Sandwich Bay Bird Observatory

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Sandwich Bay Bird Observatory

SBBOT is an independent charity that monitors & protects the wildlife at Sandwich Bay. Event details available on our website.

The Field Centre is open from 10am-4pm (depending on availability of volunteers) with a shop and comfortable accommodation. We have a programme of weekly events for members and non-members. Please see our website http://www.sbbot.org.uk for details. Please note that there is a charge of £1 at the tollgate for non-members.

07/10/2026

🌿Discover the wild side of Minster Marshes with this weeks Thursday talk 🦅🦭

Join Connor Carruthers and George Cooper for an evening exploring the wildlife, conservation and making of the Minster Marshes documentary.

🎥 At just 16, Connor produced, filmed, composed and presented this remarkable 40-minute film, showcasing the marshes’ incredible wildlife — from marsh harriers and great crested grebes to beavers and Kent’s largest seal colony.

George Cooper will then share 25 years of experience managing and recording wildlife at Abbey Farm, including his work with wildlife ringing projects.

Come and discover one of East Kent’s most precious wildlife habitats — and hear from the people who know it best.

🌱 An evening for anyone who loves wildlife, wild places and conservation.

📅 Thursday 8 October 2026 Sandwich Bay Bird Observatory
🕢 7.30–9.00pm
💷 £6 on the door
☕ Hot drink & biscuit included
🎥 With Connor Carruthers and George Cooper

30/09/2026

🌿THIS THURSDAYS TALK - Travels with a camera by John Draper 🗣️J

John is fascinated by all aspects of nature from the landscape through to the smallest invertebrates and has a passion for photographing them. The talk features Sri Lankan temples, moving onto Hummingbirds in the West Indies to Sunbirds in Sri Lanka, then onto Fruit Bats, Birds and Elephants in Sri Lanka followed by brief visits to Fair Isle and the St Kilda Archipelago then onto Ireland for Black Guillemots and Grey Seals finishing with some beach combing in Wales.

📅 Thursday 1st October, starting at 7.30pm
💷 £6 on the door
☕ Hot drink & biscuit included

29/09/2026

🦉 Now THIS is a Parliament we can get behind! 🦉
Of course, we’re talking about the collective noun for owls! And we’re delighted to finally share some very exciting news from our recording area…

💚 A pair of Long-eared Owls successfully raised TWO chicks! And honestly… aren’t they just adorable? 🥹🦉🦉

💭 Did you know the Bay is home to all five species of British owl?
During winter, we welcome an influx of Short-eared Owls, who arrive on our shores to escape the harsh winters of their summer breeding grounds.

But the other four species can be spotted here too — and just this past week, Barn, Little, Tawny AND Long-eared Owls have all been recorded! 👀🦉
That means the Bay really is a fantastic place for owl lovers!

📅 Want the best chance of spotting all five? Why not plan a stay and make the most of everything the Bay has to offer?

Our accommodation has recently had a revamp, so whatever brings you to Kent, you’ll find comfortable and affordable self-catering accommodation at our Field Centre. 🛏️🌿

📍 Book your stay: sbbot.org.uk/accommodation/

📷 Jonny Bull

25/09/2026

🪽 JUST 2 DAYS TO GO! 🪽

The Big Kent Bird Migration Day is THIS SUNDAY, 27th September! 🐦

Join us at Sandwich Bay for a brilliant day celebrating the incredible journeys of migratory birds. Whether you’re a keen birder, bringing the family, or simply curious to discover more about the birds passing through our skies, come and join us!

Here’s what’s happening:

📌 Family-friendly Beginners Birdwatching Walk – 10.30am
New to birdwatching? This shorter guided walk is perfect for families and beginners. Join us in partnership with Bird Wise East Kent and discover the birds around us. 🐦

📌 Bird Ringing Demonstrations (weather permitting)
See some of our migratory birds up close and discover how bird ringing helps us understand their incredible journeys.

📌 Guided birdwatching walks
Explore our reserve and recording areas with our brilliant guides and look out for migrating birds. All abilities welcome!

