Areas covered:

Scottish Borders – local government area

Local recorder for the area:

David Parkinson

bordersrecorder@gmail.com

07979 365134 

Record submission:

The preferred option is to use BirdTrack, the BTO bird data handling system that the SOC helped develop. However, we may be able to accept databased or spreadsheet records – please contact Recorder who will advise on format and upload your records to BirdTrack. Will accept spreadsheet records at any time of year but prefer quarterly rather than annually. Date order preferred.

Any bird records submitted to BirdTrack are automatically sent to the Local Recorder (with your permission). This applies to any part of the UK, so there is no need to submit records to the different areas any more.

Borders Bird Report:                       

Editor:

Richard Jackson

Published by:

SOC Borders branch

Latest issue:

2024 (print and digital)

Available from:

Printed copies are available from Malcolm Ross, 24 Netherbank, Galashiels, TD1 3DH at £13 plus £3.20 P&P. Cheques should be made payable to SOC Borders Branch, or payment can be made via BACS (details below). Alternatively copies are available at Waterston House, SOC Headquarters (please phone first to check supply) or at branch indoor meetings and outings (when cash payments can be taken).

A PDF version will be available here shortly. If you download the PDF and are not intending to buy a printed copy, Borders Branch requests a donation to help finance the report. Account details for the donation are:

Scottish Ornithologists' Club (Borders Branch)
Sort Code   80-06-88     
Account Number    00794554

We would appreciate if you referenced your payment as follows: BBR24 followed by your initial(s) and surname  e.g.  BBR24RMJACKSON. Please notify us of your BACS payment by sending an email to the Borders Treasurer.

2024 was another excellent year for birds within the Borders region on a number of fronts.

  • The second highest ever species total in a year (230 species)
  • A varied autumn, with some good seabirds and scarce passerines on offer

As well as full details on all the species seen, there are sections on overall analysis and the regular ringing report.

The Report is illustrated with colour photographs taken by local birders and is generously supported by graphs depicting trends of species records in recent years, as well as tetrad maps for selected species.

First year of publication:

1980

Back issues:

Contact Malcolm Ross (as above). 

Borders Bird Records Committee:

Members:

Fran Evans, Dave Graham, Martin Moncrieff, David Parkinson and Andrew Mossop

Species that the committee considers:

American Golden Plover, American Wigeon, Arctic Skua, Avocet, Balearic Shearwater, Barred Warbler, Bean Goose (Taiga and Tundra), Bearded Tit, Bee-eater, Bittern, Black Guillemot, Black Tern, Bluethroat, Buff-breasted Sandpiper, Capercaillie, Chiffchaff (Siberian-tristis), Chough, Common Rosefinch, Corn Bunting, Corncrake, Crane, Crested Tit, Dotterel, Firecrest, Glaucous Gull, Glossy Ibis, Golden Eagle, Golden Oriole, Great Grey Shrike, Great White Egret, Green-winged Teal, Grey Phalarope, Hawfinch, Hobby, Honey Buzzard, Hooded Crow, Hoopoe, Iceland Gull, Icterine Warbler, Lapland Bunting, Leach’s Petrel, Little Auk, Little Bunting, Little Owl, Little Tern, Long-tailed Skua, Marsh Harrier, Marsh Tit, Marsh Warbler, Nightjar, Olive-backed Pipit, Pallas’s Warbler, Pectoral Sandpiper, Penduline Tit, Pomarine Skua, Ptarmigan, Red-breasted Flycatcher, Red-necked Phalarope, Richard’s Pipit, Ring-billed Gull, Ring-necked Duck, Ring-necked Parakeet, Rock Pipit (Scandinavian), Roseate Tern, Rose-coloured Starling, Rough-legged Buzzard, Sabine’s Gull, Shore Lark, Smew, Spoonbill, Spotted Crake, Surf Scoter, Temminck’s Stint, Turtle Dove, Water Pipit, Wheatear (Greenland), White Stork, White-billed Diver, White-tailed Eagle, Willow Tit, Wryneck, Yellow Wagtail (grey-headed thunbergi).

Scottish rarities (ie all those on the SBRC List) should also be sent to the Recorder, who will forward them to SBRC.

South-East Scotland Bird Atlas

Find out more here. 

Useful links: