Trip reports
 | Thursday, 5 November 2009 Mid-week Walk at Dorney Wetlands Weather bright/sunny but chilly with a moderate westerly wind 12c --I was greeted on arrival at the car park by Geoff and Dennis with the words 'We think we've got a ferruginous duck ('fudge-duck')!' More... |
 | Tuesday, 6 October 2009 Mid-week Walk to Stoke Park, Burpham - by Peter Hambrook Weather: Very wet at start but becoming drizzly with dry spells 18C: Amazingly, seven of us turned out on what began as a very wet morning indeed with heavy rain on route to Burpham, however this had reduced to an annoying drizzle by the time we sallied forth from the car park. From the signs we discovered that this area is now officially known as the Riverside Nature Reserve. More... |
 | Sunday, 27 September 2009 A Long Weekend in Dorset - by Mary Braddock Frank, our Outdoor Leader, had booked us in for an outing to Brownsea Island situated in Poole Harbour. This gave Dave and I a great opportunity for a long weekend in Dorset! So the last Friday of September found us at 4.45am on the road bound for Portland Bill with hopes of a good sea-watch! More... |
 | Wednesday, 9 September 2009 Wednesday Walk to Staines Reservoir - by Peter Hambrook Weather: Dry, cool and partly overcast: A slightly vague weather forecast made it unclear whether rain should be expected, but in the event it stayed dry for our visit, although the strong north-easterly breeze kept it cool. More... |
 | Sunday, 23 August 2009 Stodmarsh Reserve - by Frank Clark This reserve in Kent is approximately 240 ha in size and has the largest reedbeds in the southeast of England. Split into two distinct areas, Stodmarsh and Grove Ferry, English Nature has been responsible for significant improvements to the site. More... |
 | Wednesday, 12 August 2009 London Wetland Centre, Barnes - by Peter Hambrook Weather: Warm and mainly sunny with partly cloudy skies: After an easy drive through generally light traffic we arrived at the car park to find four slightly late swifts patrolling the skies above and noisy ring-necked parakeets screeching from nearby trees. A green woodpecker yaffled nearby. More... |
 | Sunday, 19 July 2009 Minsmere RSPB Reserve - by Frank Clark Minsmere is one of the premier RSPB reserves in the United Kingdom and is a site that I always enjoy visiting. Located in Suffolk on the east coast, this reserve is a magnet for migrating waders, breeding terns and is home to many species of birds. More... |
 | Wednesday, 8 July 2009 Wednesday Walk to Bookham Common - by Peter Hambrook A cool, wet morning was not really what was required for this walk as it switched off the butterfly and dragonfly activity totally. Fortunately the rain only continued until the eight of us had donned our waterproofs and sallied forth, when it eased off. More... |
 | Sunday, 28 June 2009 Otmoor is located approximately 7 miles north-east of Oxford and is not one of the better known RSPB reserves. Consisting of large areas of coarse grasses, sedge and rushes the centre of Otmoor is largely unimproved and is now generally kept wet all year round. More... |
 | Friday, 19 June 2009 Nightjar Walk, Horsell Common - by Simon Lumsden 28 eight of us, yes 28! Met at the Sandy track car park on Horsell common at 8:30 pm to look for Nightjar, a specialist of lowland heath and now restricted to approximately 4500 males in the UK. More... |
 | Wednesday, 10 June 2009 Wednesday Walk to Chertsey Meads - by Peter Hambrook I am still amazed that ten members as well as two leaders turned out in steady rain for the morning walk here. Perhaps it was curiosity to see somewhere local that they may not have visited, or perhaps the thought of watching daytime television was so awful that getting soaked was preferable. Who knows? More... |
 | Friday, 5 June 2009 Bookham Common - by Frank Clark This evening walk is generally well attended and by 19.30, 15 of us had assembled at the car park at Hundred Pound Bridge. Bookham Common which is actually split into two areas, Little and Great Bookham Common, is one of the last sites in Surrey where Nightingale can regularly be seen and heard during late spring and early summer - More... |
