Welcome
Tain and District Field Club has hosted informative and social meetings for over 30 years. The emphasis is on natural history focusing on both this local area and within the wider scientific community as well.
Speakers have come from all over the British Isles with their specialties and we are a richer community for their contributions over the period.
| Programme for the 2011 – 2012 Season of Lectures | |
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| 13 Sept 2011 AGM at 7pm followed by lecture |
Dundreggan Estate Restoring the Caledonian Forest Alan Watson Featherstone, (Founder & Executive Director-Trees for Life) This is followed by Field Trip on Saturday 17/09/11 meeting at Dundreggan Car Park at 10:30.
Grid reference still to be supplied or will be given at the talk.
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| 11 Oct 2011 | Scottish Wildlife Trust Northern Reserves-2011 Update Glen Campbell, (Scottish Wildlife Trust) |
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| 8 Nov 2011 | Ptarmigan Dr. Kathy Fletcher, (Game and Wildlife Conservation Trust) |
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| 13 Dec 2011 | A Journey Round Scotland’s Northerly Small Isles David McAllister, Chair, Tain & District Field Club |
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| 10 Jan 2012 | Studies of Coastal Waders Simon Foster, Highland Ringing Group |
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| 14 Feb 2012 | Birds Living with Birds David Jardine, (See links: Colonsay, or 1, 2) |
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| 13 Mar 2012 | Merkinch LNR Katy Martin, (Senior Ranger, Nairn ,Inverness, Badenoch and Strathspey) |
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Members Evening
Saturday, 14 January 2012
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Future Field Excursions in 2012
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| 3rd January Wednesday |
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| Tarrel to Rockfield | |
| We were going to walk from Tarrel to Rockfield by the cliff top and/or coast. The weather in the early morning was not conducive to walking comfortably along this route; let alone seeing much wildlife – gales had shut major bridges and snow was falling thick and fast. (Tarrel Farm : Rockfield map) |
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| 18th February – Saturday | |
| Tollie Kite Feeding | |
| A winter walk, led by Russell, at the RSPB Red Kite hide and feeding station. Winter feeding is done by RSPB volunteers arriving at about 13:30 each day. From the Maryburgh roundabout, travel toward Contin, at the second right (steeply uphill) watch for a sign, further signs appear nearer the site. There is a charge for the kite feeding centre: Adult £4, RSPB member or concession £2 |
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| 17th March – Saturday | |
| Merkinch Local Nature Reserve | |
| 14:00 – 15:30 | |
| Led by Katy Martin; a walk around the reserve with Katy | |
| 15th April – Sunday | |
| Gearrchoille Community Wood, Ardgay | |
| Led by David – Frogs, newts and other pond-life plus a walk through the old oakwood. (wellie boots strongly recommended!) |
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Previous 2010 – 2011 Field Excursions.
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| Saturday 17 September 2011 |
Dundreggan Estate
Led by Steve Morris.
Meet at Dundreggan Car Park at 10:30am OS grid ref is NH 334 145. Cars will be leaving Tain Royal Hotel Car park at 08:45
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| Friday 17 June 2011 Morrich More |
Inverness Botany Group Excursion Afternoon – (after briefing above) TDFC members welcome Plants & insects Led by Pat Rae & Brian Ballinger We would be able to look at the near part of the range in the morning. In the afternoon they would go further along. This avoids the very long walk. |
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| 10-12 June 2011 NW Highland Geopark |
A weekend (camping?) in the GeoparkKnockan Crag, Inchnadamph, Lochinver, Achiltibuie. Details to be finalized nearer the time, but the base will be Scourie where a selection of accommodation is available, from campsite to hotel. |
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| Morrich More | Two trips (each with an RAF safety briefing). Those who attended the 2oth May briefing need not attend the 17 June briefing. |
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| Friday 20 May 2011 RAF Tain Range |
Morrich More briefing for TDFC members Meet at 12:30 am at the Main Tower, finish 1pm This is necessary for anyone visiting Morrich More! |
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| Sunday 22 May 2011 Morrich More |
TDFC field trip to Morrich More Plants & birds Meet at 10:30am at the old aerodrome entrance ( NH 821 814 ) Led by Pat Rae |
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| Friday 17 June 2011 RAF Tain Range |
Morrich More briefing for Inverness Botany Group members ALSO! any TDFC members who missed the May briefing Meet at 10:30 am at the Main Tower The excursion begins after this briefing This is necessary for anyone visiting Morrich More and not attending earlier briefing! |
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| Saturday 30 April 2011 Dawn chorus |
Spinningdale/Migdale (Led by Russell Wood) – Inform David if attending Meeting point: NH 667 907, car park near Migdale Wood entrance, at 07:30 Followed by bacon rolls |
Tain is located in Easter Ross – that’s the eastern part of Ross-shire, north of Inverness, in Scotland.
Tain is very near several large tidal inlets; the Dornoch Firth on our northern doorstep, Loch Fleet, another tidal firth lies within 10 miles to the north, the Cromarty Firth is a few miles south and the Inner Moray Firth just a bit further south and east.
We have fine agricultural land around us in the east grading into poorer and higher soils going west to the mountains along Scotland’s west coast.
The climate is equable, for the northern latitude, allowing a very interesting assemblage of endemic flora. We lie at the northern periphery of several important species of plants and animals, and correspondingly near the southern periphery of others.
The activities of TDFC revolve around the winter schedule of speakers, each selected for their expertise and also their ability to relate to our audience. There are also a couple of social events to help bind community links and, importantly, there are trips into the field to observe and learn at the hand of an expert.
For more than 30 years meetings have been held on the second Tuesday each month during the winter season, normally in the Tain Parish Church hall, (NH 779 821), starting at 19:30. Tea and coffee after speakers have finished allows discussion and networking, or more closely questioning the speaker of the day. Members discuss observations of the preceding weeks and bring notable events or observations to the attention of the meeting.
The public is invited and encouraged to attend events, lectures and field excursions. We have a very friendly atmosphere and are as sociable as we are interested in the science and natural history presented to us. Members contribute an annual fee and at events a small charge is asked from non-members to help defray costs.
Members of TDFC are frequently also members of the Highland Biological Recording Group or the British Trust for Ornithology. Many observations given by TDFC members are relayed to these two larger bodies where active data sets of biological records are kept. See Links for other relevant organisations.
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Correct Brigitte – there was an error. Meet at 07:30. The location is NH 667 907, car park near Migdale Wood entrance.
Hi folks,
keen to join you for the dawn chorus, but surely not at 12 am as seems to be indicated?
It’s 15.23h now on Friday. I’ll check again later.
I could manage 5 a.m., but I’ve got to be in Inverness by forenoon, so I’ll have to get some sleep tonight