Talks
We're delighted to share details of the meetings season (September 2024 - April 2025) for members to enjoy.
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.
Please note: in order to cover room and equipment hire costs, there will be an entrance fee of £3 (£1 for students and for others at the discretion of the committee); there will be no additional charge for tea, coffeee and biscuits. It would be very helpful if you could bring with you the exact amount of £3. We do not have any debit card handling facility.
When:
In-person meetings are held at 7.00pm Please note change of time to previously advertised (7.30pm). Online talks are held at 7.30pm
Mon 2 Dec
Flo Blackbourn – Lesser Black-backed Gull migration
Mon 13 Jan
Simon Zisman – The Climate Catastrophe: how is it affecting our birds (and you)
Wed 15 Jan
Barbara Mearns – Biographies for birders (online)
Mon 3 Feb
Billy Thomson and Angus Maciver – Where have you Bean Goose?
Wed 19 Feb
Dr Mark Eaton – Rare breeding birds (online)
Mon 3 Mar
Steve Willis – Everything you wanted to know about the Breeding Bird Survey (but were too afraid to ask)
Wed 19 Mar
Dr Guy Anderson – How to save migratory birds: contrasting approaches for Turtle Dove and Swift in the UK (online)
Mon 7 Apr
AGM & Neil Forbes – Vulture Crisis in Africa: does it matter?
Wed 16 Apr
Darren Woodhead & Chris Rose – Capturing the spirit of birds (online)
Contact:
Venue for in-person meetings (new from September 2024):
Partick Burgh Hall, 9 Burgh Hall Street, Partick, Glasgow G11 5LW (click here for a map of the venue and surrounding area)
Outings
If you have any questions, please contact Ania Owsianka. Bring a packed lunch. Excursion details will be sent to SOC Clyde branch members by email, if you have signed up for this (or click here if you haven't already done so).
Further information about each walk (including when and where to meet, terrain, and what birds you might see) are provided on the Birds in Clyde website.
Sat 14 Dec
Hamilton Claypits Local Nature Reserve. More details can be found here
Sat 18 Jan
North Ayrshire Coast. More details can be found here
Sat 1 Feb
WWT Caerlaverock Wetland Centre. More details can be found here
Contact:
Ania Owsianka by email.
Branch Committee
Secretary:
Rebecca Dickson, 07907 833114
Chairperson and representative of the branch on SOC Council:
Zul Bhatia
Treasurer:
Liz Parsons
Committee members:
Emma Anderson, Kevin McCormick, Sandy McNeil, Fiona McLean, David Palmar, Andrew Russell, Kevin Sinclair and Toby Wilson.
Ex officio members:
John Simpson, John Sweeney, Val Wilson
Clyde recorder:
Clyde Assistant recorder:
Clyde Islands recorder:
Argyll recorder:
Other Information
Birds in Clyde, Clyde Branch Website
Take a look at the website here.
A fantastic new resource for anyone interested in birds and birding in the Clyde area has taken flight! There is much to explore, discover and delight, but what's sure to prove one of the most popular pages on the platform, Recent Sightings https://www.birdsinclyde.scot/recent-sightings.html catalogues the many and varied ways to keep abreast of bird sightings in the region - from WhatsApp, to email, to social media. There’s also a handy step-by-step guide as to how to record and report the birds you see, and a host of useful resources associated with this. For anyone keen to get more involved with the Branch and other activities locally, a list of projects and a wealth of suggestions await under the ‘Get Involved’ tab. Across the website, the birdlife of the Clyde is brought to life both visually and artistically with stunning photographs from local members gracing each of the pages, and the striking artworks of Tommy Daniels peeking out in places.
The site will continue to grow and be regularly updated. Details of any updates/latest news will be posted on the platform's home page.
A massive congratulations to Clyde SOC! The website was designed and developed after a huge effort by Branch volunteers Emma Anderson, Zul Bhatia, Rebecca Dickson and in particular, Kevin McCormick, who was the technical and development lead. 
Wetland Bird Survey (WeBS) on the Clyde Estuary
The national WeBS is organised by the BTO, and in Scotland coordinated by the SOC. In the Clyde area we have had excellent coverage for many years, but recently there has been a marked decline due to a shortage of volunteer counters. The most important site urgently in need of new counters is the Clyde Estuary, which requires a team of at least 12 regular volunteers and several reserve counters. The Clyde Branch has been coordinating monthly bird counts of the estuary for the past 45 years, with a break only in 1978 due to shortage of volunteers in that year. Two of our current team of volunteers have been counting throughout that entire period! If you are interested in joining the team either as a regular or stand-in volunteer, please contact the Clyde area organiser, John Clark. John can provide helpful guidance on how best to survey individual sectors, and the count methodology. He can also arrange for you to shadow an existing counter to gain experience. We are also looking for additional volunteers to take on a number of freshwater sites. Adopting a regular patch can be an enjoyable and very rewarding experience, as well as making an important ‘citizen science’ contribution to the conservation of our local wild bird populations.
For more information on the Wetland Bird Survey see http://www.bto.org/volunteer-surveys/webs.
Branch grapevine:
To subscribe to Clyde branch’s (member-only) daily Grapevine email, contact Val Wilson. As well as sharing notable bird sightings from across the region, Grapevine incorporates images of birds and other wildlife, shares details of forthcoming branch meetings and also alerts members to national and local environmental notices and potential developments that might threaten a site.
Social media:
Facebook: Type ‘Clydebirds’ in the Facebook search bar. Twitter: @clydebirding
Minutes from the 2023 Clyde Branch AGM
Please click here to download a copy.
‘Boxes for Barnies’
Clyde Branch have launched a new initiative to create nest boxes for breeding Barn Owls in the Lochwinnoch area with the hope of boosting the species' numbers and recovery in the region. Branch members are working closely with the local community to recruit volunteers to construct, install and help monitor the boxes, as well as approaching local landowners to host a box on their property. Find out more about the project here.
A Guide to Bird Watching in the Clyde Area
This publication is now sold out, however, a reference copy is available in the George Waterston Library at SOC HQ.
Bird recording in this area
Visit the Clyde recording area and the Clyde Islands recording area page for details of the latest bird report, back issues, species considered locally and for Local Recorder contact information.
