'It's the little things in life' Chesterfield RSPB group building on booming interest in bird watching in Derbyshire
"It's all about looking at the little things in life," said Wendy Dyson, leader of Chesterfield’s RSPB group.
The group has over 100 members, building on a booming interest in bird watching locally.
Apps such as bird call identifier Merlin and social media platforms including TikTok are fostering a surge of interest in wildlife, especially birds, with an encouraging proportion of young people discovering the delights of nature.
Wendy has always loved wildlife and after selling her bakery 13 years ago, she joined the club, serving as a fundraiser for the charity for 10 years and leader for seven.
She said: "We did have a lot of enquiries after Covid when people had been locked up and wanted to get out and about again.
"People live stressful, fast moving lives and we're beginning to notice more people want to connect with nature."
The group promotes the aims of the RSPB locally through education, fundraising and practical conservation.
They host three activities a month including illustrated talks and bird-oriented guided walks in the area, or visits to nature reserves.
Wendy said: "It's great because we've got lots of pairs of eyes to see the birds and everyone gets to see them, whether you're a newcomer or a good birder. You pick up snippets of information and there's a good camaraderie with lots of chatting going on, it's a very social group. To recognise a bird and its sound gets really addictive.”
A walk this month at the Avenue Washlands saw members spot a rare Red-backed Shrike.
Wendy said: "It was fantastic. People come from far and wide to see this bird. It's a once in a lifetime spot and I've only seen one previously."
Other recent sightings include a white stork, which has been reintroduced to Willington Wetlands by the Derbyshire Wildlife Trust more than 600 years after they disappeared from the region.
Wendy said the county is popular for twitchers because of its diverse habitats like moorlands, reservoirs, and wetlands.
For example Padley Gorge is a famous breeding destination for several key warbler species, Middleton Moor attracts a rich variety of waterfowl and Hawfinches are regularly seen wintering at St Helen's Church in Darley Dale.
Autumn is a great time for bird watching and Wendy said it was an accessible and cheap hobby; all that's needed is a pair of binoculars.
BBC Springwatch presenter Jack Baddams, who lives in Derbyshire, is a popular speaker for the group. He has 300,000 followers on social media and one of his videos, on ringing wild birds, has been viewed 7.5m times.
Wendy said: "We have young members that come with their parents. One young lad is really interested. He's about 15-16. Jack was like that, he's been fascinated by birds since he was a child."
Wendy added: “It’s wonderful to see this growing interest in bird watching and our autumn programme provides plenty of opportunities to learn more about bird life in Derbyshire and further afield. We have excellent speakers lined up as well as guided walks, led by members with expert knowledge of the birds in the areas we’ll be visiting.”
Anna-Louise Pickering, wildlife writer, photographer and conservationist and daughter of the celebrated Derbyshire wildlife artist Pollyanna Pickering, is among the speakers lined up, with a talk, Wonderful World, on November 2.
All meetings are held at the St Thomas’ Centre, Chatsworth Road, Chesterfield on the first Monday of the month, at 7.15pm. Admission is £5 for members, £6 for non-members, including refreshments served in the interval.
The guided walks programme includes Wednesday morning and Saturday field trips, with destinations including the Eastern Moors above Chesterfield, Harthill Reservoir and Ogston Reservoir. Full details can be found on the Chesterfield RSPB website, https://group.rspb.org.uk/chesterfield/