Events

Coach trip to Holkham NNR & RSPB Titchwell Marsh

Location: North Norfolk coast

Our annual coach trip to these two excellent sites, led by Mike Oakland. RSPB Titchwell has a visitor centre with a well stocked shop, and toilets....... Don't forget your packed lunch!

Book early with Barrie Stockwell on 01992 584133. Coach departs Broxbourne at 7.30am, Ware at 7.45am.

Site details RSPB Titchwell Marsh:
This popular reserve on the north Norfolk coast has something for everyone. A walk from the visitor centre down to the sandy beach takes you past reedbeds and shallow lagoons, which are often full of birds. You can sit on benches or watch from spacious, wheelchair-accessible hides.

In summer, marsh harriers float over the reeds, where bearded tits nest. On the lagoons are avocets, gulls and terns. In autumn and winter you can see up to 20 species of wading birds and lots of ducks and geese.

A well-stocked shop has a wide range of RSPB gifts and books and a large selection of telescopes and binoculars.

Holkham NNR:
One of the most extensive, diverse and dramatic nature reserves on a coastline famous for nature reserves. Windswept tidelines, a maze of creeks and saltings, miles of dunes and sandspits, shady pinewoods, green pastures and marshes: the mix of habitats and the blend of wildlife make Holkham's National Nature Reserve a unique place.

Time: 7.30 am

Price: £18 a seat

Booking essential

Telephone: 01992 584133

E-mail: se_herts_rspb@yahoo.co.uk

Annual Beached Bird Survey

Location: Tollesbury, Essex, along the Blackwater Estuary

The beached bird survey is an international scheme to monitor bird mortality around the coast. 700 RSPB volunteers cover more than 1500 miles of coastline around the British Isles, with many others performing similar surveys on North Sea coasts in other countries.

Our allotted stretch of coast is at Tollesbury in Essex, along the Blackwater estuary. This is a delightful place to watch birds and the survey provides an excuse for a day out. We meet up at Abberton reservoir before moving to Tollesbury.

If you would like further details of the survey, please contact Ted Bell at any group event or on 01920 467809................Don't forget your packed lunch!

Time: TBA

Price: no charge

Booking essential

Telephone: 01920 467809

E-mail: se_herts_rspb@yahoo.co.uk

'Celebration of Birds', an illustrated talk by Peter Holden, MBE

Location: United Reformed Church Hall, Mill Lane, Broxbourne, Hertfordshire

Parking is at the rear and the side of the hall or in Mill Lane. Please park thoughtfully and share cars where possible. Access and facilities are suitable for wheelchairs.

Postcode: EN10 7BQ (Google map)

At our monthly group meeting, we welcome Peter Holden MBE, with his talk 'Celebration of Birds'.
Peter recently retired after working for the RSPB for nearly 40 years. He was the national organiser of the junior section (WEX) and created the Big Garden Birdwatch. He is passionate about birds and inspiring people about wildlife.

Light refreshments are available and we will also have our monthly raffle and 100 Club Draw.

Doors open 7.30 pm for 8 pm start

Time: 7.30 pm

Price: RSPB members £2, non-RSPB members £2.50

Telephone: 01992 715634

E-mail: se_herts_rspb@yahoo.co.uk

Morning walk along the River Lea and through Kings Meads

Location: River Lea and through Kings Meads, meet in the library car park, Ware High Street, by 9.30am
Postcode: SG12 9AD (Google map)

This months morning walk takes us along the River Lea and through Kings Meads. Your leader today is Ted Bell. Meet in the library car park, Ware High Street, by 9.30am.

Site Details:
King's Meads, between Hertford and Ware, are the largest remaining grazed riverside flood meadows in Hertfordshire, covering 96 hectares or 237 acres. The rivers and ditches, which criss-cross the site, traditionally flooded the flat land although, due to falling water levels, this now happens less often than in the past. However, ditch restoration and the maintenance of a system of sluices is gradually restoring the water levels to the meadows during the winter months. This combination of ditches, floodwater and regular grazing has created a rich wetland habitat that is excellent for a range of flora and fauna.

