Events
Unless otherwise specified, you do not need to be a member of the RSPB (or the local group) to join us on our events, and birdwatching experience is not necessary.Use this table to jump to the events for that month
January Events February Events March Events April Events
May Events June Events July Events August Events
September Events October Events November Events December Events
January 2019
Saturday 5 January 10am – 4pm
Shellness & Capel Fleet
Meet at the sea wall at Leysdown to walk to Shellness to see the wader roost ME12 4RJ (TR042699). Afterwards to Capel Fleet raptor watchpoint ME12 4BA(TR013689) for marsh harriers & short-eared owls.
Leaders: Irene & Terry
Thursday 10 January 7:30pm – 9:45pm
Northfleet School for Girls
“Birds, Bison, Bears & more” by Duncan MacDonald. Duncan returns to tell us more about the past & present wildlife of Speyside & Scotland generally.
Sunday 20 January 10am – 4pm
Cliffe Pools RSPB
Meet in the car park off Salt Lane ME3 7SU (TQ724763). Cliffe attracts all kinds of waders, wildfowl & small birds in winter, including birds of prey such as marsh harrier & peregrine.
Leaders: Jeff & Wendy
Tuesday 22 January 2pm – 4pm
Masonic Halls
“CONSERVATION PROJECTS AT WILDWOOD” by Suzanne Kynaston. An overview of projects including the captive breeding of dormice & water voles.
Saturday 26 & Sunday 27 Jan 1 hour
Big Garden Birdwatch
Record the wildlife you see in your garden for 1 hour. Submit your results on the RSPB website and be part of the 2019 BGBW!
February 2019
Saturday 2 February 10am – 4pm
Rainham Marshes RSPB (wc)
Meet in the reserve car park RM19 1SX (TQ551790) . Waders & wildfowl with a view of the barn owl perhaps. In the reed beds: bearded tits, reed buntings & stonechats.
Leaders: Malcolm & Sally
Thursday 14 February 7:30pm – 9:45pm
Northfleet School for Girls
“Shetland” by Howard Vaughan. Howard’s adventures in Shetland! The special wildlife encountered by Howard in this northerly outpost of Britain.
Sunday 17 February 10am – 4pm
Dungeness Lighthouse and RSPB reserve (WC)
Park in the Old Lighthouse car park TN29 9NA (TR088169). Gulls, gannets & grebes & later at the RSPB reserve TN29 9PS (TR067184) ducks, egrets and possibly a bittern on the new RSPB islands.
Leaders: Sue & Cliff
Tuesday 26 February 2pm – 4pm
Masonic Halls
“LOOKING FOR THE GOSHAWK” by Conor Jameson. This once common bird of prey has all but disappeared from our forests. Why? And where is the elusive Goshawk now?
March 2019
Saturday 2 March 10am – 4pm
Elmley NNR (WC)
Meet at the reserve car park ME12 3RW (TQ938679). An entry fee of £5 per car applies. Great location for wintering wildfowl, waders and raptors. Look out for hares on the drive in.
Leaders: Norman & Sandra
Thursday 14 March 7:30pm – 9:45pm
Northfleet School for Girls
“IN SEARCH OF THE MONARCHS” by Pauline and Peter Heathcote. Pauline and Peter take us on a trip to Mexico and the exotic birds and butterflies they encountered.
**Please note this is a change to the presentation that appears in our printed programme.
Sunday 17 March 10am—4pm
Blean Woods RSPB
Meet at the reserve car park CT2 9DD (TR126592). Woodland birds including tits, treecreepers, nuthatch & woodpeckers.
Leaders: Claire & Jim
Tuesday 26 March 2pm – 4pm
Masonic Halls
“BATS IN THE BELFRY-BADGERS IN THE BYPASS” by Martin Newcombe. What does a professional naturalist do all day. Is he paid to watch birds? or is there more to it than that? A look at a ’new’ profession.
Saturday 30 March 10am – 4pm
Oare Marshes KWT
Meet at the car park ME13 0QD (TR013647). Godwits, plovers and dunlin on the pools soon to fly north to breed. Egrets on the shore & grebes on the Swale.
Leaders: Peter & Karen
April 2019
Thursday 11 April 7:30pm – 9:45pm
Northfleet School for Girls
“PLOVER LOVERS WORLD OF DELIGHTS” by Rik & Elis. Our Wader Quest duo will return to tell us more about the lives of Plovers, those wading birds seen in all kinds of watery habitats.
