RSPB Walsall Local Group: Field Trips

Members usually travel to the venue by car; car sharing is encouraged, and a lift may be available — please ask for details; or let us know if you intend to meet us at the venue.

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**Field trips for 2012 are:**
Date	Venue (plus OS grid ref. and link to maps)	Details
2 January	RSPB Middleton Lakes	On the Staffordshire/ Warwickshire border, near Drayton Manor.
5 February	Old Moor	The RSPB reserve, in the Dearne Valley, near Barnsey, South Yorkshire. Famous for its café!
11 March	Ludlow	A walk in the woodland and hills around this Shropshire town, including Mortimer Forest.
8 April	RSPB Blacktoft Sands, East Yorkshire (SE843232)	Blacktoft Sands is part of the exciting complex of habitats around the Humber estuary. The tidal reedbed is the largest in England and is important for its breeding Bearded Tits and Marsh Harriers. The reserve has saline lagoons, which are rare in Europe and are an ideal habitat for a variety of breeding and migrant waders, including Avocets. To help you enjoy your visit, there are six hides and a reception centre.
6 May	Nagshead and Symonds Yat.	First the RSPB reserve looking for Pied Flycatchers, Redstarts and other summer migrants. There are Hawfinches and all three British woodpeckers in the woods all year round. Then to Symonds Yat watchpoint for Peregrines and hopefully b.
3 June	Paxton Pits, Little Paxton, Cambridgeshire (TL196629)	Birds have been quick to take advantage of the new wetland habitats created by gravel extraction at Paxton, which is part of the Ouse floodplain. As scrub and woodland develops around the Pits, other birds move in. Around 70 species breed regularly. To date, over 230 species have been recorded, though the 'star' birds are undoubtedly Nightingales.
20 June 2011 N.B. Wednesday evening, 7:30– 9:30pm	Local Walk: Chasewater Country Park	Our outdoor summer meeting — a gentle stroll, but please wear stout shoes.
8 July	Ham Wall (Somerset)	A newly created RSPB wetland, which provides a safe home for many rare bird species, plus Water Voles and Otters.
5 August	Rutland Water (SK879071)	For Osprey and waders
2 September	RSPB Conwy, Clwyd, Wales (SH797773) and local woodlands.	Coastal lagoons and grassland alongside the Conwy estuary with spectacular views of Snowdonia. Waders and wildfowl are the main interest but well over 200 species have been recorded at this exciting reserve.
14 October	Gibraltar Point	Gibraltar Point National Nature Reserve is an area of some 430 hectares comprising sandy and muddy seashores, sand-dunes, saltmarshes and freshwater habitats extending for a distance of about 3 miles along the Lincolnshire coast, from the southern end of Skegness to the entrance of the Wash. The Reserve is managed by the Lincolnshire Wildlife Trust.
4 November	RSPB Otmoor	Otmoor is a magical nature reserve of wet meadows and reedbeds. It is a haven in winter for thousands of waterfowl, such as Teal and Wigeon.
2 December	Draycote Water (Warwickshire)	For winter migrants.

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