Indoor Meetings

Dungeness  - Valerie Vile. Val will cover the ecology, diversity of wildlife and the history of Dungeness and why it is so unique. She will also tell us how the area has changed, and some of the key challenges it faces and how this may affect its future along with the sister reserve along the coast at Worth Marshes.

Wild Islands: The Nature of the Falklands (Online Only) - Mark Sisson. This talk coincides with the publication of Mark's latest book of the same title, produced in association with Falklands Conservation.  This wonderful archipelago has become almost a spiritual photographic home for Mark over the last decade that he has been photographing there, and this talk looks to illustrate just why. You can expect plenty of penguins, an abundance of albatross and a diverse array of images that will illustrate the real nature of just why these islands offer so much in terms of wildlife and photography.

Why do Birds Sing at Dawn? The Ecology of the Dawn Chorus - Stuart Brooker. The avian dawn chorus is a period of high song output performed daily around sunrise during the breeding season.  Singing at dawn is of such significance to birds that they remain motivated to do so amid the noise of numerous others.  Yet we still do not fully understand why the dawn chorus occurs. This talk will review the physiological, behavioural and environmental factor affecting the dawn chorus and the current theories that attempt to explain its existence.

Birding in Uganda - Tim Hayward. Tim will talk about a recent 10 day trip that he made through western and southern Uganda and some of the wonderful birds and other wildlife that can be found there.  Due to its location and wide variety of habitats, Uganda is one of the richest countries in Africa for birdlife.

VINE HOUSE FARM (Online Talk) – Nicholas Watts will explain how their conservation award winning commercial farming methods are undertaken with wildlife in mind, and how they aim to be as environmentally responsible as possible by ensuring a low carbon footprint through selling their own quality grown and UK sourced products.

BIRDS and WILDLIFE of COSTA RICA (Indoor Meeting) – Steve Grimwade from ‘Swallow Birding & Wildlife’ has recently spent a month in Costa Rica guiding tours. Steve will talk about, and show stunning images of, the birds, wildlife, and adventures they had in this colourful Central American country. Not to be missed!

Project Cam Tag - Pete Howe (Indoor Meeting). The aim of this Project is to develop a satellite tag that incorporates a camera to capture images of those persecuting our Birds of Prey.

THIS TALK IS NOW CANCELLED, APOLOGIES.

URBAN PEREGRINES (an ‘Online’ talk) – Ed Drewitt has been studying Peregrines since 1998, when he moved to Bristol. He realised there was a lot to be learnt from Peregrines living in cities and began studying their diet and ringed them to find out more about their lives. His talk will explore what makes an urban Peregrine tick and why they are using our towns and cities.

SKOMER – PUFFINS and MANX SHEARWATER – Ann Forbes finds Puffins fascinating to watch and their biology and behaviour are equally fascinating. Much less showy but oh so interesting is the Manx Shearwater, a master ocean navigator, and a member of the tubenose bird family, it navigates by smell! Skomer Island has been monitored for over 60 years and is a stronghold for both these species, Ann is a retired Biology teacher with a lifelong interest in wildlife and her presentation will look at Skomer and all its birds.

Birds & Wildlife of Sri Lanka – Jonathan Forgham has visited Sri Lanka over 10 times in the last 8 years, recording all aspects of the island's wildlife. In 2017 he established a Learning Centre for disadvantaged teenagers in Galle in the south west of the island. He returns here frequently to help the youngsters to improve their quality of spoken and written English. He also is involved in a project called BEES (Biodiversity, Education and Exploration Society) which is presently replanting a rain forest with canopy trees following the removal of the Scots Pine put in during the 1940's. In total, he has recorded over 260 species of bird on the island as well as plenty of the insects, mammals and reptiles. This presentation will look at several of the National Reserves as well as the birds that can be seen by just wandering around the country lanes.

ARGENTINA to ANTARCTICA (an ‘Online’ talk) – We welcome back Steve Cale, who you may recall gave us a talk at the Woodland Birds conference earlier this year. This talk will concentrate on a wildlife journey from Argentina to Antarctica via some fascinating islands of the Southern Ocean.

