LATEST NEWS
• ONLY 28% OF STOCK REMAINING
Demand for The Birds of Scotland has been high; so high in fact that of the 3,500 copies printed only 970 remain in stock after a mere six months. At this rate, the book may not be on sale long into 2009. Buy your copy NOW to avoid disappointment!
• PROFITS AVAILABLE VIA THE BS3 FUND
With the Birds of Scotland project now in credit, the SOC is pleased to be able to announce the establishment of the BS3 Fund, through which the profits will be distributed via grants and loans to support Scottish bird publications and other special projects. Full details will be available soon.
• REFERENCE LISTS ONLINE
A PDF version of the full published reference list is available for free download here. A version containing provisional reference lists for each species account is also available. These can be viewed and searched using free Adobe Reader software.
• CORRECTIONS
The editors gratefully acknowledge the receipt of all Birds of Scotland-related correspondence. A small number of errors have been brought to our attention, the most significant of which can be downloaded as a PDF file. Any correspondence relating to amendments or additions should be sent/emailed to SOC HQ.
• REVIEWS
The Birds of Scotland continues to receive glowing praise in its reviews. One such online review can be found on the BirdGuides website.
• MORE ACCOLADES
The Royal Society of Edinburgh's Neill Medal was awarded to Ron Forrester (as a representative of the Birds of Scotland team) on 28th June 2008. The Neill Medal is "awarded triennially for a work or publication, by a Scottish Naturalist, preferably based in Scotland, on some branch of Natural History, completed or published within the last five years".
The Zoological Society of London's Silver Medal was collected by Ian Andrews on behalf of the SOC at a presentation in London on 17th June 2008. The Silver Medal is awarded "for contributions to the understanding and appreciation of zoology, including such activities as public education in natural history, and wildlife conservation". This is only the ninth Silver Medal (there is no gold medal!) to be awarded since 1991. Photo courtesy of ZSL.
• The publication was the subject of a motion in the Scottish Parliament on 17th January: "That the Parliament welcomes the publication of The Birds of Scotland, the definitive two-volume work on Scottish birds, which has been drawn up over five years under the auspices of the Scottish Ornithologists’ Club (SOC) with the support of a range of organisations and individuals including Scottish Natural Heritage, the Scottish Environment Protection Agency, the Forestry Commission and the RSPB; commends the work of all its editors, authors and illustrators; recognises that the million words in the two volumes of the work represent an extraordinary achievement which will contribute greatly to national and international knowledge; is pleased that Scotland leads the world in studying its own bird life and its own environment with a view to ensuring sustainability and a healthy biodiversity, and express its gratitude to the SOC for the copy of the book which it presented to the Minister for Environment at the book’s launch on 9 January 2008 in the Royal Museum of Scotland with the request that it be placed in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre."
• The Birds of Scotland was officially launched at the National Museum of Scotland in January 2008. Click here to view photos of the event.
• The Scottish Ornithologists' Club has produced a free species checklist to mark the publication of The Birds of Scotland. Click here for details.
• "A bible for dedicated followers of feathers": The Birds of Scotland was featured in The Scotsman of 5th January. The article can be viewed on-line on scotsman.com.
• Three containers full of The Birds of Scotland volumes arrived in Edinburgh on 21st December after completing their journey from Hong Kong.
• If your copy of The Birds of Scotland is damaged on receipt, please contact the Club office at Waterston House (by phoning 01875 871330 or emailing mail
the-soc.org.uk) detailing the problem. If you think the damage happened in transit, please contact the carrier directly by downloading a ParcelForce claim form. In any event please retain the books and packaging.