RSPB Worcester & Malvern Local Group Updates 2025
Here you can stay up to date with the latest goings-on of the RSPB Worcester & Malvern Local Group, winner of the RSPB President’s Award for Best Urban Action for Nature 2024! To view our 2026 Local Group Updates, please click here.
December 2025
Saturday 20th December – Wildgoose Working Party
Seven volunteers gathered at Wildgoose Nature Reserve this morning to finish building a screen between the lake and the walking trail. The working party met up with some of Wildgoose’s bird ringers and were able to watch on as they carefully processed, measured and ringed the birds. The ringed birds included a Great Spotted Woodpecker, a Wren and a Long-tailed Tit. What a morning!
November 2025
Wednesday 5th November – St James’ School Visit
This morning, our Schools Plus Project members visited St James’ School in Malvern to discuss all things nature with local children. The children got hands on, taking part in (and very much enjoying!) an Owl pellet dissection. We hope that by sharing our group’s passion for wildlife conservation we will help to inspire the next generation of nature enthusiasts!
October 2025
Sunday 26th October – Swift Box Installations
On Sunday morning, our local group members installed six more Swift boxes in and around Worcestershire. In Welland, two boxes were installed on a property where Swifts are already known to nest, now possibly the only Swift nesting site in this area. Our members took extra care to avoid blocking off existing holes!
Saturday 25th October – Barn Owl Box Building
The wonderful Wildgoose Nature Reserve hosted our first Barn Owl box building session on Saturday afternoon. Volunteers built and fully-roofed four boxes, with fifteen flatpack Barn Owl boxes also! These boxes will be installed across Worcestershire and, with any luck, will support future breeding pairs.
August 2025
Thursday 28th August – Barn Owl Box Checks
It has been a tough year for Barn Owls, so we were delighted to meet a pair of chicks in one of our Barn Owl boxes. Barn Owl Team Lead Stuart explains why our feathered friends have struggled this year:
“In our part of the country, it has been so dry that voles, mice, and shrews haven’t reproduced so much, and so there isn’t enough food about. Early in the season, many Barn Owls have either had insufficient body condition to breed, or were only able to sustain small broods of chicks.”
July 2025
Thursday 24th July – Barn Owl Box Installation
Our Barn Owl Box Team have been back at it, installing a Barn Owl nest box in Peopleton last Thursday. A kind farmer offered the use of their truck to help ease the, at times, fiddly process! There is still one more box to put up, as daylight quickly dwindled on Thursday evening. Great work guys.
Sunday 20th July – Swift Box Installations
On Sunday, Mike and Simon installed Swift boxes on houses in and around Dymock, putting up twelve new boxes. They faced rain and a wasp’s nest, but got the job done!
Friday 18th July – Swift Walk with Simon
On Friday night, Simon hosted a ‘Swift Walk’. Around twelve people came along and five have now signed up for Swift boxes, plus a resident who was curious about what we were doing. There were a few Swifts in the sky, though none seen going into nestholes. The graph below may explain that; they are fledged, or on the verge of it. Also feed visits drop considerably prior to fledging and the chicks actually lose weight, so less visits to nestholes. Thanks to Steve, Catherine, Niki, Karen, and Bev for coming along.
Simon Evans
Schools Project Update – Statistics from our Schools Project
In 2024, 508 children received talks from our RSPB Schools Team, to include Schools, Scouts, Activity Centre for Vulnerable Children and Holiday Club.
In 2025, 398 children have received talks from our RSPB Schools Team so far. Future events include our National Trust Family Activity Day and a COP21 all day event, as well as more school visits.
We have put on a range of activities, from Owl Pellet Dissections to Worm Surveys, build your own Bird Boxes, All About Birds and Group projects. We also take part in the Big Garden Bird Watch ID, have created a Nature Trail, build your own Bird Feeders, Leaf Rubbing, Listening to Bird Song and OPDs live on the radio! We’re halfway through the year and going well!
