Outdoor programme<\/a><\/div>\n\n\n\n
Event Calendar<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
Here are reports on recent excursions. Click on the title to see the full report.<\/p>\n\n\n
- Hosehill Lake – 14th December 2025<\/a>
![\"Hosehill](\"https:\/\/rdnhs.org.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/HosehillBlackHeadedGulls.jpg\")
<\/a>\nOn the morning of Sunday 14 December, Peter Driver led a walk round Hosehill Lake near Theale, looking at winter birds. Meeting place was the car park of the Fox and Hounds pub. Hosehill Lake is a 24-hectare site managed by BBOWT. The reserve is based around the only one of the former gravel pits ...<\/div><\/li>- Brimpton – 26th November 2025<\/a>
![\"Brimpton](\"https:\/\/rdnhs.org.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/im008-1.jpg\")
<\/a>\nTen members joined Rob Stallard for a walk at Brimpton on the morning of Wednesday 26 November, starting from the churchyard. The sun was shining and the sky was blue. A hard overnight frost had left the vegetation coated in rime. The route followed a footpath which led south-eastwards across a field and down towards ...<\/div><\/li>- Greenham Common – 15th November 2025<\/a>
\nLesley Dunlop led a group of 13 members and 2 visitors to look at the geology of Greenham Common on the morning of Saturday 15 November. Meeting place was the Control Centre car park. It was a misty morning, following a day of rain. Greenham and Crookham Commons lie on a long ridge between the ...<\/div><\/li>- Knowl Hill – 15th October 2025<\/a>
\nInge Beck led a walk at Knowl Hill, to the west of Maidenhead, on the morning of Wednesday 15 October. Meeting place for 16 members was the large lay-by on the north side of the A4. It also turned out to be the parking place for the large group of local ladies who practise Nordic ...<\/div><\/li>- Wildmoor Heath – 11th October 2025<\/a>
![\"Wildmoor](\"https:\/\/rdnhs.org.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/im024.jpg\")
<\/a>\nSue White led a walk to look at fungi and slime moulds at Wildmoor Heath on the morning of Saturday 11 October. Meeting point was the reserve car park on the east side of Sandhurst Road at Crowthorne.The walk started out southwards through woodland which was dominated by Oak, Sweet Chestnut and Birch, and dotted ...<\/div><\/li>- Newtown Common – 17th September 2025<\/a>
![\"Newtown](\"https:\/\/rdnhs.org.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/im003.jpg\")
<\/a>\nRob Stallard led six members on a walk at Newtown Common, to the south of Newbury, on the morning of Wednesday 17 September. There were heavy dark clouds, but the threatened rain never materialised. Meeting place was the well-hidden Village Hall car park. The track from the road to the car park was lined on ...<\/div><\/li>- Watlington Hill – 14th September 2025<\/a>
![\"Watlington](\"https:\/\/rdnhs.org.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/WatlingtonGentian.jpg\")
<\/a>\nOn the afternoon of Sunday 14th September six intrepid naturalists met in the car park at Watlington Hill, a Site of Special Scientific Interest and a nationally important home to rare wildflowers, butterflies, birds, mosses, lichens, and fungi. Watlington Hill is managed by the National Trust. Led by Fiona Brown, the plan was to follow ...<\/div><\/li>- Calcot bat walk – 23rd August 2025<\/a>
\nKatie Jenks led a walk around Linear Park in Calcot on Saturday 23 August. It was a perfect evening for a bat walk \u2013 17\u00b0C, no rain and just a slight breeze. Nine members met at the Beansheaf Community Centre car park just before dusk at 8pm. Katie handed everyone a heterodyne bat detector, along ...<\/div><\/li>- Goring Heath – 20th August 2025<\/a>
![\"Goring](\"https:\/\/rdnhs.org.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/im005-1-1.jpg\")
<\/a>\nOn the morning of Wednesday 20 August, a dry, windless day, Jan and Jerry Welsh led a walk from the former King Charles Head pub at Collins End near Goring Heath. The group headed west along a footpath through grassy fields where Blinks, fairly rare in Oxfordshire, had been found previously after a wet spring. ...<\/div><\/li>- Greywell Moors – 20th July 2025<\/a>
![\"Greywell](\"https:\/\/rdnhs.org.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/GreywellMarshHelleborine-1.jpg\")
<\/a>\nJulia Cooper and Ian Duddle led a walk at Greywell Moors near Hook on the rainy morning of Sunday 20 July, starting at Greywell Pumping Station. The fen area in the north-eastern section of this Hampshire and Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust reserve has permit-only access and Reserves Manager Zoe Cotton kindly came to ...<\/div><\/li>- Arborfield Cross – 16th July 2025<\/a>
\nJulia Cooper stepped in at short notice to lead 7 members on a circular walk starting from the Bull at Arborfield Cross on the morning of Wednesday 16 July. The route turned right out of the car park along Swallowfield Road, then right again along a track. It was a good morning for seeing butterflies ...<\/div><\/li>- Knepp Estate – 5th July 2025<\/a>
![\"Knepp](\"https:\/\/rdnhs.org.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/KneppBeaverDam.jpg\")
