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Welcome to the Club
Welcome to the Club
The Cambridgeshire Bird Club promotes the study, recording and conservation of birds in Cambridgeshire and encourages a wider interest in natural history and the protection of county wildlife habitats.
We record the County's birds in our Annual Report, so we need your records. We have a stunning Gallery, so we want your photos. We have field projects, we have indoor meetings and trips, and we keep you informed with our monthly emailed bulletins. We have links to active bird ringing groups. And have a look at our Facebook and our Twitter (X) sites.
You can see What's About? and we urge you to report interesting, sensitive or confidential sightings to the County Recorder.
We email Club members with many announcements but we also use our website to provide information. We hope you enjoy your visit and come back soon.
Announcements
Announcements
Friday 10th July: RSPB Ouse Fen between Earth and Willingham 19:00 start. Erica will send further details to those who have booked. This trip is now fully booked with a long waiting list.
Photo of the Month for May is Nigel Sprowell's Tawny Owl. See it here
Next Club indoor talk - by Zoom - is on September 11th by Dale Forbes. Dale is co-author of the recently published Field Guide to Habitats of Europe. A Guide for Naturalists and Ecologists.
The field trip to RSPB Ouse Fen has been arranged for Friday 10 July. 19:00 start, to 21:00. For other field trips, see Meetings page
Photo of the Year 2025: Congratulations to Jan Michelac for his superb Grey Heron holding a small Pike. See it, and 2nd and 3rd place photos here
Since last year there is free membership to anyone aged 25 or younger.
Club e-Bulletins up to August are now available to all to read. They contain records, photos, articles and event reminders: read the recent ones here
Other announcements
Other announcements
The Chair's Report for 2025 and other documents for the 2026 AGM on 13 March are available to read here
Bird flu in wild birds, latest - reporting to Defra of dying and dead birds suspected to be infected with bird flu can now be done online. Start at https://www.gov.uk/guidance/report-dead-wild-birds - reporting takes about five minutes. Best to have location details at hand. Reports can also be added to BirdTrack. Also, read the RSPB narrative here https://www.rspb.org.uk/birds-and-wildlife/avian-influenza-updates
The 2023 Annual Report (No. 97) is now available to purchase. Look here for details.
CBC Annual Reports for 2000, 2001 and 2002 are now available to read and search See here
The CBC recording checklist can be viewed and downloaded here
Club Bulletins back to the first issue in 1951 have now been digitised and were added to the website in 2021- read them here
The 2019 Annual Report (No. 93) is now available to read on this website - read here 2020 and 2021 Annual Reports to be added as soon as possible.
Do read Bob Jarman's Centenary Lecture presented at the Club's Centenary Dinner 16 April. Read here Also to be found under 'Publications'
Next club field trip
Next club field trip
Friday 10th July: RSPB Ouse Fen between Earth and Willingham 19:00 start
Organised by Richard Taylor, Site Manager.
Working together, Brice Aggregates and RSPB are transforming a working sand and gravel quarry into the Ouse Fen nature reserve which when complete will have the most extensive freshwater reedbed in the UK. The focus of the visit will be on the conservation management and vision for the site.
Booking via Erica Towner fieldtrips@cambridgebirdclub.org.uk
Next Club indoor talk is on September 11th by Dale Forbes. Dale is co-author of the recently published Field Guide to Habitats of Europe. A Guide for Naturalists and Ecologists. By Zoom
Next club indoor talk
September 11th by Dale Forbes. Dale is co-author of the recently published Field Guide to Habitats of Europe. A Guide for Naturalists and Ecologists. By Zoom
Notes by Erica on the club trip to Eldernell, 15 May
We parked at Eldernell and walked up onto the bank with vast open views across the wash. A Hobby flashed past, hirundines and a few Swifts off in all directions. The Site Manager, Peter Beckenham, provided an overview of the long history and present-day challenges and management of the Washes, interrupted by a surprisingly long haul flight by two Bitterns seemingly defying gravity with their slow beating wings. Bitterns, closer by, boomed. We walked towards the Low Wash past woodland with scopes out for a very obliging late Redwing and Snipe displaying over the reedbed. Then, looking across the wet grassland of the Low Wash, the first sightings of Common Crane pushing through the swampy ground. Marsh Harriers hassled by Lapwing, Sparrowhawk, Spoonbill, Little Egret and Grey Heron in flight, a range of warblers, waders and wildfowl all added to the evening.
X (fomerly Twitter)
X (fomerly Twitter)
We will let you know when we can resume feeds to this website
Photo of the year 2025
Photo of the year 2025
Congratulations to Jan Michalec for his winning photo of a Grey Heron. Second place goes to Garth Peacock's Great Reed Warbler and Jan Michelac's Peregines take third place. Click here to view all three photos. and click 2025 candidates to see all the candidates.
Picture of the Month - May
Picture of the Month - May
Tawny Owl © Nigel Sprowell 11 May 2026, St Ives
May's Picture of the Month was selected by Andrew Dobson
"I was very tempted to choose Paul Kaise’s portrait of a Eurasian Dotterel, especially as I failed to get a decent photo during their 3-week stay at Gamlingay. Jan Michalec posted a super sequence of Common Cuckoo in flight at RSPB Fowlmere, while Andy Merryweather’s male Mandarin (with reflection) was particularly appealing. Of the always welcome contributions from Cookie Shorten, I particularly liked her Common Reed Warbler photos. However, I keep being drawn back to Nigel Sprowell’s Tawny Owls. His Fen Drayton night portraits are exquisite, but I’ve chosen his lucky encounter with a Tawny Owl during the day on Holt Island, St. Ives.
The 2023 Report No. 97 is now available to purchase at £15.00 including postage and packing.
The 2023 Report No. 97 is now available to purchase at £15.00 including postage and packing.
Where's that site?
Where's that site?
If you are unsure of the location of the less well-known birding sites, check our Gazetteer, which also provides standardised names to include in recording checklists for the Club's database and Birdtrack. Check the Grabagrid map which provides precise site grid references, and also shows pop-up vice-county boundaries
Centenary Lecture presented by Bob Jarman on 16 April 2025 at the Club's Centenary Dinner
Centenary Lecture presented by Bob Jarman on 16 April 2025 at the Club's Centenary Dinner
Avian Flu in wild birds -latest
Avian Flu in wild birds -latest
AVIAN FLU: Please under no circumstances go near or touch wildfowl suspected to have avian flu, leave this to the professionals.
Bird flu in wild birds: On 9 November 2025 Rob Partridge reported dead and dying Whooper Swans and Mute Swans on the Ouse Washes. The reporting to Defra of dying and dead birds suspected to be infected with bird flu can now be done online. Start at https://www.gov.uk/guidance/report-dead-wild-birds - reporting takes about five minutes. Best to have location details at hand.
Read the RSPB narrative here https://www.rspb.org.uk/birds-and-wildlife/avian-influenza-updates
Lists and facts
Lists and facts
County birders life lists, individual record year lists / record day lists, garden lists and other records - view them here
County birders life lists, individual record year lists / record day lists, garden lists and other records - view them here
Found and injured bird? Contact a rehabilitator. Baby birds? Read here and also here
Local bird news from Cambirds.
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