Minutes of the Council meeting at Plas Dolerw on Saturday, 15 July 2017

Transcription

1 Minutes of the Council meeting at Plas Dolerw on Saturday, 15 July 2017 Present: Anne Brenchley, Heather Crump, Richard Facey, Mick Green, Bob Haycock, Julian Hughes, Kelvin Jones, Keith Noble, Rhion Pritchard, Ian Spence, Steve Sutcliffe, Alan Williams Apologies for absence: Carlton Parry, Reg Thorpe, Steve Stansfield (SSt), Iolo Williams Minutes of meeting on 4 March 2017 Typing errors were: In 17.08, last action should be domain. In 17.10, names should be Simon Wotton and Robin Prytherch. Otherwise, accepted. To amend the minutes and send pdf to JH to put on the website Matters arising Digitising WOS publications JH has contacted Sal Cooke and he has received documents which he needs to work through to understand what has to be done. IW has donated a complete set of Welsh Birds/Birds in Wales to sacrifice for the digitising process Consultation about the banning of shooting of Greenland White-fronted Geese reported on movements of some tagged geese. To prepare a critical review of the evidence submitted for and against a ban Conservation strategy paper reported that a version will be published this year Links between WOS and NRW An exchange took place between, Pat Lindley and Mattie Murphy after the last Council meeting. The suggestion is that PL should be invited to attend one meeting a year, probably the November meeting, There was discussion about whether MM or PL should be invited. To invite one of them to attend the meeting on 18 November Page 1

2 17.20 Treasurer s report SS provided papers for the meeting. Some presumed Affiliate Members have not paid their subscriptions. Robin Sandham has returned the grant money he was awarded as the target species was not present in the breeding season. The finances seem to be satisfactory. SS has investigated use of Direct Debit services to collect subscriptions from all members. The likely cost of such a service will be an initial cost of around 500 each with annual costs thereafter of perhaps 40 a year. After some discussion it was agreed to check more details with one company. To find out more details from GoCardLess and make a recommendation. SS Membership Secretary s report Editor s report Paying subscriptions via the website is working, with a few glitches to be sorted out. Now, new members will be able to enter their own details. The membership database now has c300 members. Another function of the database is to create address labels for sending publications. The system does not appear as easy as it might have been. AW has requested that WOS should seek a new, possibly younger, Membership Secretary in the relatively near future, if not immediately. RP spoke to the paper he had ed earlier and told us about papers for the next edition of Birds in Wales. The paper about bird survey priorities will need to be shorter than the draft and is intended to be ready for publication in this next edition. suggested that the troublesome table at the end of the draft could be converted to a page on the website for continuous updating and public availability. To prepare the table as a page on the website. There are some papers expected and in preparation for the 2018 edition. However, RP would like to have more papers so that there is never a shortage. He would also like to continue a series about important bird reserves in Wales and the Gwent Levels would be a suitable contender as the next. Another possibility is Ynys Hir. We need to keep encouraging students who receive Derek Moore Student Research Awards to write up their reports suitable for publication. RP would also like to see that every survey that is of birds in Wales, or a national survey that covers Wales to have a report for publication in Birds in Wales. KJ will be gathering photos for use in Birds in Wales. To contact CMP to ask for samples of bird photos on ordinary paper and on photo paper, to consider which is better. To look for photos for use in the current edition. BH JH reported on progress with the 2016 Welsh Bird Report. He is currently waiting for contributions for all counties. Some of his time is still needed for the Page 2

3 enewsletter and he would like someone to take over this task as soon as possible. Volunteers to help prepare sections of the Welsh Bird Report are: BH, JH, KN, RF, RP and Steph Tyler (to be confirmed). This year the report is likely to be in a similar format to the last report. To typeset the 2016 Welsh Bird Report Succession planning reported that he is unlikely to wish to stand for re-election for a second term as Chair after CP has said that he is willing to stand for re-election for a second term. is willing to be nominated for another term as Secretary if nobody else wishes the role. expressed willingness to be re-elected at some time in the future after her one-year minimum off Council. We need to consider a replacement for Membership Secretary. RT is retiring from RSPB Cymru on 1 September and there was brief discussion about how we should seek a replacement for him on Council. To draft a letter to Katie-Jo Luxton to thank RSPB Cymru for RT s input over the years and to seek a replacement for him. Letter to be sent in s name. JH Related to the retirement of RT, KJ reminded Council that there is a box of books of interest to egg-collectors stored under RT s desk. There was some discussion about these and what, best, to do with them. To check that the box of books is still there. To approach the National Library of Wales to see if they would be willing and able to look after the books with constraints on who may see them. KJ Conference 2017 All the speakers for the programme have accepted and are: Keith Offord Lee Walker, CEH Robin Prytherch Simon Wotton, RSPB Mike Toms, BTO Steve Roberts There are some issues with the venue including places for people to eat and the actual food to be provided. Now, we must use the in-house catering that currently only seems to provide a buffet style lunch that is inappropriate for so many delegates. To revisit the venue to discuss arrangements, including catering (we want plated food), public address system and hands-free microphones, etc. KN, AW JH reported on conference items that he has produced in the past but now need to be done by others. Page 3

