Beginners’ Birdwatching - Winter

About the event

An introduction to finding and identifying birds, by both sight and sound, with particular emphasis on the birds present at Sevenoaks Wildlife Reserve* at this time of year. This introductory course will be delivered through a combination of indoor and outdoor sessions.   

The indoor sessions will take place in Oak Lodge**, a cottage close to the visitor centre at Sevenoaks Wildife Reserve. 

An indoor morning session will cover:

• What to look for when identifying birds.
• The purpose of birds songs and calls, and tips for remembering the commoner ones.
• An introduction to the birds to be found on Sevenoaks reserve at this time of year. 
• Choosing and using binoculars.

An outdoor morning session will try to find and identify some of the birds discussed earlier.

After lunch there will be a further indoor session to cover:

• What we found easy/hard in identifying birds this morning.
• Bird migration with emphasis on the birds overwintering at the reserve.
• Where to watch birds in the local area.
• Recommendations for apps, books, websites etc.

A further (optional) outdoor session.

By the end of the session participants will know more about:

1. The key features that can be used to identify birds.
2. The importance of songs and calls
3. Bird migration.
4. Places to find birds in the local area.
5. Selection and use of binoculars.
6. Other resources available to improve your birdwatching. 

Suitable for beiginners and improvers

Led by Peter Smart. Experienced local birdwatcher. Walk leader and survey organiser for the RSPB Bromley Local Group. Also, an ambassador for the BTO Garden Birdwatch Survey.

*Parking charges apply at Sevenoaks Wildlife Reserve car park but this is included with your ticket if you book at least 72 hours in advance. To receive free parking you must email the correct number plate of the car you will be using to [email protected] at least 72 hours before the event start time. Please include the date of the event you have booked and the name the booking was made in as part of your email. If you are booking within 72 hours of the event, or do not confirm your number plate by this time, you will need to pay for parking on the day.

**The indoor venue for this course is Oak Lodge, a cottage close to the visitor centre at Sevenoaks Wildife Reserve.  If you look directly at the visitor centre and then go right, you will see a large circular sign on the front of Oak Lodge itself. See also google maps for the location of Oak Lodge.