Events

Saturday Bird Watching Visit

Location: A visit to the North West Bird Fair at Martin Mere followed by a trip to Marshside RSPB reserve. Geese, swans, ducks and waders provide the attraction at both these venues, hides offering welcome protection from the elements, and the Bird Fair adding an extra dimension, with its slide shows, stalls and bird-related goods for sale.

An opportunity to visit bird sites with an experienced member of the Wigan Local Group who will help with finding and identifying the birds. No experience required. Non-members welcome. Use your own car or arrange a lift with leader and share petrol costs. Please phone the leader for more information.

Time: 10.00 am

Price: There is an admission charge to Martin Mere for non-members of the WWT. Admission to Marshside is free.

Booking essential

Telephone: Doreen Marriott 01942 712766

Stop Climate Chaos March: London

Location: A coach from North Western Station will run to London to join the Stop Climate Chaos March.

The STOP CLIMATE CHAOS COALITION, which includes the RSPB, Greenpeace, Christian Aid, Cafod, Tearfund, Friends of the Earth, Oxfam, Woodlands Trust, Wildlife Trusts, Unison, Low Carbon Communities, Garden Organic, Women's Institute and many more, is organising a coach from Wigan at 6.00am on Saturday 5 December. The protestors will join a march with people from all parts of the UK to send a clear message to Gordon Brown that a global agreement has to be reached in Copenhagan. The protest will culminate with a demonstration outside to the Houses of Parliament.

Please note that you do not have to be a member of any of the above organisation to join the protest - all are welcome.

Tickets are available at The Coven Vegetarian Cafe in Wigan Wallgate and Words Bookshop behind The Parish Church or by telephoning 01942 233465

For more information please visit www.rspb.org.uk/policy/climatechange or www.stopclimatechaos.org

Time: 6.00am with an approximate return time of 10.30 pm

Price: £25.00

Booking essential

Telephone: 01942 233465

E-mail: thegibbards@blueyonder.co.uk

Wigan RSPB Local Group Indoor Meeting

Location: St Anne's Parish Hall, Church Lane Shevington Wigan WN6 8BD
WN6 8BD (Google map)

An illustrated talk by John and Tracy Langley, from Chester. They are visiting Wigan RSPB Local Group for the first time and they come with an established reputation as informative and entertaining speakers. Their subject is "Realm of the Tiger - the Wildlife of Bandhavgarh National Park" - perhaps just what is needed for a chilly December evening.

Time: 7.45 pm

Price: £2.00 per person, refunded against membership if you join the Group

Telephone: Geoff Hampson 01942 724401

Half Day Mid Week Bird Watching Visit Followed by Pub Lunch

Location: Venue will be decided a few days before the event in the light of the latest bird reports - meeting point in Standish - please telephone for details.

An opportunity to visit bird sites with an experienced member of the Wigan Local Group who will help with finding and identifying the birds. No experience required. Non-members welcome. Use your own car or arrange a lift with leader and share petrol costs. Please phone the leader for more information.

A pub lunch will be available at the end of the trip.

Time: 9.15am

Price: Free. There may be admission charges to reserves for non-members

Booking essential

Telephone: Tom Morton 01942 832383

Half Day Saturday Bird Watching Visit

Location: Pennington Flash, Leigh Lancashire, Signposted from the A590 East Lancashire Road, meet at Pennington Flash main car park.

WN7 3PA (Google map)

An opportunity to visit bird sites with an experienced member of the Wigan Local Group who will help with finding and identifying the birds. No experience required. Non-members welcome. Please phone the leader for more information.

This is an ideal chance to escape from Christmas shopping and spend half a day enjoying the winter wildlife at Pennington. Expect to see lots of birds on the excellent feeding station and waders and water fowl on the flash. There may be a surprise - you never know what might turn-up at Pennington! This could be two or three hours well spent.

Time: 10.00am

Price: Free but it is necessary to pay the Country Park car parking charge.