These water meadows consist of a number of meads including Park Mead, Stockade Mead, Hollow Mead, Sweet Mead, Lady's Mead, Widow's Mead, Mill Mead, Little Mead, Tansy Mead and Broad Mead, collectively known as King's Meads. King's Mead itself lies centrally on the site under the A10 flyover and to the north of the New River. King's Meads are a nature reserve managed by Herts and Middlesex Wildlife Trust on behalf of the owners and partners, namely East Herts District Council, Environment Agency, GlaxoSmithKline, Thames Water Utilities and private landowners.

Time: 9.30 am

Price: Free, but donations always welcome

Telephone: 01920 467809

E-mail: se_herts_rspb@yahoo.co.uk

Coach Trip to RSPB Dungeness

Location: RSPB Dungeness and beach area

A coach trip to RSPB Dungeness (Toilets & visitor centre/shop), and to the Dungeness beach area for early migrants. Your leader is Ann Smith. Coach departs Ware at 7.30am, Broxbourne at 7.45am. RSPB members must bring membership cards to ensure free admission.

Book early with Barrie Stockwell on 01992 584133........Don't forget your packed lunch!

Time: 7.30 am

Price: £18 a seat

Booking essential

Telephone: 01992 584133

E-mail: se_herts_rspb@yahoo.co.uk

'Ospreys at Rutland Water - an update' by Tim Mackrill

Location: United Reformed Church Hall, Mill Lane, Broxbourne, Hertfordshire

Parking is at the rear and the side of the hall or in Mill Lane. Please park thoughtfully and share cars where possible. Access and facilities are suitable for wheelchairs.

Postcode: EN10 7BQ (Google map)

At tonights group meeting we welcome back Tim Mackrill, Osprey Project Officer at Leicester & Rutland Wildlife Trust, who will update us about the progress of the breeding ospreys at Rutland Water.

Light refreshments are available and we will also have our monthly raffle and 100 Club Draw.

Doors open 7.30 pm for 8 pm start

Time: 7.30 am

Price: RSPB members £2, non-RSPB members £2.50

Telephone: 01992 715634

E-mail: se_herts_rspb@yahoo.co.uk

Morning walk to Clayton Hill

Location: Clayton Hill, Nazeing
Postcode: EN9 2HX (Google map)

A walk to Clayton Hill, led by Mike Oakland. Meet by 9.30am in the LVRP Clayton Hill car park, Nazeing. O/S Map ref: TL388057.

Time: 9.30 am

Price: No charge, but donations always welcome

Telephone: 01992 429170

E-mail: se_herts_rspb@yahoo.co.uk

'Kruger National Park' a talk by Neil Renwick

Location: United Reformed Church Hall, Mill Lane, Broxbourne, Hertfordshire

Parking is at the rear and the side of the hall or in Mill Lane. Please park thoughtfully and share cars where possible. Access and facilities are suitable for wheelchairs.

Postcode: EN10 7BQ (Google map)

We start with our (very) short AGM, followed by the welcome return of Neil Renwick, with his talk on 'Kruger National Park'. We also have our Plant Bring 'n Buy Sales tables tonight.

Light refreshments are available and we will also have our monthly raffle and 100 Club Draw.

Doors open 7.30 pm for 8 pm start

Time: 7.30 pm

Price: RSPB members £2, non-RSPB members £2.50

Telephone: 01992 715634

E-mail: se_herts_rspb@yahoo.co.uk

Coach trip to Stodmarsh NNR & Grove Ferry

Location: Stodmarsh NNR, Kent.

