Nuneaton and District Birdwatching Club

17/04/2026

Thursday 16 April
Time: 7:30 PM
Location: Heritage Centre

We held our usual monthly meeting at the Heritage Centre, welcoming Dave Goldsmith as our guest speaker. Dave, a familiar face to the club, delivered an engaging and thoroughly enjoyable evening.
The first half of the talk focused on his macro photography, showcasing the detail and beauty of wildlife often overlooked. His enthusiasm as a naturalist really came through, and his use of Latin names kept us on our toes, reminding many of us there’s plenty more to learn beyond birds. It certainly sparked interest among members.
After a well-earned tea, coffee, and biscuits break, we moved into the second half, where Dave shifted more towards bird photography, which was particularly well received by the group.
Attendance was around 16 members. While slightly lower than hoped, the room felt comfortably filled and the atmosphere remained warm and sociable throughout.
Dave mentioned he is planning a future talk dedicated entirely to birds, which is something we can all look forward to. He is a relaxed and knowledgeable speaker, and we would happily recommend him to other groups.
The evening wrapped up with the raffle, with Myself and Bob taking prizes, while Brian once again came close but missed out.
We finished at around 9:30 PM, with a trip to the pub for a couple of pints.
Overall, a very enjoyable and successful evening.
Denis.

19/03/2026

Tonights Meeting March 19th 7.30 at the Heritage centre.
Passionate about Penguins.

Rodney Paul gives us a talk on these fascinating birds.
Here is a link to Rodneys website

About me... I have a keen interest in Antarctic history. Reading accounts of early expeditions to Antarctica was the catalyst for my desire to experience the unique region myself. I have a particular interest in Sir Ernest Shackleton and have been to many places associated with him. I have a detaile...

14/03/2026

Interesting 🤔

A rare case of Great Crested Grebes preying on Common Chiffchaffs in Spain has provided fresh insight into the opportunistic feeding behaviour of this waterbird species.

28/02/2026

All good stuff here 👍

This beautiful sunshine has us thinking ahead to the spring and the seasonal visitors that will soon be making their way to the UK.

Unfortunately many are now in decline with Swifts and House Martins joining the red list of globally threatened birds.

Organisations like House Martin Conservation UK & Ireland are doing what they can to monitor numbers and provide UK habitats and you can help.

Now is the time to look at installing nest boxes, join their Facebook group to track the first sightings in March/April, and download the House Martin Mapper app to contribute valuable data that will help combat their decline.

Find out more on their website https://housemartinconservation.com/house-martin-mapper-app

Which is your favourite seasonal visitor?

25/02/2026

Had this from House Martin Conservation come through by Email

Good Morning,

I hope you don't mind me getting in touch, but I am writing on behalf of the charity House Martin Conservation.

I have taken the liberty of attaching a short article that I was hoping you might consider appropriate for a forthcoming edition of your newsletter or bulletin?

It centres around our recording app, that has recently been improved and also includes some information on the charity which I thought some of your members might find of interest.



All the best
Russ Malin
On behalf of House Martin ConservationHouse Martin Conservation – Call for records

House Martin Conservation is an independent charity that aims to increase knowledge of the house martin and create a channel for support throughout the UK and Ireland.

The 2026 season sees the charity make a renewed call for all nesting records of this declining species.

In partnership with Coreo, House Martin Conservation have developed the ‘House Martin Mapper’ app. The app allows you to record details of yours, or other colonies, along with a facility to record mud collecting data.

Data is shared with Local Environmental Record Centres (LERCs), the National Biodiversity Network (NBN) Atlas and bird clubs, upon request to Dean Cornish, Data Lead at [email protected], to maximise the data use for conservation locally and nationally and informing planning decisions/mitigation.

Although our social media accounts allow us to see your reports of national locations of house martin colonies across the UK and Ireland, we needed a more consistent and accessible way of collecting and utilising data, to enable us to refine and enhance our conservation efforts.

For further details on the work of our charity and for instructions on downloading and using this free app please visit https://housemartinconservation.com/house-martin-mapper-app

We also welcome new members to the charity. We are hugely grateful to our membership family. Membership is entirely free and members will receive a welcome pack, a twice-yearly digital newsletter and will be invited to take part in charity events as we grow and increase our activities. Members will also be able to attend our AGM and vote to elect trustees and officers. We have very active social media groups attracting members and followers from all over the world. For more information on membership please visit https://housemartinconservation.com/join-us

31/01/2026

Nice offer here.

