Introduction: During the year the volunteers who came forward last year worked hard with the Group Leaders and the Committee to achieve another successful year. The programme of talks, walks and trips attracted many people including a number of newcomers to birding. The continuing demand for nest boxes and bird tables provided a valuable contribution to our funds. With the income from our activities we have been able to donate £3950 to projects at Ryemeads, as agreed at the AGM and to Otmoor early in 2007.

Community Activities: The principal sources of fundraising continued to be focused on sponsorship, the sale of nest boxes, seed and feeders, talks to local community groups and pin badge donations. The conservation programme also continued, with requests for surveys at The Grove, Shenley Park, Porters Park Golf Club, Brookmans Park Golf Club and Nascot Wood School. Many of the surveys were followed up with orders for nest boxes. In addition to the robin and tit boxes, we have made and supplied boxes for barn owls, tree sparrows and tenements for house sparrow. 40 talks were given to local community groups, raising £966.

Meetings: The indoor meetings continued to be well supported and sponsorship was arranged for 2 of them, from the speaker from Norfolk and the local outdoor clothing shop Simply Outdoors. The AGM was followed by a very successful audio-visual bird quiz. The talks covered Cuba, Norfolk, Finland and North Norway, Islay, a Blue Tit season, cetaceans and seabirds across the world and wildlife in upland and riverside Britain. The year’s non-birding talk was an in depth look at Butterflies. The year concluded with a very successful in-house digital film show, with the RSPB’s Eagle Odyssey and a number of short films on bird identification.

Trips: The outdoor meetings programme included three financially, socially and bird wise successful coach trips to the New Forest and Keyhaven, Pulborough Brooks and Titchwell. The shared transport trips went to Hilfield Park Reservoir, Fowlmere/Therfield, Thursley Common, Tring, Tyttenhanger, Rye Meads, Fishers Green, Elmley Marshes and Christmas Common/Jubilee River. Special trips included a day trip to Calais, Speyside for a week in Spring, the Thames Barge trip in Autumn and the pre-Christmas weekend in Norfolk. The John Hurrell local walks have been well supported in Cassiobury Park, Whippendell Woods, Merryhill, Croxley Common Moor, Sarratt and Stockers Lake. There was limited interest in the May Bird Spot and the new Christmas one failed to attract entries this year. There was more support for the Dawn Chorus walk in early May. The end of season walk at Merryhill in July was followed by a fish and chip supper hosted by two group members.

Other Activities: Once again volunteers participated in manning Charity Car Parks in Watford in the run-up to Christmas, receiving £445 as our share from the overall scheme. Members helped the team from CERO on Feed the Birds Day in Cassiobury Park. The pin badge scheme has received donations of £900. Following another successful photographic competition at the 2006 AGM, the best pictures were made into the 2007 calendar. Information about the Group has been available on our website, which received some 646 hits during year.

Thanks: The Committee thanks all those who have helped to put on the programme throughout the year and all those who have supported meetings and trips and hopes they will join us in our 33rd season.