The programme for 2026 is now available for viewing!

Thanks to our hardworking volunteer committee for preparing this.

Download a PDF here. 

Our next meeting is on Thursday February 12th at 7.00pm (please note earlier start time to allow time for the AGM before the talk) at New Vic Hall, Tisbury. The first part of the meeting will be the Annual General Meeting where we will unveil the new programme for both Tisbury and District Natural History Society and Tisbury Young Nature Watch.

This will be followed by a talk by Alison Levy who will be sharing insights into the Local Nature Recovery Strategy. Below is the introduction to this important document setting out the plan for the future in Wiltshire and Swindon.

What is the strategy? In short, this LNRS is a roadmap designed to guide nature recovery initiatives throughout Wiltshire. Local Nature Recovery Strategies (LNRS) are a key measure from the Environment Act 2021, designed to reverse biodiversity decline and restore ecological connectivity across England. Wiltshire Council, with delegated authority from Swindon Borough Council, and The New Forest National Park Authority, was tasked by the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (Defra) to lead the development of Wiltshire’s LNRS. This document is one of 48 strategies being produced across England. The LNRS provides a framework for local action, mapping priorities for nature recovery, identifying key habitats, and proposing practical measures to enhance or restore them. Collaboration is central: landowners, communities, organisations, and neighbours work together to ensure each intervention delivers maximum benefit. Oversight and Steering groups helped in guiding the strategy and ensured robust decision-making.  

Doors and the bar will open at 6.30pm. No charge for members. Guests will be asked to pay £4 each at the door.

Our first speaker of the new year was Jonny Cooper, from the Wiltshire Wildlife Trust, who gave us a presentation on the topic “Lapwing & Friends: Understanding and Conserving our Farmland Birds”.

The presentation covered WWT’s support of the Lapwing (or Peewit) under Project Peewit, and local conservation efforts for other farmland birds specifically the Tree Sparrow, Corn Bunting, Yellowhammer, Kestrel and Barn Owl.

Farmland birds are defined as species that fit in the following groups:

• any species dependent on the complex bird landscape that makes up a farmland  habitat
• species that are red listed, such as Corn Bunting and Turtle Dove
  
• where there is a local priority, for example Tree Bunting in Cranbourne
• farmland health indicator species, as defined in the national dataset of 19 species.
  

Nationally, since 1970, farmland bird species have suffered a 60% decline, with “specialist” species (that is, those most closely tied to a dependency on agricultural landscapes) suffering the most, while “generalists” (those species able to adapt to a variety of conditions) have fared better while facing challenges of their own, such as the Greenfinch that has succumbed to disease.

The WWT’s strategy to support farmland birds begins with finding out what is going on, and understanding what is required to improve matters. The issues include the consequences of farming changes to which birds cannot adapt, unsatisfactory management of hedgerows, negative impacts of development, and post-Brexit uncertainty over farming policies, funding and clear guidance.

Project Peewit was started in 2024 to investigate the cause of the sharp decline in Lapwings, and began by collecting data to help target conservation efforts. Three key issues were identified as predation, food availability, and decreased breeding density.

Locally, long established farmers and landowners have reported Lapwings being commonplace on their land in the 1970s, but the decline has been noticeable, and the absence of the species from the farms is something that they lament. Indeed, some farmers expressed the pride they had felt in their land being associated with the Lapwing, and consequently have been very supportive of the project, with practical initiatives such as scheduling the timing of grass cutting to leave breeding pairs of this ground nesting bird undisturbed. With Lapwing chicks able to walk around from day one, they are vulnerable to predation by Red Kite, among others. The Lapwings are very protective of their chicks, and breeding in groups helps with defence. Lapwing can live 10-15 years, and will return to their nests year on year.

Other farmland birds face their own problems. Tree Sparrows, differing from Lapwing in being short-lived but breeding in high numbers, have declined by 95% nationally, with food shortage and lack of suitable nesting sites being key. Conservation initiatives include nest box provision and connecting existing colonies.

Corn Bunting and Yellowhammer have suffered significant national decline, but are doing well in Wiltshire with support from farm clusters.

Kestrel and Barn Owls have suffered from a lack of small mammal prey and suitable nesting sites. Nest boxes have been provided and work done to ensure networks of rough ground within the farmed landscape.

In conclusion, Wiltshire maintains a special place for farmland birds against a gloomier national backdrop, and while the outlook for Lapwing is bleak, conservation successes on sites in neighbouring counties suggest that continuing efforts engaging with farming groups and working with landowners gives some hope for the future.

