Friday February 5th  -  Day of the Ducks

Thursday March 18th  -  Bird Song Recognition

Love them or loathe them, gulls are birds and we are birdwatchers - no self-respecting observer can avoid them forever!. Come for a day and begin to demystify this difficult group: learn to distinguish your first-winters from your third calendar years and return a changed person. For those that are afraid of gulls, this is a gentle day, fuelled by frequent coffee stops and the distraction of some other birding, too. On this trip we may also visit Portland.

As far as I am aware, these are the only regular formal gull workshops run anywhere in the country.

This trip meets by the RSPB reserve centre and shop at Radipole Lake, Dorset, close to Weymouth station. Follow signs in Weymouth to Radipole Lake Nature Reserve. The paying car park is off Radipole Park Drive, an exit off the A353 just west of Weymouth railway station. SY 675795 Post code: DT4 7TZ.

Runs November to March.

Times: 10.30-16.00. Meet on-site (no transport provided).   Maximum number of people - 12.

Bring packed lunch and suitable warm clothing.

On this day we will try to find all the 10 species of finch that the Forest holds, including Crossbill, Brambling and Hawfinch, visiting several different sites. How do so many species of finch live in the same general area? Come and find out.

Runs October to March.

Times: 10.30-16.00. (no transport provided).   Maximum number of people - 12.

Meet at Cadman’s Pool car park, marked Anses Wood on most OS maps, and opposite the car park for Ocknell Pond. SU 229122. The car park itself is not signposted from the road. Access from M27 Junction 1/B3079/B3078 and Fritham.

Bring packed lunch and suitable warm clothing.

No-one loves the mud as much as the waders, where they pack in, making life difficult for birdwatchers.  Come and sort them out, discovering how each species is subtly different and feeds in its own particular way. Our site for today is West Wittering, one of the best in the country for wintering waders, with up to 20 species possible in a single day, including Little Stint, Greenshank and Spotted Redshank.

Runs October to March.

Times: 10.30-16.00. Meeting point will be specified on booking, (no transport provided).   Maximum number of people - 12.

Bring packed lunch and suitable warm clothing.

Many birdwatchers have great problems with songs and calls, and this day is designed to help you make progress. As the writer for the series “Teach Yourself Bird Sounds” I have particular experience with training people in this field. This day is timed to catch the songs of resident birds, before the migrants arrive and confuse the situation.

The day begins in the tranquil setting of Ebernoe Common, West Sussex, a great site for all types of woodland birds, so we should have no problem getting immersed in the art of listening and trying to learn.

This day is particularly suitable for small, like-minded groups of people, and the venue can be altered catering for any particular party.

Runs March to June.

Ebernoe Common is 4 miles north of Petworth. From the A283 Guildford-Petworth road, turn 2 miles south of Northchapel at the turning signposted “Balls Cross” and “Ebernoe”. After 1.5 miles turn right after a red phone box down a single track lane marked “Holy Trinity Church – Ebernoe. Park in front of church at SU 975278. Post code: GU28 9LD

Times: 10.30-16.00. (no transport provided).   Maximum number of people - 12.

Bring packed lunch and suitable warm clothing.

“Thank you for a superb day..It was wonderful to have a really concentrated day, and I learned so much.”  Bella Covill, Wimbledon
 

In summer the New Forest holds good numbers of birds of prey, including Kestrel, Hobby, Goshawk, Sparrowhawk, Buzzard and Honey Buzzard. Although raptors can be fickle in their appearance, we will hope to see enough to learn more about their lifestyles and how to identify them, whether they are dots or they block out the sun. Come and practise your skills on this extremely difficult group. Last year we saw all of them!!

Based on previous trips:

• Very likely: Buzzard, Kestrel, Hobby.

• Regular: Honey Buzzard, Sparrowhawk.

• Possible: Goshawk, Peregrine.

Runs July and Early August.

Times: 10.30-16.00. No transport provided.   Maximum number of people - 12.

Meet at Shatterford car park, just north of Beaulieu Road Station, on the B3056 between Lyndhurst and Beaulieu. SU 347063.

Bring packed lunch and suitable warm clothing.

Come and explore the aquatic world of ducks, from the freshwater lovers to the seaducks on the waves. Males are usually easy enough to identify, but what about the females? On this day we will look for a dozen or so species, and learn about their world. We begin our exploration at Chichester Gravel Pits.

Times: 10.30-16.00. No transport provided.   Maximum number of people - 12.

Meet at the playing field car park in North Mundham, along School Lane, a turning off the B2166 Pagham Road in North Mundham.  SU 875026.

Bring packed lunch and suitable warm clothing.