About the group
The group was formed in 1974 (over 35 years ago and still going strong) and was one of the earliest groups to be set up by the RSPB in the country with the aim of helping to further the work of the RSPB at a local level.
To that end we organise a programme of both indoor and outdoor meetings, assist on local reserves with work groups, attend local events selling RSPB goods and birdfood, and showing what a wealth of wildlife we have in North Kent.
We concentrate on the areas of North Kent that include the Hoo Peninsula, the Medway estuary, the Swale, the Isle of Sheppey and the North Downs, but our outdoor meetings have ranged from anywhere in Kent to, via coach trips, Slimbridge in the west, Titchfield Haven in the south, Fingringhoe Wick in the east and Titchwell Marsh in the north. Sometimes even France.
Our indoor meetings cover a range of subjects, not just birds. We have had speakers, with accompanying slideshows, talking about everything from hedgehogs to fungi to seals and to trees - and covering subjects from all over the world.
The indoor meetings are held on the third Tuesday of every month, except August, and from September 2011 will be at Parkwood Community Centre, Rainham, ME8 9PN.
The doors open at 7:00pm and the meetings start at 7:30pm and finish at 9:45pm. Refreshments are free and there is a raffle, the proceeds of which go to the RSPB. Admission prices are £2.50 for group members and £3.00 for non-members
At our outdoor meetings (which are free) and coach trips we welcome anybody, novice or expert, member or not. If you see something that you don’t recognise there will be plenty of people willing to give a hand with identification, and not just with birds.
Indoor Presentations
16 April - Water Voles and Otters +AGM - John Bramley
21 May - Silent Spring Revisited - Conor Jameson
18 June - Birding in Iberia - Ernest Garcia
16 July - Travels in Columbia - Barry Wright
Outdoor Visits (Walks)
Sunday 24 March - Sevenoaks Wildfowl KWT Reserve - 10.00 am
Wednesday 10 April - White Horse Wood Country Park, Detling - 10.00 am
Sunday 21 April - Hanningfield Reservoir, Essex -
10.00 am
Saturday 27 April - Ashdown Forest - 9.00 am
Thursday 2 May - Smokes Wood, Hucking Estate, Hollingbourne - 9.30 am
Sunday 12 May - Stodmarsh/Grove Ferry - 9.00 am
Sunday 19 May - Rye Harbour/Camber Castle - 10.00 am
Wednesday 22 May - Northward Hill Evening Walk -
6.45 pm
Sunday 2 June - Minsmere RSPB Reserve - Coach Trip
Saturday 15 June - Nightjar Evening Walk -
Time and Venue To Be Announced
Sunday 23 June - Trosley Country Park - 10.00 am
Sunday 7 July - Nashenden Valley KWT - 9.00 am
Public Events
Still to be announced
See the Meetings pages for more details
For details of coach trips planned for 2013 click here
