Forthcoming Outings

Guidance for members

Members intending to join an outing are requested to contact the leader in advance so that lifts can be arranged where possible and members can be contacted in the event of cancellation. The leader will provide advice about the arrangements for the visit. Please ensure that you are aware of these before travelling.
Please be prepared to share fuel & parking costs.

Wednesday 29th October (morning) Bushy Park. Leader: Thelma Caine 07527 448308

Meet at 9.45am at the Diana Fountain car park for a leisurely morning walk. Wildfowl should be plentiful on Heron Pond. Little Egret is frequently seen and Stonechats are often present in the bracken north of the pond, as well as a good variety of resident species in the surrounding woodlands. Arrival of winter migrants such as Redwings are possible at this time of year, while birds of prey including Kestrel, Sparrowhawk, Buzzard and Red Kite are all likely.

Sunday 2nd November Pulborough RSPB & Rackham Leader: Mike White 07981-037004

Meet Mike in the car park at 09.30am. Postcode RH20 2EL. Parking: Members Free. Non-members £3.00 payable by using “Pay By Phone” app or at the Welcome Hut by cash during opening hours. Remember to bring your membership card, non-members charge £5.00. The visitor centre, open from 10.00am – 4.00pm, houses the Toilets and Shop. The café has hot drinks and a limited amount of hot/cold food. The reserve is 630 acres of wet grassland, woodland, hedgerows, meadow and heath within the Arun Valley SPA & SCA. Numbers of the expected duck species should now be building with hopefully a selection of waders. Raptors should be well represented with Peregrine, Marsh Harrier, Sparrowhawk, Kestrel, Red Kite and White-tailed Eagle all possible. Winter thrushes should have arrived and hopefully a good selection of the regular passerines, including Bullfinch, will be on show.

Sunday 9th November. Rainham Marshes RSPB Leader: Rebecca Dunne 07879 645971

This is a revised date for this outing. Please advise Rebecca if you intend to come. Rebecca can give lifts to 3 people. Rainham is easily accessible by train – see below. A peaceful paradise for wetland birds on the outskirts of the capital, where you can spot a wide variety of species. Rainham Marshes is a remnant of the medieval marshes which once dominated this area of the Thames. It escaped redevelopment because of its former military use. Flocks of wildfowl should be here for the winter. Species might include Marsh Harrier, Buzzard, Kestrel, Peregrine, Raven, Bearded Tit, Meadow Pipit, Rock Pipit, Linnet, Stonechat, Fieldfare, Redwing, Lapwing, Shoveler, Pintail, Wigeon, Shelduck, Teal, Curlew, Little Egret, Snipe, Redshank, Avocet, Black-tailed Godwit and Barn Owl. The full circular walk around the reserve is 2.4 miles and includes several hides. We will also walk along the raised Thames path to Aveley Bay which will give us views over the Thames and its mudflats as well as well as across the reserve. Rainham has a glass fronted visitor centre with plenty of seating. It has panoramic views over the reserve and would be a good place to spend time if you don’t want to walk too far i.e. do the whole circular route. Purfleet Scrape and hide are also very near the visitor centre Toilets are open 9.30- 4pm.
Meet: 9:30am RSPB Rainham Marshes RSPB car park, New Tank Hill Road, Purfleet, Essex, RM19 1SZ. Free entry to reserve Parking free for RSPB members with membership card £5 for nonmembers. Bring Lunch – no café so bring all drinks and food.
Train: Rainham Marshes is a 20-minute walk from Purfleet Station which is on the C2C line from Fenchurch Street. Turn right out of the station and then join the riverside wall path at the Royal Pub and follow the brown pedestrian signs. Cross the Mardyke Bridge to the Visitor Centre

Wednesday 26th November (morning) Kempton Nature Reserve Leader: Mike White 07981-037004

Meet at the reserve entrance at 9.30am. The reserve entrance is on the corner of Main Street and
Nallhead Rd, Hanworth. A code is required to enter, so wait if you do not have the code. If going
by bus, 111, there is a stop a short walk from the entrance at the corner of Green Lane and Main
Street. Grid Ref TQ11693 71072. There are composting toilets on site. Thames Water will be carrying
out resurfacing and drainage works at some stage (no dates available at the present time) so be sure
to contact Mike

December 3rd, Wednesday (morning) Midweek: Barnes WWT

December 14th, Sunday (all day) Wallasea Island RSPB