Hi All.
Although I have lived and worked in Nottinghamshire all my life. I am really a Linc's birder at heart, who just lives in Nottinghamshire for now at least..
Strange statement I suppose. Especially as during a good part of that time I rarely visited Linc's while my good friend Phil Palmer and I spent our free time fighting to stop our local pits at 'Sutton & Lound' from being filled in with household refuse.
NWT finally agreed to meet and help us and we formed the Chainbridge NR management committee representing local interest groups. I wrote the constitution and served on that committee for the next 20+ years.
The area formally known as 'Sutton & Lound' has a SSSI designation and recently received lottery funding. Thanks in the main to the tireless work of the members of the management committee.
The whole area is now either owned or managed by Nott's Wildlife Trust and has been renamed 'The Idle Valley Nature Reserve' and is most productive birding site in the county and the jewel in NWT's crown.
That sorted and only an hour or so's drive from the Humber, Cleethorpes, Tetney or Rimac. I have spent more time bird watching on the Lincolnshire coast again.
For the past 8 years we have been taking holiday in a friend’s chalet at Humberton Fitties in both spring and autumn and I/we visit every w/end if possible my favourite birding location 'RSPB - Tetney Marshes'.
Starting last month I became volunteer warden for the RSPB at Tetney and began with the wader count from Louth canal outflow to Horshoe Point last Friday morning.
Highlights were: 4 Curlew Sands, 2 Whimbrel, 8 Little Egret, 5 Northern Wheatear and c2.500 golden plover on fields adjacent to HP access road and on Northcotes airfield.
I used to be a member of LBC when you didn't have to subscribe as you do now.
Then after a long period when I did not visit the web site. Found I was no longer eligible.
I have dithered for many years about joining again until now. What finally made my mind up.
Apart from the odd and quite understandable comment of: ”Whose this Nott's guy finding stuff at Tetney"
... Was simply meeting so many very friendly and helpful people on my many recent forays into Linc's..... Roy Harvey, Andy Sims, Dave Bradbeer and Bill Meeks in particular have been very kind and helpful to me as an outsider. As have Colin Jennings and Andrew Chick during the membership process, despite my complete cock-up of my password.Hope to see you all around soon.