Events
All events shown may be subject to cancellation or alteration due to Government / RSPB guidance / restrictions that are in force at the time. Please check our website for the latest information.
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 2022
Sunday 2 January 10am – 4pm
Reculver
Meet in Reculver car park CT6 6SS. A walk along the promenade to see Brent geese and maybe snow buntings.
Leaders: Irene & Terry
Thursday 13 January 7:30pm – 9:45pm
Northfleet School for Girls
“rolf gets rattled!” by Rolf Williams. Encounters with 14 species of rattlesnake in California & Arizona with tips on how to spot them. Also introducing the wildlife of the ‘Sky Islands’.
Saturday 15 January 10am – 4pm
Brooklands lake
Meet in the car park ME6 5BB (TQ707614). A trip to see wintering wildfowl and maybe a kingfisher. Leader: Trevor
Tuesday 25 January 2pm – 4pm
Masonic Halls
“A TASTE OF ROMANIA” by Brian Nobbs. An introduction to the wildlife of this intriguing country, from the Carpathian Mountains in Transylvania to the lakes of the Danube Delta.
Saturday 29 January 10am – 4pm
Oare Marshes kwt
Meet in the car park ME13 0QA. Waders roosting on the islands and small birds in the reed bed. Leaders: Irene & Terry
Saturday 29 & Sunday 30 Jan 1 hour
Big Garden Birdwatch
Take part in the world’s largest wildlife survey and do something great for nature. Just choose an hour any time over the three days and enjoy time with nature counting birds.
Submit your results on the RSPB website and be part of the 2022 BGBW!
FEBRUARY 2022
Thursday 10 February 7:30pm – 9:45pm
Northfleet School for Girls
“Costa Rica” by Howard Vaughan. Howard works at RSPB Rainham Marshes & is an excellent all-round naturalist. Tonight he tells us about his trip to this beautiful country.
Sunday 13 February 10am – 4pm
Elmley nnr (WC)
Meet at reserve car park ME12 3RW. Wintering wildfowl, raptors, waders and hares in the fields. There is an entry fee and numbers may be limited.
Although some restrictions have relaxed since our visit last year, we still have to limit the group number and we are therefore not able to invite everyone unfortunately. There will be the slightly reduced group rate of £5.00 per person, for those who are not ‘Friends of Elmley’.
If you would like to attend, register your interest with any committee member (N.B. this is applies whether you are a ‘Friend of Elmley’ or not).
As car parking is limited we can only guarantee entry to those cars which have been notified to Elmley as being part of our group. Please give the names of those attending, the car registration you will be using on the day and also whether you are ‘Friends of Elmley’ or not.
Places will be allocated on receipt and if necessary a reserve list will be kept, so if you change your mind nearer the time, please let us know to allow someone else to attend.
Unless you have a confirmation of your place at Elmley you will not be able to get the reduced group rate of £5.00 per person and you may not gain access if they already have a full car park allocation for that day from others who have booked independently.
Leader: Sue
Tuesday 22 February 2pm – 4pm
Masonic Halls
“BIRDS IN PARADISE– SEYCHELLES & GALAPAGOS” by John Buckingham. These islands hold teaming populations of exotic & endemic wildlife, including boobies, frigates, tropics, noddies & pitchers.
Saturday 26 February 10am – 4pm
Cliffe Pools RSPB
Meet in the car park off Salt Lane, ME3 7SU. Cliffe attracts winter waders, wildfowl and birds of prey.
Leaders: Peter & Karrie
MARCH 2022
Sunday 6 March 10am – 4pm
Blean Woods RSPB
Meet in reserve car park CT2 9DD. Flocks of small birds including tits, treecreepers, nuthatch and woodpeckers.
Leaders: Claire & Jim
Thursday 10 March 7:30pm – 9:45pm
Northfleet School for Girls
“Antarctic Adventure” by Ralph & Brenda Todd. Cruising from Ushuaia to the Falklands and on to the Antarctic Peninsula, Ralph & Brenda will beguile us with icebergs, penguins, albatrosses & life on board a cruise ship.
Saturday 19 March 10am—4pm
Shellness
Meet at the sea wall at Leysdown, ME12 4RJ. A walk to the hamlet of Shellness to see the wader roost and maybe a short-eared owl.
Leaders: Norman & Sandra
Tuesday 22 March 2pm – 4pm
Masonic Halls
“LOCKDOWN 874” by Jonathan Forgham. For a whole year during the pandemic Lockdown, Jonathan surveyed the natural history of his small rural garden and recorded 874 species!
