London Bird Club Talks 2015/2016

London Bird Club Talks 2015/2016
For people who find it easy to have a simple, one page view of all forthcoming talks by the LBC, I have copied below details from the London Natural History Society's (LNHS) programme. The LBC is a section within the LNHS and bear in mind the talks listed below are for only one of three sections in the LNHS. For those who live or work in London, the LNHS is a fantastic society with an active programme of talks and guided excursions, offering amazing value for money. The varied activities of the LNHS is a good reminder that Britain and London in particular is surprisingly rich for wildlife and has world class visitor facilities. LNHS

Kat Duke, the organiser of the LBC Talks meets people at the Pret A Manger cafe in Marble Arch between 6.00-6.30pm and walks across the park to the LookOut/ISIS Education Centre, in the company of a little group which typically includes the speaker.

 

Wednesday, March 23, 2016, 7:00pm – 8:30pm
Peter Warne on 'London's Finest Birdwatching Sites – The Wildlife of Copped Hall Park'.
Where The LookOut / Isis Education Centre, Hyde Park. (map) (map)

The once grand Copped Hall was destroyed by a fire in 1917 and the extensive gardens soon reverted to scrub and sycamore copse. However, close proximity to the upper reaches of Epping Forest meant wildlife was free to move in. In the mid-1990s a trust was set up to restore the site and in 2012 Peter Warne, accomplished nature photographer and author of ‘Finding Wildlife in Epping Forest’, was asked to map the wildlife of the park and gardens. It has proved a wonderful journey and gets better with every year. In this talk Peter will include stories of the birds that visit, a kestrel that fell into the pond in the walled garden and the competition for life in the compost heaps.

Everyone is welcome, members and non-members alike, so bring your friends! £2 door charge. Free for under 18s and those in full time education.

Details of the next winter season's talks will be published later.


PREVIOUS TALKS IN 2015/2016 SEASON

Wednesday, November 18, 6:30pm – 8:30pm

Dr. Darren Naish on 'Dinosaurs and Bird Evolution', talking after the LBC AGM.
Where The LookOut / Isis Education Centre, Hyde Park. (map)

Following the London Bird Club AGM, which everyone is welcome to attend, there will be a talk by reknowned paleozoological researcher, consultant and author, Dr. Darren Naish (https://darren​naish.wordpress​.com). 100 million years ago, birds were merely one of several small, feathered dinosaur groups. They have a rich, complex and diverse fossil record and huge recent advances in their study mean that there is no longer any reasonable doubt that birds truly are living dinosaurs. Dr. Naish will take us from birds' dinosaurian origins all the way to the emergence of the modern groups, including details of our understanding of hummingbird origins and the early history of penguins, parrots and songbirds. The London Bird Club AGM will start at 6.30pm and Dr. Naish's talk will take place as soon as the AGM concludes, at about 7pm.

Everyone is welcome to both the AGM and the talk, members and non-members alike, so bring your friends!

Thursday, October 22, 7:00pm – 8:30pm

Roger Emmens on '55 Years And Counting: A Long-Term Ringing Study'.
Where The LookOut / Isis Education Centre, Hyde Park. (map)

The Rye Meads Ringing Group was formed in 1960 to study the birds of Rye Meads, in the Lea Valley near Hoddesdon in Hertfordshire, and is still going strong. So what have they learnt, and what does the future hold? Roger Emmens has been a member of the group (which now works in collaboration with the RSPB, HMWT, Natural England, the Environment Agency and Thames Water for the benefit of the birds of Rye Meads), for the past 30 years and describes the group’s activities, history, and accomplishments​. Everyone is welcome, members and non-members alike, so bring your friends! £2 door charge. Free for under 18s and those in full time education.

 

My comments: RSPB Rye Meads is a wonderful nature reserve with easy access from London's Liverpool Street Station. I highly recommend it.  RSPB Rye Meads

 Wednesday, 20 January 2016, 19:00 – 20:30
John Buckingham on 'Spring In The Rockies - Birds And Wildlife'.
Where The LookOut / Isis Education Centre, Hyde Park. (map)

John has travelled around the world leading birdwatching and wildlife holidays and The Rockies is one of his favourite destinations. The Rockies in Spring offers masses of fascinating breeding and migrant birds, a great mammal list including grizzlies, bison, moose and pronghorn, and high meadows awash with colourful flowers. All this is seen against the stunning backdrop of the Rocky Mountains in the Yellowstone and Grand Tetons National Parks which John’s illustrated talk gives us an enticing tour of. Everyone is welcome, members and non-members alike, so bring your friends! £2 door charge. Free for under 18s and those in full time education.

See also this link to the Royal Parks.  

Thursday, February 18, 2016, 7:00pm – 8:30pm
Ken Smith on 'Tree Sparrow Conservation'.
Where The LookOut / Isis Education Centre, Hyde Park. (map)

Ken Smith is acting Bird Recorder for Hertfordshire and one of the authors of the new ‘Birds of Hertfordshire’. The Herts Bird Club have been working to retain the tree sparrow as a breeding species in the county for more than a decade. In this talk Ken will describe the actions taken and the results of detailed monitoring of the outcomes. Everyone is welcome, members and non-members alike, so bring your friends! £2 door charge. Free for under 18s and those in full time education.