Founded 1889 – Affiliated to Yorkshire Naturalists' Union
2017 February 21st
MINUTES OF MEETING HELD ON: Tuesday 21st February 2017
VENUE: St Catherine's Hospice Education Centre ATTENDANCE: 17 Members & guests.
CHAIRMAN: Brian Walker was in the Chair.
APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE: Pauline Popely, Melanie Earle and Nicholas Gibbons.
MINUTES OF PREVIOUS MEETING(s): Minutes from 24th January 2017 were distributed.
MATTERS ARISING: None.
CORRESPONDENCE RECEIVED: YNU newsletter had arrived and was available in hard copy. Any members who wished to have the e-mail forwarded are to let the secretary Rob Stark know.
The Naturalist had arrived in hard copy.
The Yorkshire Geological Society programme for 2017 and the latest newsletter had also arrived.
ANNOUNCEMENTS: The dates of the first two outdoor meetings were announced. The first is on Sunday 5th March at the raptor viewpoint from 8.30am onwards. The rest of the outdoor meetings will be published at the next meeting.
The YNU VC 62 meet is at Saltburn by Sea on 22nd July.
Coffee and biscuits were present for a £1 donation to the Society. The provision of this will be reviewed after this meeting as take up has been low in January.
RECORDS AND REPORTS: for period 25th Jan to 21st Feb
Ian Glaves reported a stoat in full ermine near the tree nursery in Wykeham forest mid month.
Robin Hopper reported that Pink Footed Geese had started to be seen moving north. Grey Wagtails were being seen increasingly in the town in the last month.
Frank Sheader reported that there were still numbers of Fieldfares (low tens) in the Wolds near to his home and also reported seeing four Jays together.
Ginny reported a dead Heron with the head taken clean off underneath the Heronry near Wrench Green.
Brian Walker reported that the Rooks were starting to return to the nesting colonies in Newtondale.
Steve Buschel reported 300 to 400 Starlings at Hern Head and a Treecreeper feeding on the wall. A skylark was back on territory in 'plantation field.
SPEAKER FOR THE EVENING:
Nicky Dobson from Hull University spoke about the 'Capturing our Coast' project. This is a national project which aims to use 'citizen science' to gather data on the distribution of key indicator species over the full range of intertidal flora and fauna. This will allow a better understanding of how developments and climate change are affecting the marine life on the coast. Training is available to volunteers who can choose which group or groups they wish to survey.
The project is proving to be a success and may act as a model for other projects.
The date of the next meeting is 21st March 2017. The speaker is Ann Hanson and she is talking on 'Harvest mice and small mammal research'.
