<%@LANGUAGE="JAVASCRIPT" CODEPAGE="1252"%> Lancaster and District Birdwatching Society Newsletter Welcome to the September Newsletter
Newsletter of the Lancaster and District Birdwatching Society
Welcome to the September Newsletter
Editorial Autumn 2001
Birdtours.co.uk
Worldbirder.com
Local Sightings
LDBWS Website
Newsletter Index

This has been late due to a computer virus passed into and between some LDBWS members.     To cut a long story short; please let anyone know immediately if you suspect you have passed on a virus.  Secondly, there should not be a problem if you run your anti-virus update before downloading the contents of your Inbox.  Obviously this may lead to more delays as people allow their inbox to stack, but best to be on the safe side.   There is always a landline if you want a quick response! 

Talking of landlines, our Secretary is now on e-mail but I am not able to obtain the address prior to printing.  Please contact Andrew Cadman at (01524) 734462 if you wish to know the address.

Unfortunately a recent problem has necessitated a statement concerning standard editorial policy.     The editor has the right to alter any contribution.   As the contributions are voluntary,   it is only right and proper that this should be discussed with the author.   Similarly the Editor can pass the article on to other committee members for further opinions prior to publication.   If suggested alterations are not acceptable to the author, the article is simply not published.    In this respect,  I have provided the "My Kind of Birdwatching" slot in this issue.    I farmed it out to three people to act as Editors and it has been substantially censored! Obviously it is "opinionated" articles, such as this, which might contain questionable text needing to be revisited.    .         

Criticism of the Reality Birding League has led to a change in name which should hopefully remove the misconceptions leading to the criticism.    As someone who is extremely interested in the status of birds in this area,  I fully support the Local Birding League.    In order to give yourself the best chance of seeing many of the potential species,  you  have to carefully study weather, migration times, likely habitat etc..  Sometimes it is just a feeling that "something is about" - the Tawny Pipit day at Heysham this spring was a classic example.   In this respect, the vast majority of the information on Dotterels on Ward's Stone has been from LBL participants (see Pete Crooks evaluation in the Annual Report).     The "great awakening" re-spring seabird passage in 2001 (see last Newsletter) was largely due to persistence by LBL participants.   Therefore, with the incentive of a little friendly competition, we have a significant group of birders who are acquiring finely-tuned perceptions on 'when, where and in what weather'.   Some of them, however, are still wasting too much time staring at waders on the Allen/EM Pools from mid-late September when calm weather/easterlies suggest trees and bushes and Yellow-browed Warblers!

One of the side- effects of the events on 11th September has been to review the use of such words as 'dreadful' and 'disastrous'.  We have all been guilty of inappropriate use, perhaps following the lead of tabloid journalists, and I hope the Newsletter is free of this.

Pete Marsh, 17 Albion Street, Lancaster   LA1 1DY




Birdtours.co.uk
Worldbirder.com
Local Sightings
LDBWS Website
Newsletter Index