Our Newsletter #88 was sent out this week – by email and by post. You should receive your copy soon. If you have not yet paid your membership fee for this year you should receive a reminder as well. Please contact me if you have any questions. Tom
General News & Events
CANCELLED ~ Spring Walk – Saturday 25th April 2020 – for members [22/03/20]
CANCELLED ~ SOS and FoWW Walk – Wednesday 6th May 2020 [22-03-20]
A walk for members of the Sussex Ornithology Society and The Friends of Weir Wood will be held on Wednesday 6th May 2020. Meet at the Sailing Club Car Park for 9:30 start. We will have a look over the reservoir then walk up to the picnic site on the north bank to look for orchids and spring birds. After a quick coffee break we will walk back to our cars. Drive to the West End car park for lunch and to look at birds such as the nesting Common Terns. After lunch there will be a walk to Whillet’s Meadows for a general look at the: pond; reed-bed; woods and meadows. Led by Bob Johnson.
UNDER REVIEW ~ Open Day – Sunday 12th July 2020 – (please check details nearer the date). [22-03-20]
Membership fees for 2020 are now due. All existing members will get a renewal form with the latest Newsletter 87. If you have any questions or would like to join for the first time please let me know – Tom Howard-Jones (membership@weirwood.me.uk). Best wishes for the New Year.
3rd January 2020.
A report on our fungus survey on 09-11-19 with photos and a full list can be found HERE.
LOST:- A camera lens hood with a camouflage sleeve for a Nikon 200-500 lens was lost recently. If found please contact sightings@weirwood.me.uk (Tom Howard-Jones 24-09-19).
FOUND:- A pair of spectacles in a soft, black Specsavers case were found in the hide on 6/7 August 2018. Please contact sightings@weirwood.me.uk.
FOUND:- A watch has been found in the car park. To claim please contact sightings@weirwood.me.uk or 07703 280 238 17-April-2018 Tom Howard-Jones).
FOUND:- A pair of Specsaver reading glasses found in the hide. To claim please contact sightings@weirwood.me.uk (11 December 2017, Tom Howard-Jones).
FOUND:- A key has been found in the car park. To claim please contact sightings@weirwood.me.uk (21 June 2016, Tom Howard-Jones).
LOST:- A telescope lens/eyepiece was lost in the pumping station car park or close by on 23 April 2016. Please contact Roger Jackson at rjbjackson@hotmail.co.uk
FOUND:- Binocular Case – A black leather carrying case for a pair of binoculars has been found in the hide. To claim it please contact sightings@weirwood.me.uk (1st March 2016, Tom Howard-Jones).
FOWW – Silver Anniversary Book
We have started work on the book that will commemorate our 25th anniversary in 2021.
It will be a celebration of the wildlife and history of the beautiful Weir Wood site.
The contents will range from: the geography & history of the site; water – fish and water birds; edges – vegetation and shorebirds; trees and woodland – fungi, insects, lichen, birds; Whillet’s – meadows, ponds and reedbeds; the history of the Friends and our role in the conservation of the reserve.
Our aim is to complete the writing by the spring of 2020 and to publish early in 2021.
We are very keen to gather any suggestions, memories, photos and contributions that you may have. We are looking for pictures, maps and anecdotes. Don’t worry that you are not a writer. We will be pleased to meet with you and capture your thoughts with minimal effort on your part.
Please contact Tom Howard-Jones (membership@weirwood.me.uk): if you have anything that might be of interest; if you know someone else who might be able to help or if you would like to be involved.
We are particularly hoping someone may have photos or memories from the 1950s of the developing reservoir which we could possibly use in the book.
The results for our small nest boxes for 2019 can be found HERE.
A note with photos covering our Open Day on 14th July 2019 can be seen HERE.
20-09-19 2 Ospreys at 11:00 over flying East.
15-08-19 Osprey juvenile over flying South 10:20
04-06-19 Osprey seen by Work Party.
28-04-19 Osprey seen over dam just after 4pm (John Hunt).
24-04-19 Osprey reported (Bob Taylor)
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04-09-18 Osprey flying over the West End
14-08-18 3 Ospreys (adult plus 2 young) at The Dam
29-07-18 Osprey flying over reservoir.
01-05-18 Osprey reported at 10:15 flying off to the North – anonymous on RBA and Birdguides.
02-04-18 Osprey seen at about 09:00
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04-10-17 Osprey seen by Alastair Gray about 11:30 at the West End.
09-09-17 Osprey seen by Brendan Lanigan at the Dam End 7:30am.
04-09-17 Osprey seen by fishermen near Admiral’s Wood 7am.
31-05-17 Osprey reported at Dam End.
08-05-17 Osprey at Dam End in morning.
04-05-17 Osprey flying NE at Dam End (about noon).
01-05-17 Osprey headed North over Dam (09:30).
27-03-17 Osprey reported at Dam End late morning.
25-03-17 2 Ospreys watched over the reservoir at 18:20 – Janet Wilkinson.
23-03-17 Osprey seen at about 9;30 am – watched for 10 minutes – Brendan Lanigan at the Fishery.
Our AGM for 2019 was held on 29th March. The minutes are available in the “Members” section.
Many thanks to Matt Eade for an excellent talk on birding on his local patch and a trip to Antarctica.