APRIL 2022
Sunday 3 April 10am – 4pm
Dungeness RSPB (wc)
Meet at the lighthouse car park, TN29 9NA, for a visit to the beach and observatory. Later to the RSPB reserve, TN29 9PN, for water birds and returning migrants.
Leaders: Sue & Cliff
Thursday 14 April 7:30pm – 9:45pm
Northfleet School for Girls
“THE JEWENTER” by Chris Gooddie. A year of visiting the rainforests of SE Asia, Australia, Uganda & Zambia to see the world’s 32 species of pitta & other wildlife.
Saturday 16 April 10am—4pm
Stodmarsh nnr (WC)
Meet in reserve car park, CT3 4BE. Spring bird song in the bushes and reed beds, and hobbies & harriers overhead.
Leaders: Irene & Terry
Tuesday 26 April 10am – 1pm
Northward Hill RSPB (WC)
Meet at Bromhey Farm car park ME3 8DS. Whitethroats, blackcaps & a visit to the heronry to look for herons & egrets.
Leaders: Malcolm & Sally
MAY 2022
Sunday 1 May 6am – 9am DAWN CHORUS
Cliffe Pools RSPB (WC)
Meet in Cliffe Village car park near the church ME3 7QW, to hear bird song-nightingales, whitethroats, cuckoos, blackcaps and many more!
Leader: Paul
Thursday 12 May 7:30pm – 9:45pm
Northfleet School for Girls
AGM followed by “BIRDS OF HEATHS, MOORS & MOUNTAINS” by John Buckingham. Visiting rare, remote & wild habitats, John travels through Britain seeing warblers, woodlarks, hobbies, hen harriers, ptarmigan & much, much more.
Saturday 14 May 10am – 4pm
Fingringhoe Wick (WC)
Meet in the reserve car park, CO5 7DN. This lovely Essex reserve is a new venue for us. Situated on the River Colne we will see & hear birds such as nightingales, whitethroats & blackcaps as well as all kinds of water wildlife.
Leader: Sue
Sunday 22 May COACH TRIP
RSPB MINSMERE (WC)
A lovely reserve with woodland, heathland, coast & pools full of wildlife. Visitor centre, café & hides. Details on website & at meetings.
Organiser: Hazel Cullum
Tuesday 24 May 10am – 1pm
Cliffe Pools RSPB
Meet in the car park off Salt Lane, ME3 7SU. The islands provide safe nesting for huge numbers of gulls, terns, avocets & other birds at this time of year.
Leaders: Malcolm & Sally
JUNE 2022
Saturday 4 June 10am—4pm
Swanscombe Marshes
Turn right after Ebbsfleet Football ground into Lower Rd & park beyond ’Britannia Metals’ building, DA11 9BB. This peninsula of land with an industrial past is now a haven for wildlife with a reed bed used by Marsh Harriers, grey herons & reed warblers.
Leader: Sue
Sunday 19 June 10am—4pm
SANDWICH BAY
Meet at Sandwich Bay Observatory, CT13 9PF. There will be a small fee to enter the Sandwich Estate taken at the tollgate as you drive in.
Leaders: Maria & Paul
Tuesday 28 June 10.15am – 1pm
KNOLE PARK NT
Meet in the National Trust car park, TN13 1HX. NB. Later start time + Entry charge for non-NT members. This open parkland has green woodpeckers, thrushes, pipits, yellowhammer and redstart.
Leaders: Malcolm & Sally
JULY 2022
Saturday 2 July 10am—4pm
ASHDOWN FOREST
Meet in car park adjacent to Old Lodge Reserve on the B2026, TN22 3JD (TQ469306). Common redstart, woodlark, tree pipit, hobby & spotted flycatcher! More details at www.sussexwildlifetrust.org.uk
Leaders: Irene & Terry
Sunday 17 July
NIGHTJAR EVENING
We hope to visit an area of Kent where Nightjars can be seen. Details of venue can be obtained nearer the time. Trevor will lead the visit & can be contacted about a week before on 07709 925613.
Tuesday 26 July 10am – 1pm
SEVENOAKS KWT RESERVE (WC)
Meet in the car park, TN13 3DH for a Summer visit to see flowers, butterflies & dragonflies and ducks & geese with their young.
Leaders: Sally & Malcolm
AUGUST 2022
Friday 5 August 6pm – approx. 9pm DUSK VISIT
CLIFFE POOLS RSPB
Meet outside the car park off Salt Lane, ME3 7SX. Passage waders, such as whimbrel and sandpipers, with gulls and terns. Insect repellent recommended.
