SOUTH Shropshire bird watchers developed a nervous twitch when they discovered that the room hire charge for using a community facility had taken to the skies.

Faced with the increase, members of the south Shropshire branch of the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) decided it was time to shake their feathers and take flight.

The group used to meet at the Secret Hills Discovery Centre in Craven Arms but had to find a new perch, according to the g roup’s Marian Wootton, when they were faced with a four-fold increase in the booking fee.

The group has landed on its feet and is now making a new nest at Culmington Village Hall.

“It is a great venue but we would like to have some more visitors,” said Marian. “There has been a drop in the number of people attending our meetings which may be due to the change of venue but we hope that it is just temporary.”

Members of the RSPB in south Shropshire meet at 7.30pm on the second Tuesday of each month between September and March. They are out bird watching the rest of the year.

It is £2 for visitors to attend a meeting, which includes refreshments.

Shropshire Council, which runs the Secret Hills Discovery Centre, was asked for a comment.