QUEENSLAND – featuring BIRDS OF PARADISE & BOWERBIRDS – Bill Coster. The subtropical state of Queensland contains some of Australia’s most colourful and iconic birds, including several species of Bowerbirds. We also see two species of Birds of Paradise and a wealth of other forest bird photographs at many different locations within the state. We even make a visit to the world-famous Great Barrier Reef.

PLEASE NOTE THAT DUE TO THE RECENT INCREASE IN COVID-19 CASES THIS TALK WILL BE MOVED TO A ZOOM ONLY PLATFORM

ON the TRAIL of the CRANE – Part 2 – Ralph and Brenda Todd. Following on from their previous excellent Part 1 talk in November 2019 Ralph and Brenda will continue the Cranes migration journey through Europe

BIRDS of the RIVER BLACKWATER – Steve Grimwade. Please note this is now a virtual meeting streamed on Youtube. We welcome back Tout Guide Steve Grimwade from ‘Swallow Birding & Wildlife. This time with a local theme the River Blackwater where he has birdwatched for over 40 years. The talk will take us through the seasons and showcase the diverse selection of birdlife from divers to buntings. Highly recommended

WILDLIFE and WILD PLACES of MENORCE – Chris Gibson. Please note this is now a virtual meeting streamed on Youtube. The northernmost of the Balearic Islands, Menorca is a wonderful place to experience wildlife throughout the year. A gentle island, protected throughout, it is largely unspoilt by mass tourism, and you could explore the whole island in a few days. Spring and autumn are the seasons to visit – migration times for birds moving between Africa and Europe; spring also for orchids and other wild flowers, including numerous species known from nowhere else in the world; and autumn for the ‘second spring’ of flowering bulbs and insects at their biggest and best. The talk will give you the whole story!

BIRDS and WILDLIFE of GUYANA – Chris Collins. Bordered by Venezuela and Brazil, this small South American country is rarely visited by birdwatchers, despite having many birds to see. Chris has spent several months there and in this talk we will visit many of the the habitats which make Guyana such a unique destination. In the tropical forests there are antbirds, macaws as well as the majestic Harpy Eagle and on the savannahs, you will find Giant Anteaters and the highly endangered Sun Parakeet

BIRDING in KAZAKHSTAN – Rob Sheldon returns to show us some of the delights of Kazakhstan. This talk will highlight all of the key habitats and species that this amazing country has to offer including Black-winged Pratincole, Black and White-winged Larks in West Kazakhstan and Pallid Harrier in Central Kazakhstan as well as the fact that it is a hugely important area for migrating and breeding birds associated with the extensive wetlands of the region

FINDING WILDLIFE in EPPING FOREST – Peter Warne. In 2010 Peter wrote the first edition of his book ‘Finding Wildlife in Epping Forest’ with a second edition in 2012. On the back of this he was invited to study and monitor the wildlife of Copped Hall, a restoration project just south of Epping. Peter is also a keen photographer and as well as describing where to go, he will show us images of the wide variety of wildlife to be found in this western part of the county   

BIRDS of JAPAN – Nigel Moorhouse from ‘Sarus Bird Tours’. Japan is a diverse country of many islands stretching from the north in Hokkaido with equal latitude to Canada, to the southernmost Yaeyama Islands being similar to the Bahamas. This talk will cover a year in the life of the birds and wildlife of the Island that make up Japan including Brown Bears walking from hibernation in the Summer Hokkaido’s Red-crowned Cranes gathering to dance, while the world’s largest eagle, Steller’s Sea Eagle, comes down from the far north to haunt the harbours.  

CANCELLED - The KINGDOM of BHUTAN - 'LAND of the DRAGON' - A small country but one of the most diverse on Earth due to intact forests and an ancient culture that values nature (350-400 bird species). It is one of the least visited, only opening to tourism in the 1970's. Duncan Macdonald from 'Speyside Wildlife' will introduce us to some of the rewards - Ibisbill, Satyr Tragopan and Rufous-necked Hornbill to name but a few; this will be another first-rate presentation, well worth it!