Meetings
Finding the Cricket Club Entrace
Coming off the Oxford Road (A4260) at the roundabout first follow the road sign to Bodicote, but do not take the next left towards Bodicote; follow the road into the new Davis Wilson Homes estate, Blackwell Drive. Immediately turn left off Blackwell Drive (before you get to the houses) - as if you are going into the new primary school car park - and then turn right onto the Cricket Club drive. View map.
9 February 2026 - Meeting via Zoom @ 7.30pm
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 ...
9 March 2026 - Indoor Meeting at 7.30pm
Dragonflies and butterflies of the Banbury area – an introduction - Steve Holliday and Mike Prentice
Members of BOS have a long history of recording birds in the area but during warm sunny days in spring and summer, many insects are also on the wing. Butterflies and dragonflies are among the most conspicuous and among the easiest to record as there are fewer than 30 regular species of each group to be found locally. Read more ...
13 April 2026 - Indoor Meeting at 7.30pm
The Gambia - Richard Hall
Richard has visited The Gambia a couple of times and will explore the different habitats and regions of The Gambia as well as giving us some ideas of what birds are likely to be seen.
11 May 2026 - Indoor Meeting at 7.30pm
Finding W. H. Hudson - Conor Mark Jameson
The Writer Who Came to Britain to Save the Birds. Read more ...
Outdoor Meeting: 8 June 2026 @ 7pm
The venue and meeting details will be advised on this website and in the Newsletter nearer the time.
Outdoor Meeting: 13 July 2026 @ 7pm
The venue and meeting details will be advised on this website and in the Newsletter nearer the time.
9 November 2026 - Indoor meeting at 7.30pm
The Goshawk and its return to the Cotswolds - Dr Richard Tyler
The Northern Goshawk, a large but elusive raptor, has returned to the Cotswolds in recent years there now being a substantial breeding population. Read more ...
Sean Woodcock MP visits Balscote Quarry
Sean Woodcock, MP for Banbury visited the BOS reserve at Balscote Quarry recently, to see conservation in action. Steve Holliday, one of the site wardens said, “Balscote may be a small site (6ha) but, through positive management, it holds Red List birds such as Lapwing and Yellowhammer, 24 species of butterfly and much more." We looked at the vital role volunteers play in habitat management on site and, in light of BOS data on local bird declines, how we can develop a more joined-up approach to nature conservation locally. We finished by discussing how new proposals in the Planning and Infrastructure Bill can benefit, not harm, biodiversity.
Long Day Count: 2 or 3 May 2026
The Long Day Count is carried out by teams of observers in each of the twelve 10km squares recording the number of bird species seen during a maximum of 12 daylight hours on the second Sunday in May each year. Read more ...