Programme of Field Trips and Reports from 1 January 2010
to 31 December 2010

Most Field Trips are on Sundays and depart at 0800 from Paternoster Row by coach. The Sunday car share trip to Potteric Carr on 17 January 2010, meet at the reserve field centre at 0900.  

NOTES
 1. The CAR SHARE trips meet at the reserve at 1000. Offers of car shares appreciated and requests for lifts - arrange through Paul.
  2. Changes to prearranged dates or abnormal dates are shown in RED.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

1. For those of the membership yet to experience a field trip, can I extend an invitation to come along and join the regulars. But please be aware that you should be suitably equipped for the field trip. Stout boots, hat, gloves, warm and waterproof clothing are all advisable, because no matter how much I pray for good weather, they will be needed when the weather turns for the worse. Some reserves we visit have restricted Café facilities, so a packed lunch and a hot drink would also be advisable.

Seats on Field trips are bookable, accompanied by the fare, at any indoor meeting or by contacting Paul Goodwin 0114 201 7089, at 132 Swanbourne Road, Sheffield S5 7TQ or by e-mail - wookie_62@hotmail.com
     I would be grateful if members using cheques to pay for field trips, or weekend trips, would make cheques out to; “Sheffield RSPB Local Group”, rather than to myself.

Reports on completed Field Trips are now shown on this page.

FIELD TRIP  NEWS.
     I hope everyone had a very Merry Christmas, and that the jolly festivities extend over into the New Year. 
     Looking forward to 2010, I have tried to offer as varied and exciting programme that I can, with some old favourites, and some new venues. 
     The programme gets off to its now customary visit to Potteric Carr, on the 17^th January. This opening visit is a Car share event, rather than the usual travel by coach, so if you want to work off some of the festive cheer, you are more than welcome. We will be meeting at the visitors centre at 9.00am, those wanting to either offer a lift, or need a lift please get in touch. Please be aware that there will be a charge for non Yorkshire Wildlife members for entrance to the reserve.
     For the rest of the 2010 programme, travel to the reserves will be via coach, the price of which will be frozen for the year at a competitive  £14. There will be an extra cost incurred, for entrance, at the non-RSPB reserves we will be visiting. I had hoped to offer the cost of travel cheaper than £14, but after a disappointing end to the 2009 programme, this was not possible. 
     The number attending the field trips has steadily declined, in 2007 the average was 33, at an average cost of £10. Last year that average dropped to 28, at an average cost of £13, the last 3 field trips attracted an average of 25 members, pushing the cost of travel up further. 
     The success of the 2010 programme will dictate the programme for 2011, if this decline continues, the number of trips will either decrease, or become more car share orientated. I hope the group will continue with its usual field trip programme, besides organising them, I enjoy the outings, and would miss them.
     Elsewhere in the programme for 2010, the proposed trip to the Bird Fair will not be going ahead, due to lack of interest.  I will be looking to take deposits for the Scotland weekend at the February Indoor meeting.
     Finally I wish all members a Prosperous and Happy New Year, and  successful  birdwatching in 2010.  
     I would be grateful if members using cheques to pay for field trips, or weekend trips, would make cheques out to; “Sheffield RSPB Local Group”, rather than to myself.

WEEKEND FIELD TRIPS FOR 2010 - WALES

     At the eleventh hour a twin room at the Marine Hotel, on the Wales weekend, has become available. Any one interested in coming along on the weekend, please get in contact. At this late stage I would be willing to offer the room for single occupancy, and the room will be allocated on a “first come, first served” basis. The cost of the room would be £185 per head.
     The weekend is now fully booked, and I will not be taking any more bookings Those of you attending the Wales weekend, please remember I would like full payment by the March Indoor meeting.
     Contact me via E mail, wookie_62@hotmail.com, or on 01142017089, evenings better for me.

WEEKEND FIELD TRIPS FOR 2010 -SCOTLAND

     I will be looking to take bookings, and deposits, at the February Indoor Meeting in 2010. The deposit will once again be £30 per head, and non-refundable, and the balance will need to be paid in full by the September Indoor meeting.
     The weekend will be run from Friday 22^nd October to Sunday 24^th October 2010, and will be based at the Station Hotel in Dumfries. On the way up on Friday, the group will visit Talkin Tarn, just outside Carlisle, Saturday we will take in the RSPB reserve at Mersehead, while Sunday we will travel to WWT Wetland centre at Caerlaverock.
     The cost of the weekend will be £185 for a Twin/Double room, or £200 for a single room, and will include Breakfast, Packed Lunch,
and Evening Meal.
Many Thanks
Paul Goodwin
Field Trips 

