Abberton

Welney

Departs Hadley Green 9:00 am  St John's Potters Bar 9:15 am

Welney is a vast area of unspoilt vegetation, remnant of original fenlands, the wintering habitat of thousands of waterfowl and arctic swans. The Visitor Centre facilities include the fully Licensed Wigeon Café which offers a delicious selection of hot and cold food, coffee and drinks, and tempting home-made cakes, seating overlooks the beautiful wetlands. (Hot food served between 12noon and 2.30pm.) There is gift and bookshop.  Watch from the large centrally-heated observatory as around 3,000 Whooper swans from Iceland join over 4,500 Bewick's swans arriving from Arctic Russia to take refuge amongst thousands of ducks, geese and other waterbirds. There are 6 additional hides. Wheelchair accessible.

Price: Coach & Entrance £24.00  WWT members deduct £5.00

Stocker's Lake

Tilbury Hall United Reformed Church Darkes Lane Potters Bar.

7:30pm for 7:45pm

Ploughmans   Bring your own drink.

Tickets £7.50 from Fran Attrill 01438817797

College Lake Nature Reserve (WT) and Tring Reservoirs.

Departs Hadley Green 9:15am  St John's Potters Bar 9:30am

College Lake Nature Reserve comes alive in winter as wildfowl and waders shelter from the harsh weather of Northern Europe. Visitors Centre and café (coffee, cakes, sandwiches.) trails and 6 hides.
Tring Reservoirs were built in the early 19th Century to feed arms of the Grand Union Canal. They are now designated a Site of Special Scientific Interest on account of their wealth of wildlife. Hides, trails, locks and towpaths make this a unique corner of Hertfordshire countryside. As well as geese and ducks, sawbills are usually present such as goosander, but smew and red- breasted merganser are sometimes seen during periods of cold weather. Bitterns overwinter in the reedbed at Marsworth Reservoir. Little owls and kingfishers can be seen and all 3 species of woodpeckers are present. Tits, thrushes, fieldfare and redwings in surrounding hedgerows and trees. The Bluebell Cafe serves meals, light lunches and teas. The Angler’s Retreat Pub serves meals from 12 .00 onwards (01442822250).

Price: Coach and reserve £ 14.00  

More information can be found at Waterscape Tring and

Two Tree Island

More information can be found at Essex Wildlife Trust

RSPB Pulborough Brooks

Departs Hadley Green 9.00 am  St. John’s Potters Bar 9.15 am

This wetland nature reserve is set in the heart of the Arun Valley.  Visitor shop and excellent tea rooms, light lunches, toilets, nature trails, hides and feeders. Habitats: water meadows, woodland, hedgerows, grasslands and scrub.                                  

Birds: wintering wild fowl, wigeon, white fronted geese, ruff, pintail. Lapwings and redshank give aerial displays over the wet meadows. Kingfisher, nightingales, hen harrier, peregrine should be on site with adders and grass snakes basking in the sun. Primroses, bluebells and other spring flowers along the nature trails. Play and picnic areas.

Price: Coach £20.00

More information can be found at RSPB  Pulborough Brooks

Friday 27th -

Flatford Mill

Birdsong Identification. Numbers are limited.

Please contact Jenny Arnold for details. 0208 449 0216

Cliffe Pools

More information can be found at RSPB  Cliffe Pools

RSPB Minsmere Suffolk

Departs Hadley Green 8:00am  St Johns Potters Bar 8:15am

The premier RSPB reserve for bittern, marsh harriers, cettis warblers, bearded tits, redstart and stonechat. Large variety of breeding birds, including common terns, Britain’s second largest avocet colony; little terns. Many different waders such as redshank and black tailed godwit. In 2011 the group saw 85 species. We are told that since our 2011 visit there will have been considerable upgrading of the facilities.

There is the visitor centre, shop, tea rooms and toilets.
Nature trails take you through a variety of woodland, wetland, reedbed, grazing marsh, heathland, dunes and beach, farmland, coastal lagoons, and “the scrape”. There are 8 hides. The famous scrape has an area of brackish water, mud and islands inside the shingle beach – as well as extensive reed beds with lagoons.

