|
|
Programme
of Field Trips and Reports from 1 October 2007
to 31 December 2008
Most Field
trips are on Sundays and
depart at 0800 from Paternoster Row by coach.
The three Saturday car share trips to Donna Nook on 24 November
07, Potteric Carr on 13 January 08, and Blacktoft Sands on 5 July 08, meet at the reserve at 1000.
Notes
.1. The CAR SHARE trips meet at the reserve at 1000.
.2. Changes to prearranged dates or abnormal dates are shown in RED.
Seats on
Field trips are bookable, accompanied by the fare, at any indoor
meeting or by contacting Hilary or Mike Sills on 0114 235 6598, at 8
Dore Close, Sheffield S17 3PU
email -
hilarysills@hotmail.com
Reports on
Field Trips completed are now shown on this page.
| Date |
Destination
|
Departure
Time |
| 2007 |
|
|
| October |
|
|
| Sunday
28th |
Gayton
Sands RSPB Reserve, Cheshire and Seaforth, Port of Liverpool
34
people went on this two-venue trip. We left Sheffield in the
rain but when we arrived at Gayton Sands the weather had
brightened up and it turned out to be a nice sunny day. There
were a good number of Little Egrets on the saltmarsh amongst the
waders and we saw two Peregrines hunting, also two Short-eared
Owls being mobbed by Crows. There were Stonechat and large
numbers of Skylarks over the saltmarsh. At the water’s edge,
which was some way off still, as the high tide did not come up
as high as expected, there was a lot of activity with Redshank,
Oystercatcher, Shelduck, Cormorant and Curlew being the most
obvious. We also had good views of a Green Woodpecker in the
fields behind us and nearby a male Kestrel was perched on a
post.
At
about 1.30pm we made our way through one of the Mersey tunnels
to Seaforth Docks, Port of Liverpool, which we found on the
second attempt, and spent a couple of hours there. There were
lots of Cormorants, various Gulls, Pochard and some Goldeneye,
Little and Great-crested Grebes, Curlew, Redshank,
Oystercatchers, Lapwing, Shoveler and Shelduck. There were also
Song and Mistle Thrushes on the grass with plenty of rabbits. A
total of 65 species were seen.
We
had a good journey home with a large ‘harvest’ moon rising
in front of us.
Details of the sites can be found as follows:-
www.rspb.org.uk/reserves/guide/g/gaytonsands/index.asp
www.lancswt.org.uk/Our%20Reserves/seaforth.htm
|
0800 |
| November |
|
|
| Sunday18th
|
Tophill
Low, Driffield, East Yorkshire
28 people went to Tophill and saw 60 species. It was a very
cold, wet and miserable sort of day best forgotten. I remember
it was also a little windy. Amongst the birds seen were Wigeon,
Gadwall, Teal, Shoveler, Tufted and Goldeneye ducks, Snipe,
Curlew and Redshank, Great and Little Grebe, Fieldfare, Song
Thrush, Redwing and Mistle Thrush, Goldcrest, Tree Sparrow,
Greenfinch, Linnet, Bullfinch and Reed Bunting.
Details of the site at:- www.yorkshirewater.com/?OBH=522&ID=2061
|
0800 |
|
Saturday 24th |
Donna Nook,
Covenham Reservoir and Cleethorpes
CAR SHARE
( meet at the reserve at
1000.)
A
number of people went by car share to Donna Nook early on Sunday
morning and saw a large number of seals and their pups (about
700) close by on the beach.
It was extremely cold although not wet. There were also
Brent Geese and flocks of waders flying as the distant tide came
in.
There was
nothing of particular note at Covenham and it was cold.
 Grey
seal and pup
 Domestic
dispute
Photographs
by Hilary Sills
Details
of the site at:- www.lincstrust.org.uk/reserves/nr/reserve.php?mapref=15
|
0800 |
| December |
|
|
| Sunday
9th |
Sandwell
Valley RSPB Reserve, Great Barr, near Birmingham
(Christmas
Trip)
NOTE . Change of date
This
was a change of date, although well advertised, which may have
accounted for the fewer numbers of people that went on that day.
Those that did go saw 52 species and enjoyed coffee and a
Christmas buffet at the end of the day. Helen again took charge
as I was unwell and unable to go. Thank you Helen and John.
Details
of the site at:- http://www.rspb.org.uk/reserves/guide/s/sandwellvalley/index.asp |
0800 |
| 2008 |
|
|
| January |
|
|
| Sunday
13th |
Potteric
Carr YWT, near Doncaster (M18 Junction3)
Leaders- Mike and Hilary Sills
CAR SHARE
( meet at the reserve at
1000.)