📌 Special talks from the RSPB
Hear about the transformation of Worth Marshes and the conservation work taking place there.

📌 Migration from Sandwich Bay beach
Experience the excitement of migration from the coast with our expert guides.

📌 Craft, optics, food & refreshments
Explore a fantastic selection of craft and optics stands, meet the team, discover something new, and enjoy food and refreshments at the field centre.

🌿 Make a day of it and come and celebrate migration with us!

📅 THIS SUNDAY – 27th September
📍 Sandwich Bay

We’ll see you there! 🪽

For more information, visit sbbot.org.uk

24/09/2026

🌍 Every year, millions of birds undertake extraordinary journeys between their breeding and non-breeding grounds, travelling along vast routes known as Global Flyways. 🌐🕊️

At Sandwich Bay, autumn migration is a remarkable spectacle, beginning as early as July and continuing through to November. Unlike the frantic rush of spring, autumn migration is often a slower, more leisurely movement. As days shorten and food becomes scarcer, birds begin their journey south. 🍂

But these journeys are not without risk. Migratory birds face multiple threats across the countries, habitats and ecosystems they depend on along the way.

Birds are powerful indicators of environmental health, and monitoring their movements and populations gives us valuable insight into the condition of our natural world. Yet the findings are alarming:

🚨 One in nine migratory bird species is threatened with extinction.

Protecting migratory birds means protecting the places they rely on throughout their entire journey — from breeding grounds to wintering areas and the vital stopover sites in between, special places like those found at Sandwich Bay and its recording area.

This autumn, take a moment to look to the skies, land and trees and remember: every bird has a journey, and every journey needs a safe place to stop, as these wonderful photos, captured at the Bay demonstrate 🐦🌿

23/09/2026

🌿THIS THURSDAYS TALK - My Big Year: The BBOWT Nature Reserve Challenge – an evening with Jon Mason 🗣️

Join Jon Mason, aka , for a fascinating evening of wildlife, photography and conservation.

In 2023, Jon set himself the challenge of visiting all 83 BBOWT nature reserves across Buckinghamshire, Berkshire and Oxfordshire — discovering the incredible wildlife on his doorstep and exploring the challenges facing our precious nature reserves.

📸 This talk is the photographic story of his year, packed with amazing wildlife and fascinating insights.

Jon is an experienced speaker, natural history writer and regular contributor to the Global Bird Fair.

📅 Thursday 24th September
💷 £6 on the door
☕ Hot drink & biscuit included

Come along and discover the remarkable wildlife and wild places that are closer than you might think! 🐦🌳

16/09/2026

Among the shingle, almost perfectly camouflaged, a tiny mountain bird pauses on its journey south and presents a surprise for bird watchers at Sandwich Bay.

The Dotterel is a beautiful migratory species, breeding on mountain tops and across the Arctic tundra before travelling thousands of miles to spend the winter in Africa.

And despite its remote, wild breeding grounds, it can be one of the most approachable of birds — seemingly showing little fear of humans.

There’s something particularly fascinating about this species, too. In a remarkable reversal of the usual roles in the bird world, females are more brightly coloured and often mate with multiple males, while the males typically take on the job of incubating the eggs.

But behind this extraordinary life story is a worrying reality.

A national survey estimates that the UK’s breeding Dotterel population has declined by 89% since 1987, leaving just an estimated 112 breeding males.

The species has now disappeared as a breeding bird from England, Wales and southern Scotland, with most of the remaining population confined to the Scottish Highlands.

Climate change is thought to be one of the main drivers. As temperatures rise, the mountain habitats and food sources these birds depend upon are changing.

The RSPB warns that, unless the remaining habitat is protected, the Dotterel could become the first bird species to disappear from the UK because of climate change.

So, as this tiny traveller passes through on its journey south, it’s worth remembering just how special it is — and how little room there is for this remarkable bird to lose.

📹 Tony Flashman

15/09/2026

🦅 LOOKING FOR GOSHAWKS 🦅An evening with award-winning author Conor Mark Jameson

🗣️Our Thursday talks are back with a bang! Join us this Thursday (17th September) for a fascinating talk about one of Britain’s most elusive and magnificent birds of prey - the Goshawk.

