Talks
We're delighted to share details of the meetings season (September 2025 - April 2026) for members to enjoy. This year’s programme will be held as a hybrid (online/in-person) programme.
More information about each talk will be emailed to members around a week in advance of the event. To receive these emails (including Zoom joining instructions for online meetings), you must be signed up to the Branch News & Events - Talks & Workshops mailing list.
When:
7.30pm
Wednesday 17 September (online)
Alasdair Reid, John Simpson & speaker TBA – SOC Branch Survey Work
Tuesday 14 October (joint with local RSPB Members Group, NB different venue: Zoology Lecture Theatre, Aberdeen University)
Paul Baxter – Mongolia
Wednesday 15 October (online)
Dr. Stephen Moss – Britain’s Favourite Birds
Monday 3 November
Thomas Bodey – Where to go and what to eat? How competition shapes Gannet individual and population level dynamics
Wednesday 19 November (online)
Douglas Russell – Interesting Bird Nests & Eggs – writing a popular book on 250 years of avian architecture
Monday 8 December
David Hunter – Building a new 60-acre nature reserve in Aberdeen for RGU
Wednesday 10 December (online)
Laurie Campbell – Photographing birds: more than just the species
Monday 5 January
Raymond Duncan – Bird ringing in Grampian with Grampian Ringing Group
Wednesday 21 January (online)
Adam Nicolson – Birds in the Hebrides and a Sussex wood; Q & A
Monday 2 February
Leah Gray – Interactions between agricultural land management and predation on the breeding success of wading birds on Orkney
Wednesday 18 February (online)
Liz Myhill – Evocative encounters with the natural world; a talk & demonstration
Monday 2 March
Moray Souter – Stonechats and Glen Dye
Wednesday 18 March (online)
Prof. Tim Birkhead – The Most Perfect Thing; Q & A
Monday 6 April
AGM & Mark Bolton – Storm Petrel travels
Wednesday 15 April (online)
Prof. Claire Spottiswoode – Show me the honey: communication between people and wild birds in Africa
Contact:
John Wills
01467 651296
Venue for in-person meetings:
Meeting Room 1, The Sir Duncan Rice Library, University of Aberdeen, Bedford Road, AB24 3AA - click here to view a map of the venue and surrounding area. The October meeting, held in conjunction with the local RSPB group, will be held at Zoology Lecture Theatre, Tillydrone Avenue, Aberdeen AB24 2TZ (map).
Branch Committee
Secretary:
John Wills, 01467 651296
Chair & representative of the branch on SOC Council:
Alan Knox
Treasurer:
Mark Sullivan
Committee Members:
Ian Broadbent (ex officio as Branch Recorder) and Claire Marsden
North-East Scotland recorder:
Other Information
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:
North-East Scotland Branch Newsletter is published once or twice annually and emailed to branch members, as well as being made available to view below. The newsletter shares details of notable bird sightings and records in the region, research and survey developments and updates, branch news and activities and often includes contributions from the Grampian Ringing Group.
Click here to read back issues of the branch newsletter.
Social media:
Facebook: Type ‘ABZ Rare Birds’ in the search bar
Bird watching in NE Scotland
Click here for our guide to Birdwatching the Ythan Estuary
Visit the RSPB’s Loch of Strathbeg nature reserve website
Bird recording in this area
Visit the North-East Scotland recording area page for details of the latest bird reports, back issues, species considered locally and for Local Recorder contact information.
The Breeding Birds of North-East Scotland
Click here to read about this atlas, which covers Moray, Aberdeenshire and Aberdeen City.
