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.
Sunday 24th November, Otmoor. Leader John Barkham 07803 295555
Day car outing to RSPB Otmoor in Oxfordshire to see the Starling murmuration. Starlings gather at Otmoor in the late afternoon before sunset (around 4pm), with spectacular displays seen before they go to roost. The Reserve also attracts wintering wildfowl as well as Redwings and Fieldfares. Barn and Short-eared Owls are often sighted hunting over the fields. RSPB Otmoor is located off the B4027, which links the A34 and the A40. The Reserve is 10 minutes from these main roads. After entering Beckley, take Otmoor Lane next to the Abingdon Arms and follow to end of the lane. It’s around a 1½ hour drive from Surbiton. Meet at 11.00 am in the reserve car park Otmoor Lane, Beckley, Oxford OX3 9TD. The car park has limited parking spaces. There are no toilets on the Reserve: the nearest public toilets are in Headington around 4½ miles away. Bring a packed lunch: we shall eat in one of the 3 hides on the reserve. If attending, please inform the Leader in advance.
December 8th, Sunday (all day) Pulborough Brooks RSPB. Leader Mike White 07981-037004
Meet Mike in the car park at 09.00am. 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 £4.00. The visitor centre, open from 10.00am – 4.00pm, houses the Toilets and Shop. Sandwiches and hot drinks are available from the café.
The reserve is 630 acres of wet grassland, woodland, hedgerows, meadow and heath within the Arun Valley SPA & SCA. All the expected winter finches and thrushes will have now arrived with hopefully some waders and many hundreds of duck. Raptors should include Buzzard, Kestrel, Marsh Harrier, Peregrine and possibly the local family of White-tailed Eagles.
Wednesday 18th December (Midweek Walk) Watermeads Nature Reserve. Leader Andy Harding 07884 063589
Meet at 9.30am parking at the eastern end of Wandle Road, close to the Esso garage. The meet will be at the entrance to the Reserve, which is adjacent to the new bridge over the River Wandle, via a pedestrian crossing. Postcode of the Esso garage is SM4 6AP.
This is a morning walk so bring a drink and snack. Please note there are no WCs on site. This a flat walk along the Wandle towpath which takes us through the National Trust’s Watermeads Nature Reserve and into Poulter Park, to the far end of the path coming out at Middleton Road. The Wandle is a chalk stream where trout, carp and large barbel are found. For an inner London location an excellent variety of birds can be seen – in the last month a Yellow-browed Warbler was seen in a similar place as a few years ago. Potential for Grey Wagtail, Kingfisher, Firecrest, Little Egret, Chiffchaff (Siberian in some years) and Blackcap.
Wednesday 8th January (Midweek Walk) Moor Green Lakes. Leader Peter Knox gsw9859@gmail.com
Moor Green Lakes is near Sandhurst postcode RG40 3TF. Please try and arrive by 09:30
Unfortunately, there are no toilets on site.
This site is a complex of lakes resulting from the restoration of gravel extraction pits from the Blackwater valley. It is a good site for Goosander and a wide collection of ducks with the possibility of Smew. Winter Thrushes can be seen as well as Siskin and Redpoll.
We may be able to get access to the two hides I am in contact with the Site Liaison Officer. Do not forget to bring lunch and snacks.
Sunday 26th January, Isle of Sheppey. Leader Chris Turner 07909 992956
In order to catch the high tide roost at Shellness in the morning we will start a little earlier than normal. So meeting at 9.00am at the Swale NNR carpark Shellness, Leysdown-on-sea, ME12 4RP. Please let Chris know if you are planning to go and/or if you would like a lift from Surbiton. 07909 992956 Directions: From the A2 M20, take the A249 north onto the Isle of Sheppey. A2500 eastwards towards Leysdown-on-Sea. This becomes the B2231 Leysdown Road. Follow this through Leysdown until it becomes the Shellness Road. This is a poorly maintained, but passable, track. There is a car park at the end. No facilities once we are out and about.
We will be well into winter, so there should be the usual extravaganza of raptors and waders. We will start at Shellness for the high tide, and waders will be our main target. Expect flocks of Oystercatchers and good numbers of Golden Plover as well as Dunlin, Knot, Curlew, Avocet and all the other usual waders. Divers, sea duck and perhaps a winter Grebe on the sea are also possible. We’ll then take a walk around parts of the Swale NNR where with a little luck we should see the flock of wintering White Fronted Geese. Then to the raptor watch point, we will look for the Marsh Harriers quartering the rough pastures, and perhaps Short-eared Owls, Hen Harriers or even a Merlin. Bring warm clothing as the North Kent marshes can be freezing, with the wind coming in off the North Sea. Bring lunch and a hot drink.