Guided walks at Minsmere:
Birdwatching for beginners
Friday 4 and Monday 21 April. Start 9.30 am. (2-3 hours)
Many people have started birdwatching at Minsmere. Join us on this beginners’ walk where you will learn how to use binoculars properly and which field guides are best for you. You can then use this information to enjoy watching birds as we show you some of Minsmere’s wildlife.

Discovering Minsmere
Tuesday 1, Thursday 10, Tuesday 15, Friday 18, Thursday 24 and Wednesday 30 April. Start 9.30 am. (2-3 hours)
Join us to learn about the reserve’s birds and other wildlife, and its habitats and their management. Our guides will show you Minsmere’s varied wildlife, give tips on good fieldcraft, and help you to get the most from your visit to one of Britain’s premier birdwatching spots. Suitable for all abilities.

What’s about at Minsmere?
Tuesday 8 April. Start 7 am. (2-3 hours)
Ever wondered who it is that sees all the birds on the ‘What’s about?’ sheet each day? Join the Minsmere birders on their early morning walk and pick up tips on finding birds.

Weekend Wildlife Walks
Saturday 5, Sunday 13 and Saturday 19 April. Start at 9.30 am (3-4 hours)
Join us for a seasonal weekend walk to look for spring migrants, summer insects, flowers, autumn wading birds or whatever wildlife highlights are present at the time.

Dawn chorus and breakfast
NOTE: All dawn chorus walks are fully booked – please do not advertise further

Saturday 19 and Sunday 20 April. Start at 4.30 am
Sunday 27 April. Start at 4 am (2.5 hours, plus breakfast)
Dawn chorus can be an unforgettable Minsmere experience, with everything from bitterns to nightingales, Cetti’s warblers to avocets, joining in the chorus as the sun rises. A hearty breakfast in the tearoom rounds off a perfect start to the day. These are our most popular walks, so please book early. Costs are adults £14, RSPB members £12, children £10.50, or RSPB Wildlife Explorers £9.50.

Nightingales and warblers
Thursday 17, Wednesday 23 and Saturday 26 April. Start at 7 am (2-2.5 hours)
This is a later start than our dawn chorus walks, but still timed to experience all the variety of spring birdsong at Minsmere, from the bittern’s strange booming call to the nightingale’s glorious notes. The tearoom will be open early after these walks so you can warm up with a hot drink and light breakfast.Special events for children and families at Minsmere in April 2008
All of our children’s events are closely supervised and run by our trained field teachers. Pre-booking is recommended, and children must be accompanied by an adult at all times. There may be extra events for families during the school holidays; these will be advertised at the reserve and on the RSPB website, www.rspb.org.uk

Family wildlife walk
Thursday 3 April. Start at 10 am (2 hours)
Minsmere is a great day out for all the family. Our guides will show you some of Minsmere’s special wildlife, from mini-beasts to birds. You will learn how to find animals using signs as well as sight and sound.

Minsmere Wildlife Explorers Club
Saturday 5 April, 2 pm – 4 pm.
A special day for the RSPB’s local junior members. Join us for a varied programme of crafts and wildlife watching. Cost £2 per child. For more information, or to reserve your place, please email Minsmere@rspb.org.uk.

Other special events at Minsmere
Minsmere safari
Sunday 6 and Wednesday 16 April. Start 9.30 am or 1 pm (2-2.5 hours)
Discover what it takes to keep Minsmere in tip-top condition from the comfort of a 4-wheel drive vehicle. This tour takes in less well-known parts of the reserve, while reserve staff explain about habitat management and what makes Minsmere such a superb place for wildlife. Places are strictly limited, so book early. Costs: adults £15 (RSPB members £12), children £10 (RSPB Wildlife Explorers £8).

Digi-scoping demo
Saturday 12 April, 10 am to 4 pm
Have you ever wanted to take excellent wildlife photos with you compact digital camera? Talk to our experts about how to attach your camera to a telescope and discover the art of digi-scoping. There will be a selection of products to try.