Claim your free ticket We were inundated with orders for free tickets which resulted in a few technical difficulties. We’ve fixed things and made any remaining spaces available, but please be aware there is very limited availability. We’re sorry if your preferred WWT wetland site and day i...

28/01/2026

Awesome cause this year !

We are proud to announce the Global Birdfair 2026 Conservation Project, Preventing Island Extinctions

🇸🇹The island nation of São Tomé and Príncipe, in the Gulf of Guinea is the second smallest country in
Africa.

Covering an area smaller than Greater London and characterised by its incredible tropical forest
landscapes, it is recognised as a Biosphere Reserve by UNESCO. São Tomé and Príncipe is home to
excep:onally high numbers of endemic species, some of which currently face extinction.

The Flagship Species for this year’s Global Birdfair Conservation Project is the Dwarf Ibis with a
population of probably less than 2,000 individuals.

These Island Endemic species, although protected by law, are still extremely vulnerable to habitat loss
due to agricultural development, extraction of timber and unsustainable hunting, as well as disturbance,
predation and competition from invasive mammals.
The Global Birdfair 2026 Preventing Island Extinctions project donation will enable BirdLife
International to adapt and design practical actions to reduce threats to at least three Critically
Endangered Endemic Bird species in São Tomé, while building conservation capacity and raising
awareness throughout the country.

Education and engagement are the key to success. BirdLife will work with a network of ornithologists
with specific knowledge of São Tomé and Príncipe endemics together with in-country early career
conservationists and students, representatives from National Park authorities, hunters and local
communities to deliver the project.

Preventing the extinction of the most vulnerable and special species in São Tomé and Príncipe is an
urgent conservation priority, as it is for many endemic species in other island nations.

Looking forward, here is a wonderful opportunity for the population of this island na:on as they become
increasingly aware of their home’s unique biodiversity: developing a sustainable tourism offer focused
on avitourism and the country’s national parks which will benefit the future for both birds and people.
Thank you in advance for supporting Global Birdfair 2026 on 10, 11 & 12 July
Tim Appleton and Penny Robinson

www.globalbirdfair.org

15/01/2026

Hi all, unfortunately due to unforeseen circumstances with the venue,tonight's slideshow and meeting has been cancelled.
Enjoy the rest of January and we will see you in February.

15/01/2026

Due to an administrative error tonight's talk will now start at 8pm.

15/01/2026

Events 2026

January 15th Oliver Smart.
Cuba – A Flicker of a Tale

Warming us up on a winter’s night, tropical island magic with dazzling endemics and some more familiar North American migrants during the dry season.

February 19th Dr. Sue Ablett.

Svalbard – Land of the Polar Bear
Explorer Sue of the University of Nottingham takes us on a journey to see the birds and wildlife of the world’s most northerly inhabited archipelago.

March 19th Passionate about Penguins.

Rodney Paul gives us a talk on these fascinating birds.

April 16th David Goldsmith

Local Wildlife Highlights and Hotspots
Local wildlife photographer David shows us more of the lesser-known local sites he has discovered over the years, illustrated with his own stunning images.

May 21st
Oliver Smart.
Warming us up on a spring evening tropical island magic with dazzling endemics and some more familiar North American migrants during the dry season.

May 24th
Attleborough Fields.
Meat at the lime kilns pub at 9:00 a.m. for a pleasant walk along the green lanes and foot paths looking for yellow hammers, little owls,linnets and more.

September 17th Mal Gee The Wildlife of Bradgate Park

Mal takes us on a photographic safari of this midlands gem of a site, with rutting stags, summer and winter birds, and the famous Charnwood landscape.

October 15th Ashley Grove.

From The Scillies to The Shetlands
15 years ago a young Ashley gave us this, his first talk to us, now updated to show the changes to Britain’s birdlife from the extreme south to the far north.

November 19th Nick Martin.

Birds of the Western Isles
Rearranged from Nov 2025 at last we see Nick’s homily to the birdlife of The Hebrides, from remote islets to the main islands in all their natural glory.

December 10th
Xmas Party – Our AGM followed by food, fun, and jolly good company!