Bat days & Urban Bird Specials - November

So we've finished all our on-estate activities for this year. Ed Santry from the Bat Conservation Trust was good enough to give a presentation and Q & A on the estates, and then later in the month yours truly gave presentations and Q & A's on urban birds which live on and around the estates.

All the events were great fun, and thanks to everybody for coming along on what were often wet and windy days! Despite the weather, we got lots done afterwards, with everybody helping out to make bat-boxes and bird-feeders.

Events Update!

We're two-thirds of the way through of Urban Bird specials now, with the last one of this month coming up at Whitechapel this Sunday - 11 a.m. at the Community Centre on John Fisher Street.

I'll be giving a presentation and Q&A all about birds on and around the estate, how to identify them, which ones are resident and which ones come from much further away (including Africa and Russia!), and how we can help them - followed by either a short walk close by to see what's around, or a bird-feeder making session if the weather is lousy!

We're postponing the first Practical Conservation Days on the estates while we wait for exact details of what we can and can't do - we're still working out the plans with Peabody, and we'll have a clear picture of by the time of the resceduled Conservation Days in January (watch this space!). It's taking time, but we're putting together some great plans which will really benefit birds and wildlife on the estates.

And there's a great deal coming up in January. We'll have trips to nature reserves, bushcraft (outdoor skills) days, conservation days, and much more - and remember, it's all FREE. We've also got lots of events and activities with local schools coming up - look out for in your classroom or wildlife garden!

Mark

mpearson@wildlondon.org.uk

UPCOMING BIRD EVENTS!

A reminder about our upcomiong bird events on all three estate - note changes of dates!

PEMBURY - SATURDAY 21ST NOVEMBER

KINGS CROSS - SUNDAY 22ND NOVEMBER

WHITECHAPEL - SUNDAY 29TH NOVEMBER

Want to come along? Call Mark on 07971 077084 to book your FREE place!

Pembury Bat event, early November

A quick note to thank Ed Santry of The Bat Conservation Trust for an excellent session at the PETRA senior citizen's Centre on the Pembury Estate. Ed gave a very informative talk and presentation about urban bats, their lifestyles, and how we can help them locally; after a Q & A session, we then made seven bat-boxes, which we'll be putting up around the estate soon. Thanks again Ed!

(photos to follow)

Nature Trips to Rainham Marshes

Fast forward to October, and after more engagement events in the meantime, we went on our first trips to nature reserves- this time, to the fantastic Rainham Marshes, on the East London / Essex border, right on the banks of the Thames.

Picking up and dropping off at each estate, we took the minibus out for fantastic days learning about birds - by watching them from the paths, from the special hides and from the very cosy, glass-fronted visitors centre (tea and cake all round - luxury birding!). The reserve has a variety of habitats that are very important to birds which live in, or visit London - reedbeds, marshes, lakes, ponds, scrub, grassland and woodland to name just a few.

Everybody had a great time, and thanks to Howard (Rainham's Information Officer) for giving us the special treatment - making bird-feeders, free goodies and a very informative chat about why urban nature reserves are so important.

The Launch Days!

Back in sunny August (except it wasn't very sunny, was it?), we kicked off the project on our three target estates - King's Cross Ten, Whitechapel and Pembury (Hackney).





The turn-out was fantastic, with hundreds of residents and tenants turning out over the three events. The weather? well, it coould've been better, but at least it wasn't raining.....










Our fantastic volunteers - stand up Serena, Amanda, Beth, Sam, Rachel and Dom - helped run each event, which included making bird-feeders, badge-making, presentation stands, live bats, bird-watching, face-painting and lots of free organic food.

A great way to kick off our events and activities through the autumn, winter and spring!

welcome!

Welcome to the new Cockney sparrow Project blog. now we're up and running, keep checking back for regualr updates, photos, videos and more.....