| Indoor Meetings (7:30pm Start unless otherwise stated). Entrance: ₤2 Members, ₤2-50 non-members | Field Trips (Provisional) |
Leader: Richard Winspear. Meet at 8:30am. Autumn migrants at the Gravel Pits. Meet at the entrance Lane (Grid reference SK295280) just off the B5008 before the River Trent as you drive towards Repton and should last around 4 hours.
Ben Dolan - "Thermal imaging"
National award winning bird ringer with West Midlands Ringing Group, specialising in Thermal imaging bird surveys on Farmland. Experienced Specialist with a demonstrated history of working in the environmental services industry. Ben will talk about the new science of Thermal Birding
Leader: Carol Evans Meet at 8:30am
Anyone wishing to go MUST email Alan Wragg at alan.wragg@mypostoffice.co.uk for precise meeting point
Simon Curtin - "Belvoir Osprey Project"
Simon has been an amateur naturalist for fifty years, and visited many conservation projects around the world. He created the Belvoir Osprey Project in 2014 with the help and support of renowned osprey expert Dr Tim Mackrill of the Roy Dennis Foundation
Leader: Alan Wragg. Meet at 8:00am in the main car park TF357390. Join us at this excellent site overlooking the Wash.
Timne: between 08:00 and 12:00 please park in the main car park, and make your way to the gate located at what3words alive.clap.pens, and we will escort you in groups to the ringing site. Please note that the paths in the ringing area are muddy, and suitable footwear will be required.
Roger Butler - "A week on St Kilda". A change of speaker - Roger will present on St Kilda, looking at all aspects of this remote archipelago 40 miles beyond the Outer Hebrides. It's famous for its huge seabird colonies, including Puffins and Gannets, but there's other wildlife as well as an extraordinary history. The talk also visits some lesser-known islands too.
Mike Leach - "Complete Owl"
Dr Michael Leach has been a full-time wildlife photographer, cameraman and author since 1977. He has worked on all 7 continents, travelling to some of the wildest places on Earth to study the world's most charismatic animals. His photographs have been used in more than 800 books, appearing in over 90 countries. He has filmed TV documentaries for both the BBC and Independent Television, working on more than 100 programmes
Please contact Steve Thorpe our Membership Secretary for the Zoom link - click here
Leader: Daniel Martin, Alan Wragg, Steve Thorpe. Meet at 2:30pm on the West Bank. Our members have discussed gull identification several times and so we want to provide some sort of "teaching event" where you can come along with your gull questions and get them answered, as well as learning more about gulls and their id challenges. We plan to use Ogston Res for this - a traditional gull roost, albeit much reduced in recent years for one reason or another. Come along to the West Bank at 2.30pm 14th Dec and bring warm clothes, a hot drink and an open mind! The aim is to learn a bit more about gull identification and topography, in particular looking at the 5 common species. Please let Steve or Alan know if you're keen to come along so we know how many factsheets to bring along (see Contacts page ).
Mark Mallalieu - "Honey-Buzzard"
Mark will share some of his experiences and learning from 17 years of observing Eurasian Honey-buzzards in Sussex and participating in a long term ringing project. He will also talk about the recent decision to publish some watchpoints in the county
Leader: Vic Bevan - Prior booking required (Alan Wragg: alan.wragg@mypostoffice.co.uk) as numbers strictly limited. Meet at 09:00 at the entrance to the site just off the westbound A50 at the gate and you will directed to the parking area
Joint meeting with Bakewell Bird Study Group. Speaker: Dr Ella Cole - 'Oxford University's 75 year Great Tit Study at Wytham Woods'. On 27th April 1947, the year's first Great Tit egg in Oxford University's Wytham Woods was counted. The hugely influential Wytham Great Tit Study is the longest continuous study of an individually marked animal population in the world. It plays a key role in scientist's understanding of how populations change in response to the environment - particularly how they are coping with changing climates
Leader: Alan Wragg Meet at 8:30am Flash Lane and Darwin Forest is a superb spot for winter finch hunting, and we'll spend a few hours walking around the forested areas searching out species like Crossbill, Brambling, Siskin and Redpoll. There's always chance of other woodland species of course, so bring your warm clothes and walking boots and meet us at the large lay-by on Flash Lane/Back Lane junction here, What3Words: triads.musician.daydream, OS Map Ref: SK292654.
