branch excursion programme winter & spring 2009/2010

Members may attend any branch excursion they wish, but please speak to the relevant branch contact beforehand.

Ayrshire

Contact Jim Thomson 01292 570351. Trips are in conjunction with RSPB Central Ayrshire Local Group on a car-share basis. For updates on arrangements and details of other SOC Ayrshire events, please visit the Ayrshire Birding web site or call 01294 832361.

  • Sat 19 Sep: RSPB Mersehead Reserve – migration. Meet at reserve car park 11.00am. Whole day trip – please bring picnic lunch.
  • Sat 24 Oct: WWT Caerlaverock Reserve & Solway Estuary. Meet at reserve car park 11.00am. Whole day trip – please bring picnic lunch. A cafe and shop are available at the reserve.
  • Sat 28 Nov: Loch Ryan, Stranraer & the Wig. Meet at Ballantrae seafront car park 10.30am. Whole day trip – please bring picnic lunch. There is a garden centre with cafe near Wig Bay.
  • Sat 12 Dec: RSPB Ken & Dee Marshes – geese & kites. Meet at New Galloway High Street 10.30am. Whole day trip – please bring picnic lunch. Entry to Red Kite feeding station at Bellymackhill Farm is £3.00.
  • Sat 23 Jan: Maidens & Dipple – divers & sea ducks. Meet 10.15am at Maidens Harbour car park. Finish 2.00pm.
  • Sat 20 Feb: Greenan Shore & Doonfoot. Meet at Greenan Castle car park 10.00am. Finish 12 noon.
  • Sat 27 Mar: Scone Palace Grounds & Loch of the Lowes. Coach trip departing Ayr 8.00am and returning around 8.00pm.
  • Sat 24 Apr: Loch Doon – high ground dawn chorus. Meet at the dam at Loch Doon 6.00am. Finish around 10.00am. Please remember to bring some breakfast!
  • Sat 22 May: Isle of Arran Wildlife Festival. Meet 9.15am at Ardrossan harbour for 9.45am sailing to Brodick. Events here and elsewhere on the island with travel by the local bus services. Return on 7.40pm sailing to Ardrossan.
  • Sat 19 Jun: Wigtown Bay LNR – birds & bookshops. Coach trip leaving Ayr 8.00am, seven hours in and around Wigtown. Dinner will be arranged, return to Ayr for 9.30pm.

Borders

Contact Ray Murray 01721 730677.

  • Wed 7 Oct: West Water Reservoir – Pink-footed Goose roost. Meet West Linton Golf Club 6.00pm.
  • Sun 18 Oct: St Abb's Head – seawatch & migrants. Meet St Abb's main car park 9.00am.
  • Sun 15 Nov: Smailholm – Winter Atlas. Meet Smailholm Village Hall 9.00am.
  • Sun 27 Dec: Caerlaverock – Barnacle Geese. Contact Ray Murray.

Caithness

Contact Stan Laybourne 01847 841244. (No outings planned.)

Central Scotland

Contact Roger Gooch 01259 742326. (No outings planned.)

Clyde

Contact Hayley Douglas 07715 634079. (No outings planned.)

Dumfries

Contact Pat Abery 01556 630483.

  • Sat 14 Nov: Cumbria.
  • Sat 13 Feb: Loch Ryan.
  • 6 - 9 Apr: South Yorkshire trip.

Fife

Contact Rob Armstrong 01334 838279.

  • Sat 17 Oct: Morton Lochs & Tentsmuir.
  • 20 - 22 Nov: Dumfries & Galloway weekend.
  • Sat 12 Dec: Ruddons Point & Kilconquhar.
  • Sat 16 Jan: Rossie Bog & Birnie Loch.
  • Sat 13 Feb: Scone Palace & Vane Farm.
  • Sat 13 Mar: Amulree & Glen Quaich.
  • Sat 24 Apr: Birnam Hill.
  • Late May: Orkney long weekend.

Grampian

Contact Graham Cooper 01339 882706. (No outings planned.)

Highland

Contact Ann Sime 01349 862650 or Leader. Meet at 9.00am (9.15am Thursdays) at Inverness Retail Park, near Burger King, unless otherwise stated. Weekend outings are full day, Thursdays are mornings only.

