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Beginners birdwatching course

This respected well-liked 10 week course is delivered on behalf of the RSPB by our volunteer, Chris Lee, for anyone new to the world of birds - or who just wants to find out more.

“You’ve really got me hooked into our amazing feathered friends!” was the delightful response of a recent participant.

"The quality of the teaching was second to none. Chris was the perfect man for the job! Nothing was ever too much trouble. We had group learning sessions, fun quizzes, films to watch, talks, diagrams drawn for us, maps shown, etc."

At the end of the course you’ll be able to tell your redshank from your greenshank and your swallow from your swift! You’ll learn about migration, equipment, conservation and you’ll be inspired to develop your identification skills further. This course is designed for you - and you’ll be able to find out more about what interests you most in the bird world.

Schedule:

  1. Tuesday September 13th - Introduction. Course outline. What kind of birder do you want to be? Bird Identification: Garden birds.

  2. Tuesday September 20th - Books, magazines, websites, apps.... Recording results. Bird Id: Garden birds (2). The Hirundines.

  3. Tuesday October 4th - Speciation. Bird Id: Wildfowl

  4. Tuesday October 11th - Choosing equipment: Darts Farm walk

  5. Tuesday October 18th - Bird Id: Birdsong

  6. Tuesday October 25th or Saturday October 29th - Evening walk Bowling Green Marsh or Daytime walk Bowling Green Marsh.

  7. Tuesday November 1st - The work of the RSPB. Bird Id: Seabirds.

  8. Tuesday November 8th - Bird behaviour. Bird senses. Bird Id: Countryside / field

  9. Tuesday November 22nd - Migration. Bird Id: Raptors

  10. Tuesday November 29th - Favourites and why? Recap session and summary. Where do you go from here?

All sessions are 6:15PM - 8:15 PM unless stated otherwise in the Estuary room at Darts farm.

Photo: Eleanor Bentall

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