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Birdwatching for Absolute Beginners
Friday-Sunday 5th-7th April 2002
Leaders: Ralph and Brenda Todd
This weekend is aimed at those who are beginners, those who wish to
know more about these families of birds which can prove to be difficult
and of course, those who just enjoy waders, wildfowl and the environment
in which they live. A wide range of information including leaflets, field
guides, text books on this subject will be available to browse through.
During the indoor sessions we shall make use of slides, CD Roms and
videos.
Provisional Programme
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Friday |
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1900 |
Dinner |
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2000 - 2130 |
Introduction and briefing of the weekend’s events |
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With the use of slides and visual aids we shall look
at the difficulties of identifying waders - taking into
consideration their summer/autumn and winter plumages. We shall also
look at slides of the species and habitats to be seen during the
field outing on Saturday. |
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Saturday |
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0800 |
Breakfast |
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0900 |
Departure for field outing to Farlington Marshes and
Langstone Harbour (subject to change to other similar sites if
conditions/tide times dictate) to watch and identify the waders. If
you have a telescope it will be very useful here. We shall make full
use of field guides to help us with our identification. Some species
encountered should be black-tailed godwit, redshank, ruff,
greenshank, dunlin, grey plover, ringed plover; wildfowl will
include brent geese and wigeon. Little egret are also regular. |
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1830 |
Dinner |
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1945 - 2130 |
Review of the day exploring where difficulties were
encountered and how helpful the field guides were with
identification. This will be followed by a session on how to
identify wildfowl using slides and other visual aids. We shall also
see slides of species likely to be seen during the field outing on
Sunday. |
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Sunday |
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0800 |
Breakfast |
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0900 - 1630 |
Field outing to Pulborough RSPB Nature Reserve or
The Wetland Centre - Barnes - members please bring membership cards
with you. We should encounter more waders today but we shall be
concentrating on wildfowl. Giving hints and help in identifying
different species. Shoveler, pintail, teal, wigeon, gadwall,
mallard, shelduck etc. will be amongst those seen. |
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1630 |
Tea and depart |
We hope that by the end of the weekend course members will feel more
confident in identifying this group of birds which from our experience
usually causes some difficulty
In addition to waders and wildfowl we shall of course enjoy and
appreciate many other species of birds which may include peregrine, great
spotted and green woodpecker, little egret, winter thrushes, finches and
tits.
The Course Tutors
Ralph and Brenda Todd are experienced birdwatching tour leaders
with near 20 years leading groups in the UK and abroad. Ralph has served
on the RSPB Council and is currently a council member of the Kent Wildlife
Trust. He was also the founding Group Leader for the Bexley RSPB Members’
Group and is now the RSPB’s Local Representative for South East London
and North West Kent.
What to Bring
Thermos flask, lunchbox and small haversack or rucksack, waterproofs,
wellingtons, stout shoes or boots. Notebooks and pens/pencils. Binoculars,
telescopes and field guides if you have them. If you are members of the
RSPB and/or WWT please bring your membership cards with you.
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