Indoor Meeting - Thursday 9th March 2006

As part of an experiment for this season’s talks, this meeting was held at the KWT centre at the Sevenoaks Wildfowl Reserve. There was a moderate attendance, with a few from the west of the county, who might not normally attend the Maidstone meetings. However, several I spoke to felt that having a regular venue on a regular night is preferable. Arranging additional meetings, with the SBBO Trust and the KWT might be one way of attracting members who live at the extreme ends of our lengthy county.

Birds of Cuba

Those who have attended talks given by Brenda Holcombe will know that they are in for an entertaining, informative and extremely well illustrated meeting. She certainly didn’t let us down on this occasion – she ought to have received a royalty from Fidel Castro for the splendid promotion she presented. I’m sure that several at the meeting will be tempted to arrange a visit.

Her excellent photographs illustrated the range of attractive habitats that can be visited, as well as showing some of the cultural aspects and hazards of travel. Though the principle ‘auto-pista’ was virtually traffic free, there were no slip-roads or signs – there were virtually no road signs anywhere – and deciding where to turn off was a matter of guess-work. Don’t waste your time queuing for bread, as Tony did, unless you have a government voucher.

There were other humorous tales too, one in particular that the audience enjoyed, though not entirely appreciated by Tony and Brenda. At one hotel they were told that the nightwatchman knew where to find a Stygian Owl, a species that feeds on bats, that they particularly wanted to see. They arranged that he should phone them, at any time during the night, when the owl appeared. A call at 3am was much appreciated, as they were able to see and photograph the owl. With due thanks they retired, but were not best pleased when the phone went twice more during the night.

From two of the tiniest birds in the world, the brilliantly coloured Bee Hummingbird and the Cuban Tody, to the not so attractive – particularly when feeding – Turkey Vulture, Brenda produced one slide after another to illustrate a fascinating range of species, including Cuban Pygmy-owl and Bare-legged Owl among many of the endemics.

It was a most pleasurable evening. Thank you Brenda.

Don Taylor