Rosemary Henman
May 2025
Saturday 31st May 2025 – Beginning Birding Open Day
At the end of May, we held our annual Beginning Birding Open Day at Wildgoose Nature Reserve. It was a wonderful day, with over 150 guests joining us to learn more about birding! Around 30 of our volunteers were present, and there was a variety of activities to get involved with. Volunteer Stuart demonstrated bird-ringing, there were Owl pellet dissections that visitors could get involved with, nature walks around the Wildgoose Reserve and so much more!
Viking, Zeiss and the Birder Store were all present, as was the RSPB recruitment team. Craig Reed, the Worcestershire County recorder, gave a talk and practical demonstration on how to use Bird-track. It was a phenomenal achievement which did not happen by magic; volunteers formed into teams to run the various elements of the event. We are experienced in doing this so we could be focused and un-worried. The group worked extremely well together and the day was a huge success!
April 2025
Thursday 3rd April – Visit to St George’s C of E Primary School
On Thursday, our volunteers took a trip to a local primary school to discuss all things nature. The children took part in owl pellet dissections and learnt more about the importance of caring for wildlife. Local group member Rosemary said of the day:
“A brilliant morning at St George’s C of E Primary School today with first Year Five then Year Four. All children took part, after being reassured it was not poo! The teachers were as excited as the children! Each class were given a certificate from the RSPB, some posters and books for their library. Quote of the day, maybe of the project so far, by a young Year Four girl:- “This is amazing — better than my football class which I love”. We can’t ask for better than that. Thanks to our presenters Simon and Steve and volunteers Karen and Ruth. It really is very rewarding, great fun and we hope will inspire more and more children to protect their future!”
March 2025
Sunday 9th March – University of Worcester Lakeside Campus Work Party
Following the planting of 450 metres of new hedgerow at the Lakeside Campus on Friday, some of the team got back together on Sunday to continue the magnificent conservation work. Eleven of our volunteers spent a rewarding morning planting damson trees, a hedge and a mixture of saplings from Wildgoose. It was lovely weather, and a brilliant team effort.
We hope the addition of saplings and 450 metres of new hedgerow will provide an invaluable source of food and shelter to birds and other wildlife in years to come. The grant from Duckworth Worcestershire Trust is already delivering for nature!
Monday 3rd March – Sand Martin Nest Bank Installation at Holt Lock Island
It’s that time of year again!
On Monday, some of our local group volunteers got together to reassemble the Sand Martin nest bank at Holt Lock Island. The team did an excellent job, and the nest box is now ready to receive visitors. With Sand Martins already sighted in Worcestershire, we are optimistic that the box will see action again this year!
Alongside our Sand Martin nest boxes, we are hoping to install Swift boxes and callers on houses in local Swift hotspots across Worcestershire. The grant we received from Duckworth Worcestershire Trust will help us to carry out this conservation work.
February 2025
Friday 28th February – Visit to St Catherine’s Primary School
Local group members took a trip to St Catherine’s Primary School to talk to pupils about local wildlife and carry out Owl Pellet dissections. RSPB Worcester & Malvern Volunteer Rosemary comments:
“A delightful morning at St Catherine’s Primary School working with two classes of children. A very spacious modern school with a science room for the Owl Pellet Dissections. We had the time to set up which made a huge difference and the children were very well organised by the teachers which really helps. Some children were a bit dubious especially as one girl had pet mice; but she still joined in.
The staff of the school including the Headteacher were both really interested and impressed with our workshop and marvelled at the fact each child was totally absorbed in the task of Owl Pellet Dissections.
Thanks to Ruth and Catherine for their support and to Steve for another professional and animated presentation, the kids love it! Another 60 children wiser about the life of our UK owls and nature!”
Wednesday 19th February – Barn Owl Box Installation
On Wednesday, the Barn Owl box team successfully installed another four nest boxes. The group is also fortunate enough to have been donated £400 by Herefordshire farmers. This generous sum will be ploughed straight back into our conservation projects!