John Procter

We are really looking forward to our screening of Balancing the Scales on Thursday the 22nd at 6pm, followed by a Q&A session with two regional advisors.

Check out our previous posts for more info:1 and 2.

Everyone is prone to overindulgence over the festive period so in the New Year many of us feel the need to get out and exercise more to work it all off. January can be a great time to look for wildlife. Unless the weather is really harsh, many species will be preparing for spring  either by setting up territories or feeding up ready for the breeding season. As we step carefully through any wet and muddy ground, it’s worth keeping an eye out for footprints of deer, foxes or other more elusive animals still active in the countryside. 

By now, all the leaves have come off the trees, so in hedgerows and woodlands everything receives more light and becomes more visible. Take a closer look at the varied mosses and lichens, clothing branches and logs, and keep an eye out for splashes of colour from fungal fruiting bodies. Woodland birds also become easier to see. Tiny species which at other times of year we might only hear or catch a fleeting glimpse, are now easier to spot. Treecreepers can be seen working their way up tree trunks and branches, searching for prey items in the bark before flying back down to start their upward search once again. In contrast, nuthatches seem as comfortable searching downwards as upwards, which is helpful for identification purposes. Clearer visibility brings the chance to differentiate the varied tit species and spot the less common marsh tit. It will feed in mixed foraging parties with blue, great, coal and long-tailed tits, and these may be joined by goldcrests and even one of the increasingly numerous overwintering chiffchaffs. Sometimes, these foraging parties can be so intent on feeding, on which at this time of year their lives can depend, that if you keep still, they will fly over and around you offering really close up views.

With the right weather and the gradually lengthening days, a number of birds will be singing preparatory to setting up territories, so aiding identification. Woodpeckers may be clearly visible on the dead branches they strike to create their drumming sound. Grey squirrels can start breeding in January, so you may encounter them chasing around in the woods or gardens. Owls are also early breeders. You may have heard tawny owls hooting after dark on still nights for some time now. This lets other owls know of their presence to declare exclusive “ownership” of their territory prior to breeding. As their territories are quite large, to project this message over long distances, their calls can be surprisingly loud (as I learned after one took to calling from the roof above the bedroom window for a few nights).

Andrew Graham

It is time for renewal of our annual memberships and this year it comes with a price increase of just £2 over the previous figure.

This will allow us to deliver a great programme of talks, walks, films and hands-on activities for young people (the full programme will be published here soon).

From 2026, the price per event is £4 for guests (free for members and young people under 21 years old).

Membership for the year will be only £12 (or free for young people!).

Remember you can become a member at any of our events or by contacting us online.

You're invited to attend a screening of "Balancing the Scales", "a groundbreaking new documentary from Beaver Trust and acclaimed filmmaker Nina Constable, funded by The European Nature Trust. Narrated by Dame Joanna Lumley, the film is the first in Britain to explore the intricate relationship between reintroduced beavers and the delicate conservation needs of migratory fish populations."

The screening will be presented on Thursday 22nd January 2026, 6pm at the Victoria Hall, Tisbury, and is presented in collaboration with Wiltshire Mammal Group. 

Tickets are £4.00 for non-members and can be purchased on the night on the door. Doors and bar open 5.30 pm.

There will be an opportunity afterwards for questions and discussions with Gareth Harris (Wiltshire Mammal Group & consultant ecologist) and Simon Smart (Smart Land Management & Ecology) who have recently launched an advisory service for beavers in Wiltshire. 

Jonny Cooper, from Wiltshire Wildlife Trust, is delivering the first talk of the year, which will be about Peewits (or lapwings) and other farmland birds. This will be, as usual, on the second Thursday of the month, which this month is really early! So we hope you can join us on the 8th of January at 7.30 pm at the Victoria Hall (doors open 7 pm).

Come and join us on Thursday 11th December at the Victoria Hall Tisbury where we will be having a Christmas celebration. Festive snacks and drinks will be available from 7pm and an opportunity to meet up with other members of the society.

At 7.30pm, Edward Mayer will be joining us via Zoom, to talk about Swift migration. Here is a short YouTube video from a talk he gave to Lauren Davies, Founder of Designed Ecology in 2021 where he talked about his work ensuring that the swift population continues longer than the human population! I am sure that it will be a great evening.

If you are unable to join us in person, we will be able to arrange a Zoom connection. Please let us know ASAP by emailing us and we will arrange to send you the link.
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As always, the evening will be free for members and anyone under 21. Visitors will be most welcome and we ask them to donate £2 at the door.

Emma Procter

Put this date in the diary and we'll send more information nearer the time. Meanwhile you can find out more about the film here