Welcome! This is the website of the East Yorkshire Local Group celebrating its 40th Year in 2026.
RSPB Local Groups are a great way to meet friendly, like-minded people in your area while learning more about birds and wildlife.
Unless otherwise specified, you don’t need to be a member of the RSPB (or the Local Group) to join us at our events and birdwatching experience is not necessary.
All field trips are free of charge. If you have any questions about field trips, especially if there is likely to be exceptionally bad weather, please call the contact numbers shown below.
For Field Trips call Gill Reid on 01262 422075 or 07789 062823 or Barry Smithson on 01262 488005.
For other enquiries please email Sue Leyland at eastyorksrspb@yahoo.co.uk.
OUR 2026 EVENTS
Sunday 11 January Hornsea Mere 10.00 CANCELLED DUE TO SNOW
Meet in Kirkholme car park. TA197472
A walk around the point for winter ducks, Grebes, and Egrets. Move to Wassand after lunch looking for woodland birds. Please bring packed lunches and wrap up warmly! Toilets.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Tuesday 27 January 7.30pm Indoor Meeting Richard Baines
The Rarity Garden
Richard is well known to our Group as a local birder. He is a partner in Yorkshire Coast Nature, who run tours locally and worldwide. When he was a countryside ranger for East Riding Council, he masterminded the creation of habitat on the Head Including the creation of North Cliff Marsh. During some of this time he lived at Flamborough Head and his birding journals from that have allowed him to write ‘The Rarity Garden’.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Sunday 8 February North Cave Wetlands 10.00
Park in Dryham Lane. SE 886328.
Walks around this very large reserve for wintering swans, ducks, waders and farmland birds. Feeding stations to check out as well. Toilets and usually the ‘Butty Bus’ for lunches.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Tuesday 24 February 7.30pm Indoor Meeting Chrys Mellor
Land of the Rising Sun… in Winter!
This is the tale of criss-crossing Japan in search of Cranes, Eagles, Owls and Snow Monkeys whilst experiencing Toire and Tabemono. Not familiar with those terms? Come and listen to find out!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Sunday 8 March Filey Dams & Flixton Carr 10.00
Meet in The Dams car park on Wharfdale, Filey. TA106807
Viewing from the hides and in woodland.
After lunch we’ll move to Flixton Carr (North Street, Flixton TA040800) and walk to the River Hertford. Chances of barn owl and geese. Packed lunches needed. No facilities.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Tuesday 24 March 7.30pm Indoor Meeting Craig Ralston
The Lower Derwent Valley: History, Conservation and Migration.
Craig is senior reserve manager at the LDV. We visit this reserve most years so it will be really interesting to hear all about this extensive and important reserve. It is so important for over wintering swans and wildfowl as well as an important breeding area for some really interesting species.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Sunday 12 April RSPB St. Aidan’s by Coach 10.00
A special trip to this excellent reserve near Leeds for our 40th Anniversary Year.
The coach is fully booked with 16 members. However, you are very welcome to join us by car. The coach should arrive for 10.00.
Excellent reserve, hopefully with early spring migrants, Black-necked Grebes and booming Bitterns.
Membership cards needed. Café or packed lunch. Toilets.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Tuesday 28 April 7.30pm AGM, Quiz & Supper
The AGM will be followed by a supper provided from group funds, with free Tea & Coffee. As always, David will be the fiendish Quiz Master. The entrance fee of £5 applies.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Tuesday 5 May Boynton Circuit 19.00
Meet in Boynton village at the end of Main street. TA135680
A walk along footpaths to Woldgate and return along Sands Lane. Farmland birds in this carr land.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Sunday 10 May Tophill Low 10.00
Meet in the reserve car park. Entrance Fee required if not a member.
Walks to south end and north end. Plenty of breeding birds, migrants passing through and butterflies amongst the flowers! Packed lunch. Toilets.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Tuesday 26 May Beacon Hill Circuit 19.00
Meet in South Landing Car Park in Flamborough. TA230695
We will start by walking back up South Sea Road through to the Beacon Hill footpath. At the top there are lovely views over Bridlington Bay and back down to South Landing Beach.
