<%@LANGUAGE="JAVASCRIPT" CODEPAGE="1252"%> Lancaster and District Birdwatching Society Newsletter
Newsletter of the Lancaster and District Birdwatching Society
June 2001 Editorial
Editor:  Pete Marsh
Birdtours.co.uk
Worldbirder.com
Local Sightings
LDBWS Website
Newsletter Index

Introduction

Welcome to the June Newsletter.  
We have several interesting contributions in this issue but two things really struck me whilst assembling this Newsletter.    Brian Townson has produced an article on the on-going "My kind of Birdwatching" theme which reminisces on his early egg-collecting days.   I was reminded of my own "history" with respect to my long-standing interest in moths.   Practical Entomology in those days involved a killing jar and various sizes of pin and several setting boards along with a few boxes or cases to house the collection.  My early days were spent with local moth men such as Hector Robinson from Warton and the late Jerry Briggs from Beetham, poring over collections and getting to know the difficult species.  We used 'South', complete with its accounts of various rare moths discovered around gas-lamps by retired Victorian clergy.   I distinctly remember the day it all changed.  I had returned from the Umbra at Downhill (County Londonderry) with a Narrow-bordered Bee Hawk Moth in 1971.  Pangs of conscience as I watched its death-throes in a killing jar were exacerbated by my companion's utter disgust at the whole scenario.  I set it and I have never killed a moth for setting purposes since.   Unfortunately, and it is still an on-going source of concern amongst many of us, some still "have" to be killed in order to identify them by their genitalia.  In general, however, the emphasis is now on photography and recording, not collecting.   Unfortunately, as with the continuing presence of egg collectors, there are still a few out and out butterfly/moth collectors in existence and things have to be "kept quiet" or furnished with protective law (W. and C. Act).   

The second thing which struck me whilst compiling this Newsletter was the vast number of sightings from this spring which ''required publishing".   I decided to tackle it by hiving off the vast amount of seawatching into a separate article...which then took hours to sort out!   Therefore we were very lucky compared to some inland regions, including east Lancashire, where most sites were out of bounds.

The deadline for the next Newsletter is THURSDAY 14TH SEPTEMBER

Please give it to me earlier than that if it involves material which is not ready for publication as it stands (e.g. handwritten stuff).   However, if you are not computer-literate, please do not feel as though handwritten stuff is not welcome and be put off submitting anything.   Microsoft Word or compatible, please, if you are e-mailing, otherwise please send me printed copy.  Thank you.

Pete Marsh (Editor):

17 Albion Street, Lancaster  LA1 1DY:  

01524/66775 or 07989866487




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