| COURSES:
1: West
Bridgford
2: Chesterfield
1:
Enjoy Birding with Others
– Autumn 2008 Course
Outline for West
Bridgford branch
The emphasis of this
course will be on the
enjoyment of birds and
nature by encouraging
course members of all
levels to discover the
local area, and to
identify the birds, which
use the different
habitats. These courses
always have a good social
atmosphere and I hope
that you will enjoy
meeting other course
members as well as
appreciating the birds. I
usually have a pub lunch
after each visit and all
course members are very
welcome to join me.
At our first meeting (9th
September, 10.30am –
12.30pm at Benjamin
Carter Hall, Wilford) we
will start indoors, where
you will be briefed on
how to get to the other
fieldwork venues, before
we move outside for an
hour or so to explore the
riverside. So, please
bring appropriate outdoor
clothing and footwear as
well as your binoculars.
All subsequent meetings
will be outdoors, meeting
at field venues from 10am
until 1pm. All the field
visits involve easy walks
of about 3 miles and both
beginners and experienced
birdwatchers are equally
welcome.
16th September:
Netherfield Lagoons
Nature Reserve, 10am
– 1pm.
As well as breeding
water birds like Little
and Great Crested Grebe
and Common Tern, this
local wetland reserve
should attract some
passing waders at this
time of year, such as
Snipe or Dunlin.
23rd September:
Attenborough Nature
Reserve, 10am – 1pm.
This is another very
good reserve for wetland
birds including Grey
Heron, Cormorant and Reed
Bunting and we should
also see Tree Sparrows
here.
30th September:
Rushcliffe Country Park,
10am – 1pm.
This is often good
for Green Woodpecker as
well as farmland birds
like Yellowhammer and
Stock Dove.
October: Clifton
Woods, 10am – 1pm.
We can expect
woodland birds like Great
Spotted Woodpecker,
Treecreeper, Nuthatch and
even Buzzard in this
area.
21st October: Holme
Pierrepont, 10am –
1pm.
By now we can expect
to see wintering ducks
such as Goldeneye and
Goosander.
28th October: Colwick
Country Park, 10am –
1pm.
This riverside
country park is another
good venue for wintering
ducks as well as exotics
like Mandarin and
Red-crested Pochard and
we may be lucky and see a
Kingfisher.
By the end of the
course you should:
- Be able to
recognise a variety of
local birds
- Be more competent in
the use of a fieldguide
- Be familiar with some
birdwatching locations
within reach of West
Bridgford
- Have compiled a list of
birds seen in the local
area
Teaching Methods:
Outdoors, you will be
coached in the
identification of birds
by sight and song, and
will have the opportunity
to practise your skills
with the aid of a
telescope under
supervision. Each
participant will be
invited to state which
aspect of birdwatching
they wish to improve and
plan how to do this.
Assessment:
At the end of each
meeting we will compile a
list of birds identified.
Each course member will
be assessed at the end of
the course on their
chosen area for
improvement, through a
mixture of self
assessment and tutor
discussion.
Requirements:
A pair of binoculars
and fieldguide to the
birds of Britain would be
of enormous benefit to
these outdoor sessions.
For the outdoor meetings
you should come equipped
with appropriate clothing
and footwear.
Where the course may
lead:
• to another
birdwatching course at a
different time of year
and in different habitats
• to a birdwatching
day trip, weekend or
longer holiday
• to becoming a
member of a conservation
group
Reading list:
Teach Yourself Bird
Sounds - Wildsounds
cassettes
The Video Guide to
British Birds –
Birdguides Limited
The CD ROM Guide to
British Birds -
Birdguides Limited
Where to Watch Birds in
Britain and Europe - John
Gooders ISBN
0-7470-1212-1
RSPB Birdfeeder Handbook
- Robert Burton ISBN
0-86318-428-6
The Macmillan Fieldguide
to Bird Identification -
Harris, Tucker, Vinicombe
ISBN 0-333-59280-8
Birdwatching in Britain:
a site by site guide -
Redman and Harrap ISBN
07470-2800-1
Birds in Your Garden: a
month by month guide - T.
