The monthly general meeting was held on Tuesday 8th November.
The speaker, Christine Johnson, is a U3A member and belongs to the Bird Watching group. She told us about the Bearded Vultures of the Spanish Pyrenees, and the conservation project which she continues to support after having spent the summer as volunteer some eight years ago.
Firstly Christine told us about the habitat and lifestyle of the bearded vulture. Her pictures showed a large red eyed bird with a thick plumage even on its legs and can have a wing span around 265 cm, naturally pale in colour the birds bathe in mud thus giving them a reddish tinge. These birds are ideally adapted to living in the high mountains, nesting on cliff ledges and in the limestone crevices and have a diet consisting of 80-90% bones. The bearded vultures wait until the meat from carcasses has been removed by other birds before feeding. Although capable of swallowing fairly large bone pieces the bearded vultures do break big bones, by dropping them from a height on a rock. They repeat the process until the bones are small enough for them to swallow, as can be imagined they have very strong stomach acid!
Even though two eggs may be laid only one chick is raised, by the family unit which may consist of two, three or four adults. Bearded vultures can live from twenty to forty years.
Persecuted for many years, as it was thought that the bearded vultures attacked and killed lambs, they became an endangered species and it is only due to the conservation project that numbers have increased, in the Spanish Pyrenees, by six percent a year. The work involves tagging and tracking birds as well as hatching eggs from failed nests. The newly hatched chicks are “fed” by puppets; Christine showed a picture which was very realistic. The chicks are eventually released in the wild. One of Christine’s most memorable experiences was whilst watching the birds from a hide. The adults allowed the youngsters first pick.
In December we meet for a festive tea at the Chalford House Hotel starting at 2pm. In January we again meet at the United Reformed Church Hall on 10th January. Do join us, we will be pleased to see you.
