Gloucestershire Raptor Monitoring Group was established in 2014 to contribute to the scientific knowledge of raptor populations within the county of Gloucestershire, to contribute to conservation, educate and inform others and to increase awareness of raptor persecution.
Project Owl: GRMG Winter Talk
Our first talk of the 2018/19 winter period will be on Wednesday November 14th 2018 when we have Hugh Hanmer from the British Trust for Ornithology. Hugh is the leader of the BTO’s Project Owl, so do come along to hear about this amazing group of raptors – and also find out how…
Tewkesbury Abbey’s Peregrines
Since the first Peregrine was seen at the abbey tower in 2011, this year they have bred to produce a single chick – Paddington. The story of Alice, Bella, Christopher Robin and Paddington – the Peregrines of Tewkesbury Abbey can be read here (Word document).
Ravens 2018
The beginning of the nesting season always starts with “Raven time”. Ravens are early nesters often having eggs by mid-February. This season has been a mixed affair with some clutches abandoned due to the severe weather, possibly cutting off food supplies rather than affecting the nest itself, several pairs had a second…
The radical otherness of birds
One of our supporters has drawn our attention to this superb piece of writing by American novelist and columnist Jonathan Franzen. It’s about why birds matter and although many of the references are to New World species, the sentiments are universal.
Early season surveying
Scott Marshall has written some notes from the field detailing some of his experiences during surveying early in the breeding season. Click here to read (Word doc).
Little Owls by Sam Crofts
Thanks to Sam Crofts for this overview of the work he’s been doing with Little Owls in the county… Being a keen birder and ringer when the opportunity to study Little Owls for my MSc thesis presented itself I jumped at the chance. Little Owls are a species exhibiting dramatic…
Symonds Yat – a short story 1984-2017
July 25, 1984 The air is heavy and still. It needs a thunderstorm. We pass by some old derelict farmhouse outbuildings and cut across two fields going over barely negotiable stiles. The track narrows and Coppett Hill ridge closes hard against the river Wye at this point. A herd of…
First Day in the Field – 2018
An update from Nat… On Sunday 7th January I headed out for a morning in the field with GRMG’s very own Yoda; Rob – as well as a few others involved in local raptor/bird monitoring. We arrived for 11.00 and watched through until around 14.00 – prime time for watching raptors…
Free event – On the trail of Raptor Killers with Guy Shorrock
GRMG are pleased to announce our next hosted talk. This is a ticketed event as usual, but on this occasion, tickets are FREE OF CHARGE. Guy Shorrock will be giving his talk “On the trail of Raptor Killers”. Guy has worked for the RSPB’s Investigations Team for 26 years and is…
Do you understand the law about “disturbance” of nesting birds?
Peregrine Falcons are fantastic birds and we are lucky in this county to be able to see them sometimes at close quarters. Cheltenham and Gloucester both have pairs right in the city and they can be seen easily. Those birds are used to disturbance because life just goes on around them; I…