 | Sunday, 17 May 2009 Lakenheath Fen, Weeting Heath and Wicken Fen - by Frank Clark The planned programme for this outing was for us to visit Lakenheath Fen and then move on to Weeting Heath before finishing the day of at Wicken Fen. However, following a phone call to the warden at Weeting Heath, the previous day, I had already decided More... |
 | Wednesday, 13 May 2009 Thursley Common - by Peter Hambrook Weather: Cool and overcast with occasional drizzle ---- Despite the dreary conditions, nine of us arrived at the Moat car park for this walk. The weather did not look too promising for the hobbys, dragonflies and lizards that we had hoped to see, but I have noted in the past that, for some reason, these conditions do prompt more activity amongst the small birds. More... |
 | Wednesday, 6 May 2009 What do you know about Estonia? Well, just to give a little background to this years trip, Estonia is the northernmost of the three Baltic States bordered to the west by the Baltic Sea, to the north by the Gulf of Finland, to the south by Latvia and to the east by a combination of Lake Piepsi and Russia. This position means that birds on migration to Scandinavia in particular can get funnelled through Estonia and evidence of migration was certainly strong during the week. More... |
 | Sunday, 26 April 2009 Devil's Punchbowl, Milford and Witley Common - by Frank Clark This was an early start at the Punchbowl, where 3 of us arrived at 05.40 and waited for the rest of the group to arrive. By 06.00 we had 9 members of the group present and 1 visitor raring to go. The target species here were warblers particularly the elusive Wood Warbler, which is not easy to find in Surrey. More... |
 | Wednesday, 8 April 2009 Papercourt - by Peter Hambrook Weather: Bright and breezy but cool in the wind.After what was, originally, a damp forecast for our walk, the rain fortunately moved through overnight leaving a bright and breezy day for us to enjoy. More... |
 | Sunday, 29 March 2009 The posties and I set off at 06.30 and we arrived at the car park at Dungeness around 08.00, where we headed straight for "The Patch". Arriving at the shingle bank we set up our scopes and began our watch. The common species of gulls were feeding around the hot water outlets at "The Patch" and around 50-60 gulls were resting on the beach. More... |
 | Wednesday, 11 March 2009 WWT Barnes - by Peter Hambrook After the usual battle through the remnants of the rush hour traffic, ten of us arrived at Barnes on a beautiful early spring morning. The first arrivals were greeted by Canada geese and greylags flying out to nibble the grass on the adjacent football pitches, while a green woodpecker yaffled in nearby trees and a party of siskins flew into one of the birches on the reserve. More... |
 | Sunday, 22 February 2009 Pagham Harbour - by Frank Clark This was supposed to be a trip to West Wittering but in the middle of the week just before the walk, I was informed by Geoff (ex-postie), that the bridge that allows access to the car park had been shut. Not only had it been shut to vehicular traffic but it was also shut to pedestrian traffic as well, with an estimated opening date of the 6th of March!! More... |
 | Wednesday, 11 February 2009 Virginia Water Lake - by Geoff Allan Weather: - Sunny start cloudy later, cold. - Virginia Water Lake is a part of Windsor Great Park, formerly the hunting grounds of royalty and it remains a royal parkland. More... |
 | Sunday, 25 January 2009 Rainham Marshes - by Frank Clark Following our last group visit to this reserve in September 2007, the general consensus was that we should try this site again during the middle of the winter. With that in mind I put this reserve back on our programme for January. More... |
 | Thursday, 1 January 2009 The Traditional New Year's Day Bird Walk 2009 - by Dave Braddock New Year's Day saw seventeen brave souls meet at Papercourt for the traditional North-West Surrey bird walk on a grey, cold, frosty morning. The event seems to be more of a chin-wag than serious birding but it gets you into the mood for more group trips later on in the year and gets your year bird list off to a good start. More... |
 | Wednesday, 10 December 2008 Moor Green Nature Reserve - by Geoff Allan Weather: - Dry, cloudy some sun with light winds. As a Christmas gift to the much loved and dearest of friends More... |
