Talks & Lectures

SBBOT has a long tradition of offering courses, lectures and talks. Apart from the presentations below we also present evening programmes via zoom, such as our Wednesday Courses.

Thursday Evening Lecture Programme

Live at the Field Centre at 7.30pm

£6 per person including a hot drink and a biscuit - payable at the door on the night  (payments by credit/debit cards now available).

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Each year we book a wide range of speakers and subjects and although most talks are mainly about birds, there are other wildlife subjects included, such as talks on Dragonflies and Flowers etc.

Our talk programme also covers lots of different countries as well as more local topics.

(Volunteer request - we do need some people to help out again with the teas/coffees and car parking on each evening. Therefore, if you are able to help at either of the first couple of talks, then please email the talks organiser Ian Searle Once we are up running, Ian will be putting the volunteer sheet on the notice board for people to add their names too, the same as last year - thank you.)

Here is the programme for Winter 2025 through Spring 2026 - some are outline with dates for your diary... details will follow in due course...

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5th February - A season on Bardsey- the island of 20,000 saints and even more Shearwaters! by Greg Lee (our previous assistant warden)

Greg takes us through a season spent as an Assistant Warden at the idyllic Bird Observatory on the Welsh island of Ynys Enlli (Bardsey). The talk has a particular emphasis on the wildlife/birding calendar through the year, as well as the quirks of remote island-living and what makes this tiny island in the Irish Sea so special for those who make the modern-day pilgrimage to it.

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12th February - Sun, Sea and Dragons – a voyage around the Lesser Sunda Islands from Flores to Bali by Ian & Sally Hunter

A journey involving pristine reefs, fabulous marine life and snorkelling together with walks around the home of the Komodo Dragon and rounded off with a stay at an ecolodge in the Bali Barat National Park where the Bali Starling rescue project is based.

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19 February - Bats in Britain - John Puckett

John will start his talk about these amazing mammals by explaining their basic anatomy and physiology. He will then go on to explain what a broad brush "bat year" looks like. John will also cover the different species we have in Kent and what we know about their ecology.

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26th February - Pine Martin Reintroduction Project - Suzanne Kynaston, Wildwood Trust

The South East Pine Marten Restoration Project is working to bring back one of Britain’s rarest native mammals to landscapes where it was lost over a century ago.  Currently in its feasibility stages, the project hopes to reintroduce pine martens alongside improving woodland habitat to restore a missing part of our natural heritage. Pine martens play an important role in healthy ecosystems, helping to rebalance wildlife and increase biodiversity. This project is not just about one species — it’s about creating richer, more resilient landscapes that benefit nature and people alike, now and into the future.

The Project is a collaboration between Wildwood Trust, Kent Wildlife Trust, Sussex Wildlife Trust, Forestry England and Ashdown Forest.

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5th March - A journey to the Hebrides - Paul Hale

We stop off in Teesdale for Black Grouse on our way north to the Inner and Outer Hebrides including St Kilda, a dual World Heritage Site both for its culture and nature.

On our journey we see a range of species from Golden Eagle to Corncrake, from Otter to St Kilda Wren, and a range of breeding seabirds. We also look at the lifestyle of the St Kildans and somehow end up at a whisky festival on Islay.

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12th March - RSPB Dungeness “transformed” by Craig Edwards

The last 7 years have seen a lot of change on the RSPB’s oldest existing reserve which is one of Kent’s major bird reserves. Craig’s talk will explain and illustrate the strategy behind these changes.

He will also cover the recent projects that have been undertaken to breathe fresh life into the RSPB Dungeness reserve as it approaches its 100th anniversary! Last but not least, Craig will of course, be showing us some of the reserve’s bird and wildlife during his talk.

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19th March - Elmley conservation and the Curlew recovery project - Simon Ginnaw 

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26th March - Winter birding in Japan - part 2 (Eagles, Cranes and a special Owl) - Ian Searle & Ken Chapman

Ian and Ken continue on their Japanese trip with focus on the time spent in the deep snow and cold region of the northern island of Hokkaido. 

Amongst many species there, the spectacles for three types of birds seen, are remembered by all on the trip - 1000’s of Cranes, the world’s biggest Eagle and the world’s biggest Owl. 

Video clips will help bring these amazing spectacles to life. 

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