Banbury Ornithological Society - A Study of Birds in the South Midlands

A Study of Birds in the South Midlands by A. Brownett (1974), is the second ten year report by the BOS covering the period 1962-1971. The report includes the full list of bird species seen in the BOS survey area along with a detailed listing of sightings within the report period. A summary of the breeding season surveys is presented, providing the results of the 13 species that were surveyed.

The report can be viewed and downloaded by selecting this link: A Study of Birds in the South Midlands.

The contents of the report include:

- Conservation

- The Birds of the BOS Area

- Historical and Classified Check-lists

- Systematic List

- Annual Breeding Season Survey

- Breeding Distribution

- Seasonal Distribution

- Tree Sparrows in Conygree Wood

UK currently holds approximately a quarter of the global Curlew population, with estimates for England of about 30,000 pairs. National monitoring data show that this population has been in long-term decline since the 1970s and has almost halved in the UK over the last 20 years. In lowland southern England, the population has declined to about 500 pairs, with many colonies on the verge of local extinction. Read more ...

Great Black-backed Gulls: from populations to individuals - Sam Langlois from BTO Scotland

The Great Black-backed Gull is one of the North Atlantic’s most conspicuous and largest seabirds — yet much of its ecology remains poorly understood. This talk will present new insights into global population trends and foraging ecology, focusing on diet and GPS tracking studies undertaken on the Isle of May, Scotland. Read more ...

Our annual winter count, carried out by teams of observers in each of the twelve 10km square, to record the number of bird species seen between 8am and 4pm. Read more ...

A Study of Birds in the South Midlands - 1962-1971

The BOS Curlew Recovery Project

9 February 2026 - Meeting via Zoom @ 7.30pm

Short day count: 3 or 4 January 2026