News archive

Thursday, 23 March 2017

Six Events for your Diary

Fundraising:
Harrogate Spring Flower Show 20-23rd April

West Bank Park Summer Fair, 9th July

Rowntree Park Summer Park, 16th July
If you are free to help on any of these dates or would like more information please contact Barry Bishop barryjbishop@hotmail.com or 01904 639853

Birding:
Saturday April 15th. 10am till 4pm. Dean's Park, York Minster.
The RSPB Local Group will be on the lawns by the north west tower of the Minster to watch the Peregrine Falcons.

Wednesday April 19th. Farm Walk 09:30 till 1pm.
Take a walk on the Battlefield of Marston Moor with Barry Bishop and discover the birds who visit Marston Moor in spring. Birds seen in recent years have included common buzzard, owls, sparrow hawk, grey heron, lapwing, corn bunting, tree sparrow, greater spotted woodpecker and yellow hammers. We may also see some winter visitors, such as redwing and fieldfare. The walk will be followed by refreshments in the Events Barn at Marston Grange, with a review talk to identify and discuss the birds seen. The walk will follow grass paths but stout shoes are recommended and waterproofs if necessary. Please bring your own binoculars. Tickets cost £10 including a light lunch. Please book in advance. More details and bookings on www.marstongrange.co.uk

Saturday April 29th Early morning bird walk on Hob Moor at 6am.
Hob Moor is one of York's four Local Nature Reserves and one of the best places in the city to enjoy the dawn chorus. For details of the walk: email friendsofhobmoor@gmail.com

Thursday, 23 March 2017

Whisby Coach Trip: Booking Opens

RSPB YORK LOCAL GROUP COACH TRIP TO WHISBY SUNDAY MAY 14TH.
Cost: £14 per person
Whisby Nature Park, a Lincolnshire Wildlife Trust reserve is situated a few miles from Lincoln and over the years has built a reputation as a good place to see nightingales. We have hired a 25 seater coach to take us the reserve where we hope to see and hear nightingales.
There is an excellent visitor centre and café on the site along with good facilities for disabled people, so I hope that you can join us.
The coach will leave Scarcroft Road (near the allotments) at 0830, Sunday 14th May. Car parking is available in Millthorpe School for a £1 donation to charity. There are also cycle sheds available on site.
(Please enter your car registration number on the form if you will be using the school car park)
The coach will leave Whisby at 1600 hrs. It is about a two hour journey.
To book your place Download the booking form:

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Tuesday, 21 March 2017

RSPB Moorland Safari 2017 Dates Announced

Join the team for a spectacular walk along one of the Forest of Bowland's most stunning valleys.
Take this opportunity to learn more about the international importance of the area for birds of prey and the rare upland habitat they call home during the spring and summer. Birds to look out for include the ring ouzel, a regular breeder in the valley, our smallest bird of prey, the merlin and, if you're lucky, you may be rewarded with a sighting of England's rarest bird of prey, and emblem of the AONB, the hen harrier.
For more information call 01524 581001
Tickets: £5 per person payable in advance, available from RSPB; call 01524 581001
or email: bowlandsafari@rspb.org.uk
Dates: April 15th, April 29th, May 20th and June 10th

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Sunday, 19 March 2017

Three Fundraising Events

Harrogate Spring Flower Show 20-23rd April
West Bank Park Summer Fair, 9th July
Rowntree Park Summer Park, 16th July
If you are free to help on any of these dates or would like more information please contact Barry Bishop barryjbishop@hotmail.com or 01904 639853

Friday, 17 March 2017

Three Spring Dates For Your Diary

Saturday April 15th. 10am till 4pm. Dean's Park, York Minster.
The RSPB Local Group will be on the lawns by the north west tower of the Minster to watch the Peregrine Falcons.
Wednesday April 19th. Farm Walk 09:30 till 1pm.
Take a walk on the Battlefield of Marston Moor with Barry Bishop and discover the birds who visit Marston Moor in spring. Birds seen in recent years have included common buzzard, owls, sparrow hawk, grey heron, lapwing, corn bunting, tree sparrow, greater spotted woodpecker and yellow hammers. We may also see some winter visitors, such as redwing and fieldfare.
The walk will be followed by refreshments in the Events Barn at Marston Grange, with a review talk to identify and discuss the birds seen. The walk will follow grass paths but stout shoes are recommended and waterproofs if necessary. Please bring your own binoculars. Tickets cost £10 including a light lunch. Please book in advance. More details and bookings on www.marstongrange.co.uk

Saturday April 29th Early morning bird walk on Hob Moor at 6am.
Hob Moor is one of York's four Local Nature Reserves and one of the best places in the city to enjoy the dawn chorus. For details of the walk: email friendsofhobmoor@gmail.com

Saturday, 4 March 2017

New Residents for York?

I first spotted a single visitor before Christmas and there were several sighting from various parts of York in December, but the persistence of this visiting male/female pair, at a time of year when they are occupying nest sites, set me wondering if they will succeed in colonising York. A look back in YOC's reports showed only 2 records of local sightings of individual birds (2010 and 2015) and there are records of sightings far from their established population in south London eg Edinburgh and Cornwall, but it is not known if these are wild born birds or recent escapees. However, the UK range of these Afro-Asian parrots is spreading, with small populations residing in Birmingham, Liverpool, Manchester and Sheffield so maybe York is next? I will report again later in the year. meanwhile let me know your observations; are you being visited too? Do you admire this charismatic, adaptable incomer or do you worry about their impact on native species or crops? Do you believe they first escaped from Shepperton Studios during the filming of The African Queen in 1951 or were the first breeding pair released by Jimi Hendrix in 1968?

Robin Ball
robinball@ntlworld.com

Thursday, 2 March 2017

Indoor Meeting Thursday 9th March

The speaker on this occasion is Derek Niemann, a freelance writer and editor. He has had a lifelong interest in natural history, history and conservation. He worked at the RSPB HQ for 25 years, edited the RSPB Youth magazine for 16 years and wrote a series of RSPB First Books, nature guides for children. He has published many books on conservation and wildlife and is a regular contributor to the Country Diary column in The Guardian.
He will be speaking about his acclaimed book, Birds in a Cage, This is the story of an obsessive quest behind barbed wire. Through their shared love of birds, a group of British POWs overcome hunger, hardship, fear and stultifying boredom. Their experiences leave them scarred, but set them on a path to becoming greats of the conservation movement.