Talks
We're delighted to share details of the meetings season (September 2024 - April 2025) for members to enjoy. This year's programme will be a held as a hybrid (online/in-person) programme.
More information about each meeting will be emailed to members around a week in advance of the event. To receive these emails (including Zoom joining instructions and workshop booking information, where applicable), you must be signed up to the Branch News & Events - Talks & Workshops mailing list.
When:
7.30pm
Tue 10 Dec
Claire Branson – Gailes Marsh Sand Martins
Tue 14 Jan
John Simpson – The Glasgow Peregrine Project
Wed 15 Jan
Barbara Mearns – Biographies for birders (online)
Tue 11 Feb
TBC
Wed 19 Feb
Dr Mark Eaton – Rare breeding birds (online)
Tue 11 Mar
Billy Thomson and Angus Maciver – Where have you Bean Goose?
Wed 19 Mar
Dr Guy Anderson – How to save migratory birds: contrasting approaches for Turtle Dove and Swift in the UK (online)
Tue 8 Apr
AGM & speaker TBC
Wed 16 Apr
Darren Woodhead & Chris Rose – Capturing the spirit of birds (online)
Contact:
Anne Dick - 01292 541981
Venue for in-person meetings:
Monkton Community Church & Pioneer Cafe, Main Street, Monkton, KA9 2RN (click here to view a map of the venue and surrounding area).
Outings
The branch organises their field trips jointly with RSPB Central Ayrshire Local Group and outdoor leader Jim Thomson. There are two coach trips organised annually- one in winter and one in late spring. Members attending our monthly outings will have the benefit of an experienced observer who will be on hand to help with some of the trickier aspects of field identification.
All outings commence at 10am.
Wed 20 November
Fullarton Woods. Meet in main car park, KA10 7HF.
Sat 14 December
Irvine. Meet outside Harbourmaster’s Cottage, KA12 8PZ.
Wed 18 December
Rozelle. Meet outside Rozelle House, KA7 4NQ. Followed at 12.30pm by Christmas Lunch at the Abbotsford Hotel, Corsehill Road, Ayr, KA7 2ST. You can choose to attend the bird walk, the lunch or both. Please pre-book lunch.
Contact:
For further information, phone Anne Dick 01292 541981 / 07780 927244 or send Anne an email. For coach trips please contact Tony Scott on 01292 281085 or send an email.
Branch Committee
Secretary:
Anne Dick, 01292 541981
Chair
Brian Lennox
Vice Chair
(Vacant)
Representative of the branch on SOC Council:
David Rackham
Treasurer:
John Drummond
Environmental Advisor:
Roger Hissett
Newsletter Editor (The Stonechat)/Trips organiser:
Indoor meetings organiser:
(Vacant)
Outdoor meetings organiser:
Jim Thomson
Hon. President:
Norman Lawrie
Ayrshire recorder:
Assistant Ayrshire recorder:
Angus Hogg
Other Information
Talks reminders:
Members who've consented to Local Branch news and events e-communications from SOC, are sent a reminder about forthcoming talks (with more information on the speaker and subject where possible), usually a week or so in advance of the meeting. If you don’t already receive these alerts and would like to, please make sure you've completed a Mailing List Consent Form to allow the Club to contact you. If you've already completed a form, check your junk/spam/clutter folders to make sure our emails aren't landing there. Still nothing? Contact Headquarters as we may not have a correct or up to date email address on file for you.
Website:
SOC Ayrshire branch sponsors a local website, www.ayrshire-birding.org.uk, which is a one-stop shop for anything to do with birds and birding in the area – news, sightings, site guides, latest photos and branch activities.
Forum/News group:
Ayrshire Birding (formerly a Yahoo group and now using Groups.io) https://groups.io/g/AyrshireBirding This shares news of both common and rare birds. This forum also welcomes discussion on the identification of birds in Ayrshire and other relevant birding issues plus other pertinent wildlife, conservation issues and events.
Bird recording in this area
Visit the Ayrshire recording area page for details of the latest bird report, back issues, species considered locally and for Local Recorder contact information.
‘Ayrshire Birders Abroad’
These popular holidays, organised independently by seasoned tour guide and SOC/RSPB Member Tony Scott, have taken SOC and RSPB members, as well as interested local birders, to a wide variety of places both in Europe and further afield. Please get in touch with Tony Scott as above, if you would like to receive notifications of these trips. Details of future trips are also published in The Stonechat and on the Ayrshire Birding website.
