CHAIRMAN’S JOTTINGS MARCH 2019

SPEAKER MEETING 29 March, 7.30pm at Nichol Hill Church. Alan Lazenby will ask us, ‘How well do you know your beetles?’ and will fascinate us with details about this huge group of insects. The entry fee, including refreshments, is £2.50. Children are most welcome and have free entry.

NOTICES
MEMBERS INPUT
The AGM approaches. After a short AGM on 26 April it will be your opportunity to have up to 10 minutes to show wildlife photographs or to give a brief wildlife presentation. Please let me know if you are prepared to let us share your pictures or your knowledge. Give me your pictures on a memory stick and I will put them on my computer for you to display at the meeting.

The ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING of the Louth Area group of the Lincolnshire wildlife Trust will be held at Nichol Hill Church on Friday 26 April 2019 at 7.30 pm
In accordance with the Constitution, all Committee members and Officers stand down at each AGM. Chairman Ray Woodcock and Secretary Biff Vernon and Treasurer Rod Baddon are willing to be re-elected, as are current committee members: Colin Byatt, Louise Scott, Judith John, and Chris Henderson. New committee members will be welcome; nomination forms are available from the Chairman.

NEW MEMBERS PLEASE READ
It is 2019. Fresh ideas and new faces are needed. The group can benefit from more committee members. The committee meets three or four times a year. Why not give it a whirl for a year? Speak to me or ask any of the other committee members for more details.

MY SIGHTINGS
Our hedgehogs are still feeding and snuffling. The trail camera that records their activities picked up a bat at 0536hrs on 3 March. I sent a copy of the photograph to the Lincolnshire County Bat recorder who managed to identify it as a Brown long-eared bat. I also learnt from her that, ‘This bizarre weather is bringing bats out of hibernation early, with a number of other records already. It’s also beginning to bring casualties in: we’ve had yet another today, a severely underweight pipistrelle found in Bourne this morning. There are insects flying, but if there are not enough to replenish the energy bats are needing to fly then they lose weight and finish on the ground, too weak to fly, frequently to be caught by cats or other predators.’

Best wishes
Ray Woodcock Chairman Louth Area Group