Page 14 - Out Birding Spring 2024

View From the Chair
Happy New Year to you all, I hope this year brings you good health and happiness. I know it’s a bit late to be receiving this in February, but it’s highly relevant at the 􏰀me I am wri􏰀ng.
Last year I set myself a challenge to see 200 bird species in the
UK during 2023. Well, I did it, though I had to leave it un􏰀l mid-December before I reached my target. When a young gun birder, I used to achieve this total with ease, burning around the country as I did so. Now, it’s not so straigh􏰁orward, especially if I want to minimise my carbon footprint. My worst year was 150 in 2020, when my travel was reduced by Covid restric􏰀ons. For me, having a target year list of 200 incen􏰀vises me in a fun way to get out birding and visi􏰀ng a range of habitats and places. What incen􏰀vises you to go out birding? Why not use the GBC events to get out birding more o􏰂en? It doesn’t ma􏰃er what target you set yourself; it could be a year list or it could be to aim for a certain number of GBC events. It needs to be a realis􏰀c target and it should be fun.
When you read this, I will be off on my travels, heading again to work as a guide/ lecturer on the same cruise ship I was working on last winter (their summer). This 􏰀me, I will finish the contract by cruising across the South Atlan􏰀c from Cape Horn to Namibia, taking in Tristan da Cunha. This is not an easy place to reach, but holds some special seabirds, including endangered Northern Rockhopper Penguins and Tristan Albatross. The la􏰃er species is facing significant pressure from both bycatch in longline fisheries and adults and chicks being eaten alive by giant-sized house mice while at their nest sites. It seems strange that they do not have any capacity to avoid this long slow death, but that’s how it is. A major project was started in 2021 to eradicate the mice, but failed to eliminate all individuals, so the mice soon returned to their old haunts and ways. This was an expensive failure. I only hope that the conserva􏰀onists are able to raise funds for a new, successful project.
The commi􏰃ee has been busy during the past few months. Firstly, some great news that Nigel Coldico􏰃 has agreed to join the GBC commi􏰃ee as a member without por􏰁olio. He brings a wise head and years of experience in the wildlife tourism business before his re􏰀rement. I greatly look forward to working with him. There are s􏰀ll places if other GBC members are interested in joining the commi􏰃ee. We can co- opt people between elec􏰀on dates by agreement of the other commi􏰃ee members. While a few posi􏰀ons need a 􏰀me commitment, joining as a member without por􏰁olio is a good way to see how it works without having to make a significant 􏰀me commitment.
We have decided as a commi􏰃ee to go ahead and commit to holding the 14th Grand Get Together, which will coincide with our 30th anniversary, at the Grantown Arms in Speyside. It is a terrific loca􏰀on for birding and as a hotel. We are conscious of the travel commitment for our mainly southeast England members, which is why we are
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