Beginners’ Birdwatching

Do you love birds but need a bit of help identifying them?

About the event

Learn out how to identify birds on this introductory course.  The day begins with an indoor morning session to give you an overview of Britain’s birds. This will include a closer look at some of the more important bird families and the markings and features to look for when you are trying to identify a bird.  Advice will be given on the places where you can go to see birds and recommendations for equipment and books.

After lunch, we will spend a few hours out and about at Sevenoaks Wildlife Reserve*, where we will learn how to use binoculars and telescopes.  We will look for and find the birds that may be present in woods and scrub and in the lakes and lake margins.  We will practice spotting markings and other characteristics that help with identification, and listen out for songs and calls and learn to identify one or two species by sound alone.

If you love birds but need a bit of help knowing how to find and identify them, then this course is for you.

By the end of the course it is expected that you will know more about:

• The key features that help separate one bird from another
• The importance of songs and calls
• Good places and habitats to find birds in Kent
• Use of binoculars and other equipment

Led by Richard Moyse, Richard Moyse. Bird-watcher, botanist & entomologist with more than 35 years’ experience studying and conserving wildlife in Kent.

Suitable for beginners and improvers

*Please note that the actual 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.

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 parkingcharges@kentwildlife.org.uk 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.