About Us - Shoreham District Ornithological Society

Who Are We?

The Early Years

In January 1953 John Stafford and a group of fellow enthusiasts who lived in and around Shoreham-by-Sea in West Sussex formed what was then called the ‘Shoreham Ornithological Society’ to fill a gap they had identified in local clubs catering for people who were interested in the study of wild birds*. At the end of its first year the membership of the society had grown to 44. Several of those early members went on to become distinguished ornithologists both in the UK and abroad. In 1962 the Sussex Ornithological Society (SOS) evolved from the Shoreham society to cover both East and West Sussex and later it became necessary to rename our Shoreham society. We therefore became the Shoreham and District Ornithological Society, abbreviated as SDOS.

Our Society Today

Today SDOS has a membership of over 370 and we are proud of being a friendly society, welcoming beginners and experts alike. New members are very welcome and you don’t have to live in Shoreham to join us.

Our birdwatching area stretches along the coast from Brighton, through Shoreham and Worthing, to Ferring, and inland to include Storrington, Henfield and across the Downs to Ditchling Beacon.

We offer members a programme of walks throughout the year and talks from October to April . We also publish a newsletter twice a year and we have a private email group where sightings are reported and a range of birding related topics are discussed. All of these benefits are available to members from as little as £12 a year for individual membership !

Our thriving Social Media presence includes a Facebook Group – Shoreham Birding – which promotes local birdwatching and conservation projects, and helps develop the interest and knowledge of non members.

Whatever your level of interest in birds, the Society offers you opportunities to develop that interest, meet like minded people, and to get the most out of birdwatching and the natural world.

Recording

The Society encourages members to record their sightings and to submit these to the British Trust for Ornithology’s database BirdTrack. These sightings contribute to Sussex county data and also help build a national picture relating to bird activity. Some members have permits to ring birds and there are three active ringing stations in our area. Members also participate in regular surveys which provide valuable information on changes in bird behaviour over time and these can contribute to conservation planning.

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In The Community

SDOS members are very active in the community and work with many local organisations to protect and enhance sites that are valuable for birds and other wildlife. SDOS members are involved in a number of different surveys including: Wetland Birds Survey, Swifts in Worthing, Adur SSSI, Adur RSPB reserve, Sea bird monitoring from Widewater Beach. They also give talks, and take part in conservation work. This can include campaigning for better protection of wildlife sites, installing and maintaining nest boxes, funding conservation initiatives, and hosting events to raise public awareness of birds in our area. Some members are also volunteers for the RSPB and help to monitor birds using the Adur Estuary nature reserve in Shoreham.

SDOS also run events designed to enthuse the general public about birds and we contribute articles on birds to local social media groups and magazines.

As a member of SDOS there are plenty of opportunities to get involved in our work in the community.

Want to get involved? Contact us here.

Council

SDOS Council is the committee that runs the organisation and is responsible for organising events, conservation work, publications, and an assortment of administrative functions. There are up to 11 people on Council at any one time, and the current chair is Tony Benton (appointed March 2021). Council is also supported by some members who have particular expertise, for example in social media communications.