Falkirk Scottish Wildlife Trust Local Group

I'm delighted to share that we've confirmed our speaker, Sam Udale-Smith, who will be able to join us for the re-arranged meeting on Tuesday, 30th April at 7:30 pm.
As a reminder, the meeting will take the form of a brief AGM followed by a talk by Sam Udale-Smith, the Assistant Warden at the RSPB reserve at Black Devon Wetlands, near Alloa which we plan to visit on the evening of Tuesday, 28 May. If any of your friends are interested in hearing the talk you are welcome to invite them along. The suggested donation for attending the meeting is £3.00 for SWT members and £4.00 for non-members.

Though we understand this is short notice, we would greatly appreciate your presence if your schedule permits. Looking forward to seeing you there if able.

***IMPORTANT UPDATE***
Due to unforeseen circumstances, our talk this evening has been cancelled. We hope to reschedule this talk as soon as possible and will post updated information here. Please like this post and share it so others will also see the news. Many thanks.

***IMPORTANT UPDATE***
Due to unforeseen circumstances, our talk this evening has been cancelled. We hope to reschedule this talk as soon as possible and will post updated information here. Please like this post and share it so others will also see the update. Our April meeting takes place on Tuesday, 23 April at the Trinity Church in Falkirk starting at 7.30pm. The meeting will take the form of a brief AGM followed by a talk by Sam Udale-Smith, the Assistant Warden at the RSPB reserve at Black Devon Wetlands, near Alloa which we plan to visit on the evening of Tuesday, 28 May. If any of your friends are interested in hearing the talk you are welcome to invite them along. The suggested donation for attending the meeting is £3.00 for SWT members and £4.00 for non-members.

The Scottish Wildlife Trust Falkirk Group's 2023/2024 programme of illustrated wildlife talks continues on Tuesday, 19 March 2024 in Trinity Church. The guest speaker for the talk will be John Simpson of the Scottish Ornithologists Club.

John's talk will be entitled 'High Flyers: Peregrine Falcons at Glasgow University' and will explain how these fascinating predatory birds have made their home, nesting sites and hunting ground in the ancient University buildings in the West End of the City."

Suggested donations toward the cost of the evening are £3 for SWT members and £4 for non-members. Free entry for students. Contact Alan McGregor, SWT Falkirk Committee Member on 01324 636470 for any further information required.

Some super events at Muiravonside Country Park! Be sure to get the kiddos out and learn to love nature. 🍂🦊🍂

Our October events programme is here! 🍂

Our pond dipping sessions are drop-in - booking is essential for all other events. To book your tickets please visit our website: https://www.falkirkleisureandculture.org/venues/muiravonside-country-park/

Falkirk Parks Falkirk Explored

Important news about The Jupiter Urban Wildlife Centre.

Scottish Wildlife Trust to step back from Jupiter Urban Wildlife Centre in Grangemouth, but invites interest in it becoming a community-run asset After 30 years running the Jupiter Urban Wildlife Centre, a site owned by CalaChem in the heart of industrial Grangemouth, the Scottish Wildlife Trust has taken the difficult decision to …

Reminder that our next presentation is coming up soon. Have you marked your calendar? Will you be joining in us? 🦋

Join us for wonderful presentations about our local wildlife.
Suggested donation: SWT members £3.00, non-members £4.00, students free. 📅Mark your calendars!
We look forward to seeing you there!🦡

What a lovely evening for a walk along Skinflats. Birds a-plenty. I wasn't able to snap photos of any but I will do my best to recall.
There were swifts, swallows, sand martins, shell duck (loads!), herons, tern, a distant kestrel hovering, and a lone reed bunting. (If you were there and I have forgotten any, please share them in the comments.)
A pair of hares were also darting about. Thanks to all who came along for the splendid evening. I aim to share our autumn programme of talks within the next couple of weeks. In the meantime, please enjoy some photos from our evening bimble.

SKINFLATS NATURE RESERVE on Tuesday, 6 June 2023 from 7 to 8.30 pm
This guided walk to the saline lagoons and salt marsh areas at the RSPB Skinflats Reserve, near Grangemouth will give you the opportunity to see and hear many of the breeding birds which visit this important and increasingly rare habitat on the edge of the River Forth estuary. This walk is likely to involve walking along muddy and uneven farm tracks so appropriate footwear will need to be worn by those taking part.
Booking is essential to take part. DM me to let me know you'll be there.
The meeting place for both of the walks will be at 6.30pm in the Williamson Street Car Park in central Falkirk ( just up the hill from the Falkirk Lidl store ). Transport to and from the walk sites may be available for those requiring transport. Children under the age of 16 must be accompanied by an adult to participate in these walks.
*Although these walks are FREE, any walker donations ( suggested at £3 per person per walk ) would be gratefully received by the Falkirk Branch of the Scottish Wildlife Trust and used to help preserve wildlife in the local area.

