The Hobby is our newsletter, currently distributed quarterly which was first published in May 1992 at the inception of the Bird Club. Copies of the bulletin back to July 2001 (Issue 56) when digitisation began will be added to this page in time, followed by older issues when available. Currently listed below are copies back to start of 2014.
The editors are always on the lookout for articles. Topics vary widely and are written by ‘beginners’ to ‘experts’ alike, so if you feel you could contribute something that would interest Bedfordshire birders then please do contact the club at the address below.
Andy Grimsey (Hon. Bulletin Editor)
Email: editor@bedsbirdclub.org.uk
Latest edition of The Hobby 182 – published October 2023
Articles include Bird News for July – September 2023, notes on club activities and upcoming program, Woodcock Suvey Winter 23/24
The Hobby 181 – published July 2023
Articles include Bird News for April – June 2023, notes on the development of a new nature reserve at Clophill Lakes and report of The Garden Bird Feeding Survey Winter 22/23
The Hobby 180 – published April 2023
Articles include Bird News for January – March 2023, notes about club activities and reports for last year, avian influenza, BTO Woodcock Survey, 10×10 Bird Race challenge
The Hobby 179 – published January 2023
Articles include Bird News for October – December 2022, notes about club activities, avian influenza, the occurrence of Little Auk in Bedfordshire, a look at some birding records from 1953 (70 years ago), and a write-up of the Garden Bird Feeding Survey of Summer 2022
The Hobby 178 – published October 2022
Articles include Bird News for July – September 2022, notes about club activities and proposed publications, Rarities report first half of 2022, report on breeding Spotted Flycatcher
The Hobby 177 – published July 2022
Articles include Bird News for April – June 2022, notes on the poor numbers and late arrival of Swallows, martins and Swift, and report of The Garden Bird Feeding Survey Winter 21/22
The Hobby 176 – published April 2022
Articles include Bird News for January – March 2022, details of the upcoming club meeings, report of AGM and bird club committees in 2022, accepted rarities for 2021 and a look at bird records from 50 years ago
The Hobby 175 – published January 2022
Articles include Bird News for October – December 2021, details of the three Zoom meetings for Jan, Feb and Mar 2022, notice of AGM, updates on Club activities, The Garden Bird Feeding Survey Summer 2021
The Hobby 174 – published October 2021
Articles include Bird News July – September 2021, details of the three Zoom meetings for 2021, note on Barnacle Goose in Bedfordshire
The Hobby 173 – published July 2021
Articles include Bird News April – June 2021, Notes on House Martins in Bedfordshire, Golden Oriole records and report of The Garden Bird Feeding Survey Winter 20/21
The Hobby 172 – published April 2021
Articles include Bird News January – March 2021, Rook and BTO Wet Meadows Surveys, reports of the work of the Bird Club and its committees in 2020
The Hobby 171 – published January 2021
Articles include Bird News October – December 2020, notes on upcoming program of Zoom talks and write up of the Garden Bird Feeding Survey Summer 2020
The Hobby 170 – published October 2020
Articles include Bird News July – September 2020, notes on birding at Thurleigh Airfield
The Hobby 169 – published July 2020
Articles include Bird News May – June 2020, as well as a mix of short articles and a full report on the Garden Bird Feeding Survey of Winter 2019/20
The Hobby 168 – published May 2020
Articles include Spring Bird News Mar – Apr 2020, as well as a mix of short articles including a note about the lockdown Bird Race of 2nd/3rd May
The Hobby 167 – published March 2020
Articles include Winter Bird News Dec 2019-Feb 2020, Programme Matters, Report of East Norfolk Field Trip, Key Breeding Birds for Recording 2020, Report of the Records and Research Committee in 2019, Brief report of the Bird Club AGM, Accepted County Rarities in 2019 and update on BTO Surveys for 2020
The Hobby 166 – published December 2019
Articles include Sept/Oct/Nov 2019 Bird News, Programme Matters including update on the winter 2019/20 program and alert on the Christmas Bird Hunt and Duck Hunt, Ring-necked Duck in Bedfordshire; National Award for Broom GP restoration; results of the Garden Bird Feeding Survey Summer 2019 and a Goose Gallery.
