Birdwatching Club to host special events

The first of these is an anniversary presentation by the Club’s treasurer, Heather Larkin on Tuesday, September 1 in Ballymena North Centre from 7.30pm.

Founded in October 1995, the Ballymena Birdwatchers Club was the idea of a group of enthusiastic birders from the Ballymena area who were frustrated that the closest RSPB groups were in Antrim or Coleraine, and since some were unable to drive they found it difficult to attend.

They set up a local group based on the format of monthly indoor talks and monthly field trips running from September to June. This format is still going strong, and in the past 10 years the club has been including a foreign trip in its annual programme; the most recent trip was to Israel in April 2015, with a trip planned for Estonia in 2016.

The club also has a policy to promote conservation of bird species and habitats in Northern Ireland. A very successful tern breeding platform was erected in Lough Beg with funding from the Lough Neagh Partnership; and osprey nest platforms have also been erected on the shores of the lough.

Everyone is welcome to come September 1 to get an introduction to the Ballymena Birdwatchers Club and see some of the history of the club from the past 20 years.