Telephone: Jimmy Meadows 01942 209304

Big Twitch

Location: Anywhere and everywhere in Wigan Borough - phone for meeting point details etc.

An opportunity to visit bird sites throughout Wigan Borough with the intention of finding as many birds as possible. Each party will be accompanied by an experienced member of the Wigan Local Group who will help with finding and identifying the birds. No experience required. Non-members welcome. Please phone the leader, Neil Martin, for more information.

Time: TBA

Price: Free but split costs if sharing car.

Booking essential

Telephone: Neil Martin 01695 624860 or 07950 137165

Wigan RSPB Local Group Indoor Meeting (J)

Location: St Anne's Parish Hall, Church Lane Shevington Wigan
WN6 8BD (Google map)

A new speaker to Wigan Group, John Loder, will give a talk and slideshow entitled "Save our Birds of Prey." John is a Campaign Talks Officer for the RSPB and has given up a lot of his time to help raise awareness of the problems facing our birds of prey, about which he feels very strongly.

Time: 7.45 pm

Price: £2.00 per person, refunded against membership if you join the Group

Telephone: Geoff Hampson 01942 724401

Mid Week Bird Watching Visit (J)

Location: Venue will be decided a few days before the event in the light of the latest bird reports - meeting point in Standish - please telephone for details.

An opportunity to visit bird sites with an experienced member of the Wigan Local Group who will help with finding and identifying the birds. No experience required. Non-members welcome. Use your own car or arrange a lift with leader and share petrol costs. Please phone the leader for more information.

Time: 9.15 am

Price: Free but split costs if sharing car. There may be admission charges to reserves for non-members

Booking essential

Telephone: Tom Morton 01942 832383

Saturday Bird Watching Visit (J)

Location: Fylde Coast

An opportunity to visit bird sites with an experienced member of the Wigan Local Group who will help with finding and identifying the birds. No experience required. Non-members welcome. Please phone the leader for more information.

Time: 8.00 am

Price: Free but split costs if sharing car. There may be admission charges to reserves for non-members

Booking essential

Telephone: Neil Martin 01695 624860 or 07950 137165

Wigan RSPB Local Group Indoor Meeting (F)

Location: St Anne's Parish Hall, Church Lane Shevington Wigan WN6 8BD
WN6 8BD (Google map)

We welcome back local speaker Charlie Owen, from Hindley Green, to give us a talk and slideshow entitled " Images of Nature." His presentation is the result of his most recent excursions and has a balance between local and national subjects.

Time: 7.45 pm

Price: £2.00 per person, refunded against membership if you join the Group

Telephone: Geoff Hampson 01942 724401

Midweek Bird Watching Visit

Location: Venue will be decided a few days before the event in the light of the latest bird reports - meet in Standish phone leader for details.

An opportunity to visit bird sites with an experienced member of the Wigan Local Group who will help with finding and identifying the birds. No experience required. Non-members welcome. Use your own car or arrange a lift with leader and share petrol costs. Please phone the leader for more information.

Time: 9.15 am

Price: Free but split costs if sharing car. There may be admission charges to reserves for non-members

Booking essential

Telephone: Tom Morton 01942 832383

Saturday Bird Watching Visit (F)

Location: North Wales Coast and hinterland.

An opportunity to visit bird sites with an experienced member of the Wigan Local Group who will help with finding and identifying the birds. No experience required. Non-members welcome. Use your own car or arrange a lift with leader and share petrol costs. Please phone the leader for more information.

Wrap-up warmly and expect some spectacular coastal birds and possibly short-eared owls.

Time: 8.30 am

Price: Free but split costs if sharing car. There will be an admission charge to the reserve for non-members

Booking essential

Telephone: Neil Martin 01695 624860 or 07950 137165

Wigan RSPB Local Group Indoor Meeting (M)

Location: St Anne's Parish Hall, Church Lane Shevington, Wigan
WN6 8BD (Google map)

By tradition, we end the speaker programme on a high note with a visit by Gordon Yates, whose film show this time is entitled "Snowy Owl, King of the Arctic"; in Gordon's own estimation it is "his best yet."

