The Scottish Ornithologists' Club

26/07/2026

🦋BIG BUTTERFLY COUNT🦋 (17 July- 9 August)
You can take part in the UK wide Big Butterfly Count from 17 July to 9 August. At Waterston House, Aberlady, we've got everything you need to complete a survey: recording sheets for your sightings, identification guides, binoculars and a wonderful garden bursting with plants and insect life. Everything you record helps to assess the health of our environment, it takes 15 minutes and is fun for all the family!

So far at Waterston House we’ve seen Small Tortoiseshell, Small White, Peacock, Red Admiral, Painted Lady and even Humming-bird Hawk-moths. Why not pop by and see what you can discover in our wildlife friendly garden!

To make your sightings count, please don't forget to submit your sightings at: https://bigbutterflycount.org/

How to find us: https://www.the-soc.org.uk/pages/getting-here-opening-hours

Butterfly Conservation





Photos: Painted lady and Peacock butterflies, Waterston House garden © Shenaz Khimji-Wallbank

16/07/2026

A new Buzzard colour-ringing project has started in Central Scotland to better understand the local population and dispersal. The project is using red ring with a three letter code.

If you spot a ringed bird, please report your sighting with the location, behaviour, plumage (juvenile/immature/adult) and ring number to [email protected]

Buzzard © Bob Hamilton

13/07/2026

Worrying news for Dotterel as last year's montane bird survey reveals an 89% decline since 1988. Restricted to high mountain plateaus in the Scottish Highlands, the steeply declining Dotterel is at risk of becoming the first species to become locally extinct as a breeding species in the UK due to climate change.
https://www.rspb.org.uk/whats-happening/news/uk-could-be-set-to-lose-dotterel-to-climate-change

Climate change is already impacting birds across the UK.

Rising temperatures, changing rainfall patterns and more frequent extreme weather events are increasingly shaping where species live, how common they are and the timing of key life events like breeding and migration.

Some of the UK’s most vulnerable birds, including upland species and seabirds, are already declining.

The latest national Dotterel survey has revealed stark declines of almost 90% since monitoring began in 1988 – and climate change is likely to be a key driver.

Whilst the future of Dotterel in the UK appears increasingly dire, supporting them to be more resilient to the impacts of climate change may help protect them.

02/07/2026

AYR SWIFT SURVEY
8AM | SUNDAY 5 JULY 2026 | ALL WELCOME

SOC Ayrshire Branch will be carrying out a survey of Swifts (and, hopefully, their nests) in Ayr town centre this coming Sunday (5 July).

The branch would be delighted to welcome along anyone who would like to help with the survey.

Meeting place: If you'd like to get involved, the group is meeting at Horizon Hotel car park (Ayr), just off the Esplanade, at 8am.

Please dress appropriately for the weather and be ready to stroll around the streets of Ayr for a couple of hours.

Your help would be very much appreciated in recording the presence of this sadly declining species.

If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to get in touch with SOC Headquarters on 01875 871 330 or at [email protected]

29/06/2026

BIOBLITZ COLLABORATION AT WATERSTON HOUSE
Waterston House's first ever BioBlitz, held to coincide with the The Royal Entomological Society's Insect Week, was well attended and highly productive. The event was supported by 88 participants with well over a hundred species identified. The focus during this fast-paced biological survey was to note all pond-life, invertebrates and birds found in the grounds of the SOC's Headquarters in one day.

Joining us for this community survey were the invited public, entomologists from National Museums Scotland, Ashleigh Whiffin and Dorothy Lyle, and artist Chris Wallbank SWLA, who provided drop-in draw and paint sessions. Star species included, Elephant Hawk-moths, a Magpie moth and larvae of a Great Diving Beetle, a strong bioindicator species of a healthy pond. A huge thank you to volunteers; Rosie Filipiak, entomologist Molly Davidson, Beng Cheah and Paul Fineron, along with everyone else who joined us for this thoroughly enjoyable citizen science event.






Visit East Lothian

Main Photo Left: BioBlitz Team: Left to Right backrow: Molly Davidson, Ashleigh Whiffin, Felix Clarke, Beng Cheah, Rosie Filipiak, Dorothy Lyle, Christopher Wallbank. Front Row: Shenaz Khimji-Wallbank and Paul Fineron © Member of the public

Main Photo Right: Elephant Hawk-moth © Ashleigh Whiffin

Images Below, Left to Right: BioBlitz Attendees © Ashleigh Whiffin, Moth painting with Christopher Wallbank © Ashleigh Whiffin, Pond-dipping with Rosie Filipiak © Shenaz Khimji-Wallbank, Moth trap 'reveal' © Christopher Wallbank, Christopher Wallbank painting from the moth trap @ Ashleigh Whiffin, Potted Elephant Hawk-moth and Poplar Hawk-moth © Ashleigh Whiffin, Grasshopper identification © Ashleigh Whiffin

26/06/2026

BIOBLITZ TOMORROW WITH NATIONAL MUSEUMS SCOTLAND
27th June | 10:30am-3:30pm | Free event | No Booking
The SOC, in partnership with National Museums Scotland, will be hosting its first-ever BioBlitz at Waterston House, the Club’s Headquarters in Aberlady. This fast-paced biological survey will create an instant record of biodiversity found across the garden, meadow and pond, and coincides with the Royal Entomological Society's Insect Week, celebrating the importance of insects.