The Hobby 165 – published September 2019
Articles include July/Aug 2019 Bird News, Programme Matters; Pied Flycatchers; Spotted Flycatcher; update on Broom GP works
The Hobby 164 – published July 2019
Articles include May/June 2019 Bird News, Bird Club trip to Dearne Valley South Yorkshire, The Garden Bird Feeding Survey Winter 18/19
The Hobby 163 – published May 2019
Articles include March/April 2019 Bird News, Programme Matters, Report of the work of the Records and Research Committee, Notification of Urban Gull and Survey and continuing Swift Survey, comment on BNHS and Bird Club Sponsors
The Hobby 162 – published March 2019
Articles include January/February 2019 Bird News, Programme Matters, Notice of the BTO English Farm Woodland Bird Survey and report on the Garden Bird Feeding Survey of Summer 2018
The Hobby 161 – published January 2019
Articles include November/December 2018 Bird News, Programme Matters, Slavonian Grebes in Bedfordshire, Red-list of Breeding Birds in Bedfordshire, Latest accepted rarities
The Hobby 160 – published November 2018
Articles include September/October 2018 Bird News, Programme Matters, update on BTO Project Owl, Grey Phalaropes in Bedfordshire, Hawfinch thoughts, Birdtrack recording info and a short travelogue on the Highlights of the Seychelles
The Hobby 159 – published September 2018
Articles include July/August 2018 Bird News, Programme Matters, Report of Bird CLub trip to Strumpshaw Fen, Birding Henlow as a local patch, update on BTO Project Owl,
The Hobby 158 – published July 2018
Articles include May/June 2018 Bird News, Programme Matters, Report of the Winter 2017/18 Garden Bird Feeding Survey, BTO Project Owl, Accepted County Rarities
The Hobby 157 – published May 2018
Articles include March/April 2018 Bird News, Programme Matters and Upcoming Events, Birdtrack setup, Summer migrant arrivals, Swift Survey, Rookeries, Accepted County Rarities, notes on Spotted Flycatcher.
The Hobby 156 – published March 2018
Articles include January/February 2018 Bird News, Programme Matters and Upcoming Events, Key Breeding Species to record this year, Searching for Turtle Doves, 10×10 Challenge – The New Bird Race, Garden Bird Feeding Survey Summer 2017
The Hobby 155 – published January 2018
Articles include November/December 2017 Bird News, Programme Matters and Upcoming Events, Changes to the Bedfordshire List, Great Duck Hunt, Great White Egret in Bedfordshire, Obituary – Don Green
The Hobby 154 – published November 2017
Articles include September/October 2017 Bird News, Programme Matters and Upcoming Events, Hawfinch influx into Bedfordshire, History of the Hawfinch in Bedfordshire
The Hobby 153 – published September 2017
Articles include July/August 2017 Bird News, Programme Matters and Upcoming Events, How to add photos in Birdtrack, Is Bedfordshire that much different to Minsmere?, The Turtle Dove Jigsaw, Cattle Egret – new to Bedfordshire, Report on Accepted Rarities Jan-Mar 2017
The Hobby 152 – published July 2017
Articles include May/Jun 2017 Bird News, Programme Matters, Report of the Winter 2016/17 Garden Bird Feeding Survey
The Hobby 151 – published May 2017
Articles include Mar/Apr 2017 Bird News, Programme Matters, BTO House Martin and Swift Survey information, Report of the Rarities Committee, Little Bunting in Bedfordshire
The Hobby 150 – published March 2017
Articles include Jan/Feb 2017 Bird News, Programme Matters, Report of the AGM, Research Committee Report, Club visit to East Norfolk, Bedfordshire Rookeries, Report of the Rarities Committee, BTO House Martin Survey 2017
The Hobby 149 – published January 2017
Articles include Nov/Dec 2016 Bird News, Programme Matters, The Garden Bird Feeding Survey Summer 2016, Siskins in Gardens, 2017 Survey – Waterways Breeding Birds, , Marston Vale Country Park News, Velvet Scoters in Bedfordshire
The Hobby 148 – published November 2016
