Harry Green

	HERONRIES SURVEY The annual counts of known heronries (organised by Shaun Micklewright) took place as usual in 2003 with numbers much the same at the known heronries. Information on “new” heronries came to light from Bittell Reservoirs, Redditch Arrow Valley Lake and Hewell Grange. Hopefully these heronries can be included in future annual surveys - anyone who can help with counts should contact Shaun Micklewright. Most of the randomly selected tetrads for which surveys were required in 2003 as part of a national trial to discover unrecorded heronries were surveyed and no new heronries were found
	NIGHTINGALES 2003 2003 was not an official BTO survey year but we are very keen to keep track of Nightingales in Worcestershire because of severe declines in recent years.. If you have records of singing birds for 2003 I should still be very pleased to receive them They can be sent to me directly by email zen130501@zen.co.uk or by phoning 01386 710377, or by leaving a message for at the Worcestershire Wildlife Trust office 01905 754919. I would be useful if you could let me know the exact location of the birds with grid reference if possible, the dates of the records, your name and contact details Very few nightingales were reported to me in 2003 and I gained a strong impression that they were missing from some of the usual sites. I received records only from near Croome, Drakes Broughton, Leigh Sinton and the Gullet Quarrey area of the Malvern Hills.

PILOT SWALLOW FEEDING SURVEY Many thanks to those who took part in the Pilot Survey. These results have gone to the BTO and should help in designing a full survey. Undoubtedly there were problems with the first survey design.
	BREEDING WOODCOCK SURVEY. This survey, run jointly by BTO and Game Conservancy Trust aims to provide a baseline estimate of breeding woodcock numbers. Twelve randomly selected 1x1 km squares were surveyed during the summer 2003 and the results have gone to BTO. Very few woodcock were found and the results of our work will be interesting within the national context. Positive records were returned from parts of Wyre Forest, Chaddesley Woods, and woods west of the Malvern Hills.
	BREEDING BIRDS SURVEY 50 1x1km squares were covered in 2003. Very many thanks to everyone who took part in this very important annual monitoring survey. I have not received results from several surveyors who have gone incommunicado! I would be grateful if they would at least tell me whether or not they had done the survey and whether they will wish to take part in 2004! Its all voluntary but it does help if you communicate with this over-worked Regional Rep! The interesting development is that BBS is going on-line which means that individual surveyors will be able to input their results directly to the BTO via the internet if they wish - there is no compulsion! This will (they promise!) mean that there will be less paperwork. It should also mean that BTO receives data more quickly. I think most surveyors will have received information about this and I should be grateful if you could let me know if you are thinking of going on line. The other useful spin-off will be that data from BBS is more readily available.
	WINTER GULL ROOST SURVEY The BTO has organised surveys of winter gull roosts since 1953, the last in January 1993. The 2003-2006 survey aims to produce the first estimate of the total UK population of wintering gulls, including coastal gulls. The survey consists of several parts. One is to count key site roosts which have been counted in the past and the other is to survey a series of randomly selected tetrads 2x2 km squares inland to discover if any gull roosts have been missed and to help give validity to the whole survey. There are also coastal counts which do not affect Worcestershire.
The one key site in Worcestershire is Westwood Great Pool near Droitwich and Gavin & Francis Peplow have agreed to cover that site for the January 2004 count. The randomly selected tetrads are also to be surveyed in January 2004 and 2005. Full instructions are given on the recording forms. If anyone would like to survey one of the following please contact me: SO76Z Dunley, Oakhampton SO74T North Malvern SO83V South of Tewkesbury SO74G near Colwall SO86T Doverdale Likelihood of gulls in these tetrads is small but a visit will get you out into countryside you may not have visited before! Also they are an important part of the survey.
NIGHTJARS 2004 A repeat survey. If you can survey Devils Spittleful or part of the Wyre Forest please let me know.