Future of Hertfordshire's Rye Meads wetland reserve looking brighter following pledge by Thames Water

               

THERE is cautious optimism for the future of  the Rye Meads wetland reserve in Hertfordshire following a statement issued by Thames Water and published by The Hoddesdon Society.

There had been a question mark over the site - and public access to it - since  the RSPB announced its intention to pull out come November because of cash constraints.

Amy Pigot, who has been at the forefront of a campaign to save the reserve says: "This statement is very welcome and marks an important step forward."

However she is not resting on her laurels, noting  there is still a lot of detail to work through around the transition, future management, volunteers, facilities and community involvement.

 

James Bolton's study of bird identification almost two centuries ago achieves handsome price at auction

 

The two volumes of one of the oldest titles on British ornithology have sold for a total price of £1,700 at an auction held by antiquarian books specialists Dominic Winter at their saleroom in Cirencester, Gloucestershire. The hammer price of James Bolton's Harmonia Ruralis, published in 1824, exceeded the pre-sale estimate of £1,000-£1,500. 

 

                                                                    

         

                                

Nature warden looks back on his time as nature reserve warden at one of Norfolk's most dynamic wetlands

       

A Spoonbill in flight features on the cover of a recently-published book that is likely to be in demand among birders. In it, Holkham's senior nature reserve warden, Andrew Bloomfield reflects on his time at one of Britain's most important and exciting wetland landscapes. It is available, at £40 in hardback, from the Holkham gift shop.

Weekend Egyptian Nightjar in Shetlands is first sighting for Scotland and third for Britain

                                                    

The Egyptian Nighjar is a fairly common native of  North Africa and Arabia 

IMAGINE the pleasure for a birder of looking out of one of the windows of your house and seeing  . . an Egyptian Nightjar!

So it was for former British Birds editor Roger Riddington, a long-time resident at Pool of Virkie in Shetland.

It was the first sighting in Scotland of this strange-looking bird and only the third British record - the others being on June 23, 1883, at Rainworth in Nottinghamshire and at Portland Bill on June 10,1984.

Many birders have made the trip by ferry from Aberdeen to the Shetlands  capital, Lerwick, but, as of  early morning today, the bird has not reappeared.

 * Photo: Morhaf Kamal Alianee/ Wikimedia Commons     

Book to be published early next year will explore the life, behaviour and distribution of the Bullfinch

                                              

A publication month of February next year has been set for the latest book by one of Britain's most eminent ornithologists, Prof Ian Newton. The recommended retail price is likely to be £65, but it is understood  there will be a significant discount for those who pre-order with publishers T & AD Poyser.

Listen out for the warblers! Small Essex broadleaf woodland on market for £47,000

The songbird-rich Garrett Wood at Gosfield in Essex has come on the market at a price of  £47,000. It is mostly made up of oak, beech and birch which provide a home to warblers, woodpeckers, owls and more. The size is 2.67 acres. Details are available from woods4sale.co.uk                          

Whinchats on the move - with up to 18 on a single day at Spurn in East Yorkshire

                                         

It's been a good week for Whinchats on the Spurn peninsula in Yorkshire with as many as 18 sighted last Sunday. However, this juvenile was sighted this morning  on the other side of the Humber Estuary on Cleethorpes saltmarsh (with three Wheatears nearby).