DATE: Sunday 16th June 2024

 

TIME: 09.00am to 1.00pm

 

WALK LEADER: Janice Darch

 

BOOKING REQUIRED: The maximum number of participants is 15. Please remember to sign up with Janice if you would like to come on the walk by emailing her on janicedarch@gmail.com before 5.00pm Friday 14th June.

 

MEETING POINT: NWT Hickling Broad & Marshes car-park. 

 

PARKING AND SITE INFORMATION: Park at NWT Hickling Broad & Marshes car-park, NR12 0BW. The grid reference is TG 428222. Please bring your NWT membership card or be prepared to pay for entry. Website for further info:  https://www.norfolkwildlifetrust.org.uk/wildlife-in-norfolk/nature-reserves/reserves/hickling-broad-and-marshes

 

DISTANCE: About 2½  miles

 

ACCESSIBILITY: Walking is easy but it is partially along uneven footpaths. As such, this event isn’t suitable for wheelchair users but please do contact us on nenbc@aol.co.uk to see which of our events can currently accommodate wheelchair users or could be adapted to do so. 

 

FACILITIES: The  NWT Visitor Centre will be  open. It has a small cafe, shop, picnic tables and toilets . 

 

STAR STATUS:  This walk is not within the NENBC recording area so the bird species you see or hear won’t be able to count towards your personal NENBC Star Badges (Bronze, Silver, Gold or Platinum awards based on the number of species you have seen or heard in the club area).

 

GOING GREEN!: This walk is out of the club area so species seen can’t count towards your Eco-badges for birding without the use of motorised transport but if you are able to walk or cycle to the start point from home, or even use public transport, that would be fantastic! Alternatively, car-sharing is encouraged. We are working on a way to best facilitate this but in the meantime, have a chat with folks at any of our events and contact them by email via the member page of our website to arrange something for next time.

 

WALK DESCRIPTION: A summer visit to Hickling should provide us with good views of warblers such as Sedge and Reed Warblers which will be breeding in the reedbeds and maybe something rarer like Grasshopper or Savi’s Warbler. Bearded Tit should be bouncing around. Terns and gulls will be on the scrapes and Marsh Harrier overhead. Something rarer may be visible too such as Black-winged Stilt, seen in June 2023. It is also a good time of year to spot Swallowtail and other species of butterfly, damselflies and dragonflies. It is a good site for Norfolk Chaser.

 

ADDITIONAL NOTES: Binoculars are recommended to gain full enjoyment from your birding. The leader will carry a telescope for her personal use only so if you would like to use one during the walk please bring your own along. It could be very useful at this site. Stout footwear is recommended as paths may be slippery or muddy particularly after rain. Young people aged 16 and 17 are welcome to attend unaccompanied with prior written consent from a parent or guardian who has also supplied a phone number where they can be contacted in an emergency but children under 16 must be accompanied by an adult at all times. Sorry no dogs except guide dogs. Please respect social distancing on the walk when appropriate for current conditions and preference of participants.

DATE: Wednesday 19th June 2024

TIME: 9.00am to 11:00am

WALK LEADER: Trevor Williams

NO BOOKING REQUIRED: It is always nice to know if you are coming via nenbc@aol.co.uk but by no means essential so if it takes your fancy on the day, please just turn up as we would love to see you!

MEETING POINT: National Trust Main Car Park, Felbrigg Park [Postcode: NR11 8PP will get you to the main entrance | what3words: denoting.reminds.bags for the car park | Grid Reference: TG197394 for the car park]

PARKING AND SITE INFORMATION: [Website - https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/felbrigg-hall-gardens-and-estate]. Although access to the grounds is free to all and parking is free in the main car park for National Trust [NT] members with their machine-validated membership card, a parking fee is payable via the machines for non-NT members (£5 per vehicle). At time of writing, Sexton’s Lodge car park at the western end of the estate however remains free to all users and you can walk up from there along the internal estate road to our start point (about 10 mins). Do check out the NT website nearer the time though in case of any changes to their arrangements, including the free car parking at the Lodge.

DISTANCE: Approximately 2-mile circular walk

ACCESSIBILITY: The walk is usually ‘off-road’ along dirt footpaths and tracks, across fields, through woods and can include a few stairs by the lake. As such, this event isn’t suitable for wheelchair users but please do contact us on nenbc@aol.co.uk to see which of our events can currently accommodate wheelchair users or could be adapted to do so.

FACILITIES: Toilets and café facilities available at Felbrigg Hall.

WALK DESCRIPTION: This walk caters for all levels of birding ability so come and give us a try! We are a friendly bunch and always pleased to have folk join us whether they are NENBC members or not. We take a leisurely walk around the park and lake, route dependent on the local bird and other wildlife recently reported or likely to be present on the day. We regularly see over 40 bird species on an average walk and even on the worst of days more than 30.

STAR STATUS: This walk is within the NENBC recording area so any bird species you see or hear can all count towards your personal NENBC Star Badges (Bronze, Silver, Gold or Platinum awards based on the number of species you have personally seen or heard in the club area and recorded on our website since becoming a member).

GOING GREEN!: If you are able to walk or cycle to the start point from home, that would be fantastic, and as the walk is within the NENBC recording area, all the birds you see or hear can contribute to your personal NENBC Eco-badges (Green or Super-Green)! The Weavers’ Way and many other public footpaths bisect the park, as does the regional cycle route formerly named route 30. Bicycle racks are also available in the main car park. Felbrigg village and Aylmerton are also served by public transport, but buses are not frequent and unfortunately unlikely to fit with walk timings. Alternatively, car-sharing is encouraged. We are working on a way to best facilitate this but in the meantime, have a chat with folks at any of our events and contact them by email via the member page of our website to arrange something for next time.

ADDITIONAL NOTES: Binoculars are always recommended to gain full enjoyment from your birding. We don’t specifically carry a telescope on the walk unless one of our regulars brings theirs as it usually isn’t necessary but if you’d like to use one, please bring one along. Stout footwear is advised as paths may be slippery or muddy any time of year, particularly after rain. Young people aged 16 and 17 are welcome to attend unaccompanied with prior written consent from a parent or guardian who has also supplied a phone number where they can be contacted in an emergency but children under 16 must be accompanied by an adult at all times. Sorry no dogs except guide dogs. When appropriate for prevailing conditions and preference of participants, please respect social distancing when requested.