Spring on the Suffolk coast:
A celebration of the wildlife of the beautiful Suffolk coast
Saturday 26 and Sunday 27 April, 10 am to 4 pm
Free entry for this special weekend of activities. Join a guided walk to discover what makes Minsmere such a special place for wildlife and people. We’ll look for bitterns, avocets, marsh harriers and nightingales, and look ahead to Minsmere’s future. Meet some of the RSPB’s guides in the hides. Families can join in with free pond dipping activities. All of the leading optics companies will be on hand at Minsmere’s biggest optics demonstration of the year. Contact the Minsmere visitor centre for further details, or visit www.rspb.org.uk

Optics days
Saturday 26 and Sunday 27 April, 10 am to 4 pm
Expert advice on choosing the right binoculars, telescopes and accessories. Run in conjunction with Viking Optical of Halesworth, there will be a wide range of optics available to test and buy, so whether you're choosing you first binoculars or looking to upgrade, we'll have the right optics for you. Look out for more optics days to be arranged. See www.rspb.org.uk/events or contact Minsmere visitor centre for details.

National Moth Recording Scheme
The RSPB and Butterfly Conservation are working together through the new National Moth Recording Scheme to raise awareness of the beauty, diversity and importance of moths. We run moth traps most nights, and you are welcome to join us as we empty the traps in the morning. Please contact the reserve in advance to arrange a visit. You may come face-to-face with carpets, pugs, hawks, wainscots, footmen and perhaps even a tiger!

RSPB North Warren nature reserve
With five different habitats all on one reserve, RSPB North Warren is a haven for a range of wildlife, including Dartford warblers and woodlarks on the heath, and an excellent variety of insects and scarce plants in summer.

Visiting RSPB North Warren
North Warren is a short walk north from Aldeburgh town centre. Buses run from Woodbridge and Saxmundham railway stations to Aldeburgh. By car, park in the large pay and display car park on Thorpe Road, Aldeburgh (TM467575), next to the Scallop sculpture. There are cycle racks here. Walks start from this car park.

Entry to this reserve is free. A free trail guide leaflet is available from Minsmere and Aldeburgh Tourist Information Centre. Please book these walks through the Minsmere visitor centre on 01728 648281. Guided walks cost: adults £5, (RSPB members £4), children £2.50, (RSPB Wildlife Explorers £2).

There are no events at North Warren this month
RSPB Havergate Island nature reserve
Famous for its avocets, Havergate Island is a special place where you will also see a wide range of other wading birds, ducks, geese, swans and brown hares.

Visiting Havergate Island
Access is by boat from Orford Quay, and places are strictly limited. From April to August, boats visit every Thursday, and on the first and third weekends of the month. From September to March, boats go on the first Saturday of the month only. Boats depart at 10 am. A guide will usually be available on the island. To book your visit to Havergate Island, please contact the Minsmere visitor centre on 01728 648281. Cost: adults £7, RSPB members £5, children £3, Wildlife Explorers £2.|

There are no events at Havergate Island this monthRSPB events away from RSPB reserves

Westleton Heath
There are new circular walks on Westleton Heath and through Dunwich Forest, where you can look for heathland wildlife such as Dartford warblers and woodlarks. These walks are suitable for dogs on leads. A free leaflet is available from the Minsmere visitor centre.

Snape Maltings
Snape Maltings farmers’ market walks
Saturday 5 April. Start at 11.00 am. (About 1.5 hours)
Enjoy this popular farmers’ market (which starts at 9.30 am), then join an experienced RSPB guide for an introduction to the wildlife of the beautiful Alde Estuary. We will look for wading birds and other seasonal wildlife, and will enjoy superb views of the estuary. The walk starts outside the information centre at Snape Maltings.

Cost £1 per person, to go the Suffolk Coast and Heaths CONNECT scheme, helping to fund conservation projects in the Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. Booking not required.

Getting to Snape Maltings
Follow the brown tourist signs from the A12, via the A1094 and B1069. Buses from Aldeburgh and Woodbridge stop at the Maltings.