We really lucked out with stunning weather for our first walk in Carron Glen. A good turn out with many pairs of eyes peeled looking for the elusive Dipper. Bluebells and ransoms galore and a fine, warm evening stroll. With no luck spotting the Dipper, we did see a woodpecker, thrush and goldfinch. Once back to the cars, Ken, who had turned back a wee bit earlier, delighted us all with a photo of a very smart Dipper. Lovely evening. 🌸

Some nice outdoor walk coming up. Take a look and join us outdoors to connect with nature. 🌿🐞🐦🦉🐦🦋🐝🌿

*** Reminder - Tonight's Talk ***

Our April meeting takes place on Tuesday, 18 April in the Main Hall at the Trinity Church (formerly Falkirk Old Parish Church) just off the High Street in Falkirk starting at 7.30pm. The meeting will be in two parts, starting with a short AGM and followed by a talk by James Stead of Froglife. The suggested donation for attending the talk is £2.50 for SWT members and £3.50 for non-members. I would be grateful if you let me know if you plan to attend the meeting. Details will be given at the meeting of two planned evening walks in May and June to Carron Glen at Fankerton and Skinflats.

Ah, isn't he sweet?! Truth be told, I have recently watched Monty Python's The Holy Grail so this little bunny brings other images to mind. 🐰 Our next meeting will be on Tuesday April 18th the speaker will be from FrogLife and we will also have a brief, 15 minute, AGM. If you are interested in joining the committee, this is your chance to place your name forward. Feel free to DM with questions. Happy Easter to you all! To help this post to reach as many as possible please interact by leaving a comment below (even your favorite Easter emoji will do) and share widely. Many thanks and Happy Chocolate Egg hunting! 🐣🌷🐰

BTO training on Breeding pairs at Callendar House Park tomorrow. Click link for registration which closes by 4 pm today.

Breeding Bird Survey Training- Callendar Park, Falkirk Join Steve Willis for a morning session learning about and then practising the methods for the Breeding Bird Survey. It will be supportive group training in an outdoor setting. There will be plenty of time to practise and ask questions, to increase your understanding and confidence with the sur...

Anyone living in the area can apply to join our Nextdoor Nature Pioneers Programme.
https://scottishwildlifetrust.org.uk/news/mobilising-communities-for-nature/

It is aimed at local community organisers to support more people to take action for nature in their neighbourhood.

📅Closing Sunday 30 April

National Lottery Heritage Fund Development Trusts Association Scotland Forth Valley for Net Zero Forth Valley College Forth Valley Mens Shed NHS Forth Valley Falkirk Scottish Wildlife Trust Local Group Falkirk Council Clackmannanshire Council Fife Council

Mobilising communities for nature | Scottish Wildlife Trust Community organising support is available for people in the Forth Valley who want to help nature in their neighbourhood.

Here are various useful links Steve Willis from the BTO highlighted in his most recent presentation.

Bird ID.no quiz- this is a superb resource! You can do visual or aural quizzes. https://quiz.natureid.no/bird/quiz/

Xeno-canto has songs and calls of not just birds- worth exploring.
https://xeno-canto.org/

There are loads of great resources on the BTO YouTube channel.
https://www.youtube.com/

This page is a great starting point too. https://www.bto.org/develop-your-skills

Recording apps

Merlin Bird ID- frighteningly clever app! https://merlin.allaboutbirds.org/

BirdTrack- free to use- really useful, and the smartphone app has just been made much, much better. https://www.bto.org/our-science/projects/birdtrack

You asked about bird flu- much more info in a report here. https://www.bto.org/hpai-workshop-report

A summary of the BTO surveys and schemes can be found here.
https://www.bto.org/how-you-can-help/take-part-project

Take part in a project Browse the range of surveys, schemes and other projects available that need your support.

Happy Mothering Sunday. 🐣🐥🐤🐦
I have been watching my local gang of house sparrows this morning. Birds truly devote so much energy to raising their young. I hope you enjoy a lovely Sunday. Please remember our next talk is by Steve Willis from the BTO this Tuesday. Will be great to see you there! 🦚

* Reminder *
Our March meeting takes place on Tuesday, 21 March in the Main Hall at the Trinity Church (formerly Falkirk Old Parish Church) just off the High Street in Falkirk starting at 7.30pm. The subject of the talk is "Bird Surveys and How to Take Part" and will be given by Steve Willis of The British Trust for Ornithology (BTO). If any of your friends are interested in hearing this talk you are welcome to invite them along. The suggested donation for attending the talk is £2.50 for SWT members and £3.50 for non-members. I look forward to seeing you at the meeting. I would be grateful if you could let me know if you plan to attend the meeting. 🦅

Hello folks! Steve willis will be delivering our presentation on Tuesday March 21st. 🦅
Here is Steve's talk description.
The British Trust for Ornithology (BTO) run a wide range of surveys and schemes to record the UK's birdlife (and more!). They suit a range of abilities and levels of experience. We'll be joined by BTO Scotland's Steve Willis who will explain more about what's involved, how to take part, and why surveys matter.

