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.
Thursday 18 September speaker – Andre Farrar, ‘Stepping Up for Birds’ will be at the Newman Hall.
Field Meetings.
Tuesday 22 July – Stockhill Woods (Picnic): Leader: Graham Blacker
Meet in the main car park off the B3134. This is a wonderful well looked-after coniferous woodland within the Mendip Hills and can prove immensely popular. Two stiles. Target birds will be woodland and heath species.
Sunday July 27 Pilning Wetlands/New Passage: Leader:Jane Cumming
Walk from the foreshore at 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 from the 10:00 high tide to expose more mud. We will be looking for ducks and waders, so bring a telescope if you have one. 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 dead end if you can keep
the road clear enough to allow bin lorries through, or park discreetly further up the road and walk – please car-share if possible. Meet at 09:30 where the Severnside promenade turns east inland along the Chessell Pill at ST 545864.
Tuesday 29 July – Clevedon/Walton Common and Coast Path (Picnic Walk): Leader: Robin Martin
Picnic Walk: 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.
Saturday 02 August – Watercress Farm, (Belmont Estate) Wraxall: Leader Alastair Fraser
Watercress Farm is a rewilding project. The site includes rough pasture, formerly arable fields, woodland and a small river. No stiles, uneven underfoot, 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 meters 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 ½ mile from the village. Meet at 09:30.
Tuesday 05 August – Gordano Valley Leader: Geoff Harris.
Meet halfway along Moor Lane, Walton-in-Gordano, being a left turn off the B3124 travelling on the Portishead to Clevedon Road. Park in the lane but please do not obstruct farm gates. A circular walk with one steep hill and a few stiles. Pasture, woodland and crosses the Gordano Valley. Could be muddy after rain.
Saturday 09 August – Blagdon Lake Leader: Beth Yates
Meet at 09:00 by the south end of the dam at the fishing lodge. A there and back again walk from the lodge to the top end (4.2 miles), finishing at 13:00. There may be an option of a longer, full circuit, finishing about 13:30. Will be confirmed by email before the walk. Please purchase a permit from the Bristol Water website or from Woodford Lodge before attending. The permit can be used to visit the hides at Chew Valley Lake in the afternoon.
Tuesday 12 August – Clevedon Pill/Wains Hill (Poets Walk) Leader: Jane Cumming
Park along the road between The Salt House and Little Harp pubs and meet on the promenade behind the Salt House. We will walk over Wains Hill and around Clevedon Pill – two and a half miles if there is a lot to see or nearly four miles if we decide to do the whole circuit via Dowlais Farm.
Saturday 16 August – Clevedon Pill Leader: Jane Cumming
Meet at 10:00 at the end of Old Church Road by the gate to the allotments. Park in nearby side streets. We will walk around Clevedon Pill and out to Dowlais and back, with an option for the energetic to circle around and return along the Blind Yeo. The short version of the walk is three miles and level, but may be muddy in parts after rain. High tide at Clevedon is at 12:30 so we shall have plenty of time to stroll down to the roost on the River Kenn. Bring
a telescope if you can, for gull and wader viewing.
Tuesday 19 August – Wraxall Leader: Jean Oliver
A new Tuesday walk for the BOC. Meet in the National Trust car park at Tyntesfield (charge for non NT members) Walk mainly across fields one stile plus one incline. Always a possibility of mud.
Tuesday 26 August – Winterbourne Leader Peter Bryant
Meet on the grass triangle at the end of Swan Lane next to the Swan Pub. From Winterbourne village centre CoOp continue north 0.6 miles along the B4058. Park on any side street in the area. We will walk over farmland, taking in Bradley Brook and Monks Pool local nature reserves. There are a couple of short sections of road, 10 stiles and 1 hill to climb. A new route for the BOC and a new Tuesday walks leader.
Wednesday 27 August – family walk – Pilning Wetlands/New Passage Leader:Robin Martin
A walk for families and student members, 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 from the 10:34 high tide to expose more mud. We will be looking for ducks, waders, and early Autumn 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 dead end if you can keep the road clear enough to allow bin lorries through, or park discreetly further up the road and walk. The 08:46 train from Temple Meads arrives at Severn Beach 09:24, 1.2 mile walk along the prom. Meet at 10:00 where the Severnside promenade turns east inland along the Chessell Pill. Please let the leader know if you intend to join us.
Sunday 31 August – Sodbury Common Leader: Peter Bryant
As parking is not permitted on the common, we will meet on Hatters’ Lane (next to the allotments) at the edge of Chipping Sodbury at 09:00 where roadside parking is available. We will mainly be looking out for raptors, summer migrants and resident passerines on this bushy common (which has a reputation as a rarity hotspot). Bring a ’scope if you have one to get the best views of small birds at a distance. The common is uneven underfoot with possible standing water after heavy rainfall; it can also be very hot with little cover in warm weather. Cattle are likely to be free roaming. There are no stiles or gateways