Talks
We're delighted to share details of the meetings season (September 2024 - April 2025) for members to enjoy. The full list, which will be held as a hybrid (online/in-person) programme, will be added to the website in due course.
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 14 Jan
Richard Leslie – Birding in South Africa: a virtual week long tour to Cape Town
Wed 15 Jan
Barbara Mearns – Biographies for birders (online)
Tue 11 Feb
Stan da Prato – Warbler identification by sight and sound
Wed 19 Feb
Dr Mark Eaton – Rare breeding birds (online)
Tue 11 Mar
Rachel Steenson – Spring with the Midlothian Dippers (venue: SOC HQ, Waterston House, Aberlady EH32 0PY)
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 & Roger Crofts – Celebrating Donald Watson: bird artist and writer
Wed 16 Apr
Darren Woodhead & Chris Rose – Capturing the spirit of birds (online)
Contact:
David Parmee, mobile 07769 704821
Venue for in-person meetings:
The Cornerstone Centre, St John's Church, Princes Street, Edinburgh, EH2 4BJ (click here for a map of the venue and surrounding area). *12 March meeting only venue: SOC, Waterston House, Aberlady, EH32 0PY.
Outings
Details of outings will be sent by email a week to ten days in advance to those branch members who have signed up for communications (click here if you haven't already done so). Details will also be available at indoor meetings. Please let Philip know if you are attending with a contact number in case of changes. For walks with numbers limited you will be contacted if you are unsuccessful. If you have any questions, please contact Philip Hunsley.
If any are marked **, they are specifically designed for those with temporary or long-term mobility problems. They involve much less walking than normal and perhaps also the opportunity to sit and watch from a hide or a vantage point. In addition to the Pencaitland walk below, we intend to run some extra mobility-accessible walks on Wednesdays throughout the year - details will be added as they are planned. That is not to say that these walks are not open to all members – everybody is welcome, as usual!
Meet at 10.00am unless otherwise stated, but please check the email (see above) in case of any changes.
Sat 18 Jan
Linlithgow Loch and Blackness. We'll have a walk around the loch, followed by a visit to the Forth at Blackness. Meet on the loch shore by St Ninian’s Way car park. As there is limited parking at Blackness, we will try to car share from Linlithgow. Please email Philip if you can offer spaces. (Leader: Philip Hunsley)
Sun 23 Feb
Cramond and Cammo. We'll return to the Forth at Cramond to see what winter has to offer along the shore and at the mouth of the River Almond. Meet on the promenade for the first part of the walk, followed by a car share to North Cammo Parking for a woodland walk at Cammo Estate. Please email Philip if you can offer spaces. (Leaders: Jo Larkin and Ali Black)
Sat 15 Mar
Bawsinch and Duddingston Loch. We will begin at Duddingston Loch looking for waterfowl, then move round to the SWT reserve at Bawsinch which gives a different view of the loch from the hide. Depending on conditions there may be the opportunity to go to the screen hide. Due to the limited space, SWT have asked us to limit numbers visiting the reserve to 20. (Leader: Hilary Maxfield)
Sun 6 Apr
**Pencaitland Railway Path, beginning at Ormiston Station with its allotment and feeders. We will walk part of the Railway Path seeking the early returning warblers and farmland species. This walk may suit members with mobility problems as the path is flat and there are some benches dotted along the path. We will retrace our steps back to Ormiston. (Leaders: Ali Black and Jo Larkin)
Sat 10 May
Gullane Bents. We will meet at Gullane Bents car park and make our way to Gullane Point, giving us a variety of habitats and sea-watching. As the outing is in the midst of the breeding season, we will be able to practise recognising bird songs. (Leader: Richard Leslie)
Sun 22 Jun
North Berwick, with the magnificent Bass Rock. We will be sea-watching for auks and Gannets. The shoreline along the beaches is often rewarding too. Meet beside the Sea Life Centre. (Leader: TBA)
Sat 19 Jul
Skinflats - details to follow
Sun 17 Aug
Fife Ness - details to follow
Sat 20 Sep
Hound Point - details to follow
Sun 5 Oct
Musselburgh Scrapes - details to follow
Sat 15 Nov
Loch Leven - details to follow
Sun 14 Dec
Christmas lunch and walks - details to follow
Contact:
Philip Hunsley: Tel: 07719 950912 (by text, not phone call or voicemail), or email Philip.
Branch Committee
Secretary:
David Parmee, 07769 704821
Chair and representative of the branch on SOC Council:
Vice-chair:
Position vacant
Treasurer:
Committee members:
Andrew Matthews, Alec Sibbald, Mike Thornton, Gill Parmee
Lothian recorder:
Other Information
Lothian is currently the largest SOC branch, with over 1000 members from across the region. We hold monthly talks between September and April and field trips throughout most of the year. We also have a discussion group, where we consider local conservation issues and organise survey work, see below for details.
East Lothian Winter Atlas 2020-21
Lothian SOC Discussion Group coordinated what had been intended to be a one-season winter atlas of East Lothian (for further information, click here). Owing to Covid-19 restrictions during the survey period, it is intended that some further fieldwork will take place in the 2021-22 winter (November to February). Plans will be discussed at meetings of the Discussion Group when they recommence in September, and details will be posted here in due course.
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.
Branch newsletter
Lothian Bird E-Bulletin is periodically emailed to branch members and includes details of branch talks, outings and activities locally as well as summaries of recent outings and other branch-related news. Read the latest issue here.
AGM minutes, Chairman's Report and Annual Accounts:
Please click on the links below:
Lothian branch AGM Agenda 2024
Lothian branch SOC Chairman's report 2023-24
Lothian branch AGM Minutes 2024
Lothian branch accounts 2023-24
Discussion group:
Lothian Discussion Group meets September to April, on the first Wednesday evening of the month to plan local survey fieldwork and review results, discuss atlas work and other activities. Meetings are held at 7.30pm in Waterston House. These are open to all SOC members. For more information on the group please email Mark Holling.
Social media:
Twitter: www.twitter.com/birdinglothian
Birdwatching in the Lothians
Click here for our guide to Birding the Lothians.
Click here to download the SOC’s free guide: Birdwatching on the East Lothian coast
Bird recording in the Lothians
Visit the Lothian recording area page for details of the latest bird report, back issues, species considered locally and the latest Lothian Bird Records Committee decisions and for Local Recorder contact information.
Volunteering at Waterston House
Waterston House, SOC headquarters, is located in Lothian region, on the outskirts of Aberlady village. Please visit our volunteering page for more information.
Lothian Bird Bulletin Archive
Click here to download archive issues of Lothian Branch newsletter.
