As usual the programme has been put together with a variety of topics designed to entertain, to inform and to provoke thought. Some old favourites return and some new faces are introduced.

This year there is a strong cultural and political element to the programme. The challenges and controversies of the world of nature will be thoroughly aired by the outspoken Mark Avery, formerly of the RSPB, but now a free-lance writer and campaigner. In the New Year, the film Emptying the Skies is no comfortable stroll, since it does present the challenges for migrating birds in a way which is bound to shake us out of complacency. Later, Estelle Bailey of BBOWT presents an executive view of the issues facing our wildlife organisations.
Travel is well-represented by a trip to India with Richard Pople, and another to the Southern Turkey with Richard Stansfield, both with their cameras to the fore. Jackie Garner brings the eye of the artist to the wildlife of the Falklands.
The natural world of two contrasting areas of Britain is presented, firstly by the Davies/Miller team of “the Biggest Twitch”, who focus on North Wales, and secondly by Jonathan Forgham, who will give his detailed insights into the wildlife of East Hertfordshire.
Hooked beaks and claws come to the fore in the expert hands of three well-known specialists: BTO’s Mike Toms (on Owls), Hampshire Recorder, Keith Betton (on Peregrines), and RSPB’s Conor Jameson (on the Goshawk).
Photographic skills will as usual be demonstrated in the annual Photographic Competition, but there is a new venture in the form of Tom Way’s wildlife photography workshop, which promises to have a much wider appeal than to photographers alone.
And finally, we have looked closely at the social side of our indoor life, first by proposing to re-shape somewhat the Christmas Social and Quiz Evening and secondly by introducing a new Saturday afternoon event to bring us together in a less-structured way.
In summary, our programme is a rich a mix as could be reasonably expected and represents superb value for your membership money, so do make a new season resolution to attend as often as you can.

Robert Gillmor, a member of the BOC since its inception as the Reading Ornithological Club in 1947 and a President emeritus of the Club, was awarded an MBE for services to wildlife art in the Queens Birthday Honours List this year. Robert has been a huge supporter of the Club and, among his many other contributions, has provided the cover illustrations for every bird report the Club has produced since 1947. His oeuvre, subject of an exhibition at the Reading Museum this year, includes many of the covers of the New Naturalist series and recent issues of wildlife stamps as well as his acclaimed water colours and lino cuts.

Our warmest congratulations to Robert and to Sue.

On Wednesday 13th May at 9pm on BBC2, the Great British Garden Watch we understand will feature the birds (and cameras) in David Turner’s Reading garden. He is hoping to attract Swifts this year, but will they settle in his new boxes?

RSPB Chief Executive, Mike Clarke, will be giving a talk on the society to the Reading RSPB Group following their AGM at 8 pm on Tuesday 12th May at Pangbourne Village Hall. All are welcome. There is a charge of £5 for non-members of the Reading RSPB Group.

Last month, Neil Bucknell and Renton Righelato, editors of the new Berkshire atlas and avifauna, presented the BOC with a cheque for £10,000 for the Birds of Berkshire Conservation Fund. Thanks to generous sponsorship from the hundreds of people who had sponsored species and from charities, companies and local authorities, the Atlas Group was able to fully fund the production of The Birds of Berkshire and the creation of its interactive website. So, the Atlas Group is able to donate the proceeds of sales of the book to bird conservation. Renton added “This £10,000 is the first tranche, which we hope will be followed by a similar amount next year. From now on every penny from book sales supports conservation.”

The winners and runners up in this years competition have now been added to the 2015 gallery on the Photographic Competition page. Our thanks go to London Camera Exchange for their support in providing the prizes.

As this event would have coincided with the funeral of former BOC Chairman and Committee Member, Martin Sell, we have postponed the mid-week walk to Wishmoor Bottom for one week to 26th March. All times and details otherwise remain the same.