Orkney

We're delighted to share details of the meetings season (September 2023 - April 2024) 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 relevant), you must be signed up to the Branch News & Events - Talks & Workshops mailing list.

When:

7.30pm

Tuesday 5 December 2023
Workshop leader TBA – Wader identification Workshop (online, with Highland and Caithness Branches). Booking required - places limited

Wednesday 13 December 2023
Prof. Debbie Pain – Lead from ammunition: A toxic problem affecting birds and other animals (online). For further information, please click here.  

Tuesday 9 January 2023
Workshop leader TBA – Flight identification of raptors Workshop (online, with Highland and Caithness Branches). Booking required - places limited

Wednesday 17 January 2024
Q & A with Prof. Tim Birkhead & Prof. Neil Metcalfe – The Great Auk (online). For further information, please click here. 

Tuesday 6 February 2024
Les Hatton – Norfolk Pheasants, Velvet Runners, Bog Eagles and other fantastic beasts of the Tay Reedbed (online, with Highland & Caithness branches)

Les Hatton, arguably the nicest man in birding, tells the story of 30 years of bird ringing in the Tay Reedbeds: the species that have been caught, how the reedbeds are managed for them, and how climate change and other man-made problems may change things in the future.

Wednesday 21 February 2024
Ros Green, Claudia Tapia & speaker TBA – Tracking birds' movements (online). For further information, please click here.

Thursday 7 March 2024        
Helen Aiton - The effect of Avian flu (HPAI) on an Orkney Great Skua population (in-person)

Orkney Great and Arctic Skuas have been studied for 10 years now by Helen and David Aiton. Helen talks about how Great Skuas have been decimated by bird flu while Arctic Skuas have not.

Wednesday 20 March 2024
Dr. Phil Atkinson, Dr. Jude Lane & speaker TBA (NatureScot) – Avian flu (online). For further information, please click here.

Wednesday 17 April 2024
Helen Aiton, Michal Jezierski & Kevin and Mike Sinclair – SOC Endowment Fund Projects (online). For further information, please click here.

Contact:

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01856 751482

Venue:

In-person meetings will be held at St Magnus Centre, Palace Road, Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1PA (click here to view a map of the venue and surrounding area). Please note that there may be a small charge to cover room hire.

No outings are planned.

Contact:

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Tel: 01856 751482, email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Chair:

Colin Corse

Secretary, Treasurer, Vice-chair and representative of the branch on SOC Council:

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Orkney recorder:

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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.

Social media:

Facebook: Type ‘Orkney Birding’ in the search bar

Birdwatching in Orkney

Click here for our guide to Birding North Ronaldsay

Bird recording in Orkney

Visit the Orkney recording area page for details of the latest bird report, back issues, species considered locally and for Local Recorder contact information.