Events

Car trip to Bradwell on Sea, Essex

Location: We will meet in the car park for St Peters on the Wall chapel, east of Bradwell on Sea (OS168TM024078)

Car trip to Bradwell on Sea, Essex, an area of saltmarsh, farmland and sea. Your leader today is Mike Oakland.

In case of any changes to our arrangements, please check with Barrie Stockwell before joining any car outing.

Time: Meet at 10 am

Price: no charge but donations always welcome

Telephone: Barrie Stockwell on 01992 584133

E-mail: se_herts_rspb@yahoo.co.uk

Strangers in our Land

Location: United Reformed Church Hall, Mill Lane, Broxbourne, Hertfordshire EN10 7BQ
EN10 7BQ (Google map)

We welcome back well known wildlife photographer, Dave Cottridge, with his talk 'Strangers in our Land'. Dave will be looking at the vagrant birds found around the British Isles and discussing the weather conditions that cause these birds to stray.

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

Time: Doors open 7.30 pm for 8 pm start

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

Telephone: Terry Smith on 01992 715634

E-mail: se_herts_rspb@yahoo.co.uk

Morning walk along the River Lea and through Kings Mead, Ware

Location: We meet in the Library car park, Ware High Street. (OS166 TL356144)
SG12 9AD (Google map)

A morning walk along the River Lea and through Kings Mead, areas of cattle grazed flood meadows, pools and hedges, for wildfowl and waders. Our leader today is Ted Bell.

Time: 10 am

Price: no charge, but donations always welcome

Telephone: Ted Bell on 01920 467809

E-mail: se_herts_rspb@yahoo.co.uk

Coach trip to Cley, North Norfolk coast NWT reserve

Location: A coach trip to NWT Cley reserve, Norfolk.
NR25 7SA (Google map)

A coach trip to NWT Cley reserve, Norfolk, their flagship reserve, for waders, ducks and autumn visitors.
There is an entrance fee payable for non-NWT Members. Visitor centre with shop and tearooms.
Our leader today is Mike Oakland.

Time: Our coach departs Broxbourne at 7.30am, Ware at 7.45am.

Price: Coach seat prices to be announced, there is an entrance fee payable for non-NWT Members

Booking essential

Telephone: Book in advance with Barrie Stockwell on 01992 584133

E-mail: se_herts_rspb@yahoo.co.uk

Group weekend in North Norfolk

Location: We will be based once again in Old Hunstanton, at The Linksway Hotel.

Our popular annual group weekend in Norfolk, based at Old Hunstanton, birding along the North Nofolk coast, from Friday 24th to Sunday 26th October. Last year we spotted 103 species. Your leader is Phil Blatcher.

Time: 7.00pm

Price: Details from Phil Blatcher 01992 441024

Booking essential

Telephone: Details from Phil Blatcher 01992 441024

E-mail: se_herts_rspb@yahoo.co.uk

How Birds and other Animals Communicate

Location: United Reformed Church Hall, Mill Lane, Broxbourne, Hertfordshire EN10 7BQ
EN10 7BQ (Google map)

Our monthly group meeting, where we welcome back Edward Eastwood, with his talk on 'How Birds and other Animals communicate'.

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

Time: Doors open 7.30 pm for 8 pm start

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

Telephone: Terry Smith on 01992 715634

E-mail: se_herts_rspb@yahoo.co.uk

Morning walk around Amwell Gravel Pits

Location: Meet at Amwell Lane, parking on the east side near the War Memorial. (OS166 TL374125)

Our monthly local walk around Amwell Gravel Pits for wildfowl, waders and woodland species.
Your leader is Phil Blatcher

Time: 10 am

Price: free, but donations always welcome

Telephone: 01992 441024

E-mail: se_herts_rspb@yahoo.co.uk

RSPB Ouse Washes and WWT Welney Coach trip

Location: Ouse Washes RSPB & Welney WWT sites.

A later start for this two-centre coach trip to these popular sites, for wintering wildfowl and perhaps, birds of prey.

An entrance fee is payable at Welney for non-WWT members. We will view the spectacular floodlit swan feeding at Welney before departing.

Book early with Barrie Stockwell, who is your leader today.

Time: Coach departs Broxbourne at 9.30 am, Ware at 9.45 am

Price: Coach seat prices to be announced, there is an entrance fee payable for non-WWT members

Booking essential

Telephone: Barrie Stockwell tel: 01992 584133

E-mail: se_herts_rspb@yahoo.co.uk

Meet Your Group Day

Location: RSPB Rye Meads visitor centre, Rye Road, Stanstead Abbotts, Herts
SG12 8JS (Google map)

Our 'Meet your Group' day at RSPB Rye Meads Reserve.

We will be showing wildlife video films and there will be some guided walks during the day. Try our lucky tombola and browse our general sales table, enjoy hot drinks & soup. Why not give a membership as a Christmas gift? Come along and meet us!

Time: 10 am to 4 pm

Price: Free admission

Telephone: Terry Smith 01992 715634

E-mail: se_herts_rspb@yahoo.co.uk

Conservation in the Falkland Islands

Location: United Reformed Church Hall, Mill Lane, Broxbourne, Herts
EN10 7BQ (Google map)

At our monthly group meeting we welcome Becky Ingham, who was the Director of Falkland Conservation for 6 years before joining the RSPB. Becky was involved in counting penguins, ringing albatross chicks and visiting some of the more remote sites in the South Atlantic.

Light refreshments available, also our 100 Club draw, raffle and our general Bring'n Buy tables.

Time: Doors open 7.30 pm for 8 pm start

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

Telephone: Terry Smith, group leader, on 01992 715634

E-mail: se_herts_rspb@yahoo.co.uk

Local walk to Bowyers Water and Hall Marsh scrape

Location: Meet in the LVRPA showground car park, off Highbridge Street, (A121), Waltham Abbey. (Toilets available) map ref: OS166 TL375008

This month our morning walk is to Bowyers Water and Hall Marsh scrape, for wetland birds. We should see good numbers of ducks including wigeon, goldeneye and perhaps, smew.

Your leader today is Ann Smith.

Time: Walk starts at 10 am

Price: no charge, but donations always welcome

Telephone: 01992 715634

E-mail: se_herts_rspb@yahoo.co.uk

Car trip to SWT Trimley Marshes

Location: Meet at the end of Cordy's lane, off Station Road, Trimley St Mary, Suffolk. Map ref: OS169 TM278358
IP11 0UD (Google map)

A trip, by cars, to Suffolk Wildlife Trust's Trimley Marshes reserve, for wintering wildfowl and waders, with a circular walk of approx 5 - 6 miles.

This wetland reserve is created almost entirely from arable land alongside the river Orwell, and is a habitat managed primarily for birds and birdwatching. The wet meadows are grazed by cattle, sheep, and wigeon and geese during the winter months. Wet conditions are maintained by a system of sluices, meaning perfect conditions for wintering wildfowl and breeding waders such as redshank, avocet, oystercatcher, and black-tailed godwit. The lagoon and islands provide a habitat for plover, duck, sandpiper, and greenshank. Trimley Marshes is located off the A45 near Felixstowe.

Your leader today is Phil Blatcher

Time: Meet by 10 am

Price: no charge, but donations always welcome

Telephone: Phil Blatcher on 01992 441024

E-mail: se_herts_rspb@yahoo.co.uk

Christmas group meeting

Location: United Reformed Church Hall, Mill Lane, Broxbourne, Hertfordshire
EN10 7BQ (Google map)

A social evening with food brought along by members to share. (Please let the committee know the food you are bringing to share, by the November meeting.)

We will also see a presentation about Extremedura and the Cota Donana, the venue for the group overseas holiday last March.

We will have our Grand Christmas Draw, 100 Club draw, raffle and possibly, a festive quiz.

An evening not to be missed!

Time: Doors open 7.30 pm for 8 pm start

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

Telephone: Terry Smith on 01992 715634

E-mail: se_herts_rspb@yahoo.co.uk

Annual New Year walk at Abberton Reservoir and then to Tollesbury, Essex

Location: Meet on the Layer Breton causeway, Abberton, off B1026. Map ref: OS168 TL950165

Our annual New Year walk at Abberton and Tollesbury, with belated New Year lunch (bring your own) out at the point. Party hats optional! This trip always produces a long and varied list of wintering birds.

Please note, in case of any changes to the travel arrangements, check with Barrie Stockwell first on 01992 584133.

Your leader today is Derrick Ling.

Time: Meet 9.30 am on the causeway

Price: no charge, but donations always welcome

Telephone: Derrick Ling on 01920 466563

E-mail: se_herts_rspb@yahoo.co.uk

Car trip to Harty Ferry and RSPB Elmley Marshes, Kent

Location: Harty Ferry Lane, map ref: OS178 TR010690

A car trip to for hopefully, raptors, wintering swans and geese.

If you thought that there was no wilderness left in the south-east, come and have a look at Elmley Marshes! The two-mile drive across the vast wetlands, managed by the Elmley Conservation Trust, to get to the reserve car park is an amazing start to your visit, where from your car you can watch lapwings, redshanks, wigeon and birds of prey at close range.

In case of any changes to the travel arrangements, please check with Barrie Stockwell first on 01992 584133

Your leader today is Derrick Ling.

Time: Meet at 10 am in Harty Ferry Lane

Price: no charge, but donations always welcome

Telephone: Barrie Stockwell on 01992 584133

E-mail: se_herts_rspb@yahoo.co.uk

Pharaohs' Birds

Location: United Reformed Church Hall, Mill Lane, Broxbourne, Hertfordshire
EN10 7BQ (Google map)

At our monthly group meeting, we welcome back John Wyatt, a regular speaker to the group, with his talk about 'Pharaohs' Birds' - looking at birds of ancient Egypt, from surviving art and artefacts found today.

John was the Deputy Director of Development at the British Trust for Ornithology 1989-1991, the co-author (with Dominic Couzens) and forever publisher of Teach Yourself Bird Sounds cassette series, and was a regular writer for Birdwatching magazine and past Chairman of the National Sound Archive Wildlife Sound Trust.

Also we will have our monthly raffle and 100 Club draw, light refreshments will be available in the interval.

Time: Doors open 7.30 pm for 8 pm start

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

Telephone: Terry Smith on 01992 715634

E-mail: se_herts_rspb@yahoo.co.uk

Annual General Knowledge Quiz

Location: United Reformed Church Hall, Mill Lane, Broxbourne, Hertfordshire
EN10 7BQ (Google map)

Our very popular annual general knowledge quiz, early booking essential!

Supper is included in the ticket price, but bring your own drinks and nibbles.

Tickets will be available from October 2008 from Phil Blatcher 01992 441024

Time: Doors open at 7 pm for 7.15 pm start

Price: £60 for a table of max. 8 team members, (ie £7.50 each)

Booking essential

Telephone: Phil Blatcher on 01992 441024

E-mail: se_herts_rspb@yahoo.co.uk

Morning walk around the North Met and Ashley gravel pits

Location: Meet in the LVRPA car park at Turnford Brook, off B176. Map ref: OS166 TL363037.
EN8 0LU (Google map)

Our local morning walk this month is around the North Met and Ashley gravel pits for goosander and other wintering species.

Your leader is John Murray.

Time: meet at 10 am

Price: no charge, but donations always welcome

Telephone: Mike Oakland, local walks organiser on 01992 429170

E-mail: se_herts_rspb@yahoo.co.uk

Family walk with the RSPB Rye Meads Wildlife Explorers group

Location: Fishers Green car park, Stubbins Hall Lane, off Crooked Mile, B194. (OS166 TL377032).
EN9 2EF (Google map)

A family walk at Fishers Green, 11am to 1pm.

Please book in advance with RSPB Rye Meads Wildlife Explorers group on 01992 708383.

Time: 11 am

Price: there will be a small charge

Booking essential

Telephone: 01992 708383

E-mail: se_herts_rspb@yahoo.co.uk

Coach trip to Holkham and RSPB Titchwell Marsh

Location: North Norfolk

Our annual trip to these two sites always provides a wide variety of species. Last year the group saw 96 species, including barn owls, brambling and woodcock.

There is a visitors centre with shop and refreshments at Titchwell Marsh, and 3 hides overlooking the reserve.

If you have ever considered joining us on one of our outings you cannot go far wrong with this annual trip to these two excellent North Norfolk sites. Your leader is Mike Oakland.

Book your seats early with Derrick Ling on 01920 466563

Time: Coach departs Broxbourne 7.30 am, Ware 7.45 am

Price: Coach seat prices to be announced

Booking essential

Telephone: Derrick Ling on 01920 466563

E-mail: se_herts_rspb@yahoo.co.uk

Beached Bird Survey

Location: Full details from Ted Bell on 01920 467809

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.

Time: Details from Ted Bell on 01920 467809

Price: no charge

Telephone: Ted Bell on 01920 467809

E-mail: se_herts_rspb@yahoo.co.uk

The return of the Osprey

Location: United Reformed Church Hall, Mill Lane, Broxbourne, Hertfordshire
EN10 7BQ (Google map)

At our group meeting tonight, we welcome Tim Mackrill, the Rutland Water Osprey Project officer.