Our trip this month is to Stodmarsh NNR & Grove Ferry, (toilets available), always a very popular trip for summer visitors such as hobbies, nightingales and garganey......not forgetting the marsh frogs! Your leader is Phil Blatcher. Coach departs Ware at 7.30am, Broxbourne at 7.45am. Book early with Barrie Stockwell on 01992 584133..............Don't forget your packed lunch!

Site Details:
Stodmarsh is an internationally-important mixture of reed beds, fens, ditches, wet grassland and open water. The site is especially important for rare species such as bittern, marsh harriers and the shining ramshorn snail, as well as that iconic British mammal, the water vole.

It has been used by medieval monks to graze horses, as a colliery at the start of the 20th century, and as a duck shooting area in the 1930s.

The reserve, which covers 249.9 hectares, lies in the floodplain of the river Stour and has always been marshy. Subsidence caused ny mining caused much of the reserve to become wetter, and this eventually led to the formation of the lake and reedbeds at the western end of the site.

The Grove area of the reserve is a more recent addition. Purchased by Natural England in 1998, it has been enhanced with the creation of additional pools, reedbeds and grazing marshes, with water levels raised across the land to make it much more attractive to wildlife.

The area has been protected and managed for nature conservation for over 40 years and, despite all the changes in land use, probably looks much the same now as it did in medieval times.

Stodmarsh NNR has the largest reed bed in the South East of England, which supports a range of specialised birds and insects. The reed beds are an excellent sanctuary for migrating birds such as swallows and house martins in the summer and starlings in the winter; sometimes thousands can be seen here as they stop overnight before continuing their journey in the morning. Natural England manage this habitat to make it attractive to wildlife by cutting reeds in rotation, controlling scrub and managing water levels

Time: 7.30 am

Price: £18 a seat

Booking essential

Telephone: 01992 584133

E-mail: se_herts_rspb@yahoo.co.uk

Warblers & Nightingale, a morning walk

Location: Meet in the car park at Fishers Green, by the lakes, Stubbins Hall Lane, off the Crooked Mile (B194) - OS166 TL377032 by 9.30am.
Postcode: EN9 2EF (Google map)

Our annual warblers & nightingale morning walk at Fishers Green, led by Terry Smith. We should hear lots of nightingales and even see one or two!

Time: 9.30 am

Price: No charge but donations always welcome

Telephone: 01992 715634

E-mail: se_herts_rspb@yahoo.co.uk

Coach trip to Minsmere

Location: RSPB MInsmere, Suffolk

Our annual coach trip to RSPB Minsmere (T) for birds such as avocet, bittern & marsh harrier. Your leader is Terry Smith. Last year we saw 91sp, including a 'booming' bittern.

Book early with Barrie Stockwell on 01992 584133 - don't forget your lunch! RSPB members must bring membership cards to ensure free admission.

Coach departs Broxbourne 07.30, Ware 07.45.

Site Details:
Nature trails take you through a variety of habitats to excellent birdwatching hides. In spring, you can watch avocets and marsh harriers, or hear booming bitterns. On the beach, a special area is cordoned off to protect nesting little terns. Minsmere is the best place in Britain to hear booming bitterns. Listen for nightingales singing in the scrub from mid-April, and listen for various other warblers around the reserve. Look for Dartford warblers on the heath, and listen for great spotted woodpeckers drumming. Sand martins return to nest near the visitor centre. Bluebells are in flower in May. Adders emerge from hibernation.

Time: 7.30 am

Price: £18 a seat

Booking essential

Telephone: 01992 584133

E-mail: se_herts_rspb@yahoo.co.uk

'The Origins of Birds' with Mike Howgate

Location: United Reformed Church Hall, Mill Lane, Broxbourne, Hertfordshire

Parking is at the rear and the side of the hall or in Mill Lane. Please park thoughtfully and share cars where possible. Access and facilities are suitable for wheelchairs.

Postcode: EN10 7BQ (Google map)

Our monthly group meeting with a talk by Mike Howgate on 'The Origins of Birds'.

