01/01/2025

On the first Monday of the month I lead Ladybirders (a guided birdwatching walk for ladies) for Essex Wildlife Trust at The Naze. For dates, further details and bookings please contact the Centre team on 01255 679379.

01/01/2025

On alternate Wednesdays I lead Ladybirders (a guided birdwatching walk for ladies) for Essex Wildlife Trust at Fingringhoe Wick nature reserve. For dates, further details and bookings please contact the Centre team on 01206 729678.

01/01/2025

Guided walks last 2.5 hours (unless otherwise stated) and finish with refreshments back at the cars. Group size is a maximum of 8 (plus me as leader).
Booking in advance is essential on all walks please.
If you are booked and have to cancel within 2 weeks of the day (or fail to attend) it will incur the full charge if I'm unable to fill your place.

19/12/2025

Friday 19th December 10am – 1pm Old Hall Marshes RSPB
(£15 per person). Meet in the reserve car park at the far end of Old Hall Lane, Tolleshunt D’Arcy CM9 8TP. TL959122. From the B1026 take Chapel Road/Back Road and turn in to Old Hall Lane, which is quite a narrow lane. Drive to the far end, over the speed bumps round the gardens/cottages, through the metal gates, over the cattle grid and follow signs to the car park (open 9am-5pm Mon-Fri). The walk is approx 3 miles (the short circuit!) over uneven ground, including the seawall.
Species we’ll be hoping to see include: marsh harrier, waders (eg avocet, black tailed godwit, golden plover), brent geese, wigeon, teal, bearded tit, peregrine, merlin, hen harrier possible.
Booking in advance is essential please.

30/12/2025

Tuesday 30th December 10am – 12.30pm Walton Channel
(£15 per person). Meet opposite the turning to Walton Lifestyles/Columbine Centre on
Princes Esplanade (B1034) in Walton on the Naze, CO14 8PZ where there is free parking. We’ll walk through to join the seawall along the Walton Channel overlooking the Walton Backwaters and Walton Hall Marshes. There’s the option to join me for lunch (not included) afterwards at The Social Kitchen food bar in Island Lane, Kirby le Soken.
Species we’ll be hoping to see include: curlew, black tailed and bar tailed godwits, avocet, stonechat, reed bunting, skylark, little egret, brent geese, marsh harrier, common buzzard.
Booking in advance is essential please.

01/01/2026

NEW YEAR SPECIAL 1
Thursday 1st January 9am – 4pm Abberton Res & Fingringhoe Wick
(£30 per person). Meet at the north (reserve) end of Layer de la Haye Causeway (there’s plenty of parking along the causeway) – B1026 - Church Road/Wigborough Road. Depending on the weather and latest bird news, we’ll probably view from the Causeways, Lodge Lane and Wigborough Bay; and after lunch drive to Fingringhoe Wick EWT, South Green Road CO5 7DN. Please bring a packed lunch.
Species we’ll be hoping to see include: greater & lesser scaup, goosander, smew, goldeneye, slavonian grebe, Bewick’s swan, great white egret, little stint; brent goose, waders (eg godwits, avocet, grey plover), marsh harrier, red breasted merganser, water rail, kingfisher. Let’s see if we can reach 100 species for the day!
Booking in advance is essential please.

03/01/2026

NEW YEAR SPECIAL 2
Saturday 3rd January 10am – 4pm The Naze & Holland Haven
(£30 per person). Meet in the pay & display car park near the EWT visitor centre in Old Hall Lane, Walton on the Naze, CO14 8LE. TM264235. Drive through Walton and then follow Hall Lane, Naze Park Road and Old Hall Lane to the end! The car park is on the right. The plan is to walk through the scrub and along the beach to Stone Point (approx. 5 miles); and after lunch drive to Holland Haven Country Park, off the B1032 between Gt Holland and Holland on Sea, nearest postcode CO15 5UB. Please bring a packed lunch.
Species we’ll be hoping to see include: goldcrest, firecrest, brent goose (with black brant & pale bellied race), waders (eg turnstone, purple sandpiper, bar tailed godwit, avocet, ringed plover), common scoter, merlin, stonechat, wigeon, teal, rock pipit.
Booking in advance is essential.