Articles include September/October Bird News, Programme Matters, BTO Breeding Codes, Notes on Blackbird Re-using Nest and Rook Behaviour, Filling in some gaps – Richard Bashford’s tale of US birding, Request for Support with Bird Club Publications
The Hobby 147 – published September 2016
Articles include July/August Bird News, Programme Matters, BNHS Conference invite, Field trip report to Otmoor, Little Bittern in Bedfordshire, Launch of the Thames and Chiltern Bird Atlas, Cambridgeshire Bird Conference, Winter Garden Bird Feeding Survey 2015/16
The Hobby 146 – published July 2016
Articles include May/June Bird News, Programme Matters, BNHS Conference invite, Field trip report to Breckland, Species Confidentiality Policy and Wildlife Site Bird Criteria Documents, 2016 Surveys, Discussion on “Armchair Ticking”
The Hobby 145 – published May 2016
Articles include Mar/Apr 2016 Bird News, Programme Matters, The Work or the Records and Research Committee, Definition of Rare Breeding Birds in Bedfordshire, Report of the Rarities Committee, 2016 Surveys – Rooks, Swifts and House Martins
The Hobby 144 – published March 2016
Articles include Jan/Feb 2016 Bird News, Programme Matters, The Garden Bird Feeding Survey Summer 2015, Report of the Rarities Committee, 2016 Surveys – Rooks and House Martins
The Hobby 143 – published January 2016
Articles include Nov/Dec 2015 Bird News, Programme Matters, Bird Club Trip Report to Freiston Shore and Frampton Marsh, The Great Duck Hunt 2015, A Cold Winter Remembered (1985), Fascinating Facts about Blue Tits, Notes on Cetti’s Warbler Song.
The Hobby 142 – published November 2015
Articles include Sep/Oct 2015 Bird News, Programme Matters, Bird Club Trip Report to Landguard BO and Trimley Marshes, BTO Goldfinch Survey, Wild Swans in Bedfordshire (Bewicks and Whoopers), Bufflehead at Priory CP
The Hobby 141 – published September 2015
Articles include July/August 2015 Bird News, Programme Matters, Garden Bird Feeding Survey Winter 14/15, Invitation to Evening at NHM Tring, Dunstable STW Nest Box Report
The Hobby 140 – published July 2015
Articles include May/June 2015 Bird News, Programme Matters, Club Visit to Minsmere, Red-necked Phalarope at Broom, Bedfordshire Starling Project, Gypsy Lane Restoration, Thurleigh Airfield
The Hobby 139 – published May 2015
Articles include Mar/Apr 2015 Bird News, White-winged Black Tern at Broom GP, Report of Rarities Committee, Identification of Important Bird Areas
The Hobby 138 – published March 2015
Articles include Jan/Feb 2015 Bird News, Summary of Bedfordshire Rookeries 2014, 40 Years Ago – A retrospective review of the 1975 Bird Report, Are our Spring Migrants Arriving Earlier ?
The Hobby 137 – published January 2015
Articles include Nov/Dec 2014 Bird News, Penduline Tits in Bedfordshire, The Garden Bird Feeding Survey Summer 2014, The Red List of Breeding Birds in Bedfordshire
The Hobby 136 – published November 2014
Articles include Sept/Oct 2014 Bird News, Lesser Grey Shrike in Bedfordshire, Diver species in Bedfordshire, Nest Box Recording at Dunstable STW
The Hobby 135 – published September 2014
Articles include Jul/Aug 2014 Bird News
The Hobby 134 – published July 2014
Articles include May/Jun 2014 Bird News
The Hobby 133 – published May 2014
Articles include Mar/Apr 2014 Bird News
The Hobby 132 – published March 2014
Articles include Jan/Feb 2014 Bird News
The Hobby 131 – published January 2014
Articles include Nov/Dec 2013 Bird News
The document format from issue 88 (Nov. 2006) onwards is PDF which include drawings and photographs, therefore file size will be considerably larger, typically 2 to 8MB.
The editors are always on the lookout for articles. Topics vary widely and are written by ‘beginners’ to ‘experts’ alike, so if you feel you could contribute something that would interest Bedfordshire birders then please do contact the club at the address below.
Andy Grimsey (Hon. Bulletin Editor)
61 Wychwood Avenue, Luton LU2 7HT
Tel: 07402 429312
Email: editor@bedsbirdclub.org.uk
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