ROYAL SOCIETY for the PROTECTION of BIRDS

East Surrey
RSPB Group
for local birdwatchers

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.

The hobby, is a small rapture that is one of our more spectacular falcons and an uncommon summer migrant to our area usually arriving in May. In the past the hobby was very much a Surrey bird, with small numbers breeding in the western half of Surrey on heathland habitat, and was depicted on the jacket of the “Birds of Surrey 1900-1970” and also on the jacket of the latest “Birds of Surrey” published in the year 2007.
From a distance the hobby looks like a large swift and is probably the only falcon that can out- fly a swift, but is generally seen catching dragonflies and devouring them in flight. Generally its plumage looks similar to a peregrine but with conspicuous red flanks, and looks smaller and more elegant than a peregrine.

Historically hobbys probably bred in Surrey in the early nineteenth century, but became scarcer later in that century, although one record quotes them nesting  in the Caterham area in about 1897. The hobby increased in numbers during the twentieth century in Surrey, but their numbers were always held back by egg collectors and shooting. The typical nest site of hobbys is an old disused carrion’s nest, often in a scots pine. Their numbers seem to fluctuate from one year to the next, with forty seven being recorded in 1998, but this dropped to thirty two in 2001.   Currently breeding hobbys are spread thinly across most rural areas of Surrey They are generally seen in our area in the spring as they arrive and again later in the summer as they begin to migrate south, although they have bred in our area.

Hobbys are uncommon to common across most of Europe and western Russia, generally being more common further east. In the British Isles it’s a bird of the southern counties although it has been recorded as far north as Scotland. In the winter and on migration hobbys form small feeding flocks and communal night roosts, often in association with other insect eating small falcons. Most hobbys spend the winter in southern Africa.

The group indoor meeting for June is on Wednesday 9th  at the White Hart Barn, Godstone starting at 8.00pm. The speaker will be Chris Ward who will give a talk entitled “Birds of Aphrodite’s Island” – the birds and wildlife of Cyprus. Everyone is welcome, admission £3.00.

The field trip for June is to Lakenheath Reserve in Suffolk, on Sunday 20th. This will be an early start meeting at Godstone Green car park at 6.30am. We are also running two evening trips to Ashdown Forest to see nightjars on Friday June 11th and Friday June 25th meeting at the Long car park on the A22 at 7.30 pm.
For further information see our website – www.eastsurreyrspb.co.uk or you can contact me for information on group events and activities.
Keith Brandwood  01883 742740 

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.

A 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.

For 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