4 To produce a conference poster. To produce a flyer for Birds in Wales and the BTO and the conference programme. After the visit to the venue the costs of the tickets need to be agreed as soon as possible to be included in the flyer and programme. Again, there will be two prices, for members and non-members. After short discussion it was agreed that the AGM will be a short meeting, with full reports by the Chair and Treasurer printed for delegates with short oral summaries on the day. The Awards will be presented after lunch before the afternoon session gets underway. Chair and Treasurer reports to be sent to at least two weeks before the conference to be included in the document with the Agenda for this AGM, minutes of the last and speaker biographies. To prepare this document for the conference. To receive bookings and reply to delegates, SS We will, again, offer 6 free places for students to be arranged by RF. To post name badges to. To invite Chepstow Bookshop to attend. AW, Beryl Moore has, again, provided a range of very good raffle prizes. Other donations of prizes will be most welcome. To send thanks to Beryl after the conference E-media JH reported that will take over management of the content of the website from 1 August. JH will retain access rights. and JH will be away for the same three week period in October so Conference arrangements will need be finalised before the start of October. JH spoke to the report he had ed to all and reported that the drop in website traffic since the relaunch may have been due to his being busy and not updating as much as he has in the past and due to less promotion through social media. JH reiterated that we need someone to take over production of the enewsletter and that this is the last e-media report to be produced by him. HC has been informed about the use of Twitter Analytics and the WOS Facebook page was launched in April and now has 88 followers. There are 2415 followers on Twitter. thanked JH for his running of the e-media to date. Page 4

5 17.26 BirdFair 2017 There are some practical issues to consider around a Welsh medium version of the website. Firstly, the membership database can only function in one language and that will be English. There is a need to seek funding to translate the important parts of the site that change least. New items will always be a problem to have them translated. reported that 6 or 7 people were going to be available to help with the stand. WOS is eligible for 3 free tickets and reduced price tickets for other helpers. BH reported that the WTSWW will have just one person on their stand and have offered their two free tickets for WOS to use. The polo shirts have been delivered (and after the meeting were distributed). There was discussion about various ideas for what was needed at the stand including a competition to raise some funds. To measure the size of a display board for use with a map and send to For some hardboard with holes to be painted with a picture of a Red Kite. To prepare a map of Wales. To take a notebook for comments, queries, etc. To prepare a simple membership form. To ensure that public liability insurance is arranged and paid. BH KN KJ BH SS, Grants There have been two applications for student bursaries. Each was accepted and each will receive 100. Derek Moore Student Research Award forms are ready to be distributed. The deadline for applications is 15 September. Several applications for small research grants have been received but none relate to the priorities identified by WOS. To redraft the application form to clarify the priorities Lifetime Achievement Award Affiliate members There was some discussion about the award and clarified that nominations need to be received by 15 September. Two possible candidates were mentioned. Page 5

6 presented his paper and there was discussion about issues arising from it. There was also discussion about public liability insurance though we need more information about costs from more than one company. To approach the Flints VLC for advice about public liability insurance. To seek other quotes, for a charity, from other companies. To approach University Bird Clubs and the Montgomery and Pembrokeshire WT bird groups to see if they would be willing to become Affiliate members NRW seabird census BH contacted all county Recorders and has had responses from all except Ceredigion and Caernarfon. There have been issues with BH s service provider. NRW had proposed to check the colonies accessible only by sea around the Pembs coast but bad weather and other factors prevented any survey work being done. There have been major problems trying to coordinate surveys with minimal support from NRW. To arrange a business meeting to discuss the survey with NRW at our November meeting BTO Cymru RSPB Cymru There was a series of successful public engagement days in the spring. A letter from WOS to Welsh Government has had some success as more funding was made available to Jill Jackson at the Trunk Road Agency for studying issues affecting Barn Owls on Anglesey. Funding has been provided to tag two birds but they will need regular recapture to recharge or replace batteries. There has also been some money to tag two Herring Gulls nesting on the roof of the University building. There is a third person in the office Katherin Bowgen who is part-time with BTO Cymru and part-time with WeBS doing work for Thetford. To write to RT to thank him for his input to WOS BirdTrack There was a recent, short meeting of the Steering Group which attended by GoTo Meeting. Nick Moran has moved to a new job at the BTO and his replacement will be Scott Mayson. SOVON have now said that they will not become partners in BirdTrack but will cooperate it and other data gathering systems. Page 6

7 17.34 Subgroup WRP A report on 2016 is being prepared Any other business Curlews in Crisis workshop This will take place at Hafod y Hendre, Builth Wells on 24 January WOS has provided 500 towards this event Pulp pencils To investigate pulp (ie recycled material) pencils as give-aways at the BirdFair thanked for her input while a member of Council. All agreed. Ian M Spence 17 July 2017 Page 7