Local ornithologist Dave Tate led a short course in spring 2009 on Bird Ecology and Conservation. It was attended by 7 people and was followed by a fieldtrip to Skipwith Common and Wheldrake Ings, where 51 species of birds were seen.

There was a fieldtrip to follow up this short course on the evening of June 4th, when we visited some lesser-known parts of the Lower Derwent Valley. Despite a cold, dull evening, we saw a large range of bird species and some wonderful wildflowers.