Leaders: Maria & Paul
Saturday 20 August 10am – 4pm
Oare Marshes KWT reserve
Meet in car park ME13 0QA. Reed buntings, bearded tits & warblers in the reed beds. Early returning waders on the scrape.
Leader: Hazel & Steve
Tuesday 30 August 10am – 1pm
LULLINGSTONE COUNTRY PARK (WC)
Meet at the visitor centre, DA4 0JF. Yellowhammers, Silver-washed fritillary butterflies, banded demoiselles and maybe grey wagtails on the river.
Leaders: Malcolm & Sally
SEPTEMBER 2022
Sunday 4 September 10am – 4pm
STODMARSH & GROVE FERRY (WC)
Meet in Stodmarsh car park, CT3 4BE. Redpolls and siskins in the woodland, returning hobbies & hirundines overhead.
Leaders: Maria & Paul
Thursday 8 September 7:30pm – 9:45pm
Northfleet School for Girls
“SHETLAND TO SCILLY, BIRDS OF THE BRITISH ISLES” by Ashley Grove. An exciting journey from the far north of Britain to the furthest south seeing over 130 species of British birds.
Saturday 17 September 10am—4pm
BOCKHILL – ST Margaret’s bay
Meet by the memorial at the end of ‘The Droveway’ (off Sea Street) CT15 6DF. Ravens & fulmars on the cliffs, small migrant birds at Bockhill Farm.
Leaders: Peter & Karrie
Tuesday 27 September 2pm – 4pm
Masonic Halls
“A QUEST FOR WADERS” by Rick & Elis Simpson of Wader Quest. A year’s fundraising venture visiting far-flung & exotic places to see wader species. Humorous & alarming, with the conservation issues for waders explained.
OCTOBER 2022
Saturday 1 October COACH TRIP
Pulborough brooks rspb reserve
The Arun Valley is a refuge for wildfowl in winter. Fieldfares & redwings in the hedges, siskins & redpolls in the woodland. Visitor centre & café. Details on website & at meetings.
Organiser: Hazel Cullum
Thursday 13 October 7:30pm – 9:45pm
Northfleet School for Girls
“THE BIRDS OF SOUTHERN PORTUGAL” by Jonathan Forgham. A tour of this wildlife rich area, from the plains of Castro Verde & the hills and gorges of the Alentejo to the dunes, saltpans & lagoons of the Algarve.
Sunday 16 October 10am – 4pm
RAINHAM MARSHES RSPB (WC)
Meet in the reserve car park RM19 1SZ. Waders & wildfowl and migrants returning south.
Leader: Hazel & Steve
Tuesday 25 October 2pm – 4pm
Masonic Halls
“PINEAPPLE PERIL FOR PALEARCTIC MIGRANTS & AFRICAN WOODLAND SPECIES” by Ann Scott. Ann will tell us how a memorial appeal for her husband, Bob, raised money to save some of the Kenyan coastal forest habitat for migrant birds.
NOVEMBER 2022
Saturday 5 November 9am—1pm
Volunteer day
Details to be announced later on our website & at meetings.
Leader: Paul
Thursday 10 November 7:30pm – 9:45pm
Northfleet School for Girls
“BIRDING IN KENT IN WINTER” by Barry Wright. Another lively talk from Barry describing his local adventures.
Sunday 20 November 10am – 4pm
SEVENOAKS KWT (WC) & BOUGH BEECH
Meet in car park TN13 3DF (parking fee). Grebes on the lakes. Redpoll and Siskins in the woodland. Bough Beech after lunch TN8 7AN
Leaders: Karrie & Peter
Tuesday 22 November 2pm – 4pm
Masonic Halls
“THE CONSERVATION OF THE CRITICALLY ENDANGERED SOCIABLE LAPWING” by Rob Sheldon. Rob will outline the international work done to safeguard the future of this wonderful bird & the implications for other species.
DECEMBER 2022
Sunday 4 December 10am – 4pm
Elmley nnr (WC)
Meet at reserve car park ME12 3RW. Wintering wildfowl, raptors, waders and owls. There is an entry fee and numbers may be limited.
Leader: Sue
Thursday 8 December 7:30pm – 9:45pm
Northfleet School for Girls
A social evening – A meeting to review the year and enjoy some festive refreshments and quizzes.
Saturday 17 December 10am-4pm
NORTHWARD HILL RSPB
Meet in Bromhey Farm car park, ME3 8DS. Come and enjoy the sight and sound of the corvids coming to roost!
Leaders: Norman & Sandra