Farmland birds and sea birds.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Sunday 14 June YWT Staveley 10.00
SE370631 Take the A1 north and at Junction 48 take the A6055 south through Minskip. Turn right down Thorndikes Lane and follow it into Minskip Road and straight to the Staveley reserve. Try to car share!
Meet in the car park. Walk around to explore this reserve, breeding birds, common terns, otters are present! Also a lovely display of Marsh Helleborine, hopefully! Packed lunch. No facilities.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Tuesday 16 June Wykeham Nightjar Evening 19.00
Meet at the Raptor Viewpoint car park initially (SE936888)
We will then move to the cross roads at SE 941879 as normal to wait for woodcock and nightjars, at dusk.
Could be midgy later on!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Tuesday 23 June RSPB Bempton Cliffs 18.00
In our 40th Year we meet at 6pm in the Visitor Centre for a drink and small buffet.
Our Local Group was originally started by a group of Bempton volunteers when it was a minor reserve!
RSPB Bempton is hosting us for a small celebration for which we thank them very much. A walk to the cliffs afterwards to see our amazing breeding seabirds, is a must!!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Sunday 12 July YWT Kiplingcotes and Millington Pastures 10.00
Meet at the car park for the Kiplingcotes Chalk Pit reserve at SE 908430. (That is not at Granny’s Attic/Kiplingcotes station, but a mile along the road towards Market Weighton.)
Flowers, butterflies and farmland birds at this reserve.
After lunch we move to Millington Pastures (SE838530). Packed lunches. No facilities.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Sunday 30 August Seawatch Sunday Flamborough 08.00 to 12 noon
Meet at the Lighthouse Car Park (fee payable) and walk down to the Fog Station to set up chairs and scopes. TA255708
Bring a chair and we will be setting up telescopes to look for seabirds and hopefully cetaceans. We will be showing non birders what there is to see. Sea watching is usually more productive early on, but you may join us when you are ready. We plan to stop for packed lunches at 12 noon.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Sunday 20 September Flamborough Head 10.00
(Note this is the third Sunday to avoid Migfest at Spurn) Meet at the Fog Station Car park. Fee payable.
Walks both ways for migrant birds. Toilets. Café or packed lunch.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Tuesday 22 September 7.30pm Indoor Meeting Conor Jameson
Looking for the Goshawk, the Lost Raptor.
Conor is an author and conservationist. He gives a personal, narrative account of the Goshawk; how and where it lives, and why it may be missing from our lives. The talk focuses on the adventurous travels during his search. He goes to some unexpected places at home and abroad. His essay about the search won him the BBC Wildlife Writer of the year. Donations for the Great Christmas Raffle welcome tonight please.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Sunday 11 October Kilnsea 10.00
Meet at the Bluebell Car Park. Toilets and café. TA417158
Walking both ways for migrating birds.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Tuesday 27 October 7.30pm Indoor Meeting
Ana Cowie the Yorkshire Wildlife Trust’s Marine Projects Manager
Rivers to Reef:
Ana will tell us about the connections
from the source of rivers in our area to the sea, showing how the YWT protects the catchment area
and helps communities along the way.
Following the refreshments Gill Reid will give a short talk on ‘Mollymawks, Albatross and Mutton Birds.
Donations for the Great Christmas Raffle again welcome tonight please.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Sunday 8 November Wheldrake Ings 10.00
Meet in the car park at Bank Island SE 690447. We will visit sites around the Lower Derwent Valley looking for returning swans, ducks and waders, finishing at North Duffield. Packed lunches. No facilities. Wellies may be needed if it’s been wet!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Tuesday 24 November 7.30pm Indoor Meeting Social Evening
A celebration of 40 Years of RSPB Bridlington and District Members’ Group, which became the East Yorkshire RSPB Local Group. The Great Christmas Raffle draw will also take place.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Sunday 13 December Tophill Low 10.00
Meet in the car park TA073486. Entrance fee payable if not a member. Over wintering wildfowl. Walks to both the south and north ends of the reserve. Packed lunches. Toilets.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