About 30 people
travelled the short distance to this reserve and saw amongst
other things Willow Tit, Water Rail, Reed Bunting, Pochard, Pintail, Siskin,
Redpoll and Kingfisher. We did not see the Bittern on this day.
Most of us had a pre-booked lunch in the Visitor Centre.
Details
of the site at:- http://www.potteric-carr.org.uk
|
|
| February |
|
|
| Sunday
17th |
Pennington
Flash Country Park, Leigh, Lancashire.
Leader - Sue Bradshaw
After a very cold and frosty
start we had a beautifully bright sunny day. The Country Park
soon got very busy but 27 of us managed to see 59 species
including Goldeneye, Goosander and Snipe. There were large
numbers of Reed Bunting, Bullfinches, Long tailed Tits, some
Willow Tits and a Brambling at the Bunting Hide. We had also had
a number of Red Grouse perched on the fences by the side of the
road on the moors over the Woodhead on our way there, presumably
warming themselves after the night’s frost. We left earlier at
about 4pm before it got too cold and had a lovely sunset drive
back over the Woodhead to Sheffield.
Sue Bradshaw was in charge. Thank you Sue.
Pair
of Bullfinch
Blue tits on
Bullrush
Male Reed Bunting
Photographs by Hilary Sills
Details
of the site at:- http://wlct.org/leisure/Parks/parkshome.htm
|
0800 |
| March |
|
|
| Sunday
16th |
RSPB
Rye Meads Reserve, (near Hoddesdon, Herts)
Leaders- Mike and Hilary Sills
Details
of the site at:- http://www.rspb.org.uk/reserves/guide/r/ryemeads/index.asp
The
visit was on a dry but cloudy day with a reasonable variety of
birds including Green Sandpiper. The reserve is well suited to
wheelchair access and is well frequented by school parties. A
total of 42 birds were seen by the Group members.
Water Buffalo are used at Rye Meads to
manage the meadows for Redshank and Lapwing by ground trampling
and selective grazing. The animals are able to cope with the wet
ground conditions, their large hooves mean that they do not create
deep footmarks. Also because of thick hide they are unaffected by
biting insects.
|
0800 |
| April |
|
|
| Sunday20th |
RSPB
Titchwell Marsh, east of Hunstanton, Norfolk
Leaders- Neville and Sue Nicholson
Details
of the site at:- http://www.rspb.org.uk/reserves/guide/t/titchwellmarsh/index.asp |
0800 |
| May |
|
|
| Sunday
11th |
Woolston
Eyes, (east of Warrington) and Moore Nature Reserve
Leaders- Mike and Hilary Sills
Details
of the sites at:-
http://www.woolstoneyes.co.uk
and http://www.wrg.co.uk/moorenaturereserve/ |
0800 |
| June |
|
|
| Sunday
15th |
Flamborough
and RSPB Bempton Cliffs
Details
of the sites at:-
http://ywt.org.uk/reserves.htm
and
http://www.rspb.org.uk/reserves/guide/b/bemptoncliffs/index.asp |
0800 |
| July |
|
|
| Saturday
5th |
RSPB Blacktoft
Sands - Summer Picnic
CAR SHARE
( meet at the reserve at
1000.)
Details
of the site at:- http://www.rspb.org.uk/reserves/guide/b/blacktoftsands/about.asp
|
|
| September |
|
|
| Sunday
21st |
Gibraltar
point, Lincolnshire Wildlife Trust Reserve (nr Skegness)
(Leaders:- Alan and Christine Tomlinson)
Details
of the site at:- http://www.lincstrust.org.uk/reserves/gib/ |
0800 |
| October |
|
|
| Sunday
19th |
RSPB
Leighton Moss, (Silverdale, Carnforth, Lancashire)
Leaders:- Jan Madeley and Hazel Barton
Details
of the site at:-
http://www.rspb.org.uk/reserves/guide/l/leightonmoss/index.asp |
0800 |
| November |
|
|
| Sunday
16th |
Brandon
Marsh (Coventry)
Leaders:-
John and Helen Ensor
Details
of the site at:- http://www.warwickshire-wildlifetrust.org.uk/brandon/brandon.htm |
0800 |
| December |
|
|
| Sunday
14th |
Far
Ings, Lincolnshire
Wildlife Trust Reserve (Barton on Humber) Christmas Trip.
Details
of the site at:- http://www.lincstrust.org.uk/reserves/far_ings/index.php/ |
0800 |
Website
created by Tina
Bell
as part of the South
Yorkshire Community Information project
|