 | Sunday, 7 December 2008 Thursley Common - by Frank Clark Thursley Common NNR is owned by English Nature and is one of the largest remaining fragments of heathland in Surrey. At 400 acres the area included pristine lowland heath, mire and woodland. More... |
 | Sunday, 23 November 2008 Slimbridge WWT - by Frank Clark Home to the headquarters of the Wildfowl and Wetland Trust, which was founded by Sir Peter Scott in 1946, this site in Gloucestershire on the banks of the river Severn, is a must during the winter months. More... |
 | Wednesday, 12 November 2008 Bedfont Lakes - by Geoff Allan Weather: - Dry and sunny with light winds. --- What a day. I got to the car park at 9.30 am with Mick and Dennis in tow not knowing how many others were going to turn up More... |
 | Sunday, 19 October 2008 Trip to Arne RSPB Reserve - by Frank Clark The Arne nature reserve was opened by the RSPB in 1965 and is located in the south west corner of Poole Harbour. More... |
 | Wednesday, 8 October 2008 Dinton Pastures - by Geoff Allan Weather: - Dry and Sunny with Light Winds. -- Dinton Pastures Country Park is a mosaic of rivers, meadows, lakes and wooded areas situated just off the M4 at Hurst in Berkshire. More... |
 | Sunday, 28 September 2008 Weather: - Sunny, light winds, hot Later. -- I arrived just a tad early at 08-30 to be greeted by just myself. More... |
 | Wednesday, 10 September 2008 Weather: - Overcast some light rain with a light wind. - I arrived at the wetland centre at about 10 o' clock not knowing what to expect because of Peter's unfortunate accident. More... |
 | Monday, 1 September 2008 Close Encounters in the Grand Tetons and Yellowstone - by Mary Braddock September 2008 and we were not looking forward to the trip to Jackson Hole but what lay beyond the proposed 2 flight trip was awe-inspiring. More... |
 | Sunday, 31 August 2008 Trip to Rye Harbour - by Frank Clark Situated in East Sussex this reserve is run by the East Sussex County Council and is designated a SSSI. More... |
 | Wednesday, 13 August 2008 Staines Reservoirs - by Peter Hambrook 'A dry morning with winds of 13mph', the Met. Office had forecast - so why were there 'white horses' on the water and a dark grey wall of rain heading for us as we reached the causeway that bisects the reservoirs? More... |
 | Sunday, 3 August 2008 Pulborough Brooks - by Geoff Allan Weather: - Overcast all day with some heavy rain at times. -- Despite the weather, nine people turned up, which was seven more than I expected. More... |
 | Sunday, 29 June 2008 Rutland Water Trip- by Frank Clark Rutland Water is a man made reservoir with the nature reserve, which covers approximately 600 acres, occupying a narrow strip of land running for 9 miles around the western end of the water. More... |
 | Wednesday, 11 June 2008 Seven members and one visitor assembled at Greywell on a beautiful early summer morning. The street where we parked is lined on one side by interesting old houses while on the other side house martins and swallows were hunting insects across the fields. More... |
 | Friday, 6 June 2008 Trip to Chobham Common - by Frank Clark An evening walk at this site is always pleasant and 21 of us took part on this short excursion. The initial part of the group met at the usual meeting point at the Gracious Pond Road car park and a little later we joined the rest of the group at the entrance path to the common. More... |
 | Sunday, 18 May 2008 Beaulieu Road Station and Keyhaven Marshes - by Frank Clark It has been several years since the group visited the New Forest and we were looking forward to a good day. The first half of the trip was to be Beaulieu Road Station and the surrounding area, followed by an afternoon walk at Keyhaven Marshes - on the South coast of Hampshire. More... |
 | Wednesday, 14 May 2008 Witley Common (and Thursley Common) - by Peter Hambrook A select band attended this field trip, two leaders, two members and one non-member with her three young children. More... |
 | Sunday, 4 May 2008 Dungeness is an amazing site found in the South East of Kent and generally gives us views of 70 or so species during the spring migration. Our annual trip to Dungeness normally takes place during late March or early April but with the group trip to Lesvos in April, this years outing was scheduled for early May. More... |