We'd love to see you there. Presentation begins at 7:30 pm at the Falkirk Trinity Chruch.
➡️To ensure others see this information, please comment, like and share.
Many thanks. 🐦

Thanks to everyone for attending the presentation from The Bumblebee Conservation Trust delivered by Miranda Sheppard on Tuesday night. A really well delivered presentation and an enjoyable evening. If you were there, can you recall how many bumblebees we have here in the UK? Also, how many are found in Scotland? 🐝

Bumblebee Conservation Trust will be offering a presentation this evening at 7:30 pm at the Falkirk Scottish Wildlife Trust Local Group. Located in the Trinity Church main hall. All welcome and we look forward to seeing you there. 🌿🌷🐝🌷🌿
(Please see comments for further info.)

Hello all! Our February meeting takes place on Tuesday, 21 February in the Main Hall at the Trinity Church (formerly Falkirk Old Parish Church) just off the High Street in Falkirk starting at 7.30pm. The subject of the talk is "Bumblebee Conservation" and will be given by Miranda Shephard. If any of your friends are interested in hearing this talk you are welcome to invite them along. The suggested donation for attending the talk is £2.50 for SWT members and £3.50 for non-members. I look forward to seeing you at the meeting. I would be grateful if you let me know if you plan to attend the meeting. 🌼🐝🌻

Alistair Whyte from PlantLife will be presenting at our local SWT on Tueday January 17th at 7.30pm.

It sure would be great to see you there!

🌿🌲🌳🌲🌿

Our January meeting takes place on Tuesday, 17 January in the Main Hall at the Trinity Church (formerly Falkirk Old Parish Church) just off the High Street in Falkirk starting at 7.30pm. The subject of the talk is "Wild Plant Conservation in Scotland" and will be given by Alistair Whyte of Plantlife. If any of your friends are interested in hearing this talk you are welcome to invite them along. The suggested donation for attending the talk is £2.50 for SWT members and £3.50 for non-members. I look forward to seeing you at the meeting. I would be grateful if you could let me know if you plan to attend the meeting.

PS I have great memories of discovering sundew in the hills during walks. Do you have a favorite plant from your outdoor adventures? Please share in the comments! 🌿🌱🌳🌱🌿

Winter is a risky time for many birds, particularly in snow and ice, as they struggle to find enough food to keep themselves warm. Fortunately, we can help with a few simple tips!

Food helps birds keep warm by providing energy and fat. Ripened, soft fruit, such as apples and pears, are great for ground-feeding birds such as thrushes and Robins. If you already have fallen apples scrape back some snow so birds can access them easily.

Hanging feeders are preferred by finches, t**s and sparrows. Be sure to keep these clean and fresh. Food can quickly spoil in wet conditions, causing health problems for birds. Varied food will attract more birds, but little and often is better for the birds.

Water is always needed, not just to drink, but also to bathe and keep insulating feathers in top condition. A small tray is all that is needed, replaced with fresh room-temperature water when it becomes frozen or dirty.

Let us know what birds come to your garden this winter through Garden BirdWatch, our weekly garden survey! bto.org/gbw

📸BTO/John Proudlock

Garden BirdWatch Help with research into garden wildlife by joining our Garden BirdWatch network for free.

Our December meeting takes place on Tuesday, 20 December in the Main Hall at the Trinity Church (formerly Falkirk Old Parish Church) just off the High Street in the centre of Falkirk starting at 7.30pm.

The subject of the talk is "Bird Surveys and How to Take part" and will be given by Steve Willis of the British Trust for Ornithology (BTO). If any of your friends are interested in hearing this talk you are welcome to invite them along. The suggested donation for attending the talk is £2.50 for SWT members and £3.50 for non-members. I look forward to seeing you at the meeting. I would be grateful if you let me know if you plan to attend the meeting. 🎄

Mark your calendar and save the date!
On Tuesday December 20, we'll be joined by BTO Scotland's Steve Willis who will share what's involved in bird surveys, how to take part, and why surveys matter. The British Trust for Ornithology (BTO) run a wide range of surveys and schemes to record the UK's birdlife (and more!). They suit a range of abilities and levels of experience. We hope you'll join us (and maybe wear a Christmas jumper).

Photo: Lasse Nystedt

North Wales Wildlife Trust will have their annual evening lecture on Nov 26th, when Craig Bennett, CEO of the Wildlife Trusts, will talk on "What is progress?" The talk is available by remote access, details and booking information on the North Wales Wildlife Trust website. The details of the talk, which is available via remote access, are on the website of North Wales Wildlife Trust: [email protected]

Booking is via Eventbrite online, or alternatively contact 01248 351 541 to book. Tickets cost £12 and the remote access details are sent out before the talk.