Sunday 14 April 10am – 4pm
Sevenoaks KWT (WC)
Meet in the car park TN13 3DL (TQ519566). Ducks, geese & grebes & perhaps early migrants. Refreshments available.
Leaders: Steve & Hazel
Tuesday 23 April 10am – 1pm
Riverside Country Park (WC)
Meet in reserve car park ME7 2XH (TQ808682) Naturalist Trevor Hatton will be helping us locate the special wildlife at this venue. Can he repeat his success of last year & find the adders? Visitor centre + café.
Leaders: Malcolm & Sally
Saturday 27 April 5am—9am DAWN CHORUS
Cliffe Pools RSPB (WC)
Meet in Cliffe village car park near the church ME3 7QR (TQ735766). Enjoy the song birds in the bushes at Cliffe. Nightingale, blackcap, whitethroat, song thrush, cuckoo and turtle dove.
Leader: Paul Yetman
May 2019
Thursday 9 May 7:30pm – 9:45pm
Northfleet School for Girls
AGM followed by “STAND UP FOR TREES” by Ann Watts. Ann, who works for the Woodland Trust, will describe how it conserves & protects Britain’s trees.
Sunday 12 May 8am departure COACH TRIP
Wicken Fen National Trust (WC)
A wetland reserve where marsh harriers & hobbies fly over the reed beds and dragonflies & wild flowers can be seen. Visitor centre, café, hides. Boat trips can be booked in advance. See our coach trips page for details.
Organiser: Hazel
Sunday 26 May 10am – 4pm
Stodmarsh NNR (WC)
Meet in the reserve car park CT3 4BE (TR221608). Songbirds at their best, blackcaps, reed warblers, whitethroats, thrushes & tits with hobbies & marsh harriers active over the reed beds.
Leaders: Paul & Maria
Tuesday 28 May 10am – 1pm
Cliffe Pools RSPB
Meet in the car park off Salt Lane ME3 7SU (TQ724763). The breeding colony of terns, gulls & avocets will be in full swing & nightingales in the scrub may still be singing.
Leaders: Malcolm & Sally
June 2019
Sunday 9 June 10am—4pm
Thursley Common NNR
Meet in The Moat car park GU8 6LW (SU899416). A special habitat with hobby, redstart, woodlark & Dartford warbler as well as numerous dragonfly species.
Leaders: Paul & Maria
Saturday 22 June 10am – 4pm
Oare Marshes KWT
Oare Marshes ME13 0QD (TR013647) Reed beds alive with small birds, reed buntings, bearded tits & warblers. Ducks with young.
Leaders: Hazel & Steve
Tuesday 25 June 10am – 1pm
Lullingstone Country Park (WC)
Meet at the visitor centre DA4 0JF (TQ526638). Grey wagtails feeding young on the River Darenth with damselflies & butterflies on the wing.
Leaders: Malcolm & Sally
July 2019
Sunday 7 July 10am – 4pm
Samphire Hoe (WC)
Meet in the car park CT17 9FL (TR300396). Black redstart & house martin on the cliffs with fulmars, ravens & peregrines.
Leaders: Paul & Maria
Saturday 20 July 10am – 4pm
Stodmarsh NNR (WC)
Meet in car park CT3 4BE (TR221608). Dragonflies & butterflies over the reed beds, marsh harriers with young.
Leaders: Peter & Karen
Saturday 20 July 10am – 4pm
Rainham Marshes RSPB – see change of venue post
Leaders: Irene and Terry Robson
Tuesday 23 July 10am – 1pm
Grain Coastal park
Meet in car park ME3 0BS (TQ886767). Where the Medway meets the Thames, an impressive muddy shore attracts gulls, oystercatchers & waders. Small birds and migrant warblers in the scrub.
Leaders: Malcolm & Sally
August 2019
Sunday 4 August 10am – 4pm
Rye Harbour NNR (WC)
Meet in the car park TN31 7TU (TQ941189). Common, Little & Sandwich terns breed here and will be feeding young. Gulls, including Mediterranean gulls, right in front of the hides.
Leader: Sue
Saturday 17 August 10am – 4pm
Sevenoaks KWT (WC)
Meet in the car park TN13 3DL (TQ519566) for a Summer visit to see flowers, butterflies & dragonflies and ducks & geese with their young.
