DATE: Saturday 7th June 2025

 

TIME: 9:00am to 3:30pm

 

WALK LEADER: Janice Darch

 

BOOKING REQUIRED: So that we don’t monopolise car parks or take over at smaller locations, we ask for advance bookings on some of our walks and limit the group size to 15. Please remember to sign up with Janice if you would like to come on this one by emailing her on janicedarch@gmail.com before 5.00pm Friday 5th June.

WALK DESCRIPTION: After seeing the Stone Curlews at Weeting we will spend the rest of the day taking a leisurely stroll around Lakenheath where we have chances of good views of Bittern, Common Crane, Hobby, Cuckoo and Marsh Harrier plus several species of warbler, tit, finch and duck 

 

SUGGESTIONS: Bring packed lunch and plenty of fluid to drink. A sun hat and sun protection are recommended for Lakenheath and scopes are very useful there too.

 

MEETING POINT: Meet in the car park at NWT Weeting Heath reserve.

 

PARKING AND SITE INFORMATION: Initially park at NWT Weeting Heath car park, IP26 4NQ (OS Landranger 143, grid reference TL757 881). Following our visit to Weeting Heath we will drive the short distance to RSPB Lakenheath Fen reserve IP27 9AD (OS Landranger 143, grid reference TL 724 865). Allow one and a quarter hours to drive from North Norfolk to Weeting Heath. Please remember your NWT and RSPB membership cards to gain free entry. Non-member entrance fees are currently £4 at each site per person (some discounts available). For further information see Weeting Heath | Norfolk Wildlife Trust and Lakenheath Fen Nature Reserve, Suffolk - The RSPB

 

DISTANCE: About 3 miles or so.
 

ACCESSIBILITY: The footpaths are good at both sites so walking boots are ideal. There are only a few steps to walk at Weeting, from the car park to the hides, which are very close. Although some areas at Lakenheath are wheelchair accessible, we are also planning to cover some ground on footpaths which aren’t. Do please 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: Both reserves have toilets and sell a small range of refreshments in their visitor centres.
 

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 on this occasion (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 the bird species you see or hear 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 or message them 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 and if you want the added bonus of using a scope, please do bring your own along. 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.

We are hoping to have a club social event for members on the eve of our migration conference. No details yet and the times are approximate but save the date and we will get more info out as and when we have it.

To mark a decade of birdwatching, recording and conservation, a series of events to celebrate NENBC’s 10th Anniversary will be held through 2025, including a conference on the theme of bird migration - ‘Whose birds are these? - exploring Anglo-African bird migration’. 

On what is sure to be a fun and fascinating day, this once in a decade conference will showcase the latest research related to bird migration along the East Atlantic highway. The event will describe research around the threats our much-loved and familiar migrant birds face, such as habitat destruction, climate change and hunting. On a more positive note, we will see how the international conservation community is responding to protect our avian migrants and the part that we can play in their protection.

There will be a stellar line up of speakers from academia and environmental organisations, including Juliet Vickery, Chief Executive Officer of the BTO. We will also hear from Will Cresswell from St Andrew’s University and Wenceslas Gatarabirwa, Head of Flyway Conservation at the RSPB. The day will conclude with what is sure to be a lively panel discussion. There will also be opportunity for questions from the audience, so get your thinking caps on!

Thanks to our generous sponsor, the Leventis Foundation, the conference is a free event, with buffet lunch and refreshments provided. We are expecting high demand so this is a ticketed event, meaning it will not be possible to turn up on the day. Members can book a maximum of 2 places per household, and we will operate on a ‘first come first served’ basis. There will be a reserve list, for if any confirmed attendees find themselves unable to attend.

Link for booking will be in the February newsletter.

DATE: Wednesday 18th June 2025

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!

 

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.
 

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: 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. For further information see Felbrigg Hall, Gardens and Estate | Norfolk | National Trust
 

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.
 

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.