Local bird watching/nature groups

For sale, at last, the Sheffield Bird Study Group's book:

1. Sheffield local RSPB group

The following information has kindly been provided by group member Neil Fawson (October 2023):

Our group’s aim is to introduce new people to the RSPB and to raise money to support the RSPB’s work – locally, nationally and internationally. We have Zoom Talks on the first Thursday of January and February, otherwise we hold indoor meetings on the first Thursday in each month except June, July and August. We run frequent midweek and weekend walks in and around Sheffield as well as coach trips to places further afield.  

 Details of all walks, talks and trips can be found

1. On our website:  https://group.rspb.org.uk/sheffield/

2. and/or on our Facebook page:  https://www.facebook.com/RSPBSheffield

 Zoom Meetings

 On the first Thursday of January and February we have Zoom talks instead of our usual indoor meetings. Information regarding the topics and times etc. are publicised on our website and Facebook page.

 We ask that you make a minimum donation of £4 per person for the meeting and in order to check availability and to book places at the meeting please contact us on:

rspbsheffield@googlegroups.com

Indoor Meetings

We hold our indoor meetings on the first Thursday in each month except January, February, June, July and August. at the Central United Reformed Church, Sheffield (60 Norfolk St, Sheffield City Centre, Sheffield S1 2JB), which is on the corner of Chapel Walk and Norfolk Street and opposite the stage door of Crucible Theatre.

Our Indoor Meetings start at 07:30pm and finish around 09:30pm and details of the speaker and the topic of the talk will be publicised on our website and Facebook page.

Currently, admission charges are as follows:

• £4for RSPB Sheffield Local Group members;

• £5 for visitors;

• Children accompanied by an adult – FREE

Trips

We run our day trips on Sunday, by coach, from Paternoster Row (S1 2QQ) in Sheffield; leaving at 8 am prompt.

On our trips we visit various locations. Some of our previous day trips have included visits to RSPB Blacktoft Sands, RSPB Burton Mere, Filey Dams and Brigg, RSPB Frampton, LWT Gibraltar Point, RSPB Leighton Moss and Spurn Head

Prior booking is required with full payment (currently £16, unless otherwise stated) and can be made by contacting Sean Ashton directly via his email at svm_ashton@yahoo.co.uk;
or via email at rspbsheffield@googlegroups.com
Children under 16 accompanied by an adult-half price.
The terrain and accessibility of the places we visit varies. There is usually the option of keeping to more accessible routes that do not stray a great distance away from the coach. Most destinations do however inevitably have some rougher terrain so please ensure that you have appropriate footwear, are sufficiently capable of covering your intended route (and returning to the coach at the appropriate time) and are wearing appropriate clothing for the weather. Please get in touch before the visit if you have any queries about the accessibility of our coach trip destinations.

NB: There may be a reserve entrance fee on some trips please check when booking

If you are using a car to get to Paternoster Row, please make sure you pay parking for the whole day as we can't guarantee a return time for the coach.

HAVE A DAY OUT WITH THE RSPB SHEFFIELD LOCAL GROUP, WHERE EVERYONE IS WELCOME.

Walks

Our walks take place in and around the Sheffield area and some of our previous walks have included walking about  Bradfield, Graves Park, Orgreaves Lakes, Padle Gorge, Redmires, Rother Valley Country Park, Sheffield General Cemetery and Wyming Brook

Walks are free-of-charge and booking is not required. Some of our walk locations are accessible using public transport but by no means all. So, in the interests of the environment and to ease pressure on parking spaces, please would you car share whenever possible.

Most walks inevitably involve some rougher terrain so please ensure that you have appropriate footwear, are wearing appropriate clothing for the weather and are sufficiently capable of covering the route.

Please contact us at rspbsheffield@googlegroups.com before the day if you have any queries about walk routes and accessibility.

Joining the RSPB Sheffield Local Group

We always welcome new members to join our thriving group.