Light refreshments are available and we will also have our monthly raffle and 100 Club Draw.

Doors open 7.30 pm for 8 pm start

Time: 7.30 pm

Price: RSPB members £2, non-RSPB members £2.50

Telephone: 01992 715634

E-mail: se_herts_rspb@yahoo.co.uk

Morning walk at Pishiobury Park

Location: Pishiobury Park, near Sawbridgeworth.
Postcode: CM21 0AL (Google map)

Morning walk at Pishiobury Park, near Sawbridgeworth. Meet by 9.30am in the car park, off A1184 Harlow Road (Map ref TL 476139) Your leader is Mike Oakland.

Site Details:
Pishiobury Park is a large area of natural land that has been set aside close to the River Stort between Sawbridgeworth and Harlow.The park was re-landscaped by "Capability" Brown in the 18th century.

The park has many areas of untouched heathland that are popular with walkers and ramblers. There are also many areas of woodland on the edge of the park that attract an imnteresting variety of plant life and animals to the area.

Time: 9.30 am

Price: No charge, bur donations always welcome

Telephone: 01992 429170

E-mail: se_herts_rspb@yahoo.co.uk

A special afternoon & evening car trip to The Brecks

Location: Various sites in The Brecks

A special afternoon & evening car trip to RSPB Lakenheath (T) & other Breckland sites.

Meet in the picnic area on A1065 (road to Lakenheath) north of roundabout at Barton Mills, Suffolk. (T). We will be leaving Barton Mills at 1pm. Your leader is Derrick Ling - don't forget to bring some food & drink with you!

PLEASE NOTE: In case of any changes to the travel arrangements, it is essential to check with Barrie Stockwell before joining any car outing, tel: 01992 584133

Time: 1 pm

Price: no charge, but donations always welcome

Telephone: 01920 466563

E-mail: se_herts_rspb@yahoo.co.uk

'Butterflies in English Bird Reserves' - an illustrated talk by Nick Bowles

Location: United Reformed Church Hall, Mill Lane, Broxbourne, Hertfordshire

Parking is at the rear and the side of the hall or in Mill Lane. Please park thoughtfully and share cars where possible. Access and facilities are suitable for wheelchairs.

Postcode: EN10 7BQ (Google map)

At the final group meeting of this season, we welcome Nick Bowles, from Butterfly Conservation, who presents his talk on 'Butterflies in English Bird Reserves'.

Light refreshments are available and we will also have our monthly raffle and 6 monthly 100 Club Draw.

Doors open 7.30 pm for 8 pm start

Time: 7.30 pm

Price: RSPB members £2, non-RSPB members £2.50

Telephone: 01992 715634

E-mail: se_herts_rspb@yahoo.co.uk

Evening walk at HMWT's Balls Wood reserve

Location: Balls Wood, Hertfordshire
Postcode: SG13 7PW (Google map)

An evening walk at HMWT's Ball Wood reserve, led by Barrie Stockwell. Meet by 7pm PROMPT, parking next to College Arms pub, The Roundings, Hertford Heath, SG13 7PW. (O/S map ref: TL 351109)

Site Details

Balls Wood was purchased by the Herts & Middlesex Wildlife Trust in 2009, with the help of grant funding and donations by conservation bodies and local people.

The site is particularly noted for its butterflies, and supports a varied wildlife population with many insects and plants. The numerous ponds in Balls Wood which vary from shallow, muddy pools to deeper more open ponds, support a wide range of aquatic organisms, including great crested newts, dragonflies and toads. In spring the woodland rides are full of birdsong and wildflowers, the rare herb paris can be found here, along with bluebell, wood anemone and early purple orchid.

www.hertswildlifetrust.org.uk/NatureReserves/Flagship/ballswood

Time: 7 pm

Price: No charge, but donations always welcome

Telephone: 01992 584133

E-mail: se_herts_rspb@yahoo.co.uk