Royal Society for the Protection of Birds

We hold indoor meetings at the White Hart Barn, Godstone, every second Wednesday of the month (except August) – Everyone is welcome. We run all day field trips every month, and some half day field trips during the winter months. Anyone is welcome to join us. There is always someone leading trips to give advice and hints on identification etc.

EAST SURREY RSPB GROUP
June sees many of our young birds on the verge of leaving the nest or having  recently fledged, which is the moment of greatest danger for all recently fledged birds particularly the smaller birds. If the weather is cold and wet, as sometimes happens in early June, many die due to being unable to sustain their body heat and  unable to find enough food, even when still being fed by the parent birds. On leaving the nest some young birds take a day or two before they are able to fly sufficiently enough to keep them out of trouble. Many young birds fall victim to a host of predators, this being a natural selection, but the fittest and ablest will survive, and  it only takes one or two youngsters from a clutch of eggs to survive to maintain the overall numbers of a species. In small birds its not the number taken by predators, but the ones that survive the winter that has the greatest impact on the numbers of birds that are about at the start of the following breeding season. Sometimes one finds a young bird that has fallen from a nest, or is still unable to fly. It is best to leave the bird as the parent birds will quickly find it and will continue to feed it. One feels that one should get involved and try to feed the bird, but it is an almost impossible task. Trying to find enough food of the type required by a particular bird and being able to sustain a feeding programme up to fifteen or more hours a day for several days, indicates the difficulty of the task.

birds4The group indoor meeting in June is on Wednesday 8th at the White Hart Barn, Godstone starting at 8.00pm. The speaker will be Jackie Garner who will give a talk entitled “Birds in Art” combining her love of birdwatching with her talent for painting. Everyone is welcome, admission £3.00.

We have a number of field trips in June – two trips to Ashdown Forest hopefully to see nightjars on Friday 3rd and Friday 17th meeting at Godstone Green car park at 7.30 pm or  at the Long Car Park on Ashdown Forest at 8.00pm. The third field trip is on Sunday 12th to Amberley Wild Brooks and Pulborough RSPB Reserve in Sussex meeting at Godstone Green car park at 8.00 am. We try to share cars and therefore fuel costs. For further information see our website www.eastsurreyrspb.co.uk

Members get involved in survey projects for various organisations and fund raising events in the local area. The group is willing to give advice and information on all birding matters in the local area.The East Surrey RSPB Group was formed in 1983 after a meeting held at Bletchingley School on October 17th 1983, where all RSPB members living in the local area were invited. From the number of people attending the meeting it was obvious that there was a basis of interest in having a group based in East Surrey to enhance the enjoyment of many birdwatchers in the district.

birds3A local committee was elected with the aim of providing monthly indoor meetings, monthly field trips and to plan fund raising events to support the many RSPB conservation projects, both in the British Isles and abroad. Initially the group held its indoor meetings at the White Hart Barn, Godstone, but as numbers attending these meetings rose, we moved the venue to Caterham School for a number of years, but moved back to Godstone as the White Hart Barn provided better facilities. Over the years the group has been able to attract some big names in the birding world to give talks at our meetings. The monthly field trips have covered most of the prime birdwatching sites in South East England, even running coach trips to such places as Slimbridge, the Ouse Washes, Dorset and Minsmere in Suffolk. The tally of bird species seen on these trips now stands at well over two hundred.

The group has raised over thirty thousand pounds over the years, this money going to support RSPB projects in Nigeria, Morocco, Greece and Spain. In the British Isles we have provided funds for projects on many RSPB Nature reserves, as well as monies towards educational schemes run by the RSPB. Currently we are providing funds for the first RSPB Nature Reserve in Surrey at Farnham. Funds have been raised over the years by such events as film shows, art and craft exhibitions, sponsored bird counts, and sales at many local events.

Birds2For further information about the group’s forthcoming events, all our latest news and our latest newsletter see our website – www.eastsurreyrspb.co.uk
For general information about the RSPB see website – www.rspb.org.uk