Sunday ringing

Yesterday, Sunday 15 January, saw the first ringing session of the New Year. In advance of a full report, the day got off to a very cold start and business was steady. The hardy band of ringers, led by Derek Gruar, comprised of Roger Hughes and Sue Pollard, along with Denise Cooper-Kiddle, Viv Hodges, Jacqui Weir, Andy Stanbury, John Day, Mike and Sarah Lawrence, Max Hill and Roger Cope.

A total of 23 birds were trapped during the morning. These comprised 12 newly caught birds and 11 re-traps. There were eight species caught: 3 blackbirds plus 2 re-traps, 1 house sparrow, 2 goldfinch, 2 chaffinch plus 1 retrap, 1 blue tit and 3 retraps, 1 dunnock, 1 great tit plus 3 retraps, 1 robin plus 2 retraps.


Robin (c John Day)

Goldfinch (c John Day)

House sparrow (c John Day)

Besides the ringing, Roger Cope updated John Day on the state of play with his locating the leaves of bee orchids in the area. Around Cos Lodge, thanks to the extraordinary efforts of Poppy Cope over recent years, there is now a very good population of misletoe growing on a number of trees. Also, Derek Gruar spotted two little egrets flying over.

Bee orchid (c John Day)

Mistletoe (c John Day)

Mulled wine walk

Today was the annual mulled wine walk from Beeston Green, to and across the Sandhills and into Sandy for lunch at the China Express. The walkers gathered at the home of Ros and Max Hill who kindly laid on some superb mulled wine to kick start the days event off.

The group then divided into two fractions, those keen to walk at a faster pace and cover a slightly longer route, while the other half were content for the slower pace and a slightly shorter trip.

The first group, led by Roger Cope, set off along the Baulk, into Sandy and up into the Sandhills, across Hawkesbury Meadow and finally into Brickhill Road to head into Sandy.

It was a lovely bright sunny day, after the heavy overnight frost everywhere looked a picture coated in frost. The warm sunshine was sufficient to stimulate many birds into spring song. These included, song thrush, great and blue tit.

En-route, Roger Cope was able to point out Ivy-leaved toadflax, growing in the wall above the wear at the bridge crossing the Riddy. Although, it is supposed to flower between May and September, one could see already it was in flower, due to the mild weather. He also identified for the only Bedfordshire site for Navelwort.

Navelwort (c John Day)

Common gorse was also seen in flower today (c John Day)

Each of the groups eventually met up again at the China Express where they were provided with a splendid buffet meal consisting of sesame prawns on toast, seaweed and vegetarian spring rolls as an appetiser, followed by sweet and sour pork, chicken and green beans, with noodles and egg fried rice.

What a year!

The Beeston ringing year was bought to a close on a cold December morning. At one point snow flurries caused the nets to be furled for a short time.

Food provided in both the garden and John's Copse attracted a number finches and tits. Two Reed Buntings were a welcome surprise and we ringed the first House Sparrow since May.

The 33 new birds ringed took the year total to 408 - a new record, beating the 373 birds ringed in 2008. Greenfinches topped the charts with 109 ringed during the year, almost a quarter of the total for this species ringed at Beeston.

Totals

Species New Retrap Total

Greenfinch 12 3 15
Blue Tit 5 16 21
Chaffinch 5 3 8
Great Tit 3 4 7
Blackbird 2 0 2
Reed Bunting 2 0 2
Long-tailed Tit 1 5 6
Robin         1 3 4
Dunnock         1 1 2
House Sparrow 1 0 1
Wren         0 1 1
Coal Tit 0 1 1

TOTAL 33 37 70

Repeat offenders

A total of 37 retraps (birds we've already ringed) in a single session is one of the highest that we have ever had at Beeston. Only 17 of these birds were ringed in 2011.

A small party of Long-tailed Tits were caught, with five of the six already ringed. We were happy to see after two very cold harsh winters that two individuals had survived both winters - tough little birds weighing around 7.5g. They were ringed on the same day in November 2008 and caught together in February 2009.

The time between original ringing and this recapture was 3 years and 33 days, which represents a record for this species at Beeston. The others were ringed in February, May and October 2010 respectively.

Wren CHC761 was originally ringed in August 2008; the only subsequently recapture was in March 2009, so quite where the bird has been in the past three years is anyone's guess.

Of the 16 Blue Tits retrapped, just over half were from the 2011 ringing sessions, three from 2010 and two from 2009 and T959658 was retrapped six years to the day after it was ringed in 2005. The bird had been recaptured 4 times previously; the latest being in March 2011.

Of the Great Tit retraps, we were pleased to see one of our 'repeat offenders' for the 11th time! The bird with ring X404410 was originally ringed as a young female in November 2008.

Of the finches retrapped, two Greenfinches and two Chaffinches were from 2011 sessions. One of each species were ringed in 2009 - a Greenfinch from March and a Chaffinch from October of that year. Neither bird had been retrapped in over two years since ringing.

