Cynnig Aelodaeth Cymru Welsh Membership Offer

Am fwy o wybodaeth ewch i http://www.bto.org/support-us/join neu cysylltwch a swyddfa BTO Cymru

For more ionformation go to http://www.bto.org/support-us/join or contact the BTO Cymru office

Arolwg Crecod Cymru Wales Chat Survey

Mae'r Gwanwyn wedi cyrraedd o’r diwedd a dros yr wythnos diwethaf fel mae'r tywydd wedi gwella ar wyntoedd yn dod o’r de, mae hyn wedi rhoi cyfle i’r adar ymfudol cyrraedd.  Dros y penwythnos diwethaf mae niferoedd o’r adar ymfudol wedi cofnodi wedi codi, a hefyd sawl aderyn prin wedi cyrraedd. Telor brongoch a Chigydd pengoch yn Aberdaron, Bod pallid ar Skomer, a cheiliog Euryn bendigedig yn Cemlyn.

Dilyn y tywydd difrifol llynedd, mae arolwg Crecod Cymru yn cael ei ail redeg eleni, er myn adeiladu ar ganlyniadau llynedd. Mae'r arolwg yn ail gychwyn hefo nifer o sgwariau newydd i ddewis

Os yw tywydd y gwanwyn yn rhoi gyrfa i chi fynd allan i chwilio am adar, cefnogwch yr arolwg a dewiswch sgwâr Crec, a ewch i chwilio am yr aderyn prin, a Crecod hefyd.

Am fwy o fanylion sut i ymeryd rhan, ac i weld pa sgwaria sydd ar gael ewch i wefan y BTO.

                                                                                                  Jill Pakenham

Spring has finally arrived and over the past week the improving weather and southerly winds have allowed our migrant birds to return. This last weekend has seen good numbers of returning migrants plus a few unexpected rarities. Subalpine Warbler and Woodchat Shrike at Aberdaron, Pallid Harrier, Skomer, and a superb male Golden Oriole at Cemlyn in Anglesey.

Following the appalling wet weather last year the Wales Chat survey is being run again this year, with the aim of building upon last year’s results.. The survey has been re-launched with a new selection of random squares.

If the spring weather is urging you to get out, sign up for a Chat square and see if you can find an elusive rarity as well as a spring Chat.

For more details on how to take part and to check for available squares, visit the BTO Website

Wales Chat Survey 2013

The Wales Chat Survey for 2013 is now live on the BTO web site. As you are probably aware the appalling weather last year meant that insufficient squares were covered to produce scientifically robust results. To this end we are repeating the survey this year with a selection of new squares and the squares which did not get covered last year.

Llysgenhadon gwylio adar yr ardd Garden birdwatch ambassadors

Amanda Skull is one of three Garden Birdwatch ambassadors in Wales. Amanda does a monthly newsletter which can be accessed here. She is pictured here with Mick Bailey who is based at Cwmbran. The third ambassador is David Lee based at Llanfairfechan.

A short introduction from Amanda

"I am one of two volunteer Garden BirdWatch Ambassadors for the BTO's Garden BirdWatch survey in South Wales. My role is to promote Garden BirdWatch through talks, stands at events, articles in local publications and media appearances. When I'm not fulfilling this role I work full-time as a Payments Officer for Social Services with the City & County of Swansea where I'm responsible for ensuring that foster carers are paid for the vital service they provide for children and young people within Swansea. Being an Ambassador provides a welcome relief to a day spent behind an office desk (although I still manage to clock up many hours at my computer at home!). I particularly enjoy watching garden birds as it's so easy to view them up close without having to leave the warmth of the house; by recording them for the survey I'm making sure that my bird watching counts!"

For contact details of any of the ambassadors please contact the BTO Cymru office

Lavan Sands SPA Oystercatcher colour-ringing project

Birds of Meirionnydd

The Birds of Meirionnydd has just been published by the Cambrian Ornithological Society. Its author, Rhion Pritchard, has made a really good job of writing up the current status of each species recorded in the county. The book is an A5 softback, similar format to the Cambrian Bird Report, with 210 pages plus 8 pages of habitat photos.

The previous county avifauna by Peter Hope Jones was published in 1974 so an update is really needed, especially as much more information is now available on the commoner species because of surveys carried out since then. Rhion draws heavily on BTO surveys including WeBS and the latest Breeding Atlas.

Many species have a much changed status, the Red Kite for example.  In 1974 Hope Jones wrote ‘... a pair or two have bred on several occasions in Merioneth’  whereas now ‘Fieldwork for the 2008-12 breeding Atlas recorded this species with breeding codes* in 117 tetrads out of 463, making this the second most widely recorded raptor in the county after the Buzzard’. The Hobby has appeared as a breeding species, but Kestrels and Merlins have declined. Let’s hope this book will stimulate more field trips to track down the more elusive species, such as Nightjar and Long-eared Owl.

*meaning with Atlas codes indicating at least ‘Possible’ breeding

Copies are available from Geoff Gibbs, Fronwen, Valley Road, Llanfairfechan LL33 0ET for £7.50 plus £2 post and packing. Cheques payable to ‘Cambrian OS’ please.

Bob Haycock, Pembrokeshire RR

Pembrokeshire regional representative Bob Haycock being congratulated on his appointment of the regional network committee by Bob Harris the chair, at the recent regional representatives conference at Carlisle.  Bob brings to the committee a lifetime of experience of working in nature conservation, from Observatory warden to latterly (before his retirement in 2011) CCW's  Senior NNR Manager in Pembrokeshire. He was awarded an MBE in 2008.

The regional network is the vital link between our members, volunteers and the staff at Thetford, and the committee are there to represent you the members and volunteers through feedback they get from the regional representatives.  

Bob has been a member of the BTO for more years than he cares to remember, and has been regional rep for Pembrokeshire since about 2004. He is assisted by Annie Haycock, who oversees BBS and WeBS in the county