Price: Coach £22.00

Down House Kent (English Hertiage) & Sevenoaks Nature Reserve

Departs Hadley Green 9:15am St Johns Potters Bar 9:30am

With its unique place in the history of science, Down House, the home of Charles Darwin, is one of the major visitor attractions in the South East and has been recently refurbished on the 200th anniversary of his birth. See the study where Darwin wrote 'On the Origin of Species', still as it was when he worked here, and stroll through the extensive gardens that so inspired the great scientist.
Included in your entry is a video guide, which is narrated by David Attenborough, Andrew Marr and others. Lift access to first floor and wheelchair can be reserved. Gift shop, tea room, cakes, light lunches. No picnics.
Sevenoaks Nature Reserve lies beside the River Darent. Habitats include lakes, reedbeds and woodland. Several hides around the reserve offer close views of ducks, geese, grebes, kingfisher and the elusive water rail. Visitors Centre.
Price: Coach & house £ 24.00 EH members deduct £8.00

More information can be found at Home of Charles Darwin

and Kent Wildlife Trust

TBA

Wine and Cheese Evening

Tilbury Hall  7:30 pm

Rye Harbour

Departs Hadley Green 8:00 am  St Johns Potters Bar 8:15 am

We will call at Pett Pools first before going to Rye Harbour.

Time can be spent in Rye Town if you wish.
Habitat – shingles, saltings, sand/mud shore at low tide, gravel pits, meadow, arable and scrub. Birds – sea birds, waders and wildfowl, turtledove, cettis warbler, bearded tit, terns (3 species). There are 4 hides and information centre. Good shingle flora.There are two hostelries by the harbour serving meals.

Price: Coach £ 22.00

More information can be found at Wild Rye

Ightham Mote (NT) & Emmetts Garden (NT) nr. Sevenoaks

Departs Hadley Green 9:15am  St Johns Potters Bar  9:30am

Ightam Mote is a 700 year old moated Tudor manor house, described by David Starkey as “one of the most beautiful and interesting of English country houses.’ Highlights include picturesque courtyard, Great Hall and grade 1 listed dog kennel as well as gardens, orchard and water features. Shop and restaurant.
Emmetts is an Edwardian estate with stunning rock gardens, rose garden and a unique collection of exotic shrubs. Stable tea room, cakes, plant shop.

Price: Coach , house and gardens £ 33.00
NT members deduct £15

More information can be found at Ightham Mote and

Emmetts Garden

Walberswick & Southwold

Departs Hadley Green 8:00 am  St Johns Potters Bar 8:15

Walberswick is a National Nature Reserve of 2 square miles which lies just south of Southwold.
Tidal estuary, fen, freshwater marsh and reedbeds, heathland, birch scrub, mixed woodland and carr. Marsh harrier, bearded tit, water rail, bittern, ducks, waders, hide on south side of Blyth estuary. Later we visit the nearby picturesque Suffolk coastal town of Southwold. There are few seaside towns quite so quintessentially British as Southwold, with its beach hut lined promenade and sandy beach. Visitor attractions include Adnams Brewery, lighthouse, pier, harbour and award winning pubs and restaurants.

Price Coach £23.00

More information can be found at Walberswick & Southwold

Pam Wright

Anglesey Abbey (NT)

Departs Hadley Green 9:15am  St Johns Potters Bar 9:30am

We promised a return visit to Anglesey Abbey, this time in the summer. It is a treasure house of traditional craftsmanship. Lord Fairhaven amassed a great collection of rare and fabulous objects and also created a beautiful garden. The 114 acres offer rolling lawns, sweeping avenues, formal gardens, wildlife habitats, classical statuary and a working Lode watermill. Encounter colour and scents of summer in a relaxing setting.
Redwoods self service restaurant, shop, plant centre.
Price: Coach , House, garden & mill £ 26.00

NT members deduct £ 9.00

Walton-on the Naze

Departs Hadley Green 8:30 am  St Johns Potters Bar 8:45 am

More information can be found at Walton-on-the-Naze  Nature

Full details TBA

Details TBA

Snettisham & Sandringham

Departs Hadley Green  7:45am  St Johns Potters Bar  8:00am

More information can be found at RSPB Snettisham

Wakehurst Place (NT)

Departs Hadley Green 9:15am  St Johns Potters Bar  9:30am

Tilbury Hall

London Wetland Centre

Departs Hadley Green 9:15am  St Johns Potters Bar  9:30am

Reserve & Christmas Dinner