Meetings are normally held at 7.30pm on the second Monday of each month, from September to May, at the Friends Meeting House, Bakewell, DE45 1EL. Parking is only for disabled people and those needing to load and unload equipment etc.
The meetings usually start with a report of recent bird sightings in our recording area and announcements concerning forthcoming events before we hand over to our guest speaker. There is normally a refreshment break around 8.30pm and we usually finish soon after 9.30pm.
Guests are always welcome to our talks (£4), where they can also discover more about our outdoor meetings to local birding hot spots.
Please click on the meeting title to see further information.
- Paul Hill – ‘The Danube Delta’ on 10th Nov 2025 7:30:pm, at Friends Meeting House
The Danube Delta in Romania is Europe’s largest area of wetland, where the River Danube meets the Black Sea. A biodiversity hotspot with a mix of habitat from saline lagoons to dry and riverine forest. Situated as it is on major migratory routes, its diverse ecosystem provides a magnet for birds.
- Member’s Christmas Party on 8th Dec 2025 7:30:pm, at Friends Meeting House
With our ever-popular Photographic competition, quiz and buffet supper.
- Mark Eddowes – ‘The Songbird’s Response to a Changing Climate on 12th Jan 2026 7:30:pm, at Friends Meeting House
Mark explores in detail what we can all sense from our own observations: with a changing climate, our springs are advancing, and our songbirds must migrate back here and breed earlier to keep up. They are shifting northwards and vacating previous breeding grounds to the south. He draws in particular on county records and his...
- Alan Fielding – ‘Where Eagles Fly’ on 9th Feb 2026 7:30:pm, at Friends Meeting House
Alan is active in golden eagle research, including supporting Irish birds of prey re-introductions and the very successful south of Scotland Golden Eagle Project. In his presentation he will show how satellite tracking has enabled us to understand a great deal more about the lives of these wonderful birds.
- AGM & Brian Shaw – Update on my two reserves on 9th Mar 2026 7:30:pm, at Friends Meeting House
Brian will give us the latest news on his two very different reserves: one a wooded slope on his doorstep in Derbyshire and the other his reserve encompassing a wetland area in Lincolnshire. His presentation will include a brief history of its development, his tenureship and a current update. This will be preceded by a...
- Simon Curtin – ‘The Belvoir Osprey Project’ on 13th Apr 2026 7:30:pm, at Friends Meeting House
Simon is the lead for the Belvoir Osprey Reintroduction Project and has been the instigator and champion since its inception in 2014. This is our annual joint meeting with DOS, the Derby Ornithological Society.
Our past events can be found in the events archive.