 | Friday, 2 May 2008 Otters, Butterflies, and Cirl Buntings - 2nd - 5th May 2008 - by Mary Braddock We left Surrey at 5.00am for Buckfastleigh in Devon. It was time for me to celebrate the Christmas present Dave had given me! This Christmas present had included the sponsorship of an English Otter called Imogen who lives at The Dartmoor Otter Sanctuary, Buckfastleigh. More... |
 | Thursday, 17 April 2008 Group trip to Lesvos - by Neil Bew The annual escape of some North West Surrey members to foreign parts this year took us to the island of Lesvos (or Lesbos). The island is in the north east of the Aegean Sea some five miles from the coast of Turkey which wraps itself around the east and north of Lesvos. More... |
 | Sunday, 30 March 2008 RSPB Trip to Selsey Bill & Pagham Harbour - by Frank Clark A trip to Selsey Bill is always worthwhile and an early morning visit can be very good at this time of year. However, the 07.30 start in combination with the clocks moving forward 1 hour, resulted in a very early start for the 7 of us who made the trip to the bill. More... |
 | Wednesday, 12 March 2008 Virginia Water Lake - Led by Geoff Allan and Peter Hambrook With a forecast of very strong winds, it was with some trepidation that we headed for the car park just off the A30 More... |
 | Sunday, 24 February 2008 Harty Ferry Road & Elmley Marshes RSPB Reserve - led by Frank Clark The Isle of Sheppey is found on the eastern side of Kent, at the mouth of the River Thames. It is a premier site for bird watching particularly in the winter months, when it is well known as a raptor haven. More... |
 | Wednesday, 13 February 2008 London Wetland Centre Barnes Wednesday - Led by Geoff Allen and Peter Hambrook Our first 'Wednesday Walk' attracted five members, four of whom came by public transport More... |
 | Tuesday, 12 February 2008 Bulgaria Winter Trip February 2008 Six "hardy" members of the North West Surrey RSPB Local Group packed their bags and telescopes More... |
 | Sunday, 27 January 2008 RSPB Trip to Pennington Marshes by Frank Clark Found on the Solent, south of the New Forest, Pennington Marshes is owned by the Hampshire County Council More... |
 | Tuesday, 1 January 2008 RSPB Trip to Papercourt by Frank Clark RSPB Trip to Papercourt - January 1st 2008 More... |
 | Wednesday, 12 December 2007 RSPB Trip to Stocker's Lake by Frank Clark Trip to Stocker's Lake - December 12th 2007 More... |
 | Sunday, 25 November 2007 RSPB Trip to Cliffe Pools by Frank Clark RSPB Trip to Cliffe Pools - November 25th 2007 More... |
 | Sunday, 28 October 2007 RSPB Trip to Titchfield Haven / Farlington Marshes by Frank Clark Trip to Titchfield Haven / Farlington Marshes - October 28th 2007 More... |
 | Sunday, 30 September 2007 RSPB Trip to Rainham Marshes by Frank Clark Trip to Rainham Marshes - September 30th 2007 More... |
 | Sunday, 26 August 2007 RSPB Trip to Pagham Harbour - August 26th 2007 More... |
 | Sunday, 27 May 2007 Northward Hill 27th May 2007 More... |
 | Saturday, 12 May 2007 Eastern Bulgaria 12 - 19th May 2007 More... |
 | Sunday, 29 April 2007 Trip to Dungeness Sunday 29nd April 2007 More... |
 | Sunday, 25 March 2007 Farlington Marsh and Titchfield Haven by Neil Bew Farlington Marsh and Titchfield Haven 25th March 2007 More... |
 | Wednesday, 28 February 2007 Shellness and Swale NNR by Neil Bew Shellness and Swale NNR 28th February 2007 More... |
 | Thursday, 22 February 2007 Report on trip to the Eastern and Western Cape Provinces by Ray Wilson Writing this lengthy report turned to be almost like a mini research project as most of the birds were "first sightings" often with associated identification problems. It includes 55 photographs of birds and 15 of animals! More... |
 | Saturday, 10 February 2007 Bedfont Lakes Country Park by Mary Braddock Walk at Bedfont Lakes Country Park 10th February 2007 More... |
 | Wednesday, 10 January 2007 "A Winter's Break." to Donana in Spain and the Algarve in Portugal by Mary Braddock "A Winter's Break." Report by Mary Braddock on a trip to Donana in Spain and the Algarve in Portugal in January 2007. More... |
 | Friday, 1 September 2006 Report, by Dave and Mary Braddock on their trip to California in September 2006. More... |