Author, conservationist and feature writer Conor Mark Jameson will take us into the world of this rarely seen raptor, drawing on his extensive experience and his acclaimed book Looking for the Goshawk. His talk has been described by several groups as one of the best they have ever hosted.

Conor spent 25 years working for the RSPB, followed by a spell with BirdLife International in Cambridge, before becoming a full-time author.

He is also the author of the recently published biography 'Finding W. H. Hudson', as well as ;Silent Spring Revisited' and 'Shrewdunnit', a collection of his published writings.

📍 Sandwich Bay Bird Observatory
📅 Thursday 17th September
💷 £6 payable on the door
☕ Includes a hot drink and biscuit

Come along for an evening of fascinating stories, insight and inspiration about one of our most secretive birds of prey.

We’d love to see you there! 🦅

📷Goshawk in flight - Chas Mooney

09/09/2026

🪽 The countdown is on for The Big Kent Bird Migration Day on Sunday 27th September! 🪽

We'll not only be recording migrating birds throughout Sandwich Bay but will also be celebrating the incredible journeys that migratory birds undertake, recognising the challenges they face and sharing stories of some of the inspirational conservation work that is going into protecting them!

Join us for:
📌Bird Ringing Demonstrations (weather permitting) Watch as licenced ringers place a lightweight, uniquely numbered ring around bird’s leg, providing a reliable and harmless method to identify birds as individuals. Find out why this is such important work and get to see some of our migratory birds close up!
📌A series of guided walks around our reserve and recording areas looking for migratory birds. All abilities welcome, with a shorter guided walk for beginners and families at 10.30am in partnership with Bird Wise East Kent
📌Hear about the transformation of Worth Marshes from the RSPB with two special talks
📌Discover the wonderful world of birds and LEGO® with our children's workshops where you’ll build your very own LEGO® Robin or Great Tit (pre-booking essential)
📌Experience the excitement of migration with our brilliant guides from Sandwich Bay beach
📌Find a fantastic selection of craft stands and optics stands to explore at our field centre. Meet the team, discover something new, and enjoy refreshing drinks and tasty food while soaking up the atmosphere!

For more information visit
sbbot.org.uk

07/09/2026

Recent light trapping at Sandwich Bay Bird Observatory has produced a very exciting highlight — a Passenger Moth, a first record for the Bay! 🎉

The Passenger Moth is a rare migrant in the UK, more commonly encountered in Southern Europe and North Africa, making its appearance here all the more special.

This fantastic record is also a reminder of just how much wildlife can be found across the Observatory’s patchwork of habitats. 🌿🌾 From woodland and scrub to grassland, wetland and coastal habitats, SBBOT supports an incredible diversity of species.

Thanks to the dedication of our staff and volunteers — and their continued light trapping and recording efforts — SBBOT has now recorded over 1,300 of the approximately 2,500 moth species found in the UK.

That’s an impressive tally, and there’s always the possibility of something new turning up! 🔦🦋

Come and discover these icons at our renowned Moth Nights,.

From tiny gems to spectacular species with patterns and colours that rival any butterfly, our trap reveals are always surprising and you never know what might appear ✨

🗓️ Saturdays September 12 & October 10
⏰ 12/09 at 6.30pm, 10/10 10th which at 4.30pm
📍Sandwich Bay Bird Observatory

1 - The Passenger, 1st Obs record
2 - Ni Moth, 6th Obs record
3 - Peacock Moth
4 - Barred Hook-tip, 3rd Obs record
5 - Calybites phasianipennella, 3rd Obs record
6 - Clifden Nonpareil, annual in very low numbers
7 - Cosmopolitan, 2nd Obs record
8 - Elachista biatomella, 2nd Obs record
9 - Laced Border, 1st Obs record
10 - Mocha, 3rd Obs record

Address

Sandwich Bay Bird Observatory Trust, Guilford Road, Sandwich Bay
Sandwich
CT139PF

Website

https://linktr.ee/sandwichbirdobs

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