Birding News – Dipper

Black bellied dipper. Waterfall 2020. Photo by John Edwards

Just to brighten up the gloomy times a dipper has turned up at the waterfall. You may have seen the ‘birders’ congregating there. One of them kindly provided this photograph below. Dippers are rare in Bucks, most have a north and westerly distribution where there are fast flowing rivers. This however is not of the British race but the Central European black bellied dipper. The main difference being the lack of chestnut brown between the white breast and the black belly.  Lets hope we get more along fast flowing chalk streams.  Incidentally it turned up soon after residents had cleared bottles and cans etc from the stream!

Black bellied dipper at Waterall. March 2020. Photo by John Edwards

WWRA Litter Pickers blitz the Wye – Thinking Global, Picking Local

Second time out in 2 weeks for the WWRA litter pickers. 10 bags awaiting collection and much more needing to be picked.

Having done a massive litter pick 2 years ago WWRA have formed a group to clear the river and bank of litter between Pann Mill and Funges Meadow. We have kick started the group to co-inside with the Great British Spring Clean. Pick times and dates will be posted through Mail Chimp with 2-3 days notice to get suitable weather. Please come and help.

Happy New Year and what’s new

We are just planning events for 2020 including Wine Tasting coming up in February and an AGM in April (will post on the Events Page shortly).

Our new Bridge Club now meets every month (if interested contact Graham).  If you are interested in any other ‘start ups’ please contact Pete.

We have made a few changes/additions to the Website and hope you will have a browse.  Most significant being a new page on ‘Climate Change’ which aims to provide links to information on how you can contribute to making a difference including local level initiatives.

 

 

Thanks John for 32 years service on the Committee

Keep taking the photos.

John Fowler

If anyone has a special photograph and Tweet you think other residents would be interested in, please send it to me for our website.

Two examples below

‘You might have expected this ‘Berlin style’ decorated wall with an ‘Air Base’!    Not a modern civilian estate like the ‘Pines’!!!’

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‘While checking on the local orchids and protect them from deer grazing with sticks I found the first Narrow Lipped Helleborine in our woods.  Worryingly there were large black and white mosquito’s that I have never seen before.  They looked like Asiatic tiger mosquito, Aedes albopictus, which has spread to Europe and is a vector for yellow fever and dengue.  After checking with the None-native Species Agency it was identified as Aedes geniculatus, a native woodland mosquito often mistaken for the notorious tiger mosquito – Phew!!’

Click on the thumbnail for a larger magnified image. 

What’s going on this Summer?

Hi Everyone

After a great turnout at our AGM on the 22nd May with 31 residents, a fascinating talk by Jackie Kay on the ‘History of the Rye’ and an update on local issues from Julia Wassel, we turn our attention to Summer events. See AGM page for details.

The main event this Summer is our Summer BBQ on the 21st July (or 4th August if weather looks bad on the 21st). There will be live music from ‘Halvar’. They were brilliant last year. So please book a slot in your calendar to join us.

‘Halvar’ are a local band becoming well known and in demand for their great music. Don’t Miss.

Please keep up to date on the Events Calendar for new and latest events including Friday evening BBQ’s