Sussex Ornithological Society Council positions are held for five years from the date of the Annual General Meeting, so we are always looking for new volunteers from the membership to get involved with the running of the Society.

In 2020, there will be vacancies for the positions of Secretary, Newsletter Editor, and Surveys and Projects Officer.   Looking further ahead to 2021, we will be looking for a new Recorder, Bird Report Editor and  Press and Publicity Officer.

As a member of Council, you would be invited to attend five evening meetings per year, and to contribute thoughts and suggestions to all aspects of the many interesting and varied aspects of running the Society.  We are a very friendly and welcoming bunch, and if you think you might be interested in a particular role that requires the completion of specific jobs or functions, then we will fully coach and support you on a trial basis, until you (hopefully) reach a point where you feel sufficiently able to take on that role in full.

We welcome any age and level of experience, so if you are interested in finding out more about SOS Council positions, then please get in touch with Chris Davis secretary@sos.org.uk, to find out more

Please note the time of this walk is 9.30am NOT 2pm as printed in the Programme card.

Now 18 Teams (surely a record?) have completed their Race, and the totals stand at

107  Ruff ‘n’ready (Tim Squire, Josh MacCallum Stewart)

97 The Martlets (Peter Plant, Hugh Horne, Peter Davis, Sophie May Lewis, Gary Trew)

96 Dynamic Duo (Elliot Chandler, John Thorogood)

96  Mike’s Mergansers (Mike English, Jan Jupp, Lesley Milward, Mike Russell, Charles Waters)

91 Wild Park Wanderers (Ben Benatt, Paul Cole, Peter Whitcomb)

91 Rolling Turnstones (Colin & Juliet Nicholson, Alan & Angie Locke)

89 Slow but Sure (Cliff Dean, Alan Parker et al)

88 Ryenecks (Bob Greenhalf, David Bentley, Kelvin Cawte, Pat Bonham)

81 Leisurely Gentlemen (Alan Perry, Joe Nobbs)

77 Treasurer’s Team (John Hall, Ted Merrikin, John Underwood)

73  The Great Twits (Chris Barfield, Nigel Barnes)

66 TQ01ers (Jackie,Pete, Alice, Mark & Linda)

64 Just the Two of Us (Brian Crawford & Kathleen Hutchinson)

57 Fab Four ( Val Bentley, Nigel Colgate, Will Green, Nigel Parsons)

56 Passing Passerines (Sarah Cooper, Alison Playle, Erica Hutchby, Sue Dennis)

55 West Weald Wanderers (Dave Burges, Paul Matson)

50 Adur Hobblers (Brian Clay, Chris Fox, Clive Hope, John Newnham)

38 The LBJs (Tim & Samuel Roberts)

Well done to all  and many congratulations to Josh and Tim on their success this year!

If you are planning to do the Race – remember it has to be during the first two weeks of January – don’t forget to let me know and to ask for a Race pack.

My team are up for it again!

Val Bentley: chetsford@talk21.com or ring 01273 494723

There are still places at the Annual Conference for SOS members on Saturday 26th January at Clair Hall, Haywards Heath.

Tim Squire has put together a really interesting  programme:  Mark Mallalieu on the extraordinary influx of Hawfinches in the winter of 2017/18 (he seems to be finding more this winter!), Rachel White from Brighton University on her Bird Buddies project, Georgina Bray from RSPB’s Hope Farm on sustainable farming and its benefits for wildlife, and Peter Holden MBE talking on Nesting Strategies.  Plenty of stalls including the second-hand natural history books to help you while away your time between sessions.

If you have mislaid your booking form, which went out with the autumn newsletter, please contact Val Bentley on chetsford@talk21.com

Please note that the grid reference given in the newsletter is incorrect.  The meeting place is the northern car park at Lord’s Piece which is SU990173.

As part of the effort to protect Brighton’s vulnerable Swift population, the RSPB is looking for someone in the Brighton & Hove area to monitor planning applications which could offer opportunities to incorporate nesting spaces for Swifts and other at-risk urban species and encourage the local authority to press for inclusion of such measures in these developments. If you would like to help in this role, you can find more details here

Estimated time: one day per month.  It is a volunteer position, but out of pocket travel expenses would be reimbursed.

Thought members and others might be interested in the following:

On the 7 May BBC from 00.30 to 03.30 Radio 3 will be broadcasting a Slow Radio experience – the sounds of Nightingales recorded in a Sussex wood this April. Four musicians spent the night in the woods responding musically to the sounds of nightingales led by folk singer and outdoorsman Sam Lee, who explains the migratory behaviour of the birds, the character of their songs, and the habitats they favour for singing.

The four soloists take turns to respond musically to the nightingales – Clive Bell (Japanese bamboo flute); Laura Moody (cello and vocal); Seckou Keita (kora harp); and Alice Zawadzki (violin and vocal).

The AGM will be at the Adastra Hall, Hassocks on 7th April at 2.30 pm.

Following the formal business, which will hopefully not take too long, there will be a short refreshment break and then our President, Alan Perry, will talk about a subject dear to his heart. Alan has been leading the West Sussex Wealden Heaths’ Breeding Bird Survey  for 20 years. His talk provides a background to these vulnerable heathlands and an insight into the fortunes  of our familiar heathland-dwelling bird species, such as Nightjar, Woodlark, Stonechat, Tree Pipit and Dartford Warbler.

Please note that the Agenda is printed on page 1 of the Spring newsletter, so bring this along with you together with the separate Annual Report & Accounts.

If you aren’t a member you will be welcome to come along too, though you will not be eligible to vote in the AGM proceedings!

There is limited parking at the Adastra, but there is usually space further along the road (towards Keymer) or there is a car park behind the supermarket (may require parking disc) and another is listed in Dale Avenue by the Pauline Thaw (Age Concern) Centre.  And it is only about 10 minutes walk from Hassocks station.