Talks & Trips info
Indoor Meetings
Indoor meetings take place most months (not July/August) on the first Tuesday. They usually feature a talk as well as a short meeting beforehand to deal with club business, which always includes the most recent trip report, reports of recent sightings of interest, details of forthcoming indoor meetings and field trips, as well as updates from the local RSPB group, BTO and YWT representatives. There is a small charge at the door to help cover costs of £2 for members or £4 for non-members.
The Annual General Meeting is held in November – as the business can take a little longer for this, it is followed by a shorter presentation.
In December we have a photo competition which any club member can enter. Details of how to submit entries for the competition are on the website, but reminders are also given at indoor meetings before this. The format is basically a slide show of entries for each category and then everyone has an opportunity to vote for their favourites – the photo that scores the most wins!
Directions for getting to indoor meetings
The indoor meetings take place at St Olave’s church hall, Marygate Lane, Marygate, York, YO30 7BJ. There is a large public car par at the rear of the hall. The car park is reached by driving down Marygate (off Bootham) – just before the bottom of the road it turns sharp right and the car park will be ahead of you – on entering the car park, turn right and drive towards the far end to park. There is a pedestrian exit at the end leading to a small lane (which connects back to Marygate). The door to the church hall is on the right hand side about halfway along the lane.
There is a small charge for the car park, payable before you exit (currently £4 for non-residents – but ‘free’ for those who do have the new residents’ pass) – it is a little complicated. You have to collect a ticket on entry to the car park – look after it carefully as this is needed to get out as well! You will need to pay at the machine just before you get in your car to leave. Once you have paid, you drive to the exit where you will be asked to put the ticket into a slot at the exit barrier which will then rise to let you out.
Field meetings – day trips and evening walks
The monthly field meetings take place on the Sunday after the first Tuesday of each month (except for July and August) and there are several local evening walks during the year too.
Day trips
Meeting places for the day trips will be at or near the destination. The meeting time does vary depending on the time of year and the distance needed to travel, so please check the programme of events.
Trips are by car and are informal – if anybody is prepared to offer someone else a lift please arrange amongst yourselves and be mindful of current Covid guidelines. Confirmation of the meeting point for East Coast trips will be circulated via the YorkBirding email and updated on the website.
While you do not have to say in advance that you are coming on a trip, it does help if we know, so just in case you are delayed a few minutes we know to wait for you.
Please note, destination of trips can be subject to change and is usually in response to having checked the latest bird news the night before and finding out that all the interesting birds are somewhere else!
When on field outings, you will need to bring a packed lunch/snacks and drinks. If you don’t have a telescope, not to worry, others on the trip undoubtedly will and will be happy to let you have a look through theirs. We also try to make sure that everyone on a trip has at least one other person’s ‘phone number so that we can keep in touch, just in case you are going to an area new to you and get delayed/lost on route. We are rarely put off by the weather, so wet weather gear and walking boots are recommended – in addition, the East Coast in particular can be bitterly cold in the winter months, so bring numerous layers on those trips!
Evening walks
Meeting points will be near the start of each walk. Like the day outings, there is no extra charge for these. If you need transport, please do let us know and we will do our best to arrange a lift for you.
Club Weekends
If you are interested in going away on one of these weekends, please give your name to the organiser. As with the day outings, we travel by car to these and try to car share where possible.