  • Sun 13 Sep: Tarbat Ness, Inver & Nigg – Al McNee (01463 220493).
  • Thu 17 Sep: Local birding.
  • 3 - 5 Oct: Strathbeg, River Ythan & Montrose Basin – Ann Sime.
  • Sat 10 Oct: Brora – Simon Cohen (01349 830365).
  • Thu 22 Oct: Local birding.
  • Sat 7 Nov: Goose hunt – Alex Joss (01463 221661).
  • Thu 19 Nov: Local birding.
  • Sun 6 Dec: Loch Fleet – John Carruthers (01381 621545).
  • Sat 9 Jan: Finding finches – David Galloway (01381 621126).
  • Thu 21 Jan: Local birding.
  • Sun 7 Feb: Findhorn Valley – Al McNee.
  • Thu 18 Feb: Local birding.
  • Sat 6 Mar: East from Inverness – Peter James (01381 621907).
  • Thur18 Mar: Local birding.
  • Sun 18 Apr: West Coast divers – Kevin Davis (01381 600545). Meet 8.00am.
  • Thu 6 May: Capers, bacon butties & ring ouzels – Ann Sime. Meet 6.00am.
  • Sat 8 May: Dawn chorus – Simon Cohen.
  • 20 - 23 May: Mull – Sinclair Dunnet and Ann Sime.
  • Sat 12 Jun: Rum & Eigg – Ann Sime. Meet 8.00am. (NB change of date)

Lothian

Contact Gillian Herbert 0131 337 0767 (or SOC HQ). All outings meet at 10.00am at location specified. These are full-day trips so please bring packed lunch and stout footwear. Transport is on a car-share basis. Further details from Gillian Herbert or at indoor meetings.

  • Sun 18 Oct: East Coast Migrants – Keith Macgregor.
  • Sun 15 Nov: Montrose Basin – David Atkins.
  • Sun 13 Dec: Gosford Estate Walk & Xmas Lunch – Stephen Hunter.
  • Sun 24 Jan: Vane Farm – Stephen Hunter.
  • Sun 28 Feb: Gartmorn Dam – Keith Macgregor.
  • Sun 28 Mar: Baron's Haugh & Hogganfield – John Pringle.
  • Sun 25 Apr: Comrie & Glen Lednock – Sid Morgan.
  • Sun 23 May: Pressmennan Wood & Barn's Ness – Tom Gillies.
  • Sun 20 Jun: Kilconquhar & Isle of May – Jacky Robinson & David Atkins.
  • Sun 18 Jul: Lammermuir Hills – Tom Gillies.

Orkney

Contact Colin Corse 01856 874484. (No outings planned.)

Stewartry

Contact Joan Howie 01644 430226 or Geoff Packard 01556 670466. It is hoped that there will be two outings each month, depending on weather and bird news. The custom of announcing details at indoor meetings will continue.

  • 4 - 6 Oct: Montrose (3 nights) for wintering waders and wildfowl.
  • Jan & Feb: Visits to the famous Starling roost at Gretna are proposed with car sharing and lifts for non-drivers.
  • Mon 22 - Thu 25 Feb: Southport (3 nights) for wildfowl and waders at Martin Mere, Marshside, Mere Sands Wood etc. * DATE JUST ANNOUNCED *
  • 13-20 Mar: Algarve, Portugal. Birds, butterflies & botany. If interested please contact Joan Howie as soon as possible.
  • Sat 15 - Sat 22 May: A week in the Outer Hebrides. * DATE JUST ANNOUNCED *

Tayside

Contact Bob McCurley 01382 462944. All outings meet at 9.00am at Crichton Street, Dundee but may also be joined at outing location, where applicable - details in brackets.

  • Sun 13 Sep: Autumn Migrants – Andrew Shephard. (East Haven car park 9.30am.)
  • Sun 11 Oct: Geese and autumn passerine migrants: Joint outing with ADBC – Bob McCurley. (East Haven car park 9.30am.)
  • Sun 8 Nov: Forfar, Lintrathen & Kinnordy Lochs: Joint outing with ADBC – John Campbell. (Forfar Loch Ranger Service office 9.45am.)
  • December: No outing.
  • Sun 10 Jan: Wader Watch: Joint outing with ADBC – Brian Boag. (South Balmossie St., Monifieth 9.30am, OSGR NO473330.)
  • Sun 14 Feb: Scone Palace & Argaty Farm – Bob McCurley.
  • Sun 14 Mar: Kinnaber Links – Graham Smith. (SWT centre, Montrose Basin 10.00am.)
  • Sun 11 Apr: Murton & Forfar Loch – Jon Cook. (Forfar Loch Rangers' office 9.45am.)
  • Sun 23 May: Isle of May: Joint outing with ADBC – Bob McCurley. Time dependent on tides - TBA.

West Galloway

Contact Geoff Sheppard 01776 870685. (Excursions to be announced at indoor meetings.)

Members are reminded that neither the Club, its branches nor individual leaders of outings can accept any responsibility for any injury suffered by individuals taking part in these outings, nor any loss or damage to their property.