Elgin to host Scottish Birdwatchers' Conference

The Scottish Ornithologists' Club (SOC) and BTO Scotland have announced their annual Scottish Birdwatchers' Conference will take place in Elgin, Moray.

Hosted by the SOC's Moray branch, the 21 March gathering will take place in Elgin Town Hall with a 'northern seas and coasts' theme, to tie in with VisitScotland's 2020 Year of Coasts and Waters. David Law, chairman of Moray Bird Club, urged anyone with an interest in marine wildlife to register. He said: "This will be an excellent day with superb presentations covering a wide range of topics and delivered by experts.

Arctic Skua is a species that will be the subject of a talk at the conference (Will Bowell).

“The event is aimed at bringing together professionals and enthusiasts alike from across Scotland and beyond to celebrate and learn more about the challenges that face birds in our northern waters."

Talks will provide insights into a range of issues affecting the northern marine environment and, specifically, seabirds. As well as giving an overview, the programme will also focus on specific species of interest, such as Eurasian Curlew, Arctic Skua and Greenshank. Roy Dennis and Martin Cook will be speaking about Fair Isle and Spey Bay respectively and will explore the issue of the effect of plastics on seabirds as well as looking at the state of cetaceans in the northern seas.

For those attending the conference, there will be the opportunity to join one of five organised field trips taking place the following day – a chance to get out and enjoy the area's local bird life.

Visit the conference's information page for more details and to book.