FIELD TRIPS PROGRAMME 2010

Date	Destination	Departure Time
2010
January
Sunday 17th	Potteric Carr (Car Share) Details of the site at:- http://www.potteric-carr.org.uk      Following the recent blasts of winter, the weather behaved better on Sunday 17th January, for the annual curtain raiser to the 2010 field trip programme. On an overcast, dry, cold day, 14 hardy souls turned out, hoping to get their New Year's list off to a flying start.      A quick stop off at the nearby Lakeside produced good sightings of Grey Partridge, Little and Great Crested Grebe, and large numbers of Canada Geese and Cormorant. Lakeside also produced what the majority of Potteric’s pools could not, namely unfrozen water!      With much of Potteric frozen up, it was left to the Huxter Well Marsh to produce freestanding water, with good views of Common Gull, Teal, Shoveller, and Lapwing. Elsewhere on the reserve, patience was the name of the game at Piper Marsh hide, not only for sightings of Bittern, but also getting the photographers to move on!! Sightings of the Bittern were far more forthcoming than getting the photo crazed mob to move, with the entire group getting a glimpse, at least, of a Bittern.      The story was the same at the Willow Marsh hide, with space at a premium, due to some ridiculously large lenses taking up room. Then when the Water Rail did put in an appearance, there followed an almighty dash to try and get even closer to the bird, just how close do photographers want to to get that close up shot????      Despite the lenses a good day was had, with the tick list eventually including Kingfisher, Grey Wagtail, Siskin, Redpoll, and both Green and Great Spot Woodpecker. Not a bad start to the year, now onto Whisby, in Lincolnshire, to keep the list ticking along. George Pardy stocking up on calories! Water Rail and Moorhen from Willow Pool Hide  (by Paul Goodwin )
February
Sunday 21st	Whisby Nature Park         It is incredible just how much a landscape can change within a short period of time, as the morning of the Whisby trip proved. Up early, and eager, for the short trip to Lincoln, the slight dusting of snow outside didn’t look threatening at all! How wrong can you be!! In just over 60 minutes the slight dusting quickly turned into about 3 inches of snow, and still it was falling!      Did this put off our intrepid birders? Will this report end suddenly here. Of course not, the Sheffield Local Group members are made of sterner stuff, and will not be put off by the odd inch or two of snow. And so 21 brave souls followed the tramlines in the snow all the way to Whisby, even seeing the odd gritting lorry on route.      On arrival at Whisby, the snow had stopped, leaving just a couple of inches on the ground, no problem! Not even the warden’s comment of; “you should have been here yesterday, it was like a summer’s day” could dampen the spirits.      The day was not a disaster, with the weather, if not warming up, becoming brighter, with the odd peek of Blue Sky, and even the sun! The group members were rewarded with a very respectable number of 55 species, this, with most of the water frozen, was a very good return for the day. Where water was free of ice there were large numbers of Goldeneye, Pochard, Gadwall, and Greylag Geese, showing well. While in the wooded areas, good views were seen of Bullfinch, Siskin, Fieldfare, Redwing, and both Green and Great Spotted, Woodpeckers.      Here’s hoping for a snow free day for our next field trip, on the 28th March, when we visit Brandon Marsh, near Coventry. White-out at Whisby Details of the site at:- http://www.lincstrust.org.uk/reserves/whisby/index.php	0800
March
Sunday 28th	Brandon Marsh Details of the site at:- http://www.warwickshire-wildlife-trust.org.uk/Brandon/brandon.htm	0800
April
Friday 16th - Sunday 18th	Wales Weekend - Aberystwyth Details of the sites at:- Lake Vyrnwy  http://www.rspb.org.uk/reserves/guide/l/lakevyrnwy/index.asp Ynys-hir         http://www.rspb.org.uk/reserves/guide/y/ynys-hir/index.asp Bwlch Nant y Arian   http://www.forestry.gov.uk/bwlchnantyarian	TBA
May
Sunday 23rd	RSPB Saltholme Details of the site at:- http://www.rspb.org.uk/reserves/guide/s/saltholme/index.asp	0800
June
Sunday 13th	Flamborough Head and RSPB Bempton Cliffs Details of the sites at:- Flamborough Head - query with Google. Bempton Cliffs http://www.rspb.org.uk/reserves/guide/b/bemptoncliffs/index.asp	0800
September
Sunday 26th	Gibraltar Point Details of the site at:-http://www.lincstrust.org.uk/reserves/gib	0800
October
Friday 22nd - Sunday 24th	Scotland Weekend - Dumfries Details of the sites at:- Talkin Tarn  RSPB Mersehead http://www.rspb.org.uk/reserves/guide/m/mereshead/index.asp   WWT Caerlaverock   http://www.wwt.org.uk/visit-us/caerlaverock	TBA
November
Sunday 21st	RSPB Frampton Marsh Details of the site at:- http://www.rspb.org.uk/reserves/guide/f/framptonmarsh/index.asp	0800
December
Sunday 12th	Tophill Low Details of the site at:- http://www.yorkshirewater.com/leisure-time/tophill-low.aspx	0800

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