Visitors are invited to be a scientist for the day, identifying and recording as many species as possible with the help of expert National Museums Scotland entomologists, Ashleigh Whiffin and Dorothy Lyle, who will assist with identifying insects under the microscope. Ornithologists will also be recording birds in the garden using optical equipment, which visitors will have the opportunity to try.

Throughout the day, there will be dynamic drawing sessions led by Society of Wildlife Artists member Chris Wallbank. Visitors can also examine moths, facilitated by East Lothian Council Countryside Rangers, to identify species active in the garden during the night. Pond dipping sessions will be led by the Club’s Librarian, Rosie Filipiak, offering the chance to discover the underwater ecosystems beneath the surface. All experts will be on hand to answer questions about species identification and wildlife drawing.

Everyone is welcome to join the Waterston House BioBlitz. Simply come along and, if you wish, bring a smartphone to use apps such as iNaturalist (https://www.inaturalist.org/) to identify and upload photographs to a global data atlas.

Waterston House is open year-round Tuesdays–Sundays 10am–4.30pm: https://www.the-soc.org.uk/pages/getting-here-opening-hours.






Visit East Lothian

Main Image. Poplar Hawk-moth © Ashleigh Whiffin
Images Left to Right. Peacock butterflies, Painted Lady butterfly, Large White butterfly photographed at Waterston House © Shenaz Khimji.

24/06/2026

** Last chance to apply ** - application deadline is tomorrow at 5pm!

This year, the Club's Lothian Branch and an anonymous donor, are offering support to help young birder enthusiasts attend the SOC's Annual Conference. The Conference, which takes place on Saturday 3 October at The Venue, Eskmills, Musselburgh, will offer an engaging and unique programme celebrating....

18/06/2026

Following a wonderful and busy opening event, our new exhibition 'Impressions from the Garden' is proving a big hit with visitors to the SOC gallery.

Here are a few photos giving a taster of the artwork. The show includes paintings, prints and floral displays, all which celebrate beautiful and bountiful gardens and the plants and wildlife they support.

Artists exhibiting in the exhibition include Emily Sutton Clare Arbuthnott RSW Unity Coombes Eve Sladdin AGraceGillespie and floral designer .

'Impressions from the Garden' runs until 9 August at the SOC headquarters in Aberlady. We are open Tues-Sun 10-4.30pm.

16/06/2026

ANNUAL CONFERENCE YOUNG PERSONS SUBSIDY SCHEME
Supporting young people to attend the Club's Annual Conference

SOC has a long-standing commitment to encouraging young people to take part in Conference, recognising the valuable networking and learning opportunities it provides. Thanks to SOC Lothian Branch, and an anonymous donor, 15 subsidised Conference places are available, allowing successful applicants to attend for £15 per person.

The Conference, which takes place on Saturday 3 October at The Venue, Eskmills, Musselburgh, will offer an engaging and unique programme celebrating 90 years of birdwatcher’s contributions to Scottish ornithology.

Visit https://www.the-soc.org.uk/blogs/news/supporting-young-birdwatchers-to-attend-the-soc-s-annual-conference to view the application criteria and apply before the deadline of Thursday 25 June 2026 at 5pm

Young birdwatchers © Sam Hood

This year, the Club's Lothian Branch and an anonymous donor, are offering support to help young birder enthusiasts attend the SOC's Annual Conference. The Conference, which takes place on Saturday 3 October at The Venue, Eskmills, Musselburgh, will offer an engaging and unique programme celebrating....

11/06/2026

OPTICS DEMO DAY | SATURDAY 20 JUNE | WATERSTON HOUSE, ABERLADY | FREE, DROP-IN EVENT

On Saturday 20 June, from 10.30am - 3.00pm, we'll be hosting another one of our popular Optics Demo days, alongside staff from Viking Optical

These events are a great opportunity to test out the latest models and take advantage of the free, expert, impartial advice on offer, to help you select the right equipment for you.

With the aid of our viewing platform overlooking Aberlady Bay Local Nature Reserve, you'll also have the opportunity to test out and compare models under field conditions.

If there are any particular models you would like to try out on the day, please contact us in advance to let us know www.the-soc.org.uk/pages/contact

100% of the profits from optics and other sales are invested back into our charity.

Find out more about the optical equipment we stock all year-round at Club Headquarters, visit: www.the-soc.org.uk/pages/shop