Bird Reports
The SOC actively supports the Scottish Local Bird Recorders' network and promotes the publication of annual reports for the various recording areas of Scotland (not just those directly affiliated to the SOC). The latest reports for the different areas are listed below, with links through to further details and more information about the respective recording areas.
Atlases
Many of the regular national bird surveys conducted within Britain give specific information about the annual fortunes of our birdlife (e.g. Breeding Bird Survey, Wetland Birds Survey etc). However, it is particularly useful to take a much wider view of the overall numbers and distribution of our birds at periodic intervals (about every 10 years or so) across the whole of Britain & Ireland. Hence the amount of time and effort which is invested in organising and carrying out such thorough surveys to produce 'Atlases'. This allows detailed comparisons between the different editions over time to indicate how well/poorly our birds are faring, and where conservation resources my need to be directed to ensure the long-term future of the birds.
We have copies of the various British & Irish Atlases for sale at Waterston House, from the first in 1976 to the most recent, 'Bird Atlas 2007-11. The breeding and wintering birds of Britain and Ireland.'
These national initiatives are often the basis for local groups to expand their own regional fieldwork to create separate local atlases, such as those recently published for Fife, North-East Scotland (Aberdeenshire & Morayshire) and for South-east Scotland (Lothian & Borders). Alternatively these have lead to the creation of new regional avifaunas based on the atlas data gathering process, such as the recent publication of the 'Birds of Bute. A Bird Atlas and Local Avifauna' and 'The Birds of Clackmannanshire'. All of these can be purchased (new) from Waterston House.