Speaker: Jack Ashton-Booth. Jack works for the local RSPB Investigations Unit, and will be talking about his work in the unit, and the further work of the investigations unit as a whole
Speaker: TBD
AGM followed by Mike Pienkowski - "When the Kite Builds"
Dr Mike Pienkowski is a former Chief Ornithologist and then Assistant Chief Scientist of the Nature Conservancy Council. He was the chair of the group who planned and executed the reintroduction of Red Kite into those parts of the UK and this talk focusses
Leader: Andrew Sherwin (01246 221070) Annual Goshawk hunting trip. Meet at 8:00am. Loads to see but expect it to be cold and wet!
Leader: Barrie and Anita Staley - Meeting point to be decided after reconnaissance nearer the date. Target species are Woodlark, Raven, raptors, woodpeckers and possibly Crossbill.
Places limited to 12, to book please e-mail barriestaley@outlook.com stating the number of places you would like (places will be allocated on a first come basis). Please also supply a telephone contact number.
Joint meeting with Bakewell Bird Study Group. Sam Goddard will be speaking about his experiences of working and birding at Gibraltar Point
Leader: Barrie Staley - Meet in the car park time to be decided, access over northbound A38. If arriving from north on the A38 turn around at the Barton Turn exit. The trip will take in the Water Park and most of the gravel pit complex in a circular walk that will take all morning. There is a good pub/food at the start/finish point for anyone who is withering at the end! All participants should contact me prior the the trip so I can confirm the final details and send a map of the meeting point. Limit is ten people.
Places limited to 10, to book please e-mail barriestaley@outlook.com stating the number of places you would like (places will be allocated on a first come basis). Please also supply a telephone contact number.
Leaders: Keith Lievesley - Meet at 07:30. Castor Hanglands is situated 3km North of the village of Ailsworth, 7km NW of Peterborough in Cambridgeshire (TF1101). There is limited roadside parking available from which there is a 500m walk to the reserve. The reserve can be wet and muddy.
CANCELLED
Details TBD
CANCELLED
Leader: Steve Thorpe - 8:00am start Following overnight moth trapping there will be a bird walk around the farm focussing on bird song and calls, so ideal for anyone wishing to learn more.
Please contact Steve on ornithom@hotmail.com to book a place. High Lees Farm is at grid SK314577 (What Three Words: ladders.scroring.deflated). Access to the farm is via longish gravel track off Littlemoor Lane SE of Riber.
Leaders: Steve Thorpe/Alan Wragg - Meeting time: 8:30pm This is a pre-announcement, there is no limit on numbers but you must book with Steve, details on the Contacts page here and he will notify you of the site details
Check back in September for the new season
Some meetings will be via Zoom. if you do not have a Zoom account, or never used it before, you will be asked to download the app to your system - do this. When you enter the meeting please do so with your camera on (of you have one) and microphone muted. The chairman will then tell you what to do. One of the the things is to click on an ask a question button which the chairman will see and invite you to turn on your microphone to ask it
Methodist Church Schoolrooms, Market Place, Buxton, SK17 6HX
Henmore Room, Visitor's Centre, Carsington Water, DE6 1ST
Friend's Meeting House, Chesterfield, S40 4AG
Evergreen Club, Allestree, Derby, DE22 2FT
Changes will be avoided if at all possible, but please note that the committee reserves the right to change the programmes due to unforeseen circumstances
DISCLAIMER: In attending any of our events you acknowledge that certain risks of injury and other risks e.g. COVID are inherent. These types of injuries may be minor or serious and may result from your actions, or the actions or inaction of others, or a combination of both. You understand that Indoor Meetings and Field Trips are designed for the safety and protection of the participants and hereby undertake to use care and watch out for yourself and others. You understand that a level of fitness and health (physical, mental and emotional) is required and that each person has a different capacity for participation
Some of the information given is preliminary so you can get the dates into your diaries and more information will be published later e.g. Zoom links