Tim will be updating us on the exciting osprey re-introduction project at Rutland Water. For more information on this project, including photo's etc visit : http://www.ospreys.org.uk (The group is visiting Rutland Water on April 26th by coach.)

We will also have our 100 Club draw, raffle and drinks will be available in the interval.

Time: Doors open 7.30 pm for 8 pm start

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

Telephone: Terry Smith on 01992 715634

E-mail: se_herts_rspb@yahoo.co.uk

Local morning walk at Copped Hall, Epping

Location: Meet in the car park, off B1393, Epping Road, ¼ mile north of the Wake Arms roundabout. Map reference is OS167 TQ431998
CM16 5HS (Google map)

Our monthly local walk is at Copped Hall, for farmland and woodland birds with the possibility of Fallow deer.

Mike Oakland is your leader today.

Time: Meet at 10am

Price: free, but donations always welcome

Telephone: Mike Oakland on 01992 429170

E-mail: se_herts_rspb@yahoo.co.uk

Coach trip to Pagham Harbour LNR, West Sussex

Location: Pagham Harbour, West Sussex

This month our coach trip is to Pagham Harbour Local Nature reserve, West Sussex for arriving migrants.

The Reserve covers 1500 acres, about half of which is saltmarsh and mudflats, while the rest comprises farmland, copses, lagoons, reedbeds and shingle beaches. It is an internationally important site for nature conservation, featuring plant and animal habitats of global rarity.
Check out their website on: www.westsussex.gov.uk/paghamharbour

Your leader today is Phil Blatcher.

Time: Coach departs Ware at 7.30 am, Broxbourne at 7.45 am.

Price: Coach prices to be announced, plus £1 donation requested on arrival.

Booking essential

Telephone: Book with Barrie Stockwell on 01992 584133

E-mail: se_herts_rspb@yahoo.co.uk

Basically Bats

Location: United Reformed Church Hall, Mill Lane, Broxbourne, Hertfordshire
EN10 7BQ (Google map)

Our group meeting with an illustrated talk - 'Basically Bats' presented by Patty Briggs.

Patty not only explains the essential role that bats play worldwide in the maintenance of the ecosystem of our planet through pollination and seed dispersal but she also illustrates how to discover where bats live, how to find them and dispels the usual preconceptions that people have of bats.

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

Time: Doors open 7.30 pm for 8 pm start

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

Telephone: Terry Smith on 01992 715634

E-mail: se_herts_rspb@yahoo.co.uk

Morning walk at HMWT Willowmead reserve and Hertingfordbury

Location: We will be parking in Becketts, off A414 Hertingfordbury Road. Map ref: OS166 TL314123.
SG14 2AN (Google map)

Volunteer warden, Barrie Stockwell, leads this walk around the HMWT Willowmead reserve, Hertford and then on to Hertingfordbury for a walk through part of the Panshanger Estate.

Time: Meet at 10 am

Price: no charge, but donations always welcome

Telephone: Barrie Stockwell on 01992 584133

E-mail: se_herts_rspb@yahoo.co.uk

Coach trip to Rutland Water

Location: Rutland Water Nature Reserve, Egleton,Rutland.
LE15 8BT (Google map)

We return to Rutland Water, an excellent area with many hides and good numbers of wildfowl, waders and many other birds, including tree sparrows and hopefully, osprey. There is a small entrance fee payable.

The Osprey re-introduction project, as described by Tim Mackrill at our March meeting, has been very successful at this site.

There is a large Visitors centre and shop, with inter-active displays popular with the youngsters and the not so young alike! Upstairs there is a viewing gallery with excellent views over the reservoir.

Book early with Barrie Stockwell on 01992 584133.

Your leader today is Terry Smith.

Time: Coach departs Broxbourne 7.30 am, Ware 7.45 am

Price: Coach seat prices to be announced, and there will be a small entrance charge to the reserve.

Booking essential

Telephone: Barrie Stockwell on 01992 584133

E-mail: se_herts_rspb@yahoo.co.uk

Our AGM and talk by Chris Bailey on 'Improving yields at Hope Farm'

Location: United Reformed Church Hall, Mill Lane, Broxbourne, Hertfordshire
EN10 7BQ (Google map)

Our annual general meeting, (usually very short), tonight followed by a talk by Chris Bailey, RSPB Farmland Project Manager, on 'Improving yields at Hope Farm' - by using farming techniques that benefit wildlife.