Time: 7.45 pm

Price: £2.00 per person, refunded against membership if you join the Group

Telephone: Geoff Hampson 01942 724401

Midweek Local Bird Sites Visit (M)

Location: Venue to be decided 24 hours before the event, phone for final details

An opportunity to visit bird sites with an experienced member of the Wigan Local Group who will help with finding and identifying the birds. No experience required. Non-members welcome. Use your own car or arrange a lift with leader and share petrol costs. Please phone the contact for more information.

Time: 9.15 am return about 4 pm

Price: Free but share transport cost if car sharing. There may be admission charges to reserves for non-members

Booking essential

Telephone: Tom Morton 01942 832383

Saturday Bird Watching Visit, Marbury Cheshire

Location: Marbury Country Park, Cheshire

An opportunity to visit bird sites with an experienced member of the Wigan Local Group who will help with finding and identifying the birds. No experience required. Non-members welcome. Use your own car or arrange a lift with leader and share petrol costs. Please phone the leader for more information.

Time: 8.00 am

Price: Free but car parking charges apply

Booking essential

Telephone: Kathy Jones 01695 624860 or Doreen Marriott 01942 712766

Wigan RSPB Local Group AGM

Location: St Anne's Parish Hall, Church Lane, Shevington, Wigan WN6 8BD
WN6 8BD (Google map)

Come and find out what is happening in your local group with a chance to ask questions about the groups activities. Not as boring as it sounds!

Time: 7.45 pm

Price: Free

Telephone: Geoff Hampson 01942 724401

Wednesday Bird Watching Visit

Location: Venue will be decided a few days before the event in the light of the latest bird reports - meeting point in Standish - please telephone for details.

An opportunity to visit bird sites with an experienced member of the Wigan Local Group who will help with finding and identifying the birds. No experience required. Non-members welcome. Use your own car or arrange a lift with leader and share petrol costs. Please phone the leader for more information.

Venue will be decided a few days before the event in the light of the latest bird reports - meeting point in Standish - please telephone for details.

Time: 9.15 am

Price: Free but share petrol costs. There may be admission charges to reserves for non-members

Booking essential

Telephone: Tom Morton 01942 832383

Weekend Bird Watching Visit to Levens Park and Leighton Moss

Location: To sites with different habitats - Levens Park on the Lancashire/Cumbria border and nearby Leighton Moss one of the RSPB's premier reserves.

An opportunity to visit bird sites with an experienced member of the Wigan Local Group who will help with finding and identifying the birds. No experience required. Non-members welcome. Use your own car or arrange a lift with leader and share petrol costs. Please phone the leader for more information.

Time: 8.30 am

Price: Free but there is an admission charge to Leighton Moss reserve for non-members

Booking essential

Telephone: Allan Rimmer 01942 241402 or Neil Martin 01695 624860 or 07950 137165

Mid-week Bird Watching Visit (5)

Location: Venue will be decided a few days before the event in the light of the latest bird reports - meeting point in Standish - please telephone for details.

An opportunity to visit bird sites with an experienced member of the Wigan Local Group who will help with finding and identifying the birds. No experience required. Non-members welcome. Use your own car or arrange a lift with leader and share petrol costs. Please phone the leader for more information.

Time: 9.15 am return about 4.00 pm

Price: Free. There may be admission charges to reserves for non-members

Booking essential

Telephone: Tom Morton 01942 832383

Saturday Bird Watching Visit Woolston Eyes

Location: Woolston Eyes and Moore nature Reserves Cheshire.

An opportunity to visit bird sites with an experienced member of the Wigan Local Group who will help with finding and identifying the birds. No experience required. Non-members welcome. Use your own car or arrange a lift with leader and share petrol costs. Please phone the leader for more information.

Time: 8.00am

Price: There is a small charge for Woolston Eyes which is not an RSPB reserve - Moore is free. Share petrol costs.

Booking essential

Telephone: Malcolm and Fiona Alderton 01257 267906