Goldsworth News 2008 : 014 GPCA March Report

Goldsworth News 2008 : 014 GPCA March Report

No news is said to be good news, and the fact that nothing very significant came up at the January committee meeting is really no ground for complaint. Woking Borough Council had paid the grant they promised toward the cost of new heaters for the hall. In the recent bitter weather these were no doubt appreciated, and may even be one reason why bookings still reached a satisfactory level. There were almost no vacant dates in the coming month; some reservations have already been made for as far ahead as next September, and finances are consequently in a healthy state.

The Lake Users´ Group had met during January. The Probation Service working parties had not seemed to be making much progress recently; but the clearing of obstructive growth from the banks has improved the view for everyone, and will certainly be appreciated by the Sea Cadets when they begin sailing again in the Spring. A number of new "swims" are planned for anglers to fish from. A design has been agreed; but funds are short, and it was suggested that we apply to Surrey Local committee for help, both with this project and with additional planting to provide shelter for wildlife round the lake.

Hi I hope you will forgive me for pointing out an identification error in the February issue of the Goldsworth Park newsletter. On page 6 you have an article regarding the birds to be seen on the Lake. The picture showing 8 birds perched on a boat and apparently taken several years ago shows, not herons, but Cormorants! Herons are rarely found in a group, preferring te be solitary and have much longer legs than the birds in the picture. Cormorants are often seen in a group such as this and often use boats or jetties etc on which to perch. They can often be seen on the Thames in London. Still wish I had seen them, though!

Oh Dear, the gremlins seem to have got into your bird report again. The birds on the Sea Cadets' boat are cormorants, not herons (though fishermen also have a vendetta against cormorants). The bird in the bottom left hand picture is a great crested grebe. It's still in winter plumage which probably means it was hatched last year (most of the breeding pairs are already in full breeding plumage). The grebe has been on the lake for some weeks now, but always alone.

Some complaints have been received that the tiny snapshot of eight birds perched on a boat in last month´s GP News wrongly described cormorants as herons - a mistake for which (if it was a mistake) we offer our apologies. According to one bird book cormorants are voracious, large-beaked, reptilian in appearance, and able to consume more than their own weight of fish in a day. They are the only web-footed birds that do not put a waterproofing oil on to their feathers, and for that reason generally perch singly on posts and buoys with their wings outstretched to dry them. Their appetite makes them highly unpopular with anglers and, if that is what they were, the ones in the picture may have deliberately concealed their true identity!

The next committee meeting on Thursday March 13th will follow a Police Panel Meeting at 6.30pm, and will begin approximately an hour later.

As usual both meetings are open to any GP resident. Why not come and join us there?