<\/a>\nOn Saturday 5 July, Grahame Hawker led 15 members on a walk at Knepp near Horsham in West Sussex. Grahame and his wife Lesley had been camping on the Knepp Estate for the previous few days of hot sunny weather, checking out in particular the best places to see Purple Emperor butterflies, which were having ...<\/div><\/li>- Pamber Forest – 22nd June 2025<\/a>
![\"Pamber](\"https:\/\/rdnhs.org.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/PamberAlderBuckthorn.jpg\")
<\/a>\nGrahame Hawker led 7 members on a walk at Silchester Common and Pamber Forest on the overcast morning of Sunday 22 June. Starting from the Impstone Road car park the route led through a dry area of gorse, where Marsh Cudweed, Tormentil, Centaury, Wood Sage, Heath Groundsel and Smooth Hawksbeard were growing, and a Meadow ...<\/div><\/li>- Wild Oakingham, Nuffield – 17th June 2025<\/a>
\nLiz Carr organised a visit to Wild Oakingham near Nuffield on the hot morning of Tuesday 17 June. Owner Jane Ibrahim and Rewilding Specialist Professor Alastair Driver very kindly led 15 members round the site to see how rewilding is progressing. Before setting out, Alastair gave a brief introduction to rewilding, then showed members some ...<\/div><\/li>- The Holies – 7th June 2025<\/a>
![\"The](\"https:\/\/rdnhs.org.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/im014-2.jpg\")
<\/a>\nJan Haseler led 7 members on a walk at The Holies, National Trust land at Streatley, on the morning of Saturday 7 June. The weather forecast had predicted heavy showers, with the Met Office issuing a yellow weather warning for thunderstorms. There was some debate the night before as to whether or not the event ...<\/div><\/li>- Dragonflies at Goring – 24th May 2025<\/a>
\nAlan Holmes led 10 members and a guest on a walk to look for the Common Clubtail Dragonfly Gomphus vulgatissimus on the morning of Saturday 24 May. It is a dragonfly of slow-flowing rivers with a silty bottom. The River Thames near Goring is one of the best places to find this dragonfly. The River ...<\/div><\/li>- Bucklebury – 21st May 2025<\/a>
![\"Bucklebury](\"https:\/\/rdnhs.org.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/im002-1.jpg\")
<\/a>\nOn the morning of Wednesday 21 May, Rob Stallard led a circular walk which started from the car park of the village recreation ground in Bucklebury. The weather forecast had warned of the possibility of showers, but these did not materialise and the temperature warmed as the morning progressed. House Martins flew above the car ...<\/div><\/li>- Fobney Marsh – 3rd May 2025<\/a>
![\"Fobney](\"https:\/\/rdnhs.org.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/Snelsmore-098.jpg\")
<\/a>\nAdrian Lawson led a walk round Fobney Marsh on the morning of Saturday 3 May, starting from the Matalan car park. This area is the last surviving fragment of the River Kennet floodplain. A gap in the trees at the south-west end of the car park led to the line of a dismantled railway. Sightings ...<\/div><\/li>- Searles Farm Nightingales – 30th April 2025<\/a>
![\"Searles](\"https:\/\/rdnhs.org.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/Heron-1.jpg\")
<\/a>\nJohn Lerpiniere led a walk to listen for Nightingales at the Searles Farm gravel pit complex on the evening of Wednesday 30 April. Meeting time was 19:30, not long before sunset, and the parking location was at the southern end of Pingewood Road North, a dead-end road. It was a warm evening after a hot ...<\/div><\/li>- King’s Barn, Medmenham – 27th April 2025<\/a>
![\"King's](\"https:\/\/rdnhs.org.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/im002.jpg\")
<\/a>\nThe Society would like to thank owner Suzanne for a fascinating and rewarding walk round her land near Medmenham on the afternoon of Sunday 27 April. After gathering in front of the farm buildings, the group set off up to the field above the barns, looking successfully for Adder\u2019s-tongue Fern – a number of patches ...<\/div><\/li>- Withymead Pond Dipping – 12th April 2025<\/a>
![\"Withymead](\"https:\/\/rdnhs.org.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/IMG_9620-Dragonfly-Larva.jpg\")
<\/a>\nAlan Holmes organised a pond dipping session at Withymead Reserve, between Goring and South Stoke, on the morning of Saturday 12 April. Alan\u2019s principal aim was to find dragonfly and damselfly larvae. Warden Pete Morton accompanied the group on their walk round the reserve. The first pond, with a pH of 6.8, was by the ...<\/div><\/li>- Pinkneys Green – 9th April 2025<\/a>
![\"Pinkneys](\"https:\/\/rdnhs.org.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/IMG_9577-Few-Flowered-Garlic.jpg\")
<\/a>\nRichard and Alison Donnelly led a walk around part of the Maidenhead and Cookham Commons on Wednesday 9 April. It was initially cloudy with a chill wind blowing from the north-east, but as the morning progressed, the clouds melted away and the temperature rose. The walk started from the National Trust car park on Pinkneys ...<\/div><\/li>- Wallingford Mosses – 22nd March 2025<\/a>
![\"Wallingford](\"https:\/\/rdnhs.org.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/Orthotrichum-diaphanum_JT-940x1024.jpg\")
<\/a>\nSaturday 22 March 2025 was not as chilling a day as hardy members recalled from the previous Moss Walk at Greenham Common and thirteen individuals, led by Sean O’Leary, started from\u00a0St. Leonard\u2019s \u00a0Church in Wallingford, to look at some typical urban bryophytes. The difference between acrocarpous and pleurocarpous mosses was noted and some examples of ...<\/div><\/li>- Savernake Forest – 19th February 2025<\/a>
