Monthly Archives: December 2013

Coombe Hill Re-Visited

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GWT's Grundon Hide at Coombe Hill, Gloucestershire

You’re looking a lot better than last time

To Coombe Hill Meadows for the opening of Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust’s rebuilt Grundon Hide. Actually it’s been in use for several weeks now, but this was the official ribbon-cutting.

It was also a chance to say thank-you to the volunteers who helped build it and the supporters who helped pay for it. Among the latter are NCOS (see below), but primarily Grundon Waste Management whose Richard Skehens (Chief Executive Officer) and Andrew Short (Estates Director) assisted GWT boss Roger Mortlock in cutting the ribbon.

GWT's Grundon Hide at Coombe Hill Meadows, GloucestershireGWT's Coombe Hill Meadows, Gloucestershire

It’s a good metre or so higher than the previous one, with excellent views of the wetland around. Mike Smart – GWT trustee and Severn Vale fanatic – gave a verbal tour of the wildfowl present which included 160 Wigeon, 20 Teal, a dozen Shoveler and four Shelduck, and explained how wildfowl move around the Vale under different conditions.

 

Something exotic for the dark winter evenings

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Shameless plug time!

If you need a distraction from the dark evenings, or are wondering where your next exotic holiday might be you might be interested in this 10 minute film on Hong Kong’s Mai Po Marshes Nature Reserve (with a brief feature on the Minjiang Estuary in Fujian province, on the mainland in SE China).

A friend of mine, Martin Williams, from Hong Kong helped make the film which aims to show what a superb reserve this is, as well as the importance of Deep Bay (the body of water of which it is a part): a vital wetland that needs protection.

Every winter some 90,000 birds take refuge here. 380 species have been recorded of which 35 are of global conservation concern such as the Black-faced Spoonbill and Sanders Gull.

Narration is by actress/conservationist Sharon Kwok.

More of Martin’s work can be found here, including Not BB, his infamous spoof of a well-known magazine

 

2014 Meeting Programme

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Each year I tell myself I should get the meeting Programme out before December. Each year the time taken to finalise it seems to expand to fill the space between the initial draft and the final version.

Goldfinch, Gawcombe

Finally the 2014 programme is complete (bar a deferred decision on where we go this time next year). Members will be receiving their copies shortly. If you are not a member and are interested in seeing what we have planned there is a summary here. Details will be posted on that page as the events approach. If you are interested in coming along, please contact the Membership Secretary who will be pleased to give you more information.