Being a member gives you:

•    Reduced price entry to our regular indoor meetings with their great range of topics and speakers

•    Opportunities to take part in our local walks and to come on our great coach trips to places further afield

•    Our Local Group newsletter twice a year plus monthly email updates

•    Opportunities to get involved in local activities including bird surveys and raising funds to support the RSPB’s vital conservation work

•    A chance to meet like-minded people and learn more about birds and other wildlife

It only costs £5 per person per year to be a member and you don’t even have to be a national RSPB member in order to join us.

To join, complete the online membership form on our website:  https://group.rspb.org.uk/sheffield/ .

Once we’ve received your details, we will be in touch – including to let you know arrangements for payment of your first year’s membership fee.

Or, if you’d prefer not to do this online, come along to one of our events and introduce yourself.

CONTACT US 

To send a message or enquiry to the RSPB Sheffield local group,

EITHER use our website:  https://group.rspb.org.uk/sheffield/ 

OR use the email address: RSPBsheffield@googlegroups.com

2. Sheffield Bird Study Group

Wednesday 20th December 2023

Looking for a stocking filler for a bird watcher? We will be having 'Sheffield Bird Study Group's 2024 callenders for sale from today, for £5.

The 'Sheffield Bird Study Group' (SBSG) was formed in December 1972 as a forum for birdwatchers in and around the city with an active interest in ornithology. The group's recording area, covering twelve 10km squares with the city roughly in the middle, is hugely diverse, stretching north to the outskirts of Barnsley, south to Chesterfield, east to the lowlands beyond Rotherham and Bolsover, and west to the highest tops of the Peak District National Park.

They aim to promote an interest in birds in the community, provide something of interest to all levels of birder, co-ordinate fieldwork and recording in the area, and work with and complement the work of like-minded local and national organisations for the benefit of birds. SBSG is registered charity No 510857.

This is the are they cover:

Membership costs:

Meetings start at 7:15pm prompt (unless stated otherwise) and finish by 9:30pm, and are free to members; non-members welcome, a £2 fee applies for temporary membership.

SBSG publications

Published material from SBSG falls into five categories

• Annual Report - the big one - 150+ page report of the year's birds plus articles
• The Bulletin - periodic newsletter for members, emailed version in full colour (now replaced by the e-Newsletter)
• Avifauna
  • "Birds of the Sheffield Area, including the North East Peak District" published in 1985 based on data collected 1975-1980
  • "Breeding Birds of the Sheffield Area including the North-east Peak District" published in January 2014 and based on data fron 2003 - 2008
• Ornithological Journal - 'The Magpie' was first published as a journal of local ornithology.  Only five issues were produced and the function has been transferred to the Annual Report.

Barbrook Pools
Blacka Moor / Strawberry Lea
Bolehill Flash
Endcliffe Park and the Porter Valley
Langsett and Midhope
Linacre Reservoirs
Loxley Valley
Middleton Moor
Rivelin Dams / Wyming Brook

RSPB Sheffield local group

RSPB local groups are a great way to meet friendly, like-minded people in your area while discovering more about birds and wildlife.

They hold indoor meetings on the first Thursday of most months and run frequent midweek and weekend walks in and around Sheffield as well as coach trips to nature reserves further afield.

A key objective of our group is to raise money to support the RSPB’s work – on a local, national and even global scale.

Join them at one of their indoor meetings with their variety of talks or on one of our local walks or coach trips to places further afield.

Being a member will give you:

• Reduced price entry to their regular indoor meetings with their great range of topics and speakers
• Opportunities to take part in their local walks and to come on our coach trips to places further afield
• A local group newsletter twice a year plus regular email updates
• Opportunities to get involved in local activities including bird surveys and raising funds to support the RSPB’s vital conservation work
• A chance to meet like-minded people and learn more about birds and other wildlife

It costs £5 per person per year to become a member and you don’t have to be a national RSPB member in order to join them.

Join here