RSPB Hemel Hempstead Local Group

02/09/2026

Our next outing is a car share trip on Thursday 10 September to Farmoor Reservoir and RSPB Otmoor, both near Oxford.
Farmoor Reservoir is a large man-made water storage site and is a premier spot for wildfowl, gulls, and rare migratory birds. It is also close to a number of nearby wetland habitats including Pinkmill, Shrike and Buckthorn meadows. Whereas, RSPB Otmoor provides a habitat for Lapwings, Redshanks, Snipe, and Curlew. A visitor trail around the large grazing marsh is home to wading birds and wildfowl all year round, but the facilities are limited to two viewing screens and a lookout tower.
Details can be found on our website, or please contact Axel.
Anyone is welcome to attend the monthly meetings and outings, whether experienced or a novice to birding, RSPB members or not.
More details to follow

02/09/2026

Just to remind you of our first talk of the season

29/08/2026

We'd have liked to show you photos of the clouded yellow butterflies we saw on our CWAG Survey of the Roughdowns this week but they flitted around too much. However we have one interesting photo and one quirky photo to share with you.
A Robin's Pin Cushion (Mossy Rose Gall Wasp), which is an harmless growth on a wild rose caused by a gall wasp. The adult wasp lays eggs in the buds during mid-summer. The eggs hatch into small white larvae that secrete chemicals that cause the abnormal growth.
The goat is waiting for a cool bath 😂 in the chalk pit in Lower Roughdown.
Photos courtesy of Jill Griffin

22/08/2026

This week on the CWAG survey of Sheethanger Common & Bury Wood, Jill Griffin managed to take a couple of photos of birds. A Mistle Thrush, one of several seen, and a Greater Spotted Woodpecker, one of a pair seen.

14/08/2026

Welcome back to our first talk of our new season and we've got a real treat for you with John Tyler talking about The World of Fungi. I'm sure there will be some wonderful photos too.

John has worked in nature conservation for over 25 years, first with the Ecological Parks Trust creating urban nature reserves for children to experience wildlife at first hand and then as the Warden of the Sevenoaks Wildlife Reserve in Kent. He is a former Fellow of the Royal Entomological Society and has a particular fondness for glow-worms. As well as wildlife, his interests include photography, prehistory, carving and coracles.

As well as being colourful, beautiful and edible (except for the ones that are deadly poisonous!), fungi are the ultimate recyclers and without them most of the world's habitats would soon collapse. This talk explores the diversity of the fungal kingdom, looks at their often bizarre lives and introduces some of those which can be found locally.

10/08/2026

Our Bovingdon Brickwork CWAG Survey excited us with Nature all around. Various photos attached

30/07/2026

Don't forget to put fresh clean water out daily and check whether it needs topping up. It's not only the birds who need it. Photos courtesy of Derek Griffin

22/07/2026

Today we have a few photos for you of birds in the garden and birds on our CWAG walks.

30/06/2026

30/06/2026

We have also published our yearly Newsletter and hope you enjoy reading it.