Leaders: John & Pauline
Tuesday 27 August 10am – 1pm
Northward Hill RSPB (WC)
Meet at Bromhey Farm car park ME3 8DS (TQ768764) Join us to see & hear Spring birds; nightingales, whitethroats, blackcaps.
Leaders: Malcolm & Sally
Friday 30 August 6:30pm start EVENING VISIT
Cliffe Pools RSPB
Meet outside reserve car park off Salt Lane, ME3 7SU (TQ724763). Sandpipers and whimbrel on passage, with avocets, gulls & terns. Insect repellent useful.
Leaders: Neville & Louise
September 2019
Thursday 12 September 7:30pm – 9:45pm
Northfleet School for Girls
“SRI LANKA” by Jonathan Forgham. A brand new talk on the wonderful and special wildlife of Sri Lanka.
Sunday 15 September 10am – 4pm
Rainham Marshes RSPB (WC)
Meet in the reserve car park RM19 1SX (TQ551790). Dragonflies, butterflies, ducks, geese & migrant birds such as hobbies & sandpipers.
Leaders: Steve & Hazel
Tuesday 24 September 2pm – 4pm
Masonic Halls
“OWLS, OWLS, OWLS” by Chris Ward. Everything you’ve always wanted to know about owls, those intriguing, nocturnal creatures that are so hard to see.
Saturday 28 September 10am – 4pm
Bockhill
Meet in memorial car park CT15 6DT (TR373451) for peregrine, ravens & fulmars on the cliffs. Small birds on migration in the bushes. Nearest toilet at St Margarets at Cliffe.
Leaders: Irene & Terry
October 2019
Thursday 10 October 7:30pm – 9:45pm
Northfleet School for Girls
“KENTS WILD YEAR” by Simon Ginnaw. One of our most popular speakers will take us on a tour through the seasons of the natural world.
Saturday 12 October 8:30am departure COACH TRIP
RSPB MINSMERE (WC)
Autumn migration is in full swing with sandpipers, stints & ruffs on the Scrape and the red deer rut underway on the heath. Visitor centre & café. See our coach trips page for details.
Organiser: Hazel
Tuesday 22 October 2pm – 4pm
Masonic Halls
“COSTA RICA BIRDS & WILDLIFE” by John Buckingham. The special scenery, birds and flowers of this wildlife paradise with an expert naturalist-traveller.
Sunday 27 October 10am-4pm
Sandwich Bay Observatory (WC)
Meet at car park, CT13 9PF (TR013647) Small entry charge at the toll gate, just before the centre, for those visiting observatory. Migrants such as goldcrests, blackcaps and warblers in the bushes.
Leaders: Norman & Sandra
November 2019
Saturday 9 November 10am—4pm
Dungeness Lighthouse and RSPB reserve (WC)
Park in Old Lighthouse car park, TN29 9NA (TR088169) Gulls, gannets & grebes on the sea. Later at RSPB reserve TN29 9PS (TR067184) for shovelers, wigeon, goldeneyes & pintails, + egrets, herons and harriers.
Leaders: Sue & Cliff
Thursday 14 November 7:30pm – 9:45pm
Northfleet School for Girls
“ALIENS AMONGST US” by Neil Phillips. Neil is back to tell us about the alien species invading the UK both by stealth and invitation.
Saturday 16 November 10am—1pm
Volunteer day
Details to be announced later on our website & at meetings.
Leaders: Paul & Sue
Sunday 24 November 10am – 4pm
Oare Marshes KWT
Meet at the car park ME13 0QD (TR013647) Godwits, plovers and dunlin on the pools waiting for the tide to turn.
Leaders: Irene & Terry
Tuesday 26 November 2pm – 4pm
Masonic Halls
“RIVER STOUR FROM SOURCE TO SEA” by Michael Walter. Michael describes the journey of a Kentish river and the wealth of wildlife it sustains.
December 2019
Saturday 7 December 10am – 4pm
Elmley NNR (WC)
Meet at the reserve car park ME12 3RW (TQ938679) An entry fee of £5 per car applies. Excellent location for wintering wildfowl, waders and raptors.
Leader: Sue
Thursday 12 December 7:30pm – 9:45pm
Northfleet School for Girls
A social evening – A meeting to review the year and enjoy some festive refreshments and a challenging quiz.