It's such findings that make bird ringing so fascinating. We learn a bit more about how birds survive such hardships as weather and why we see some birds more often than others...

January preview

Weather permitting we'll start the new year at Beeston with a ringing session in the middle of the month. The Copse and garden will again be our focus with seed provided to attract finches and buntings into the area.

January usually represents one of the busiest months regarding new bird captures, possibly due to the reduction in natural food available as these becomes depleted as winter progresses.

Previous January catches have seen good numbers of Greenfinch and Chaffinch as well as Beeston rarities such as Bullfinch, Linnet, Siskin and three of the five Green woodpeckers ringed have been in January.

Which parish?

It is thought that during the 10th century the midland shires were sub-divided into smaller areas called the hundreds.

Vinegar Hill

Vinegar Hill was so named when a barrel of pickling vinegar fell from a cart two centuries ago. Alan Wakeford says that he was told that the person who spilt the vinegar was a member of the Marsom family.

The village hall or old chapel hall

The precise date Beeston Recreation Room opened is unknown: it is mentioned in Kelly's Directory of 1890, but not in the volume for 1885.

The building was originally a Calvinist Chapel but by 1889 it had been purchased by Miss Hariott Anna Maria Stanhope Barnett of Beeston Grange and equipped as a recreation room (Bedfordshire Mercury, 30 November 1889 p.8 col.5). No records exist for these early years.

The Green

Beeston Green is registered Common Land. There are I think it is still seven Commons Rights Holders. Sandy Town Council are the Lords of the Manor of Beeston and therefore perhaps have the greatest amount of ownership rights. 


Under the 1972 Local Government Act Mid Bedfordshire District became responsible for the area as defined as public open space. Mid Bedfordshire District Council is the area in which the Green is located. Sandy Town Council is the responsible minor authority. I hope that this is not too confusing. 


Source Trevor Stewart 4/12/06 email 

Despite what Trevor said: On the Open Access map of 2000? on the consultation maps Biggleswade Common and Thorncote Green are marked as common land and Beeston Green is not. Roger Cope rang Trevor about 2000 who said that Beeston Green was registerd as a village green, and was therefore not covered by the open access proposals.

Although one finds the word common used quite frequently in regard to Beeston Green in Bill Hanford’s opinion it was not common land. He reasoned it 21st June 1852 belonged to the Lord of the Manor by Deed of Conveyance. The expression “common” he believed belonged to certain owners living around the green who have common grazing rights. This is supported by orders and byelaws made at the General Court Bar? Of Godfrey Thornton Lord of the Manor of Beeston, Thorncote and Hatch 21st June 1852 Alfred George Jeeves fought to obtain urban power, as did Alfred Cope

The Green was a focal point for village games, and extensive grazing took place for many years. Horses, cows and livestock grazed everyday in 1930. Alfred Cope was paid a shilling a day to prevent animals straying onto the highway. Beeston United played there in red and white strip in front of the village hall. Bill Handford himself played there as did Billy Minns, Ernie (Tapsy) Minns, Joe Blackwell, George Hayward, Walter (Wicker) Freeman, Len Freeman, and Stan Francis, Bill Francis (trainer) and Claude Banes who became first team goalkeeper for Luton Town for ten years.

Cricket was played by the Beeston Club on a wicket opposite No 16 The Green, where they had teas in an open barn owned by Fred Single. The cricketers included members of the Football Club and George (Bob) Richardson, Horace Single etc. all good solid local product who would take on all comers.

The clubs ceased to exist and grazing ceased with increased machinery, so grazing dwindled and the Green became unkempt, untidy and tufty. Sandy Urban District Council carried out maintenance work without the authority of the Lord of the Manor or ratepayers, who did not appear to mind

In about 1947 the Beeston Welfare fund set up during the 1939-45 war for the welfare of service personnel decided to improve the village hall and common sense prevailed in ‘Bill Hanford’s opinion’ and the kitchen was built on to the hall on Green land. Sandy Council agreed that Beeston Green should be zoned as a public space.”

All commons whether or not the common rights are still exercised over them are to be regarded as inviolable and that no one even the owner can legally enclose a yard of them unless the authority of the Ministry of Agriculture is obtained In 1952 demand for children’s corner permission given Sandy Urban district Council acknowledged 2 crossings over the Green, to 30 the Green and 8/14 The Green-The Crescent (Highways Authority) accepted responsibility for the better appearance of the Green and that no other crossings were to be made Having strengthened the position in control and betterment if the green the Council with Beds CC planted out trees planted by Chair Council Fred Cope, President of WI Mrs Gray, County Planning Officer PG Laws and children.

Scheme under the Commons Act of 1899 was prepared for the Regulation Of Beeston Green adopted on 24/01/72 and approved by the Secretary of State on 26/06/72 Copies were available price 2p The original document is with Sandy Town Council who now have the right to exercise the authority of Lord of the Manor

With the reorganisation of local government on 1st April 1974 the ownership of Beston Geen passed to Sandy Town Council but the function of making and amending Schemes of Regulation remained with the District Council. It did not pass with ownership.