Details of meetings, including a comprehensive programme of mid-week meetings, can be found in Bird News, (the club’s monthly publication for members)
W/E meetings start at 09:30 and on Tuesdays at 10:00, unless otherwise stated.
Please note the revised Safeguarding Policy
Indoor meetings.
The Club’s indoor meetings will be held at the Newman Hall, 28 Grange Court Road, Henleaze, Bristol BS9 4DR. They meetings will resume in September.
Field Meetings.
Tuesday 19 May – Puxton Moor Leader: Gareth Roberts
Meet by the parish noticeboard in Puxton village. Please car share if you can as parking is limited. From A370 two miles west of Congresbury (going towards Weston-super-Mare) turn left at Hewish, signed Puxton and brown tourist sign for Holy Saviour Church. (If approaching from M5 J21 stay on A370 at first Puxton sign and turn right at Garden Park Garden Centre). On entering Puxton turn right at the signpost (to Hewish and Weston-super-Mare) and park on the left after the church path. Please keep off the soft verges. A walk around Avon Wildlife Trust’s Puxton Moor reserve. Flat with two stiles (can be by-passed). Can be uneven, muddy and wet. A mixture of grazed pasture (likely to be cattle), reed-lined ditches, mature hedgerows, and river; hopefully with birds to match, and with early season dragonflies.
Saturday 23 May – Watercress Farm, Wraxall – inc Young Persons Leader: Alastair Fraser
Meet at 09:30. Watercress Farm is a rewilding project. The site includes rough pasture, formerly arable fields,
woodland and a small river. Uneven underfoot, no stiles, can be muddy in places, one small incline. From Bristol take the Clevedon Road B3130 towards Wraxall. Pass the gatehouse to Belmont Estate on your right then a sign for Wraxall on the left. 200 metres further on there is a sign to Watercress Farm on the left. Go down the farm lane to the car park. From the opposite direction, pass through Wraxall and the turn off is on the right about half a mile from the village.
Tuesday 26 May – Priors Wood, Portbury Leader: Judy Copeland
Meet in Station Road in Portbury village for a walk through Priors Wood, Please do not park in The Priory pub car park. This extensive and attractive woodland, part of which is an Avon Wildlife Trust reserve, should provide plenty of bird song. Some hills, could be slippery, one avoidable steep hill with steps going up it.
Sunday 31 May – RSPB Ham Wall/Shapwick Heath Leader: Peter A Bryant
Meet at 09:00 in the RSPB Ham Wall car park at Ashcott Corner. From the middle of Meare Village on the B3151 Wedmore to Glastonbury road, take the minor road south with a brown signpost to the Nature Reserve. After approximately one mile the car park is situated on the left just after the Railway Inn and the drain11 bridge. NB – not the Shapwick car park, which is on the other side of the road. Level walking but may be muddy in places (boots or wellies recommended). Parking charges apply for non-RSPB members; RSPB members are exempt (place membership card in the windscreen). This is usually the best time of the year in the Avalon Marshes. We hope to see Bitterns, Hobbies, egrets, Cuckoo, and a big selection of warblers. We aim to finish at 13:00.
Tuesday 02 June – Newton St Loe Leader: Robert Hargreaves
Meet at the Church, Newton St. Loe. Turn off the A4 Bristol to Bath Road at the Globe Public House roundabout, take second exit, continue up the hill taking the first right then first right again towards the Church. A walk through woodland, open countryside in and around the Bath Spa University. Could be muddy in parts. Mainly level
Sunday 07 June – Portbury Wharf Leader: Jane Cumming: Tel: 07886 441438
Meet at 09:30. From the M5 Junction 19 Gordano, take the A369 to Bristol (rather than the Portishead Road) then use the right-hand lane to Portbury village. At the bend to the left, check oncoming traffic and go straight on, then turn right to park on Station Road (not the pub car park). We will walk over the M5 on the footbridge to the end of Station Road (where the X4 Portishead bus from Bristol stops). A circular walk out to Portbury Wharf all on lanes and public footpaths.
Tuesday 09 June – Yeo Valley Leader: Beth Yates
Park in the newly created car park in Nordrach Lane. Take B3134 from Burrington at Nordrach. Take the road from Chew Valley Lake toward Harptree Hill. After one mile turn right signposted Cheddar/Weston-super-Mare Nordrach Lane. Carry on this road until you see car park on the right-hand side. The route is entirely on the relatively new Yeo Valley Walk. Approximately four miles on a wide easy path with no stiles. It is mainly flat but there are a couple of short downhill sections that can be slippery, especially after rain.
Tuesday 16 June – Clevedon/Walton Common and Coast Path (Picnic Walk) Leader: Robin Martin
Meet on the triangle opposite the gateway to Clevedon Golf Club. Turn off B3124 to the road going north-west between Clevedon School playing fields. At the top of the hill park in The Avenue. Some steep hills with climbs, tricky walking and some uneven paths. If weather is bad, we could return to cars by 13.30
Sunday 21 June – Pilning Wetlands Leader: Robin Martin
Meet at 9.30. A walk for all members, families and students, from New Passage along the Severn Way embankment to Pilning Wetland pools and back the same way. The birds should be constantly changing as the tide drops to expose more mud. We will be looking for ducks, waders, and early migrants. Where the B4055 Easter Compton/Pilning road meets the A403 Avonmouth road, take the B4064 west through Redwick village to a mini roundabout where you go right to New Passage. Park at the end near Caroline Cottage, if you can keep the road clear enough to allow bin lorries through, or park discreetly further back and walk. Please let the leader know if you intend to join us
Tuesday 23 June – East Harptree Leaders: Caron Thornton-Trippit and Graham Blacker
Meet in the Forestry Commission car park. Turn off the B3114 towards East Harptree. At the top off the road turn left then immediately right on Middle Street. Carry on this road for around 1½ miles. The car park (not signposted) will be on the right 200 yards past Nettwood Farm. Some hills and stiles can be muddy and wet in the coombe and can be challenging.
Saturday 27 and Sunday 28 June – Peregrine Watch Leader: Gareth Roberts
Join club members at our annual event on Clifton Downs watching the Avon Gorge Peregrines, and hopefully the recently fledged juveniles as they learn their flying and hunting skills. We will be by the Peregrine Watch
noticeboard on Circular Road from 09:00 to 17:00 each day. If you have the time, you can volunteer to help out, no expertise needed