INDOOR MEETINGS 2025-2026
Our meetings take place in Elgin on the second Thursday of each month during October-March. Meetings start at 7:30pm. Our usual venue in Elgin library is currently under renovation and our October and November meetings (at least) will be held in Elgin Community Centre, Trinity Rd, Elgin IV30 1UE (beside the large Lossie Green carpark).
Meetings begin with a short discussion of notable recent sightings, followed by the main presentation. The evening finishes with the opportunity to chat with friends over refreshments.
Everyone with an interest in birds is very welcome to attend, whether or not you are a member of SOC.
There is a small admission charge of £2 for SOC members and £3 for non-members.
For enquiries and further information please contact the Moray Bird Club secretary, Chris Thomas, at moraysecretary@the-soc.org.uk
Wednesday 17 September (online)
Alasdair Reid, John Simpson & speaker TBA – SOC Branch Survey Work
Thursday 9 October
Gavin Ross – National Wildlife Crime Unit (NB venue: Elgin Community Centre)
PC Gavin Ross, National Wildlife Crime Unit Scottish Investigative Support Officer, will be giving a presentation explaining how seriously policing views wildlife crime, and how partner agencies and the wider public are key to preventing and pursing criminality. The focus of the talk will be a case study of an investigation into the theft of Peregrines from the wild, which were then being laundered into the falconry trade. This highlights the value of partnership work and intelligence sharing.
Thursday 16 October (online) NB change of date from originally advertised
Dr. Stephen Moss – Britain’s Favourite Birds
Thursday 13 November
Alan Knox – Out of the dark: breeding Nightjars in NE Scotland
Wednesday 19 November (online)
Douglas Russell – Interesting Bird Nests & Eggs: writing a popular book on 250 years of avian architecture
Wednesday 10 December (online)
Laurie Campbell – Photographing birds: more than just the species
Thursday 11 December
Blaise Martay – Impacts of climate change on Scottish birds
Thursday 8 January
Richard Somers Cocks – Focus on Findhorn
Wednesday 21 January (online)
Adam Nicolson – Birds in the Hebrides and a Sussex wood; Q & A
Thursday 12 February
Daisy Burnell – Seabirds Count
Wednesday 18 February (online)
Liz Myhill – Evocative encounters with the natural world; a talk & demonstration
Thursday 12 March
AGM & Members’ Evening
Wednesday 18 March (online)
Prof. Tim Birkhead – The Most Perfect Thing; Q & A
Wednesday 15 April (online)
Prof. Claire Spottiswoode – Show me the honey: communication between people and wild birds in Africa
The online Wednesday meetings are for SOC members only. Members will be notified of joining arrangements by SOC HQ.
Contact:
Chris Thomas, Moray Branch Secretary at moraysecretary@the-soc.org.uk
WINTER OUTINGS 2025-2026
In addition to evening meetings between autumn and spring, we have regular outings through the year, and offer the opportunity for club members to get involved in some surveys of our local birds. All are welcome to attend these activities, including non-members of the Club.
Outings usually start at 10:00 and last for about 3 hours. More detail will appear here in advance of each outing.
Saturday 11 October Lossiemouth
You are invited to join us on the first outing of our winter session, which will take place this Saturday 11 October. We shall be starting at 10.00am, making the most of low tide conditions at Lossie estuary. The walk will be led by Graham and Sue Larrington
Plan:
We will meet at 10:00am at the car park at Lossie estuary, by the Lossiemouth Bay caravan park. Follow Church Street (a turning off the Elgin Road in Lossiemouth) all the way down to the river, where the road bends round to the right, past Seatown. The car park is ahead of you, in front of the caravan park.
OS grid reference: NJ238701
what3words: thread.drifting.scribbled
We shall be walking on paved surfaces or reasonably firm ground, so suitable walking shoes are recommended. We will spend some time at the estuary initially, looking for gulls, waders, and ducks. After this, the walk will take us from the estuary round the coast towards the harbour and back, a total distance of about 4km. We hope to see a good selection of birds including a variety of waders and ducks at the estuary. Rarer gulls may also be present. Seawatching should provide sea duck sightings and divers amongst others.
Walks usually take around three hours, and we will be back at the cars by 1:00pm.
Saturday 15 November Lossie Forest
Saturday 13 December Loch Spynie
Sunday 11 January Findhorn Bay
Saturday 14 February Loch Oire and Loch na Bo
Reports on previous outings:
Club outing, Findhorn Bay 16 October 2022
Club outing, Cloddach wetland 13 November 2022
Club outing, Lossiemouth 10 December 2022
Club outing, Spey Bay and Portgordon 28 January 2023
Club outing, Burghead-Hopeman 18 February 2023
Club outing, Findhorn Bay 1 October 2023
Club outing, Burghead-Cummingston 14 October 2023
Club outing, Loch Spynie RSPB Reserve 11 November 2023
Club outing, Cloddach wetland 16 December 2023
Club outing, Lossiemouth 13 January 2024
Club outing, Cullen 10 February 2024
Club outing, Scalan 1 June 2024
Club outing, Spey Bay and Kingston 19 October 2024
Club outing, Cloddach wetland 23 November 2024
Club outing, Nairn east beach 18 January 2025
Club outing, Lossiemouth 22 February 2025
Club outing, Allanreid 10 May 2025
Club outing, Troup Head 19 July 2025