We will also have our Plant Bring 'n Buy tables, our 100 Club draw, raffle and light refreshments will be available in the interval.

Time: Doors open 7.30 pm for 8 pm start

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

Telephone: Terry Smith on 01992 715634

E-mail: se_herts_rspb@yahoo.co.uk

Group weekend in Dorset

Location: The Heights hotel, Portland, Dorset
DT5 2EN (Google map)

For our Group weekend in Dorset this year,we are staying once again at The Heights hotel, Isle of Portland.
Visit their website at: www.heightshotel.com

We meet up at the hotel on the Friday evening and the holiday finishes on the Monday. Group weekends are a great way to get to know other group members and this area of Dorset is excellent with two RSPB reserves nearby.

Radipole Lake - A reserve in central Weymouth sounds intriguing, but once on the footpath between reeds and lagoons you could be far away in the countryside. The large reedbed, open water, flood meadows and bushes attract many different birds. Bearded tits and Cetti's warblers can be seen all year, they are joined in summer by reed, sedge and grasshopper warblers and in autumn by a variety of migrating birds.

Lodmoor - The variety of habitats at Lodmoor attract a wide variety of birds, you can watch the fascinating courtship and chicks of common terns at the colony here, one of the largest in south-west England.

Places are going fast, so bookings and deposits to Derrick by September 30th latest. For further details and prices, please contact Derrick Ling on 01920 466563.

Time: Friday evening to Monday

Price: Details from Derrick Ling on 01920 466563

Booking essential

Telephone: Derrick Ling on 01920 466563

E-mail: se_herts_rspb@yahoo.co.uk

Local walk at Fishers Green

Location: Fishers Green car park, off Stubbins Hall Lane, off Crooked Mile (B194). Map ref: OS166 TL377032
EN9 2EF (Google map)

Terry Smith leads our local walk at Fishers Green, for warblers and nightingales. In most years we have about 14 singing male nightingales in this area and many warblers.

Site details:

Part of the River Lee Country Park, Fishers Green is a popular site for visitors including walkers, cyclists and birdwatchers and is a short walk from the Lee Valley Park Farms. The Bittern Information Point affords views across 70 Acres Lake. Colonies of Common Tern nest on floating rafts during the summer months, in 2008 47 tern chicks were ringed here, and the small reedbed in front of the hide is sometimes visited by Bittern in the winter.

An extension was added to the hide in the winter of 2006/7 in which images from cameras installed at various points looking at the lake, reed bed and tern rafts can be viewed on screen. The hide is open daily and on certain weekends this new area is staffed by Lee Valley Park Volunteers and close-up images of the tern chicks can be seen on the CCTV screen.

A network of hard surfaced paths link the majority of the site from the car park, suitable for both wheelchairs and pushchairs.

Time: Meet at 9.30 am

Price: Free, but donations always welcome

Telephone: Terry Smith on 01992 715634

E-mail: se_herts_rspb@yahoo.co.uk

Coach trip to RSPB Minsmere, Suffolk

Location: RSPB Minsmere, Suffolk
IP17 3BY (Google map)

Our annual trip to RSPB Minsmere reserve. In 2008 the group saw 100 species in this area, including bittern, avocets, marsh harriers, dartford warbler, nightingale, both little and Temmincks stints and a pied flycatcher. There is also a well stocked shop, with tea rooms and visitor centre.

Site details:
On the beautiful Suffolk coast, Minsmere offers a day out for families, beginners and experienced birdwatchers alike, with plenty to enjoy at any time of year. Nature trails take you through woodland, heathland and reedbeds, to excellent hides and to the beach.

Terry Smith is your leader today.

This is always a very popular trip so book early!

Time: Coach departs Broxbourne 7.30 am, Ware 7.45 am

Price: Coach seat prices to be announced. There is an entrance fee for non-rspb members

Booking essential

Telephone: Book with Barrie Stockwell on 01992 584133

E-mail: se_herts_rspb@yahoo.co.uk

Essex Wildlife Trust - facing today's challenges

Location: United Reformed Church Hall, Mill Lane, Broxbourne, Hertfordshire
EN10 7BQ (Google map)

At our monthly group meeting, we welcome Tony Gunton, looking at the work of the Trust. Tony is the editor of the EWT official wildlife trust guide to Essex nature reserves, published in 2008.

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

Time: Doors open 7.30 pm for 8 pm start

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

Telephone: Terry Smith on 01992 715634

E-mail: se_herts_rspb@yahoo.co.uk