Soper and R Lovegrove
ISBN 0-86350-178-8
Collins Bird Guide. The
most complete field guide
to the birds of Britain
and Europe –
Mullarney, Svensson,
Zetterström, Grant ISBN
0-00-711332-3
2: Enjoy
Birding with Others
– Autumn 2008 Course
Outline for Chesterfield
branch
The emphasis of this
course will be on the
enjoyment of birds and
nature by encouraging
course members of all
levels to discover the
local area, and to
identify the birds, which
use the different
habitats. These courses
always have a good social
atmosphere and I hope
that you will enjoy
meeting other course
members as well as
appreciating the birds. I
usually have a pub lunch
after each visit and all
course members are very
welcome to join me.
At our first meeting (25th
September, 9am – 1pm
at Hurst House &
Linacre Reservoirs)
we will start indoors at
Hurst House where you
will be briefed on how to
get to the other
fieldwork venues, before
we drive a short way to
Linacre Reservoirs which
we shall explore the site
until 1pm. So, please
bring appropriate outdoor
clothing and footwear as
well as your binoculars.
All subsequent meetings
will be outdoors on
Thursday mornings,
meeting at field venues
for a 10am start. All the
field visits involve easy
walks of about 3 miles
and both beginners and
experienced birdwatchers
are equally welcome.
9th October: Carr
Vale Nature Reserve, 10am
– 12.30pm.
This local nature reserve
has an excellent
reputation for attracting
a variety of wetland
birds including Willow
Tit and Reed Bunting.
23rd October:
Ogston Reservoir, 10am
– 12.30pm.
This site attracts a wide
variety of wetland
species such as Snipe and
at this time of year
there is even a chance of
a passing Osprey.
6th November:
Potteric Carr Nature
Reserve, 10am – 4pm
(including half an hour
for a packed lunch).
This nature reserve is
another excellent place
for a wide variety of
wetland birds and by now
we may see waterfowl such
as Goosander and
Goldeneye returning for
the winter.
13th November:
Fairburn Ings Nature
Reserve, 10am – 4pm
(including half an hour
for a packed lunch.
With a mixture of
habitats, this RSPB
reserve has one of the
longest bird lists of any
inland site in the
country. Specialities
include Willow Tit,
Siskin and Lesser
Redpoll.
By the end of the
course you should:
- Be able to recognise a
variety of local birds
(resident and visitors)
- Be able to distinguish
between resident birds
& winter visitors
- Be more competent in
the use of a fieldguide
- Be familiar with some
birdwatching locations
within reach of
Chesterfield
- Have compiled a list of
birds seen in the local
area
Teaching Methods:
Outdoors, you will be
coached in the
identification of birds
by sight and song, and
will have the opportunity
to practise your skills
with the aid of a
telescope under
supervision. Each
participant will be
invited to state which
aspect of birdwatching
they wish to improve and
plan how to do this.
Assessment:
At the end of each
meeting we will compile a
list of birds identified.
Each course member will
be assessed at the end of
the course on their
chosen area for
improvement, through a
mixture of self
assessment and tutor
discussion.
Requirements:
A small fieldguide to the
birds of Britain would be
really useful throughout
the course.
A pair of binoculars and
fieldguide would be of
enormous benefit to these
outdoor sessions.
For the outdoor meetings
you should come equipped
with appropriate clothing
and footwear.
Where the course
may lead:
• to another
birdwatching course at a
different time of year
and in different habitats
• to a birdwatching
day trip, weekend or
longer holiday
• to becoming a
member of a conservation
group
Reading list:
The Video Guide to
British Birds –
Birdguides Limited
The CD ROM Guide to
British Birds -
Birdguides Limited
The Macmillan Fieldguide
to Bird Identification -
Harris, Tucker, Vinicombe
ISBN 0-333-59280-8
Birdwatching in Britain:
a site by site guide -
Redman and Harrap ISBN
07470-2800-1
Birds in Your Garden: a
month by month guide - T.
Soper and R Lovegrove
ISBN 0-86350-178-8
Collins Bird Guide. The
most complete field guide
to the birds of Britain
and Europe –
Mullarney, Svensson,
Zetterström, Grant ISBN
0-00-711332-3
|
