Discountsfor shared(see page 2)centreleveldatesdayssole occupancynon-residentialfee FM . O . 01 Feb-03 Feb . Fri-Sun . £174 . £135birds & other animalsWithin this section you will find over 125courses covering the animal kingdom fromthe large animals such as birds and mammalsthrough to invertebrate groups - the smalleranimals without backbones.All the courses listed are designed to improve youridentification skills and understanding of animallifestyles. You can appreciate both common and rarespecies so much more if you have a real groundingin how to observe them and what to look for. Inmany cases, we also highlight the impact of humanactivities on bird and other animal populations andshare concerns about relevant conservation issues. We are pleased to offer a range of courses inpartnership with the British Trust for Ornithology,The Mammal Society and the Bat ConservationTrust to promote understanding and good practice.Full details are found in this section.Courses marked *BI can form part of the Universityof Birmingham Certificate in Biological Recordingand Species Identification. Full details are given onpage 43 of the brochure.For specific courses on biological monitoring andhabitat management please see the Habitats andConservation section on page 37.Female Siskin Margaret and John SixsmithElephant HawkmothBlencathra tutorswww.field-studies-council.org/animals13Discounts for shared accommodationShared accommodation is usually available on our residential courses at a discounted price. The cost isnormally around £10 per night less than sole occupancy price. Please contact the Centre (see page 2)for an exact price.centreleveldatesdayssole occupancynon-residentialfee FM . O . 01 Feb-03 Feb . Fri-Sun . £174 . £135

BirdsWinter BirdsEF . B . 15 Jan . Sun . Non-residential . £38.50Spend the day exploring the best birdingspots in the Lea Valley, an area well- knownfor winter wildfowl and waders. Thevariety of habitats in the Valley means therewill be the chance to see and identify arange of birds - and maybe even a bittern!Andy Flemingis an experiencedornithologist with an excellent knowledgeof local birding sites and species.Late Winter Birdwatching WeekendFM . O . 10 Feb-12 Feb . Fri-Sun . £230 . £164Wildfowl, shorebirds and other wintervisitors will be the main focus of interest onthis birdwatching skills weekend. The bestlocal sites include the Stour and Orwellestuaries and Alton Water and Abbertonreservoirs, which between them holdthousands of overwintering birds. StevePiotrowskiis one of the most experiencedbirders in the region and author of The Birdsof Suffolk. Birdwatching for Near BeginnersFM . B . 09 Mar-11 Mar . Fri-Sun . £230 . £164A short course for anyone who is relativelynew to birdwatching, which will really helpyou with the challenge of identifying birdscorrectly. With the new breeding seasonunderway, we'll visit some of the bestbirdwatching sites around the Suffolk-Essexborders to give you the best chances ofseeing and listening to a wide range ofspecies. Tom Forwardis an energetic andenthusiastic watcher of all wildlife, whogreatly enjoys sharing his birdwatchingknowledge and experience.Birds of the Meres and MossesPM . O . 16 Mar-18 Mar . Fri-Sun . £248 . £170Wildfowl and wetlands will be the mainfocus of the weekend but other sites andspecies will not be overlooked. Residentbirds will be starting to sing and in additionto gaining confidence in identifying birdsby sight we will also focus on their songsand calls. Allan Dawesis the BTOrepresentative for Shropshire, a lifelonggeneral naturalist and experienced courseleader. He has been involved withmonitoring wildfowl on the Shropshiremeres for over 30 years.Identifying Birds by Sight and SoundFM . O . 16 Mar-18 Mar . Fri-Sun . £230 . £164A course on bird identification takingadvantage of all the activity at the start ofthe new breeding season. We will visitsome of the best birdwatching sites inSuffolk to learn about bird characteristicsand behaviour. By observing birds closelyand listening to their songs and calls youwill become more confident in identifying awide range of common and scarcer species.Steve Piotrowskiis one of the mostexperienced birders in the region andauthor of The Birds of Suffolk. Birdwatching Hills to CoastMA . O . 13 Apr-15 Apr . Fri-Sun . £230 . £157A course for anyone wanting to seek outWelsh birds from the expansive hills to theglorious coast and learn to identify them byuse of sight, sound and fieldcraft skills.Travelling to some special areas within easyreach of the Margam Country Park we shallexplore habitats to find both obvious andshy species. This is a time when residentbirds are most songful and the early springmigrants are arriving from the south. Duskchorus tuition is included. Ian Smithis anall-round naturalist and experienced birder,specialising in tutoring accessible coursesfor over 15 years. Bird Songs and Calls for Beginners: The Early Spring WeekendFM . B . 13 Apr-15 Apr . Fri-Sun . £230 . £164If you enjoy listening to birds but arefrustrated trying to separate differentspecies, this course will certainly developyour knowledge and confidence. Listeningin the field and reviewing using smartphoneapps and other guides will help you tomemorise those elusive sound patterns.This weekend will concentrate on residentspecies, but some summer visitors shouldalso be present. Steve Piotrowskiis one ofthe most experienced birders in the regionand author of The Birds of Suffolk. Discovering Birds EF . B . 15 Apr . Sun . Non-residential . £42.50This day course will provide anintroduction to the birds of Epping Forest.Participants will visit a variety of sites in theforest and learn to identify woodland birdsby sight and sound, whilst focusing on theecology and conservation of differentspecies. Andy Flemingis an experiencedornithologist with an excellent knowledgeof local birding sites and species.Scottish Spring Birds, Flowers and ButterfliesKD . O . 20 Apr-27 Apr . Fri-Fri . £475 . £356Kindrogan is ideally situated close towoodland, rivers and lochs. A short trip byminibus takes you to some superb birdingsites. Local sites, including Killiecrankie,Loch of the Lowes and Loch Kinnordy willbe visited. At Kindrogan we shall have onedawn-chorus morning when the birdsongwill be at its best. We shall also venture outto listen to the 'sounds of the night'.Russell Nisbethas been a Nature ReserveWarden for over 20 years and nowfreelances as a wildlife tour operator.Songbird IdentificationPM . I . 27 Apr-30 Apr . Fri-Mon . £334 . £235This weekend course in late spring is at theideal time to see and hear songbirds. It willconcentrate on identification skills usingsight and song, with field notebooks asimportant aids to observation. There willbe at least one early start and visits to awide range of interesting habitats. A copyof Bird Songs and Callsby Geoff Sample isincluded in the course fee. Kevin Clementsis a County Bird Recorder, DeputyChairman of the West Midlands Bird Cluband experienced field ornithologist andnaturalist. *BIIntroducing Bird Songs in a Day!FM . O . 01 May . Tue . Non-residential . £56This new day course aims to introduce youto as many different bird songs as possibleNEWNEWNEWRobin in winterRobin SuttonSeabird colonyClive Hurford14*Accredited courses which could count towards a qualification (see page 43).BLBlencathra .DFDale Fort . DGDerrygonnelly .EFEpping Forest .FMFlatford Mill . JHJuniper Hall .KDKindrogan .MTMalham Tarn .MAMargam .OROrielton .PMPreston Montford .RCRhyd-y-creuau .SLSlapton Ley