07/01/2026

Wednesday 7th January 10am – 12.30pm Alton Water
(£15 per person). Meet in the pay & display car park by Tattingstone Wonder IP9 2PB (£3 for the day via phone call). From the A137 take Stutton Lane and then turn left into Church Road. The small car park is on your right, opposite The Wonder.
Species we’ll be hoping to see include: great crested grebe, goldeneye, goosander, fieldfare, redwing, goldcrest, coal tit, yellowhammer, brambling and lesser redpoll possible, great white egret, kingfisher.
Booking in advance is essential please.

16/01/2026

Friday 16th January 10am – 4pm Abberton Reservoir & Copt Hall
(£30 per person). Meet at the north (reserve) end of Layer de la Haye Causeway (there’s plenty of parking along the causeway) – B1026 - Church Road/Wigborough Road. Depending on the weather and the latest bird news, we’ll probably view from the Causeways and Wigborough Bay; and after lunch drive to Copt Hall, Little Wigborough CO5 7RD. Please bring a packed lunch.
Species we’ll be hoping to see include: pintail, goldeneye, goosander, smew, scaup, great white egret, kingfisher, marsh harrier, peregrine, scarcer species possible; fieldfare, yellowhammer, brent geese, red breasted merganser, hen harrier, barn owl, short eared owl possible.
Booking in advance is essential please.

17/01/2026

On Saturday 17th January 9.30am - 3.30pm I'm leading a Winter Birdwatching Workshop at Fingringhoe Wick for EWT. This will include a classroom session looking at some of the species we hope to see, followed by a short guided walk; then after lunch (not included) we'll head out for another guided walk round the reserve and see how many species we can find. For further details and booking please contact the Centre Team on 01206 729678.

20/01/2026

Tuesday 20th January 10am – 12.30pm Alresford Creek
(£15 per person). Parking/meet near the memorial by the ruins of St Peter’s church in Ford Lane, Alresford. Nearest postcode is CO7 8AZ. TM064206. We’ll walk a circuit across the fields to the River Colne and along Alresford Creek (approx 3 miles).
Species we’ll be hoping to see include: wigeon, teal, red breasted merganser, waders (eg avocet, godwits, curlew, knot), marsh harrier, common buzzard, great spotted woodpecker, yellowhammer, linnet, brambling possible.
Booking in advance is essential please.

30/01/2026

Friday 30th January 10am – 4pm North Warren/Aldeburgh
(£30 per person). Meet in the pay & display car park in Thorpe Road, Aldeburgh IP16 4NR (near the ‘Scallop’ on the beach) for a “Wild Goose Chase”. We’ll explore part of North Warren RSPB reserve, lunch at Thorpeness Meare (where there are toilets and hopefully free roadside parking), and then drive south through Aldeburgh to Fort Green pay & display car park (where there are toilets), IP15 5DE and walk part of Town Marshes. Please bring a packed lunch.
Species we’ll be hoping to see include: white fronted goose, barnacle goose, brent goose, shoveler, pintail, marsh harrier; scarcer species possible eg bean goose, spoonbill, water pipit, snow bunting, divers or seaduck offshore.
Booking in advance is essential please.

04/02/2026

On Wednesday 4th February at 10.15am I'll be giving an illustrated talk entitled "Essex Diary" to Colne Probus Group.

05/02/2026

Thursday 5th February 10am – 4pm Wallasea Island RSPB
(£30 per person). Meet in the reserve car park at the far end of Creeksea Ferry Road, Canewdon, SS4 2HD. TQ955945. There is a toilet on site; and a number of trails and viewing screens. Please bring a packed lunch.
Species we’ll be hoping to see include: brent geese, wigeon, teal, shoveler, pintail, short eared owl, marsh harrier, hen harrier, avocet, golden plover, black tailed godwit, stonechat, corn bunting, water pipit.
Booking in advance is essential please.

