Sp S Africa

BUTTERFLY Sp S Africa