![\"Savernake](\"https:\/\/rdnhs.org.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/IMG_4438.jpg\")
<\/a>\nOn Wednesday 19 February, on his fourth attempt, Rob Stallard led a walk round Savernake Forest, which lies between Hungerford and Marlborough. In the three preceding years, the February mid-week walk had had unsuitable weather \u2013 either rain, strong winds or both. This time, there was a little drizzle and a band of light rain ...<\/div><\/li>- Curridge – 8th February 2025<\/a>
![\"Curridge](\"https:\/\/rdnhs.org.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/ChalkLambethBoundary.jpg\")
<\/a>\nLesley Dunlop led a walk to look at the geology of the Curridge area on the cold and misty morning of Saturday 8 February. Participants gathered at the car park of the Curridge Women\u2019s Institute Hall. Lesley said that we would be looking for some of the pits and hollows which are to be found ...<\/div><\/li>- Little Marlow – 15th January 2025<\/a>
![\"Little](\"https:\/\/rdnhs.org.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/IMG_9311-Little-Egret.jpg\")
<\/a>\nFiona Brown led a circular walk which started from the car park of the King\u2019s Head at Little Marlow on Wednesday 15 January. It was a grey morning with thick cloud cover, but the weather was relatively mild and there was no rain. Fiona challenged the walkers to see more than the 38 species of ...<\/div><\/li>- Clayfield Copse – 4th January 2025<\/a>
![\"Clayfield](\"https:\/\/rdnhs.org.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/Ramalina_SW-1.jpg\")
<\/a>\nMarcus Wheeler led a walk round Blackhouse Wood and Clayfield Copse, a local nature reserve on the northern edge of Caversham, on the morning of Saturday 4 January 2025. It was a cold but reasonably bright morning. Members gathered in the car park of the adjoining recreation ground before setting out across the first of ...<\/div><\/li>- Ridgeway – 11th December 2024<\/a>
![\"Ridgeway](\"https:\/\/rdnhs.org.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/clusteredBellflower-2.jpg\")
<\/a>\nJulia Cooper and Ian Duddle led a walk up to the Ridgeway, starting from Churn, near Blewbury, on the morning of Wednesday 11 December. While most members were gathering at the start, several others walked over to the bridge over the disused railway line between Didcot, Newbury and Southampton. A Yellowhammer was calling from the ...<\/div><\/li>- Calleva : Roman Town – 30 November 2024<\/a>
![\"Calleva](\"https:\/\/rdnhs.org.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/amphitheatre.jpg\")
<\/a>Sue White led a walk round the Roman walls at Silchester on the morning of Saturday 30 November. It was a mild, damp, dull day with grey cloud cover. Members gathered in the official English Heritage car park off Wall Lane. From there, a footpath led to the Roman walls. A male Kestrel, with grey ...<\/div><\/li>- Pangbourne – 20 November 2024<\/a>
![\"Pangbourne](\"https:\/\/rdnhs.org.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/dwarfGorse-1.jpg\")
<\/a>\nRob Stallard led a circular walk round Pangbourne, starting from the George Hotel, on Wednesday 20 November. It was a cold morning, with blue sky and sunshine, following the first hard frost of the autumn. Before starting out, Rob gave the group a brief introduction to the history of Pangbourne. The George Hotel was first ...<\/div><\/li><\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Our outdoor excursions are normally held generally twice each month at a wide range of different locations. For around fifty years the society has arranged…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_customify_content_layout":"","_customify_sidebar":"","_customify_page_header_display":"default","_customify_disable_header":"","_customify_disable_header_top":"","_customify_disable_header_main":"","_customify_disable_header_bottom":"","_customify_disable_page_title":"","_customify_disable_content_vertical_padding":"","_customify_disable_footer_top":"","_customify_disable_footer_main":"","_customify_disable_footer_bottom":"","_customify_breadcrumb_display":"","_customify_header_transparent_display":"","footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-5880","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/rdnhs.org.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/5880","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/rdnhs.org.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/rdnhs.org.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rdnhs.org.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/8"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rdnhs.org.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5880"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/rdnhs.org.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/5880\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5975,"href":"https:\/\/rdnhs.org.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/5880\/revisions\/5975"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/rdnhs.org.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5880"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
- Brimpton – 26th November 2025<\/a>