We have had the following message in from the Care2 Petition Site:

Barn owls in the United Kingdom are facing extinction — many dying from rat poison.

The barn owl used to be a common sight in the United Kingdom, but now the birds have become increasingly endangered. One of the biggest causes of barn owl deaths is rat poison — and the government isn’t doing everything it could to help them.

To get rid of rats throughout the United Kingdom, farmers and civil servants frequently use rodenticide. But the rats aren’t the only animals who suffer: animals that eat rats, including barn owls, are also poisoned. In 2010, 91% of the dead barn owls in a contaminated area had been exposed to rat poison, and that number just keeps growing.

Kestrels, red kites and other birds of prey have also died in huge numbers from ingesting rat poison.

These poisons should be used as a last resort, not f irst choice, and they should only be used by licensed, trained pest control officers. Ask the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs to introduce proper regulation on rodent poisons — before it’s too late to save barn owls.

For more information and to sign the petition, click on SAVE THE BARN OWLS

Just to let everyone know, RSPB Snttisham is now “Partly” open for visitors. The message below has been copied from the RSPB website:

Due to severe damage caused by the recent tidal surge, Snettisham is only partly opened.

Please note that there is on-foot access only, between the car park as far as the waders watch point (which is about a mile from the car park). Accessible areas are clearly marked by banners and/or signs. The first hide is open, all other parts of the reserve and hides are dangerous and will remain closed for some time.

Unfortunately, we are unable to provide vehicle access for less mobile visitors because the track has been washed away and is impassable. We are hoping to rebuild this as soon as conditions allow.

Taken from all the club’s recent newsletters:

It is VERY IMPORTANT that you carry your Ogston Membership Card with you at all times when visiting both the Ogston and Jim Mart reserves.

Members should never reveal the lock number to non members and please remember that non-members on site are not covered by Public Indemnity insurance.

The Monthly Bird Report from Carsington has now been added to the website. This is for December 2013.

To view the December report, please visit the Bird Report Index pages.

Thanks to Roger Carrington for the report.

A listing of all the birds recorded on the Guided Bird Walk, Saturday 4th January has now been added to the website.

To view the complete listing, please visit the Guided Walk Reports pages.

The Ogston Monthly Bird Report for the month of December has now been added to the website.

The report can be found on the Bird Report Index pages.

Next Saturday, 4th January is the first Saturday of the Month Ogston guided bird walk. Meet at 9:30 am in the West Bank Car Park, all welcome.

Please wear good walking shoes or boots and clothes appropriate for the weather; it can be very cold and wet at Ogston this time of the year. Dogs are allowed if kept on a lead and are well behaved.

Please bring binoculars if you have them. We aim to return to the Car Park between 12 noon and 12:30pm however this can be earlier if the weather is bad.

In case of bad weather please check this website to see if the walk is still on.

Can we just remind everyone, the black plastic trays on the shelves in the Sue Worsey hide are there to catch the rain that gets in through the windows during spells of really wet and windy weather. Please do not move them.

As we’ve had a lot of bad weather over the last few weeks, the hide floor and a couple of the benches are quite wet where the trays have been moved and not replaced. They are there for a reason. If the trays have water in them and you’re in the hide, could you please empty them outside.

The Ogston Website Team would like to take this opportunity to say a big thank-you to all who take the time to view the Ogston Bird Club website. Without your welcome support we could not have continued to grow and manage the following we now enjoy.

We wish all who view the site a Very Merry Christmas and a really Happy New Year. We hope the birders among you get lots of new ticks on your lists and that all the many photographers get that really special image they’re always looking for.