Reading RSPB Group

LEE MORGAN made a return visit to the Reading RSPB Group with an illustrated talk on the Okanagan Valley. Located between the coastal mountain ranges and the Rockies, it is in a rain shadow, the nearest thing to a “desert” in Canada.

A river flows through the valley and together with the steep mountain slopes, this gives a variety of habitats and spectacular biodiversity.

The river supports sockeye salmon and at a land-locked lake — a unique feature — the Kockanee.

In the reedbeds red-winged and yellow-headed blackbird sing with the occasional glimpse of the elusive sora.

The region supports some 330 bird species including tanagers, owls, seven types of woodpecker and four different hummingbirds.

Other wildlife present includes the rattlesnake, aquatic turtle, marmot, otter, muskrat, beaver, ground squirrel and chipmunk while on the mountainsides are the bighorn sheep, mountain goat and snowshoe hare. Predators include the lynx, coyote, black bear, wolf and cougar.

It was a very misty morning when the group visited Hosehill Lake, a Berks, Bucks and Oxon Wildlife Trust reserve near Theale.

Winter is late arriving this year and the usual large gathering of wildfowl was not in great evidence, although there were 20 or more wigeon and a handful of gadwall and pochard.

As the weather grows colder, one would expect these numbers to increase and maybe they will be joined by the odd goldeneye, pintail, or even that elusive sawbill, the smew.

The persistent rain of late had raised the water level, engulfing the shingle beach on the island normally favoured by cormorants, geese, moorhens and various waders.

Everybody struggled in the poor visibility as binoculars steamed up and the group moved away from the lake to be treated to a fine view of a majestic male bullfinch.

Further on a goldcrest similarly obliged but by now the morning was turning to afternoon and the warmth of the pub fire beckoned.

The next meeting will take place at Pangbourne village hall on Tuesday, February 11 at 8pm when David Darrell-Lambert will present an illustrated talk entitled “Eh, what, pardon”, a demonstration of the sounds birds make delivered with humour and amazing knowledge. Visitors are always welcome. For more information, visit www.reading-rspb.org

Dave Glover