Chairman's Report for 2001/2002

by George Fletcher

With the spectre of Foot and Mouth Disease finally lifted from the land our thoughts and best wishes go to the farmers, landowners, the tourist industry and all affected by the crisis as they deal with the aftermath.

As a natural history Society our observations, sightings and reports over the year will be down on other years but I’m sure our Annual Report editor will work hard to put a useful document together.

The Society has had quite a full and active year beginning with the Field Trip Programme for 2001. On the 6^thJanuary Charles Hull organised a Yule Log Open Day when the birdwatching hides at Hurleston, Barmere and Deer Park Mere were staffed so that members and guests could go along at any time and help with the day’s recording.12 May was planned to be a Spring Bird Watch day but had to be cancelled due to the F and M D precaution.14^thJune Ged Barlow organised a trip to the Tudor Griffths Wildlife Reserve at Wood Lane Ellesmere. It was a very well attended meeting where we were given a vehicular tour of the main quarry workings seeing a wide variety of birds including the sand martin colony. We were given excellent hospitality in the main office conference suite before going on to the reserve’s bird watching hide. It was a really interesting evening out and a big thank you to all those who gave their support and especially to Ged for organising the evening with the Tudor Griffiths Company.14^thJuly Mike Holmes led a trip to Leasowe Common on the Wirral, it was a nice day out but the butterflies were not playing the same game as the members.  4^thAugust Paul Griffiths led an evening trip to Hurleston and showed us how to trap, identify, record and release moths. 29^thSeptember Paul Griffiths held a Spider Identification Master Class at his home which was an interesting and successful evening. Many thanks to all the leaders for their time and trouble in organising the events and to all the members for their support.

Mike Holmes, the Society’s Secretary, organised the winter programme of monthly evening meetings at The Gables in Nantwich. 18^thOctober, Michael Leach spoke on The Compete Owl. Michael is a free-lance wildlife photographic journalist and he thrilled us with his exploits and knowledge of owls. 15^thNovember, Jeff Clarke gave us A Night on the Tiles. Jeff talked to us about animals that come out at night and amazed us with his knowledge, humour, drama and sounds of the night. 20^thDecember, was the Society’s Christmas meeting. It is at this time that the members of the society traditionally provide the programme of entertainment for the evening. This year we were privileged to hear our youngest speaker to date, Ashley Powell, who talked us through his residential “School Work Experience” at Leighton Moss Wildlife Reserve. This must have been very demanding on Ashlely as he spoke in front of his proud mum, dad, brother, sister and grand parents. Seasonal refreshments followed, organised by Pat Fletcher, during which the photographic competition was judged. This year, Charles Hull was the winner with a stunning study of birds. Charles Hull then spoke on the Top Thirty Garden Birds, which stimulated a good discussion on the fall in numbers of many bird species in our gardens. Paul Griffith then talked to us and acted out the path of the earth around the sun and discussed with us the seasons and the length of the year. Well done to all those who made the evening a great success.

Year 2002. On the 17^th January Keith Musgrave of the Cheshire Badger Watch, talked to the Society on the life of the badger and how he has helped to preserve the habitat in Cheshire for these fascinating animals. 21^st February, Kath Edwards, spoke on the Unique Lemurs of Madagascar, giving us a tour of this most unusual and beautiful island. 21^st March, Steve Woolfall, the natural history curator at the Grosvenor Museum in Chester, spoke on the 13^th Earl of Derby and the Knowsley Menagerie. This was a fascinating insight into the modern Knowsley Safari Park. 18^thApril, on this the Society’s A.G.M. we were pleased to welcome once again Tom Lowe who entertained us with a talk on his Kenya Safari Adventure.

Year 2001/2002 has been a challenging time for the Society’s observations, survey and recording work but as F and M D restrictions were lifted we were cautiously able to return to the countryside again. With kind permission of the Cholmondeley Estate we were able to start recording at the Barmere and Deer Park hides and we were able to use the S.G.M.hide at Hurleston, however we shall have to wait until next Spring to carry out a full programme of nest box survey work. It is hoped that all national survey work will get started again, so if any members would like to get involved then see either, Charles Hull or Paul Griffiths. Charles is the regional officer for the B.T.O. and supervises many surveys in our recording area including, the Breeding Bird Survey and the Winter Farmland Bird Survey. Paul co-ordinates both the National Duck Count and the bird recording on the S.B.I. sites in the Society's recording area.

I would like to thank the Society’s committee members for all the hard work, time and effort they give in managing the affairs of the Society so well. A special thanks to Mike Holmes, the Society’s Secretary, who not only organises the indoor winter programme and edits the Annual Report but initiates and processes the New year Garden Bird Survey, the Annual Butterfly Survey and the Road Kill Survey. Mike organises all this work around a demanding job and a young family. Paul Griffths, the Society’s Treasurer, not only keeps the books balanced but also combines this task with lots of meticulous surveys and recording work. Paul always gives his time generously to the work of the Society and is always on hand to give us all good advice. Charles Hull takes on many behind the scene jobs for the Society, these include: the management of the Society’s hides, the excellent annual reports from the recording logbooks, he liases with many organisations and committees and also with the Cholmondeley Estate. The Society is privileged to enjoy good relations with the Cholmondeley Estate who will soon open a Nature Trail around Deer Park Mere for younger schoolchildren to appreciate natural history and the countryside. Charles has also promoted a Tree Ageing Scheme to try to find the oldest trees, by species, in the society’s recording area. Ged Barlow, besides helping out the Treasurer, enthusiastically takes on the task of maintaining the Society’s bird watching hides, which includes renewing the entire roof of the S.G.M.hide at Hurleston. Ged designs and makes all the practical needs that the Society put his way and he is always ably assisted by his wife Eileen. Ged’s experience and good advice is a great asset to the Society. Mark Powell, with the help of his family, has organised many fund raising events and they have a great capacity for observing and recording the natural history of the area.

As a result of Ashley Powells Special Project fund raising, the Society now has a portable moth trap that can be used in gardens and special sites. For details on the availability and use of the moth trap, please contact Paul Griffiths. Other fund raising takes place at most indoor meetings where Pat Fletcher and Eileen Barlow run a raffle for prizes donated by the members. This allows membership fees to be kept at a minimum. Thanks to the organisers and all those who support the above activities.

As well as all the above activities the Society’s recorders are always busy and set themselves the task of producing a written record for the Annual Report. A big thanks to Paul Griffith for his wide ranging insect report, to Pat Fletcher for the flower and plant report, to Mike Holmes for the mammal report and to Charles Hull for his comprehensive bird report. The Society’s Annual Report is a most important document of natural history covering the Society’s recording area. Please support the recording team and keep the sightings and observations coming in on a regular basis to make their job a little easier.

Finally a big thank you to all those who further the aims of the Society and to all members for your continued support. Lets hope that the year 2002 will be a good one for all natural history observations and recording.

George Fletcher. April 2002