Programme

Indoor meetings are held at the Anglian Water Fishing Lodge, Pitsford Reservoir, Holcot at 19:30.  Details of the site can be found here:

http://www.anglianwater.co.uk/_assets/media/pitsford-water-nature-reserve.pdf

Barn Owl courtesy
of Dave Jackson.

Programme for 2025

Wednesday 8th January and a presentation by club member Jeff Blincow entitled 'Birding in North-west Mexico'.

'As we travelled we knew we were somewhere special as we enjoyed the distinctive volcanic landscape. All of the native birds and a good number of the North American breeding species are present in winter to create a fabulous birding spectacle. Mexico has over 60 endemic species and the north-west has its fair share. The coastal sites around San Blas and the Durango Highlands will be two of the highlights we will explore during the presentation.'

Wednesday 5th February and the NBC Photographic Competition with entries from members in a variety of categories. Should be even better now with our wide screen flat TV!

Wednesday 5th March and following the club AGM, a presentation by Professor Jeff Ollerton, Consulting scientist and writer and Visiting Professor of the University of Northampton and the Kunming Institute of Botany (China) on 'Birds and Flowers; An Intimate 50 Million Year Relationship'.

'Hummingbirds, honeyeaters and sunbirds are the best known bird pollinators, but they represent just three of at least 74 different bird families that visit flowers. Unfamiliar examples include woodpeckers, pigeons and doves, corvids and warblers. In this talk Jeff Ollerton will discuss his new book of the same title and explore the ecology and evolution of flower pollination by birds.'

Wednesday 2nd April and a presentation by club member Carol Wingate entitled 'Equator to Pole' - a journey from the Galapagos Islands through Ecuador and to Argentina and Antarctica! A journey involving all sorts of birds and other creatures, glaciers and much more!

Wednesday 7th May will be a photographic gallery of the Wildlife of Spain - Highlands to Islands by club committee member and acclaimed photographer Dave Jackson. As well as mainland Spain the wildlife featured with include examples from island groups such as the Balearics and Canaries.

Wednesday 4th June our annual club BBQ at the Fishing Lodge, Pitsford. Start time 7pm.

Wednesday 2nd July will be an outdoor meeting commencing promptly at 7pm. The venue is Ravensthorpe Reservoir where we seek to walk around one of the oldest reservoirs in the country in an idyllic setting and hopefully seeing a few birds and other wildlife along the way. Please park in the car park at the dam-end at the south-east end of the site which is reached from the minor road between Ravensthorpe village and Spratton/Teeton (i.e. not the causeway-end or Coton end of the reservoir). An automatic barrier (at what3words stencil.vacancies.reshaping) should permit access and exit and parking is free. Walking boots/shoes and insect repellent are recommended. The walk is on the level and between two and two and a half miles long. Please see a map attached (courtesy of Neil Hasdell).

Wednesday 6th August a presentation by club member John Fuller on the Birds of New Zealand following his work out there during 2024.

'Three months is a long time...but is it enough time to explore a whole country? Especially if that country is Aotearoa New Zealand, on the other side of the world? The Pacific islands that make up this incredible land host a magnificent array of sights, from mesmerising volcanic landscapes to uniquely evolved endemics and the seabird capital of the world. All told, it's a dream destination that warrants a significant investment of time! John Fuller was lucky enough to spend three months in New Zealand during 2024, working and travelling across the country's North and South Islands. In this talk he focusses on the birds and other wildlife encountered in these adventures across Aotearoa.'

Wednesday 3rd September - members presentation evening. Current presenters will be our Chairman Bob Gill and Treasurer John Showers, John will be talking about a  'A Day on St Kilda'.

Wednesday 1st October and a presentation by Peter Norrie on the work of the Stanford Ringing Group, a dedicated band of bird ringers monitoring the birds at Stanford Reservoir.

Wednesday 5th November and a presentation by Henry Stanier of the Wildlife Trust for Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Northamptonshire on the Great Fen Project, an exciting development to the east of us.

Wednesday 3rd December with a presentation by club member stalwart Jeff Blincow - Wildlife of Finnmark 2 - the land of the midnight sun. This follows on from the Wildlife of Finnmark 1 presented in May 2022 which was a tour of the region. This second presentation will use new images and provide more depth focusing on a few special sites and rare and interesting species.

Stonechat courtesy
of Robin Gossage.

Programme for 2026

Wednesday 7th January sees the return of Jacob Spinks detailing the work at Dungeness Bird Observatory during 2025 and the migratory findings.

Wednesday 4th February is the eagerly awaited annual club photographic competition - an evening enjoying the images created by Bird Club members both locally and abroad.

Wednesday 4th March will be the club's AGM plus a presentation by county birding guru Bob Bullock 'The Top 10 Northants Birding Sites' with pictures of birds from over the years from these areas which have helped define birding locally.

Wednesday 1st April and a return visit and presentation from David James, the county butterfly recorder, on 'Northants Butterflies through the Year'. David will be providing details on what can be seen during the calendar year and providing an insight as to where butterflies go to in the winter.

Wednesday 6th May is planned as an outdoor meeting with a 6pm meet, the venue has yet to be confirmed locally.

Wednesday 3rd June and our annual BBQ and social evening at The Lodge, Pitsford Reservoir.

Wednesday 1st July and a presentation by Chris Hubbard on 'My Patch Birding Year at Stanford Reservoir'. Chris is an active birder locally and in Leicestershire and endeavors to see as many species as possible whilst birding at Stanford Reservoir. He maintains a blog of the daily sightings from everyone and helps out with conservation work and supports the Stanford Ringing Group.

Wednesday 5th August and John Fuller will present on his exploits in the wildlife-rich country of Brazil - The Highs and Lows of Birding Brazil's Atlantic Rainforest.

As the largest country in South America, Brazil's huge size means this incredible country encompasses a range of habitat types. On it's east coast, the Atlantic Rainforest hosts an incredible array of birds, including bright and beautiful species and local endemics. Surprisingly, most of them can be seen in a relatively short space of time - as little as a week! That's just what John Fuller did, embarking on a trip to explore this landscape on an organised group tour. He recounts this exploration from low-lying wetland to altitude forest and back, illustrating the birds and wildlife along the way.

Wednesday 4th November and an update by a staff member of the Wildlife Trust for Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Northamptonshire on the exciting Strawberry Hill reserve in neighbouring Bedfordshire. This follows on from an initial presentation at the club in 2024 when the trust were successfully raising funds for the purchase of the reserve which both members and the club contributed towards.