AIREDALE & Bradford RSPB (Royal Society for the Protection of Birds) group, which celebrates its 50th anniversary in September, is a social group which brings together like-minded people who are not only interested in birds, but also in the natural world.

Group leader Paul Barrett, explains: “We aim to bring together people of all ages and provide an opportunity to learn from enthusiastic speakers in a varied programme of illustrated talks in a relaxed atmosphere.”

The group welcomes RSPB members and non-members to its indoor meetings for a small admission fee of £3. “We also run various guided walks throughout the year, which are free of charge,” says Paul. “We don’t have a membership, as such. All our activities are open to the public.”

The past two years have seen the group embrace new technologies to maintain contact with friends of the group. All activities were suspended in March 2020 and person to person contact did not resume until the summer of 2021.

In the autumn of 2020, the group decided to take advantage of the boom in virtual meetings and planned some of their own, taking the opportunity to book speakers from further afield, who would not normally be able to attend the normal indoor meetings. They were able to welcome speakers from as far afield as the Isles of Scilly and the Australian state of New South Wales.

“It has been widely reported that the pandemic has seen an upturn in the interest in our natural surroundings,” says Paul. “We’ve certainly found that we are interacting with many more people than we used to.”

In September 2021 the group resumed their ‘normal’ indoor meetings on the second Friday of the month at the Kirkgate Centre in Shipley. However, due to their popularity, the group continue to put on virtual meetings.

In the summer of 2021, the Covid-19 regulations were relaxed, and the group was able to get out-and-about again. They started with a couple of guided walks in conjunction with the charity Carers’ Resource*.

“Over the two walks, several carers joined our group to explore the local area,” says Paul. “Although it was not the ideal time of year to go birdwatching, due to the amount of foliage on the trees, all the participants enjoyed the experience - probably learning more about identifying birds through their songs than by their looks.

“There were great views of a pair of great spotted woodpeckers and a grey wagtail at St Ives and it was great to be able to hear AND see a chiffchaff alongside the canal.”

The walk around Hirst Wood included a little local history, with the walkers taking the opportunity to explore the derelict New Hirst Mill that lies alongside the river between the aqueduct and the rail viaduct. Last month the group explored Northcliffe Park and will be exploring the Goitstock area later in the year.

Free Guided Walks for the wider public resumed in September with a visit to Baildon Moor. Another took place around Dowley Gap/ Hirst Wood in February and at the beginning of April there was a walk in Prince of Wales Park, Bingley.

Further walks are planned, the next being a dawn chorus walk at 7am on Sunday May 1 at St Ives Estate, Bingley.

The group undertake a couple a field trips each year. Last October they visited Saltholme on Teesside. On Saturday May 14, they will be visiting the RSPB Reserve at Bempton Cliffs. The coach departs from the Shipley Bus Stand at 8am. Booking is essential (on 01274 582078).

To remain active, early in 2021 the group launched the Airedale and Bradford Area Bird List. Mainly driven through Facebook, they asked people to report on bird sightings in the area (BD1-22, LS 19, LS29). By the end of the year, 128 different species had been reported. The current year’s list stands at 74.

*Carers’ Resource is the local, specialist carers’ centre for the Bradford and Airedale, Harrogate and Ripon, and Craven districts of Yorkshire.

A carer is someone who, without payment, provides help and support to a friend, neighbour or relative who could not manage otherwise because of frailty, illness or disability. They may even be juggling paid work with caring responsibilities at home. Carers have a tough job - it can mean unrelenting pressure, little chance to relax and a lot of worry. The system is complicated, and the issue is hidden.

Carers’ Resource provides support for carers, no matter what their age, race, religion or needs. Follow the link to discover what support they can offer you as a carer, or as someone who might work with carers.

The local Carers’ Resource office: 15 Park View Court, St Paul’s Road, Shipley BD18 3DZ

01274 449660