Tuesday 4th February – Barn Owl, Kestrel and Tawny Owl Box Construction
On 4th February, local group members Laura, Tim and Stuart made short work of roofing five Barn Owl boxes, as well as a Kestrel box and a Tawny Owl box. These boxes will be installed by our members around Worcestershire in the coming weeks. See Laura, Tim and Stuart working on the boxes as well as the finished articles below!
January 2025
Sunday 26th January – Hallow Fields Work Party Tree Planting
On the morning of 26th January, local group members were at Hallow Fields planting apple trees. This site is a collaboration between RSPB Worcester & Malvern and the Malvern Hills District Council and will be a 45 acre community nature reserve. Local Group member and PR Representative Fran said of the day:
“A really successful morning on Hallow Fields. Today we had a team of eighteen people of all ages planting forty-two apple trees on the Hallow Fields flood plain. We were helped by Lorna and Liz from Malvern Hills District Council who own the land. Most of the trees were funded by MHDC. There was a great feeling of community and, although we had to start at 8:30 am, we felt it was worth getting out of bed for the sense of achievement. Job well done. Happy apple trees and we look forward to seeing them and to picking the apples!”
Saturday 25th January – Barn Owl and Tawny Owl Box Installation
Local group members put up three owl boxes today; two Barn Owl boxes and a Tawny Owl box. The Barn Owl group are getting more experience with putting the boxes up, working well as a team and gaining confidence. Great work guys!
Wednesday 22nd January – Approval of DWT Mini-Environment Booster Grant
Following our application to Duckworth Worcestershire Trust’s Community Environmental Legacy Grant back in November 2024, we are grateful to announce that RSPB Worcester and Malvern has been selected to receive a Mini-Environment Booster Grant. This grant will go towards the planting of hedges and trees at the RSPB Worcester & Malvern and University of Worcester Wild Area at the University’s Lakeside Campus. This area is already proving to be a brilliant support to local wildlife. What a great local scheme!
Sunday 19th January – Barn Owl Box Installation
On the 19th January, local group members spent the day installing Barn Owl boxes at local sites around Worcestershire. Three Barn Owl boxes, handcrafted by local group members, were installed!
Friday 17th January – Hallow Fields welcomes new MHDC Biodiversity Officer
The Hallow Fields community nature reserve project welcomes the new Biodiversity Officer from MHDC. Lorna Baggett, centre, has joined the RSPB team in the creation of a new 45 acre nature reserve at Hallow Fields. Lorna has just started as a Biodiversity Officer at Malvern Hills District Council and will be taking a lead role in this exciting project.
December 2024
Friday 20th December – RSPB Worcester & Malvern Local Group School Visit
In December, Local Group members carried out a visit to a local school in hopes of inspiring the children to care for and take an interest in the wildlife that surrounds them. Group member Rosemary said of the visit:
“Stanley Road never cease to entertain and exhaust us! A great afternoon of engaging with the young, inspiring them to care and love birds and nature! Lots of Big Garden Bird Watch leaflets given out, and the new RSPB certificate certificate about their activity. The lovely thing is, some remembered us from last time. If they remember us, they remember what we talk about. Win-win!”
November 2024
Saturday 9th and Wednesday 20th November – Worcester University Barn Owl Footage
In 2021, RSPB Worcester & Malvern joined forces with the University of Worcester to convert three hectares of unused playing fields into a wild area to support local wildlife. Since then, the local group has installed numerous Barn Owl posts across this site. We have also installed Barn Owl boxes across the wider Worcestershire area.
RSPB Worcester & Malvern Group Leader Nick commented:
“I put up a trail camera on our University of Worcester project to see which mammals were using the seed crop and wild area. We had a video of something landing on the camera and, when it took off, it looked like a Barn Owl. Because of this, we decided to knock a post in a few yards in front of the camera and see what landed on it. Bingo – all this where there used to be acres of boring mown grass!“