If you haven’t received your 2019 Sussex Bird Report, you will soon!  A couple of errors have come to light in the Ringing Report:

1. The figures in in the table on p222 were reversed, so it should read:

2. On p223, the number of Blackcaps ringed by RBRG should read 4869.

With apologies.

The Covid-19 restrictions which apply from Thursday 5th November unfortunately mean that the number-limited outings which we have recently restarted, will need to be put on hold again until further notice.  Looks as though we will be back to birding in our own local areas again, and mostly solo.  However, there have been some interesting birds around – maybe more will be found in the less-watched places if the more popular sites are off limits!

Best wishes to all

Val Bentley

Chair, SOS Membership & Publicity Committee

Membership is still only £14 p.a. (£17 joint). If you join before the end of 2020 your membership will run to the end of December 2021, so you will get THREE Sussex Bird Reports for your year’s subscription – the most recent (2018), the 2019 edition, due out before Christmas, PLUS the 2020 report which will be published before the end of 2021.

Too good an offer to miss!  Click on “Join us” on the toolbar.

We are currently working on setting up an online payment facility, but until then, bear with us and use cheque or bank transfer to make your first payment.

As you know, when the UK Government instigated a “lockdown” we, like many similar organisations operating outings for members, suspended our 2020 Outings programme. The UK Government
eased some restrictions and as a consequence we are trying a partial reopening of the Outings Programme.

I had planned to lead walks at Arlington Reservoir (Sunday 6th September), Beachy Head
(Saturday 10th October) and Cissbury Ring (Sunday 18th October). We announced in the recent newsletter that we are trialling these on a first-come-first-served basis for a maximum of 5 members (6 to include the leader). All other outings remain suspended.

The first event was very soon after the publication of the newsletter, and the second is already fully booked.

If you are interested in the outing to Cissbury Ring, please contact me by phone (01435 873576 or 07793 416375) and if I am not available please leave your name and telephone number together with the outing you are interested in attending. If you are successfully booked but subsequently are unable to attend please let me know so I can make this place available to somebody else.

These outings will be in accordance with the latest Government advice (e.g. social distancing) and regrettably we will seek to avoid sharing telescopes; you might like to bring some personal hand-sanitizing gel.

Outings are always on an “at own risk basis” of course. Should restrictions be eased further before the winter newsletter is due, any changes to arrangements will be announced on the website.

Mark Wright (Outings Organiser)

A pair of Leica Trinovid 8 x 32 BA binoculars are offered  for sale.  They are virtually new, but due to personal circumstances are no longer required.   Suggested price is £400.

Please contact Peter Britton on peterbritton@live.com or phone 01293 885378

Great to see SOS Council Member Mya’s blog featured by the BTO.  Not often do we see the world of birding from the perspective of those who are female, and young!

Having tried to remain optimistic over the summer, we have reluctantly decided to cancel the SOS Fieldworkers Meeting due to take place on October 3^rd. We held back the decision on whether to go ahead in the hope that Covid restrictions would be relaxed sufficiently for indoor gatherings of largish groups of people to be allowed to go ahead safely. Sadly, it doesn’t look like this will be happening anytime soon so reluctantly we have decided that we should cancel this year’s meeting.

This is a pity – last year’s meeting was such a great success and face to face contacts are so important for us all. We are still planning to hold a meeting in 2021 and will publish the details nearer the time. For now, we are hoping to host ‘Zoom’ workshops on specific surveys such as the SOS Marsh Tit survey which, all being well, we will be finishing off in 2021.

Ken Smith

Many of us are listening to the birds around us more intently than ever this spring. Some are wondering what bird is making which noise. Others are wondering when they will be able to hear some of their favourite birds again.

To help keep us connected during lockdown, SOS member Charlie Peverett is running early morning Zoom calls three times a week. These are open to anyone who would like to share the sound of the birds around them, to learn and ask questions, or even just to listen.

Since starting in March over 30 species of bird have been heard, from many locations in Sussex, but also from as far as the City of London, Bristol, Herefordshire, North Yorkshire and Glasgow. There are people feeling much better equipped to identify the birds in their back garden, and more experienced birders who are sharing their knowledge.

The calls are free, you just need to have the Zoom app downloaded and a pair of headphones to listen via your phone or laptop.

If you or someone you know might like to join in, you can find out more and sign up to join the call via the link below.

https://wwweventbrite.co.uk/e/up-with-the-birds-tickets-101520191626 (it is free)

Alternatively email Charlie at cpeverett@gmail.com  if you’d like to find out more.

(While not an SOS project, we think it may be of interest to our more tech-savvy members!)

As you were probably expecting after the government’s statement yesterday, the decision has been taken to postpone the AGM until such time as restrictions are lifted.

The Annual General Meeting is fast approaching and we are looking for members to fill the following Council roles:

Secretary:  This is a pivotal role within the Society. Would suit someone with good organisational skills, to take the minutes of Council meetings (5 a year) and look after the day to day correspondence of the Society.

Newsletter Editor:  The Editor produces four newsletters a year. Most articles are written by members; the Editor has to make sure there is enough suitable material, obtain more if needed and look for and obtain permission to use photographs. The material has to be drawn together, edited if necessary, and pasted up in desk top publishing software (Adobe InDesign) for which training will be given.

Editor of Sussex Bird Report; This post falls vacant in 2021, but it would be really helpful if someone could shadow the current Editor this year to learn the ropes.  The Sussex Bird Report is our flagship annual publication and we need someone who can co-ordinate the team of writers, and keep to deadlines – and do a lot of chasing!

Council members are invited to attend five meetings a year and also to contribute thoughts and suggestions to all aspects of the many interesting and varied aspects of the Society.  You will be given full help and support from Council to help you settle into the role.  No matter how large or small you feel that the amount of time is that you can offer, all existing SOS Council and committee members would agree that volunteering to get involved at any level in helping to run SOS is a really worthwhile and beneficial experience, and you get to know a really nice team of people as well.  To find out more about what is involved in supporting SOS by becoming an active part of an SOS committee, please contact Chris Davis via secretary@sos.org.uk