Bourton & District

Nature Group Meetings

2023

14th February 2023 - Walk out at Colesbourne Park

Snowdrops at Colesbourne Park (01) Snowdrops at Colesbourne Park (02)

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On the first Tuesday of each month there will be an outdoor meeting, currently under the Rule of Six with similar conditions applying.
The second Tuesday of the month will usually see a Zoom meeting with a speaker and slides. Sometimes a document will be put on this web-page instead, with links, questions and suggestions for you to follow.
Ultimately the intention is to return to the George Moore Community Centre in Bourton for indoor talks and meetings, but still keeping some Zoom meetings. My apologies to those who are unable to participate fully at the moment.

THE LOCKDOWN SERIES

2021

Probably November - Wildlife of Botswana and Zimbabwe(2)
Zoom meeting (?): The second installment of Nigel Hewston's visit.

Probably October - Madagascar's Wonderful Wildlife(2)
Zoom meeting (?): in February Roberta Goodall left us on the edge of the north-west corner of this island with more to come.

What do you want over the summer? Zoom, walks or nothing? Email the Nature GO with your view.

Tues 8th June Why Wild Bees Matter
Zoom meeting: Roselle Chapman of Wild Oxfordshire reminds us there are other bees than honeybees.

Tues 1st June - walk, undecided
Six maximum, booking essential.

Tues 11th May Wildlife of Botswana and Zimbabwe
This Zoom meeting is the first of a pair by Nigel Hewston from Dursley.

Tues 4th May Foxholes - Bluebells
A different season at this Berks/Bucks/Oxon WT Nature Reserve. Six maximum, booking essential.

Tues 13th April Wildlife Quiz
Any volunteers to help administer it or set questions, please contact Sue Lipthorpe or me.

Tues 6th April Greystones Hedgerows and Wyck Rissington Fritillaries
A welcome return to outdoor meetings. Six maximum, booking essential.

Tues 9th March Garden BirdWatch
Zoom meeting: Rob Jacques joins us from the British Trust for Ornithology's Thetford HQ to talk about this ever-popular project.

Tues 2nd March Signs of Spring
What are the signs of Spring? Which can you see at the moment in your garden or on your walks?

Tues 9th February Madagascar's Wonderful Wildlife
Zoom meeting: Roberta Goodall returns with a description of her not-so-recent latest trip.

Tues 2nd February World Wetlands Day
A "walk" through various wetlands including several Wildfowl and Wetland Trust reserves, and a couple of wetland birds for you to spot locally.

Tues 12th January Wildlife of Coastal Norfolk
Zoom meeting: Mike Boyes illustrates recent trips to this fascinating county with his excellent photographs.

Tues 5th January Formal Gardens in Flower
Virtual tours of four very different formal gardens. To cheer us up, they are shown in full flower season.

2020

Tues 8th December Winter Birds
A look at some of the birds you can expect in a Cotswold winter. This will be an experimental meeting via Zoom to see how well this format works for the Nature group. Members will receive an invitation including instructions via email.

Tues 1st December Wildlife Photographer of the Year
No walk this month, but a series of wildlife photo collections, including the Natural History Museum's Wildlife Photographer of the Year award winners.

Tues 10th November Hedgerow Leaves
Details and quizzes on leaves as they look at this time of year.

Tues 3rd November Bill Smyllie reserve
A visit to this Butterfly Conservation reserve near Cleeve Hill. No butterflies this time of year, but winter trees and fungi and an excellent view over the Severn Vale.

Tues 13th October Local Fungi
What types of fungi can you find in your garden? How about on walks around the area? Click on the Fungi document for further details.

Tues 6th October Foxholes again
A repeat of September's outdoor meeting for those who weren't on the list (and those who came, if numbers permit).
The fungi were so spectacular it's worth doing this one again. Booking required, limited to 6.

Tues 8th September Berries
Can you identify the berries shown in the sheets? Do you have others in your garden?
(If you have trouble opening the sheets they are at red berries and black and white berries).

Tues 1st September Fungi at Foxholes
An outdoor meeting at the nature reserve near Bruern, just over the Oxfordshire border.
Deciduous woodland and fungi. Booking required, limited to 6.

Mon 10th August Moths
Suggestions for moths to look out for in your garden or on your walks, plus a recipe for a moth lure.

Tues 4th August Northleach and the upper Leach valley
An outdoor meeting south-east of Northleach.
Booking required, limited to 6.

Tues 14th July Sherborne Water Meadows
An experimental meeting outdoors to see if it's practical. Birds, deciduous woodland and summer meadows.
Booking required, limited to 6.

Mon 13th July Garden Butterflies
How many of this dozen can you spot in your garden? Which plants do they favour?
The document contains links to the Butterfly Conservation website for photos and help with identification.

Mon 6th July North Cotswold NT Gardens
Tours of two contrasting National Trust gardens near us - Hidcote and Chastleton.
Name some plants which have the variety 'Hidcote' appended to them.
The gardens are five miles apart, but when it rains the waters reach the sea two hundred miles apart. Why?

Mon 8th June Night Watch
A time of the day that we don't often consider, but is important for a range of wildlife.
Sit outside for half an hour and see if you can find the species described.

Mon 1st June Yorkshire Dales - Caves and a Garden
A visit to another limestone area of Britain, and another R.H.S. garden.
How is this area similar to the Cotswolds? And how different?

Mon 18th May RHS Rosemoor
A look at the R.H.S gardens at Rosemoor in north Devon.
Do you think the gardens are close enough to the coast for the sea to affect which plants will thrive here?
What is the river that runs close to the garden? Where does it rise? How similar is it to Cotswold rivers?
Who or what was Cherry Ingram? What is the connection to this garden?

Tues 5th May Dawn Chorus
Follow the link for discussion and sounds. Which birds can you see, and which remain hidden while singing?
Are there any birds that don’t join in? Why do think this might be?
Are there any other animals around at this time?

Tues 21st April Bird Silhouettes - Quiz
Can you identify 9 common birds from their silhouettes? Bird Silhouettes - Answers

Tues 14th April Birdsong
Why birds sing, how to listen and the sounds of a dozen garden birds. The RSPB website shows you what they look like.

Tues 7th April Minterne House, Dorset
Follow the links highlighted here and here to take a tour.
How like the Cotswolds is this garden’s soil and climate? What kind of wildlife do you think would do well here? Which plants do you think would thrive if the garden was left untended for several years?