Berwick Wildlife Group

Present: : Fiona Aungier, Leslie Cook, Malcolm Hutcheson, John Inglis, John Rae, Enid Turnbull,

Apologies:. Molly Hardie, Elizabeth Martin Fisher, M. Williams, Gill Young.

Items	Subject	Decisions to Make	Outcome
1	Minutes of last meeting	Agreed?	Agreed.
2	Matters arising not below	Discuss briefly.	None.
3	Recent events and surveys.	Bumblebees. Bats at Riverdene – final result?; Bats at Lord's Mount. Small mammal survey – training day and first catch. Cocklawburn, Fixed point photos. Butterfly transects.	Bumblebees – low-key but successful bee walk. Bats at Riverdene. Havn't seen report from Ruth Hadden (as expected; report is for the Town (?County) Council). However no bats found roosting in bridge structure, so no barrier to development. We still need to keep watch on plans for lighting re. the nesting house martins. Bats at Fields House. Apparently roosting in house or nearby, but further work needed. Difficulties arranging surveys in ideal bat-detecting weather. Next year to plan fewer bat surveys in advance, more at short notice to capitalise on good conditions. Small Mammals Survey training day and first catch (at Cocklawburn), with help of Veronica Carnell of Northumberland Small Mammals Group. Bank voles and common shrews trapped. Interesting as no recent data from locality, and contrast with trapping work just begun on Holy Island. Exciting and valuable project to continue at Cocklawburn and elsewhere, e.g. T the M & Plantation. Need to contact owners (FA). Cocklawburn, fixed point photography. Summer photos taken by G.Y. (Thank you). Butterfly transects – now half way through season. FA to send data to JR to enter into TransectWalker..
4	Forthcoming events and surveys	Mycologist. Paxton contacted by M Hardie – charges £60.00. Bats at Longridge and Spittal. Whin Sill Grasslands. Small mammal survey – exciting and valuable project for future work.	Mycologist. Paxton contacted by M. Hardie, but expert too expensive. Peter Maule's expertise is on small fungi and yeasts; but also seaweeds – he would be willing to lead outing on these. Bats at Longridge and Spittal – arrangements discussed. Whin Sill grassland surveys – FA to organise..
5	Tesco	Documents in Council offices, article Civic Society Newsletter.	Reports in Council offices and article in Civic Society Newsletter were discussed.
6	New Bat detector	Purchased, and used.	Purchased, used. Works well.
7	Marine Reserves	Marine Conservation Society campaign for new marine reserves. www.yourseasyourvoice.com questionnaire. Encourage members to fill in?.	Marine Conservation Society campaign for new marine reserves questionnaire on www.yourseasyourvoice.com questionnaire. Encourage members to take part individually (in next newsletter).
8	Kevin Rideout	Kevin has left St Abbs. Kind and encouraging e-mail sent to Group. Reply?	Kevin has left St Abbs. He has sent kind and encouraging e-mail sent to Group. Reply (if can find forwarding address) - FA.
9	Green Festival	Did we miss out by not attending?	No-one present at meeting had been at Festival. Consider whether we attend next year nearer the time.
10	Any other business	.	Squirrel Report (EB sent apologies - unwell). JR explained no signs of greys in Kyloe; 2 more transects to do in autumn. Also encouraging meeting in Wooler re. forming new squirrel group there, another planned for Coldingham.Cocklawburn. Broken styles (and litter). Suggest contact Natural England. FA. Swifts in Tweedmouth. Seem few in West End since flats re-furbished recently. FA to draft letter (lots of info. BTO/RSPB) to Housing group re. possibility of fitting swift nest boxes (also perhaps contact Network Rail).
11	Date/venue of next Meeting	19th August, then 16th September (7.00 @ The Castle Hotel).	.