London Natural History Society The place for wildlife in London

London Natural History Society - The place for wildlife in London

LNHS Events

Field meetings have recommenced. You can find full details in the calendar on the right and in our downloadable programme. Please note that these events may be cancelled at short notice and we will try to post details on the homepage if possible. For more details regarding the LNHS field meetings please see the Field Meetings page.

The LNHS also has indoor ID sessions and a regular Virtual Natural History Talk series.

The LNHS events programme is one of the most varied and active of a natural history society. Its meetings encourage the interaction of beginners and experienced naturalists.

Field Meetings

LNHS Field Meetings are field recorder days or guided walks. Lunch and Tea should be brought on all whole-day meetings. You do not need to have a car - where the programme says 'cars needed' this is to remind drivers they will need to pick up people at the station or meeting point. At meetings involving cars, those receiving lifts are expected to contribute to the cost of petrol used. Unfortunately, due to the nature of the LNHS Field Meetings, no dogs are allowed except for guide dogs.

Virtual Events

The LNHS Virtual Natural History Talks series began in 2020 and cover topics including (but not limited to) ecology, identification, recording and conservation, and in a variety of groups including birds, mammals, flowering plants, fungi, bryophytes, reptiles and amphibians, and a range of invertebrate groups.

Indoor events

These usually consist of talks, slide shows or discussions. Indoor meetings are held at several venues:

  • Burgh House, Hampstead, is a new venue which the Bird Club are using for indoor meetings. See the map here, and their website. Handy tip - If you want to visit the Burgh House museum and exhibitions first, and maybe the charming little garden and The Buttery Cafe, but realise that there is an hour and a half between the house and cafe closing and first arrivals for the talk at 6.30pm (for a 7pm start), there is a very civilised pub (The Wells) opposite the house, not to mention the delights of the rest of Hampstead (inc. the Heath if you fancy an evening walk), just minutes away.
  • Seminar and Learning Centre, Sherfield Building, Imperial College (South Kensington, SW7 2AZ) is labelled as building no.20 on this Map. Walking from South Kensington Underground station, take the pedestrian tunnel that leads towards the museums. Follow the tunnel to its furthest extent. On leaving the tunnel in Exhibition Road, turn left to reach the college campus.

Full programme

London Bird Club

When a sparrow is not a sparrow: the Intriguing Dunnock Download as iCal file

When Wednesday, 16 October 2019,  7:00pm -  8:30pm
The talk looks at the intriguing life of the often overlooked but common bird known as the Dunnock along with a host of other sometimes misleading and confusing names. The Dunnock also gained fame in a study that showed how males engage in cloacal pecking to render void a prior mating attempt by a rival suitor. As a declining species, the talk will look at its physiology and ecological requirements across its geographical range and look how its behaviour, food sources and association with people has both positive and negative effects on its population.

About the speaker:
Tony Wileman is a trained ecologist working for the London Wildlife Trust with over 25 years experience in nature conservation. His interest in birds spans 37 years and he has travelled to five continents watching and recording them. He has a particular interest in species to species and habitat interactions and is passionate about ensuring wildlife in all its forms obtains a voice for its preservation.

7pm. Doors open 6.30pm. Burgh House, New End Square, Hampstead, London, NW3 1LT. FREE admission sponsored by John Beaufoy Publishing & Jetwing Safari Camp Yala.
Location Burgh House & Hampstead Museum, New End Square, Hampstead, London NW3 1LT, UK