Category: Club Holidays

Friday 03 – Sunday 05 November – South Devon Weekend Leader: Jane Cumming

Seventeen BOC members braved the aftermath of Storm ‘Ciaron’ which had passed through on the previous day. Friday: Our first stop on the way down was at Steps Bridge, about ten miles south west of Exeter. Unfortunately, not many birds were around, but we saw three Goldcrests together in the trees. Goosander and Magpie were also seen. Undeterred, we continued…

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Pembrokeshire, 17 – 21 April. Leader: Colin Hunt

Eleven car sharing members were based in Freshwater East west of Tenby, weather often chilly but dry. First stop on our way was Llanelli Wetlands Centre, Slimbridge-inspired with large areas of pool, reed and scrub close to the coast. Sightings (excluding the many foreign water fowl!) included 300 plus Black-tailed Godwits, 30 plus Knot, Lapwings, Greenshank, a juvenile? Long-tailed Duck…

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Club Holiday to North-east Poland 3 – 11 May – Leader William Earp

A comprehensive 44 page report can be found at – Full Trip Report This much postponed trip, originally scheduled for 2020, finally took place this year. Seven Club members, plus a welcome addition from the North-east Norfolk Bird Club, were met by eminent Polish naturalist and conservationist Marek Borkowski at Warsaw Chopin Airport, and immediately taken to a park close…

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Monday 17 to Friday 21 October – Lulworth Cove Leader: Alastair Fraser

Day One: Our first day’s bird walk was to Morden Bog a NNR in Wareham forest, a remnant of Dorset’s once extensive heathland. We walked along a sunken footpath lined with oaks and pines, opening out into a heathland of birch, gorse, and sedge tussocks. Fungi were plentiful including Fleecy Milkcap, False Chanterelle, Russula brittle stem, Sulphur Tuft, Boletus, Amanita…

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Saturday 19 – 22 February – Cornwall weekend Leader: Jane Cumming

Our group of 13 was based near St Just. Day one started at Hayle’s Carnsew Pool, showing Goosander, Red-breasted Merganser, Greenshank, Sinensis Cormorants with extensive white head areas, and Little Grebes; another visit added Shags. At Hayle Estuary, we saw Shelduck, Wigeon, Teal, Goosander and Red-breasted Merganser, Oystercatcher, Lapwing, Grey and Ringed Plover, Curlew, Dunlin, Redshank, Common and Yellow-legged Gull,…

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Scotland 04 -11 May – Glenloy

Eleven club members joined this trip which was centred around the Fort William area of north west Scotland. We stayed at Glenloy Lodge which had very peaceful surrounding and a bonus in the form of two Pine Martins which would visit in the evenings to feed on snacks put out by our host Jon. We were incredibly privileged to be…

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Club Weekend, 15 – 18 February – Cornwall Leader: Jane Cumming

We were 15 participants, based at Bosavern House just below St Just. Weather generally fine and relatively mild with some strong winds, and overcast. As tradition dictates, we stopped in Hayle for pasties and scouted Copperhouse Creek, dockside Carnsew Pool, and Ryan’s Field RSPB reserve and the estuary bay, getting over 20 wetland species including Mediterranean Gulls (one pair posturing…

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Sunday 09 – Thursday 13 September – Pelagic trip to Spain and Asturias Organised by Jane Cumming

Day 1; Sunday 9 September We met up with the group by the Downs Water Tower in Bristol and boarded the coach to Plymouth. We got to the Ferry Terminal in the afternoon and our tour guide, Paul Burley was waiting for us. We then boarded the Brittany Ferries, Pont-Aven for the overnight sailing to Santander. Day 2; Monday 10…

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Friday 15 – Monday 18 June – Anglesey Leaders: Keith Williams and Alastair Fraser

After a pleasant journey spotting numerous Buzzards, several Kestrels, and of course the occasional Red Kite as we entered Wales, we arrived at Gronant near Prestatyn. Here on the beach is a breeding colony of Little Terns but sadly only the day before, due to a severe gale causing a tidal surge, the colony had been devastated. There were plenty…

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Friday 24 – Sunday 26 November – South Devon weekend Leader: Jane Cumming

Based at Hope Cove – 20 members; weather – squally with periods of bright sunshine interspersed with showers, driven by a blustery NW wind. Species total: 90 Day 1: We started at Matford Marsh, an informal newish reserve for flood relief between main roads just south of Exeter, to look for an American Wigeon – not there; though Eurasian Wigeon,…

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07 to 14 May – Wild Herzegovina

Club Trip:  7-14 May – Wild Herzegovina                                                           Leader: Denis Bohm Rock Partridge   We arrived in Dubrovnik, Croatia on 7 May and drove across the border into Bosnia-Herzegovina. A three-hour drive took us to picturesque Mostar (although many of the buildings still show chunks missing and peppered shrapnel holes from the brutal war this town endured in the 1990s).…

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Norfolk 24 to 27 February

The first club trip I went on was to Norfolk and it was one of the best weekends I ever spent. This one more than lived up to the previous high standard. The weather was kinder to us than the forecasts predicted. We got a bit wet on Saturday, Sunday was windy but sunny and Monday’s storm hit us on…

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21 – 28 April. The Isles of Scilly

After threats of unusually low tides and easterly gales, the majority of the group set sail very early in the morning on the notoriously unstable Scillonian. As it turned out, we were pleasantly surprised to experience the calmest of seas you could hope for! Others joined later having taking the shorter route of flying to the small airport on St…

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