In 2008, over two hundred and fifty people contacted me with more than four thousand sightings on one hundred and sixty one species of birds seen on Arran.  These sightings have been distilled into the “Arran Bird Report for 2008” published by the Arran Natural History Society. The report is now available from shops and other outlets throughout the island, priced £3.50.

The Arran Natural History Society published its first annual Arran Bird Report in 1978, with one each year after this.  These reports provide a unique record of the bird life of this special island over the last thirty years.  They contribute towards the larger “Clyde Bird Report” published annually by the Scottish Ornithologists Club (SOC).  Based on these reports and the bird reports from throughout Scotland, the SOC has published in 2007 a major new book “Birds of Scotland”.   In two full-colour A4 hardback volumes, containing some 1,600 pages, this encyclopaedia of Scottish birds was written by one hundred and fifty experts and edited by a team of nine editors.  This follows in the footsteps of Baxter and Rintoul's book with the same title published in 1953. 

It is interesting to compare the 2007 book with the 1953 book.  For example, in 1953 Corncrake is widespread in Scotland and there is no mention of Collared Dove.  Now breeding Corncrake is restricted to the Hebrides and Collared Dove is widespread.

The British Bird Atlas Project 2007-11 being run by the British Trust for Ornithology is an attempt to investigate these changes in more detail.  You can help.  From 2007 to 2011, all sightings reported to me will be passed on to Bird Atlas. http://www.bto.org/birdatlas/

I know that a number of people keep for their own interest, all sorts of bird notes, and I would encourage these people to share this information with me, so that the basis of our annual Arran Bird Report and our contribution to the national records can be as comprehensive as possible