INDOOR MEETING 

Wednesday 11th December - 7.15pm

Matthew Capper 

Agenda: 

• Welcome & notices / announcements 

• Main speaker - Matthew Capper

• Q&A

• Interval – 10 minutes

• Recorder’s Report

• Close - Wine and festive mince pies social

SBSG 2025 CALENDAR  - NOW AVAILABLE !

This will be available at the November and December indoor meetings if stock lasts - There are only 50 copies so be sure to contact us to reserve your copy/s - contact any member of the committee. The Newsletter Editor can be contacted with the link at the bottom of this newsletter. Price is the same as last year at £5 each (Cost Price). Just arrived and the quality is superb!

REDMIRES VISIBLE MIGRATION FIELD TRIP REPORT

27th October

(FULL VERSION)

Unlike in many recent years, when the Group’s annual vis-mig event has coincided with fog, rain, hail and even snow, those present for this year’s field trip gathered on a beautiful mild and sunny morning, with clear skies and almost no wind. The unseasonal weather no doubt contributed to the very healthy numbers of members present, with some 35 observers walking up to the mounds known as Ocean View behind the car park in the woods by the top reservoir. The elevation provides a good vantage point from which to scan the skies, as well as terrific panoramic views. 

Previous vis-mig trips have favoured the dam wall and the hill S of the bottom reservoir, but these are either no longer accessible or overlook the changing spot for the now regular wild swimmers, despite signage to the contrary. As trip leader, Richard Hill wisely decided that a cloud of binoculars and telescopes above the swimmers might draw some unwanted attention!

As is typically the case, the first couple of hours after dawn saw a steady trickle of birds on the move, although the weather was too nice for significant movement, with many winter thrushes and finches apparently yet to arrive from the continent. Nonetheless, just over 4,000 Woodpigeons were on the move, heading mainly S in packs of several hundred. Along with them, three Stock Doves were picked out, although a solitary Collared Dove that headed W on its own was more puzzling. Similarly surprising was a late Curlew that flew low W towards Stanage, perhaps flushed from the reservoir margins by yet more wild swimmers, while 27 Lapwing sought somewhere undisturbed to land. The regular roost of Black-headed Gulls provided some activity and two Common Gulls headed W. A couple of Ravens headed N and a group of Jackdaws passed low to the W, along with small numbers of Starlings (40), Redwings (105) and Blackbirds (4). Jays and Great Spotted Woodpeckers can be seen from visible migration watchpoints in autumn, with some thought to be migrants, and one of each flew past us at treetop height.

Redwings on the move

Finches were well represented in terms of species, with small numbers of Bullfinch (4), Greenfinch (4), Chaffinch (35), Goldfinch (7), Redpoll (5) and Siskin (8) all seen in small numbers, calls of the last two species alerting us to their approach. Almost 20 Meadow Pipits were also seen, their presence into the winter months an increasingly regular feature of the uplands. The presence of so much potential prey can attract raptors, but scanning the skies revealed ‘only’ three Buzzards and a Kestrel, although 20 years ago the Buzzards would have been cheered.

Among the group was local journalist David Bocking, who produced his own write-up of the field trip (see https://abitblackoverbillsmothers.substack.com/p/sunday-at-bills-mothers-3rd-november?r=19i6vk&utm_medium=ios&triedRedirect=true), and his departure inevitably triggered the arrival of the first skein of Pink-footed Geese, moving between feeding grounds around the Dee Estuary and the East coast. 

Pink-footed Geese heading SE to the Wash

The yelping skein of 105 was soon followed by another line of 20 that passed overhead, the highlight of the morning for many of us.

It may not have been the best day for the spectacular passage that can take place in optimum conditions, but we saw several thousand birds of almost 40 species over the couple of hours we were there and it was great to be able to talk to so many of the members who turned up for the trip. Thanks to all who made the early start for some vis-mig action and to Richard for leading the trip.

David Wood

TAKE PART IN A SURVEY

We are looking for participants for a study about how people build associations and knowledge in memory. For example, in everyday life, we often must remember associations between information, such as the name of a new acquaintance, where we left our mobile phone, or the source of some news that we have recently learned. The aim of this project is to examine how prior knowledge (in this case, of birds) impacts the formation of new memories. To this end, we are looking for adults of all different experience/knowledge of birds to take part in a two-part study. If you are eligible, you will be immediately directed to Part 1 which entails an online survey that will enquire about your background interests and experiences with birds. Thereafter, you will be contacted to take part in Part 2 which will take place remotely online via Zoom from the comfort of your home and entail tests of memory and cognition. A trained research assistant will be available to answer any questions. You will receive Amazon vouchers worth £8/hour for your participation. To find out if you are eligible, please visit https://bit.ly/BirdMemoryStudy. If you have any questions, please contact the principal investigator, Dr Vanessa Loaiza at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Parks, Woodlands and Green Spaces in Sheffield.  Tell us what you think!

As part of our commitment to maintaining and improving your Parks, Woodlands and Green Spaces in the future, we need to find out about how you currently use our sites, what you think of our service.  We have also added a few questions on Nature Emergency and the role we can all play to support nature's recovery in Sheffield.

