Woman smiling whilst looking at birds through her binoculars by Ben Andrew (rspb-images.com)

Learn about Devon’s birds with the RSPB

The RSPB’s popular 10-week Beginners Birdwatching course returns this September, delivered by RSPB volunteer, Chris Lee. Whether you’re new to the world of birds or if you just want to find out more, this course is a great starting point.

Beginners Birdwatching Course

Join the RSPB's popular 10-week Beginner’s Birdwatching Course this September – perfect if you’re new to the world of birds or if you want to discover more.

At the end of the course you’ll be able to tell your redshank from your greenshank and your swallow from your swift! You’ll learn about migration, equipment, conservation, and you’ll be inspired to develop your identification skills further. This course is designed for you - and you’ll be able to find out more about what interests you most in the bird world.

Places are limited and sell out fast, so book yours here: bit.ly/BeginnersBirds

Testimonials from previous participants:

“You’ve really got me hooked into our amazing, feathered friends!” was the delightful response of a recent participant.

"The quality of the teaching was second to none. Chris was the perfect man for the job! Nothing was ever too much trouble. We had group learning sessions, fun quizzes, films to watch, talks, diagrams drawn for us, maps shown, etc."

Event dates and time:

Tuesdays from 13 September-29 November.

All sessions are 6.15pm-8.15pm, unless stated otherwise in the Estuary room at Darts farm, Topsham.

Schedule:

13 Sept - Introduction. Course outline. What kind of birder do you want to be? Bird Identification: Garden birds.
20 Sept - Books, magazines, websites, apps.... Recording results. Bird Id: Garden birds (2). The Hirundines.
4 Oct - Speciation. Bird Id: Wildfowl
11 Oct - Choosing equipment: Darts Farm walk
18 Oct - Bird Id: Birdsong
25 Oct or Sat 29 Oct - Evening walk Bowling Green Marsh or Daytime walk Bowling Green Marsh.
1 Nov - The work of the RSPB. Bird Id: Seabirds.
8 Nov - Bird behaviour. Bird senses. Bird Id: Countryside / field
22 Nov - Migration. Bird Id: Raptors
29 Nov - Favourites and why? Recap session and summary. Where do you go from here?