09/02/2026

Monday 9th February 10am – 12.30pm Cockaynes Wood EWT
(£15 per person). Access is off Alresford Road, between Wivenhoe and Alresford – park and meet in the lane just north of the railway leading east. TM052216. This reserve is jointly managed by Essex Wildlife Trust and Cockaynes Wood Trust and has a mix of habitats – heath, grassland, woodland and ponds.
Species we’ll be hoping to see include: mistle thrush, fieldfare, redwing, treecreeper, coal tit, yellowhammer, great spotted woodpecker, common buzzard, siskin, lesser redpoll and brambling possible; also scarlet elf cup fungi.
Booking in advance is essential please.

11/02/2026

On Wednesday 11th February at 10am I'll be giving an illustrated talk to Strood Probus Group.

12/02/2026

On Thursday 12th February at 7.30pm I'll be giving an illustrated talk entitled "Secret Water" to Thorpe le Soken WI.

13/02/2026

I'll be joining Fellowship Afloat (Tollesbury) again 13-15 February to help lead their Winter Birding Weekend. For further details please visit their website at www.fact.org.uk.

17/02/2026

Tuesday 17th February 10am – 1pm Tollesbury Wick EWT
(£15 per person). Meet in the free car park in Woodrolfe Road, Tollesbury CM9 8SE. It’s then a few minutes’ walk to the nature reserve.
Species we’ll be hoping to see include: brent geese, wigeon, teal, shoveler, gadwall, pintail, red breasted merganser, waders (eg avocet, godwits, golden plover), marsh harrier, barn owl, short eared owl, stonechat, scarcer grebes and divers possible.
Booking in advance is essential please.

19/02/2026

On Thursday 19th February at 2.15pm I'll be giving an illustrated talk entitled "An Essex Wildlife Diary" to the Royal British Legion Witham Women's Section.

20/02/2026

Friday 20th February 9.30am – 4pm Minsmere RSPB
(£30 per person + £10 reserve entry or bring RSPB membership card). Meet in the reserve car park. TM473672. IP17 3BY. The plan is to do the coast circuit (c2 miles), have lunch in the car park, and then do the Island Mere circuit (c2 miles). Please bring a packed lunch.
Species we’ll be hoping to see include: marsh harrier, bittern, bearded tit, marsh tit, treecreeper, nuthatch, siskin, redpoll, water pipit, whooper swan, yellow legged and Caspian gull; otter possible.
Booking in advance is essential please.

25/02/2026

Wednesday 25th February 10am – 12.30pm Shut Heath Wood EWT
(£15 per person). Meet in the off-road parking area for the nature reserve at TL855131. From Braxted Park Road take Tiptree Road through Gt Braxted village. Where the woodland ends there is a hidden turning on the right just before the junction with Braxted Road. Drive through the gateway and there is room for several cars to park at the edge of the track. The nearest postcode is CM8 3ED, but satnav may have trouble finding the car park! Paths are likely to be muddy!
Species we’ll be hoping to see include: green, great spotted and lesser spotted woodpeckers, treecreeper, nuthatch, mistle thrush, fieldfare, goldcrest, common buzzard, woodcock possible.
Booking in advance is essential please.

27/02/2026

Friday 27th February 10am – 1pm Old Hall Marshes RSPB
(£15 per person). Meet in the reserve car park at the far end of Old Hall Lane, Tolleshunt D’Arcy CM9 8TP. TL959122. From the B1026 take Chapel Road/Back Road and turn in to Old Hall Lane, which is quite a narrow lane. Drive to the far end, over the speed bumps round the gardens/cottages, through the metal gates, over the cattle grid and follow signs to the car park (open 9am-5pm Mon-Fri). The walk is approx 3 miles (the short circuit!) over uneven ground, including the seawall.
Species we’ll be hoping to see include: marsh harrier, brent goose, waders (eg curlew, avocet, black tailed godwit, golden plover), red breasted merganser, barn owl, bearded tit; hen harrier possible.
Booking in advance is essential please.

02/03/2026

On Monday 2nd March at 7.30pm I'll be giving an illustrated talk entitled "Spring is Sprung" to Great Leighs WI.