We would be really grateful if you would take a few minutes to answer our questions. Your responses will help us understand how you feel about our Parks, Woodlands and Green Spaces. Your feedback will also help us to see what we can do to improve our sites in the future. The more people who complete the survey, the more meaningful the results will be and it would be really valuable to get a range of participants to respond.

The survey should take about 5 minutes to complete.  Please make the most of this opportunity to have your say. Follow this link to the project page where you can take the survey.

The survey closes on 19th April 2024

Helen Taylor

Quality and Performance Officer
Parks and Countryside, SCC

The Incompleat Birder

Martin Hodgson is the latest SBSG member to author a book

It’s a light-hearted account of his struggle over the years to gain some competence in birding.  In short, a story without a happy ending!  Printed by the University Press in the same style as the Annual Report, Martin hopes that it will attract people to make it their own.  Priced at £10 and containing 127 pages with many colour photos, it will be on sale at the March meeting and £2 of every copy sold that evening will go to SBSG.  Those who are interested but can’t make the meeting should contact him on This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. 

Peak District Raptor Monitoring Group

The Peak District Raptor Monitoring Group are fund raising to buy some Satellite tags to go on Short-eared Owls, this year and next. Below is the link to their Go Fund Me page. The details of who Raptor Aid are are included, along with details about NERF. 

Raptor Aid Grant Fund & Short Eared Owl Tag Fund, organized by Jimmi Hill

2023 Ring Ouzel reports for Eastern moors and Stanage/ North Lees 

The reports detail the results of Ring Ouzel surveys and monitoring carried out in 2023 across the Eastern Moors Partnership estate and the Stanage - North Lees estate

Eastern Moors

Stanage-North Lees

Birds in the Sheffield Area 2020

Editor: Richard Hill 

Birds in the Sheffield Area 2020 was published in December 2023 with help of the major sponsors Foothills and Sheffield Photographic Centre.

The cover of a Bittern in the Rother Valley was created by Ben Green and the text is interleaved with colour illustrations by Ben Green and Richard Dale. The colour photographs are courtesy of  A. Deighton, P. Garrity, R.D. Hill, M.N. Reeder, M. Smethurst, R. Twigg and D. Wood. It has a total of 170 pages. 

This edition is dedicated to the memory of Philip Ridsdale – 1984–2020. 

Main Contents:

• A review of the birding year, 2020
• Systematic List of records for the year 2020
• Arrival and departure dates of migrant species in 2020
• Bitterns in the Rother Valley – a new breeding species
• Bearded Vulture in the Peak District – New to the Sheffield Area
• A colour map of the SBSG recording area

The cost is £7 if collected, or £10.50 to include postage and packing. The report is free to qualifying members.

Anyone interested in obtaining a copy of this, or any other of our annual reports, please email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. for further details.

Sheffield RSPB Group

The programme of speakers for the group for 2024 can be found here.

MEMBERSHIP LATEST

A reminder that when you first access your SBSG account in January you will be asked to renew your membership or continue as a guest. The Membership Mojo information pack can be found here - it has detailed joining/renewal instructions to help you with any queries.

SBSG Indoor Programme for 2024 now released

Our new exciting programme for 2024 can be found here

Details of the 2024 opportunity for young birders can be found here - get your application in now!

SBSG U25’s YOUNG BIRDER'S BURSARY 2023

To highlight the success of our recently trialled SBSG U25’s Young Birder’s Bursary in memory of Phil Ridsdale, recipient and SBSG U25s member Stephanie Webb has created a brief summary report of her findings regarding her experience. The report details her personal experience at Spurn Bird Observatory, including positive and negative feedback, and further recommendations. Highlights include Stephanie’s overwhelmingly positive experience at Spurn, which allowed her to connect with other young birders and gain valuable volunteering experience at a UK bird observatory. Stephanie's report on her experience can be found here.

WYMING BROOK CLOSURE

Removal of diseased Larch Trees - Forestry work has started at Wyming Brook and all the public rights of way on the reserve are currently closed. Here is the map showing the closures for your reference.

Easyfundraising

New QR Code to use when shopping on-line - why not take a picture and store it on your phone for use in the future

If you shop online, don’t forget to support SBSG at no extra cost by channelling through easyfundraising  - Here's how to do it 

Results from the National Willow Tit survey

In recent years, our endemic race of willow tit (Poecile montanus kleinschmidti) have been lost from large areas of southern and eastern England and from parts of north and south Wales. Senior Conservation Scientist Simon Wotton explains why a survey was needed for this woodland birds, and what it shows us.

A blast from the past

For those of you looking to while away the long winter nights, a copy of the 1985 publication Birds of the Sheffield Area by the late Messrs. Hornbuckle and Herringshaw has just been uploaded to the site. Available to members, it can be found via the "publications" tab under the annual reports section.  

Good news for younger members

Free membership is now available for persons under the age of 25.  The age limit was previously 22.  And it’s available regardless of whether you’re in full time education or not.  Existing members should by now have received revised membership certificates from Martin Hodgson, the Membership Secretary.  If you haven’t but you think you ought to have, or if you are a paying member who now qualifies for free membership, please contact him at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Help Sheffield University and SBSG support the Sheffield Peregrines

With your help we can provide more opportunities for people to learn more about these amazing birds as well as carry out important research. You can support the Sheffield Peregrines Project by donating through the Virgin Money Giving page.

Click on this link to learn more about the plans for the project and to donate: