Forktail 30 available

OBC members should already have received Forktail 30, the latest issue of the Club’s peer-reviewed journal of Asian ornithology. As ever, the publcation is packed with the latest ornithological papers relating to the avifauna of the Oriental region.

The full contents from each issue are posted  on the OBC website, but it’s a publication you simply can’t afford to miss: so join OBC today and you will receive two issues of BirdingASIA every year, plus once a year, Forktail, the Club’s peer-reviewed journal publishing original ornithological research from the region.

BirdingASIA 21: latest issue available

OBC members should already have received

BirdingASIA 21, the latest issue of the Club’s biannual publication, BirdingASIA.

As ever, the issue is packed with the latest information and ornithological sightings from the Oriental region. It includes articles on identification of raptors, Sillem's Mountain Finch, Sakhalin's Leaf-warbler,  Grey-breasted Babbler, Pale-capped Pigeon and more.

The full contents and sample articles from each issue are posted here on the OBC website, but it’s a publication you simply can’t afford to miss: so join OBC today and you will receive two issues of BirdingASIA every year, plus once a year, Forktail, the Club’s peer-reviewed journal publishing original ornithological research from the region.

Jewel Hunter available from OBC

The Jewel Hunter, Chris Goodie's gripping tale of his quest to see every species of true pitta inside a single calendar year is now available direct from Chris, with £4 from every sale going straight to the Oriental Bird Club. To find out more about this exciting opportunity to read about one of the world's great birding tales, please visit the OBC publications sales page.

Joint OBC meeting with BOC and NHM

The Club's Annual General Meeting this year is being held jointly with the British Ornithologists’ Club & Natural History Museum on Saturday 22nd November 2014 at The Flett Theatre, Natural History Museum, Cromwell Road, London SW7 5BD. A packed agenda includes talks by Dr Pamela Rasmussen on new species and rediscoveries, Dr Debbie Pain on saving the Spoon-billed Sandpiper, Chris Gooddie on  Bukit Barisan Selatan, Dr Stuart Marsden on Asia's large frugivorous birds, Dr Robert Prŷs-Jones on Allan Octavian Hume and Warblers and Dr Per Alstrom on warblers and larks.

The meeting is open to members and non-members of OBC and BOC. Admission is free to members, donations from non-members invited.

Full programme and details of how to reach the venue in the Joint Meeting Programme  (PDF, 150 KB).

BirdingASIA 20: a publication you can't afford to miss

OBC members should already have received BirdingASIA 20, the latest issue of the Club’s biannual publication, BirdingASIA.

As ever, the issue is packed with the latest information and ornithological sightings from the Oriental region. It includes articles on identifcation of 'Black-eared' and 'Pariah' Kites, right, and ringing sparrowhawks on migration,a whole suite of taxonomic changes to the region's avifauna, right through to some stunning photo essays and an artilcle about the poorly-known Wood Snipe in Bhutan.

The full contents and sample articles from each issue are posted here on the OBC website, but it’s a publication you simply can’t afford to miss: so join OBC today and you will receive two issues of BirdingASIA every year, plus once a year, Forktail, the Club’s peer-reviewed journal publishing original ornithological research from the region.

Latest issue of BirdingASIA published

OBC members will soon receive or have already got their latest issue of the Club’s biannual publication, BirdingASIA.

As ever, the issue is packed with the latest information and ornithological sightings from the Oriental region. It includes articles on the exciting rediscovery of Sillem’s Mountain Finch in China (see news item below), all the latest taxonomic changes and updates proposed for Asian birds plus updates on conservation breeding efforts to conserve the Spoon-billed Sandpiper right through to notes about the nesting of the rarely seen Hoogerwerf’s Pheasant in Sumatra.

The full contents and sample articles from each issue are posted here on the OBC website, but it’s a publication you simply can’t afford to miss: so join OBC today and you will receive two issues of BirdingASIA every year, plus once a year, Forktail, the Club’s peer-reviewed journal publishing original ornithological research from the region.

OBC Annual General Meeting 2013

The Club's 29th Annual General Meeting will be held in the Wilkinson Room, St John theEvangelist Church, Hills Road, Cambridge, CB2 8RN, UK, on Saturday 16th November 2013 at 12 noon.

The venue is within 10 minutes walk of Cambridge railway station. A map of where to find us is here.

Programme 10:30   Doors open – hot drinks & cakes available 11:00   Opening remarks by the Chairman 11:15   Alfred Russel Wallace: talk by Brian Sykes 12:00   Annual General Meeting (only OBC members may vote at the AGM) 12:45   Lunch break  –  refreshments and sales 13:45  Blue Whale courtship and Sperm Whales 'scrumming': talk by Gehan de Silva Wijeyeratne 14:00  Birds and Mysticism: a journey across Bhutan: talk by Ann & Andrew Duff 14:30  Spoonies get a head start  & Baer's Pochard, the duck in the coalmine? talk by Debbie Pain 15:45  Break for refreshments & sales 16:00 More from 30 years a photographer in the Orient: talk by Tim Loseby 16:45  Prize draw and closing remarks by the Chairman 17.00  Meeting closes

The Agenda for 2013 and Accounts for 2012 and Minutes of the 28th AGM in October 2012.

The race is on to save Spoonie...

© Mark Andrews

On May 5th OBC Council Member Mike Edgecombe will be attempting to cycle from the WWT reserve in Welney, Cambridgeshire, UK over 60 miles to Cley/Salthouse on the North Norfolk coast.

At the same time OBC Council Member John (3 peaks in 24hrs) Gregory will be running, along with a few others, from Titchwell RSPB reserve, racing against me to finish first at Salthouse.

Why are they doing this? Because there is a race on, a real race to save the Spoon-billed Sandpiper from extinction and this project urgently needs your support.

Please help these two intrepid OBC Council Members to raise as much money as possible to support the ongoing work to save Spoonie.

Please visit their joint JustGiving page and in the words of Bob Geldof - "GIVE US YOUR MONEY"

Thank you!

OBC Small Grant Offer for 2013

Cheer Pheasant (c) Richard Thomas

OBC makes an annual offer of small grants for bird conservation projects in the Oriental Region. The grants are particularly aimed at people resident in the region, to promote greater involvement in conservation. Grants can cover both research and practical conservation work and results are reported regularly in BirdingASIA.

We currently offer small grants of up to GBP 1500 (USD 2370 at today's exchange rate).

The deadline for the 2013 offer is 31st March and final decisions on funding will be announced in early July. Full details (including funding priorities and how to apply)

Proposals should be submitted by email to mail@orientalbirdclub.org We confirm the receipt of all proposals by email (regretably, emails from Asia are often lost in transit, so please contact us again if you receive no response).

If members, at any time, learn of promising conservationists with good ideas for projects then please point them in the direction of the various grants offered by OBC.

Posted on behalf of Dave Buckingham, Chair OBC Conservation Committee

Latest issue of BirdingASIA published

OBC members will soon receive or have already got the latest issue of the Club's biannual publication, BirdingASIA. As ever, the issue is packed with the latest information and ornithological sightings from the Oriental region. It includes articles on the exciting rediscovery of Sillem's Mountain Finch in China (see news item below), all the latest taxonomic changes and updates proposed for Asian birds plus updates on conservation breeding efforts to conserve the Spoon-billed Sandpiper right through to notes about the nesting of the rarely seen Hoogerwerf's Pheasant in Sumatra.

The full contents and sample articles from each issue are posted here on the OBC website, but it's a publication you simply can't afford to miss: so join OBC today and you will receive two issues of BirdingASIA every year, plus once a year, Forktail, the Club's peer-reviewed journal publishing original ornithological research from the region.

Birding trips to raise funds for OBC

For more information on forthcoming OBC Tours, please contact Mike Edgecombe, OBC Promotions Officer via mail@orientalbirdclub.org. Laos and Cambodia, 24 February - 10 March 2013 The sixth Oriental Bird Club tour to Cambodia again includes the equally fascinating Laos, adding more rarities to this exciting tour.

Mishmi Hills, Dibru Saikhowa & Nagaland, 26 April–11 May 2013 Join Sujan Chatterjee for a visit to these little-known areas. Travel is now easier than in the past and good accommodation and food are available at most of the locations visited!

North-east Tibet, Koko Nor, Roof of the World & SE Qinghai, 23 June – 14 July 2013 This popular tour will run again in 2013. Contact Mike Edgecombe for details.

OBC website undergoing a facelift

This is the ongoing development of the Oriental Bird Club website. We hope to have it up and running soon, but in the meantime, please bear with us as we add content and test out the site. Thanks - the OBC team.