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.
10 November 2025 - Indoor meeting at 7.30pm
Costa Rica: 12 Days, 5 Habitats and many miles - Gary Waite
Gary and Rachel present some of the fantastic birds they found during a hectic visit to Costa Rica a country recognised as one of the best locations for birdwatching that features on many bucket lists. A wide variety of habitats and exotic species were seen as they travelled about the country and investigated some of the birding hotspots.
8 December 2025 - Indoor Meeting at 7.30pm
First we will hold the Banbury Ornithological Society's Annual General Meeting, quickly followed by the Annual Quiz - a great time to put formalities aside and enjoy a fun, convivial evening.
12 January 2026 - Meeting via Zoom @ 7.30pm
Birds of Poole Harbour – Mya Bambrick
Poole Harbour is made up of many different habitats, which in turn provides a stunning variety of bird life throughout the entire year. The harbour is a designated RAMSAR site and has SPA (Special Protection Area) designation. This means it hosts nationally and internationally important numbers of a whole host of bird species, making it one of the most ecologically important areas in Britain, not to mention being bordered by some of the most pristine examples of lowland heathland in the country. Read more ...
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
Dippers as Bioindicators of River Health: a survey of the River Frome catchment in Gloucestershire - Dr Mark O’Connell
Dr Mark O’Connell is Senior Lecturer in Practical Ecology at the University of Gloucestershire. He has 30 years’ experience in using research to underpin conservation action. He has a particular interest in avian ecology and the use of GIS to understand species distributions.
Dippers are highly sensitive to changes in water acidity and pollution, and are therefore an important bio monitoring species for freshwater habitats. 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.
The BOS Curlew Recovery Project
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 ...
Winter Random Square Survey: 22 or 23 November 2025
A survey where observers are each given a randomly selected 1km square and record all the species encountered and numbers of each for a minimum period of 2 hours between 9am and noon. Read more ...