Glamorgan Bird Club and BTO East Glamorgan Bird Conference, 24 October 2026 09:30 a.m. to 16:30

We’re excited to announce that, for the first time in many years, the Glamorgan Bird Club is teaming up with the BTO to co-host a local bird conference. 

Come along to Sport Wales National Centre, Sophia Gardens, Cardiff on Saturday, 24 October to enjoy a day of talks on local bird projects and birdwatching, visiting exhibitors’ stands and meeting fellow birders. Whether you’re a beginner or a more experienced birder, we hope that there’ll be something for everyone to enjoy. 

Discount for GBC members and young birders

GBC is part-funding the event in order to keep ticket costs down and there’s good news for our members. You can purchase a ticket for only £15 – a discount of £5 on the standard price of £20. 

We’ve also decided to keep the cost down for young birders. If you’re 23 years old or younger, whether you’re a member of GBC or not, you can also purchase your ticket for the discounted price of £15.

Visit our online booking page to secure your place: https://www.bto.org/our-work/events/glamorgan-bird-club-and-bto-conference 

Talks on Hawfinch, White-tailed Sea Eagles, Skylarks and Yellowhammers will all feature in the conference. (Photo credits, clockwise from top left: Dawn Withers; Liz Cutting and two by Philip Croft).

Speakers and exhibitors

We’ll have talks on local projects involving Hawfinches, Yellowhammers and even Sea Eagles. There’ll be an opportunity to find out more about an early pioneer of bird photography and ringing from Glamorgan, about efforts to get more young women into birding and what it takes to build a big year list on your bike. Birders of all abilities will be needed to help the BTO with their 2027-31 National Atlas. This four-year project, which will map the UK’s birds and their fortunes, is both an important and incredibly enjoyable survey to be part of. We’ll look at what we’ve learned about birds in East Glamorgan from previous Atlases, as well as how you can participate in the 2027-31 survey.  You can see the full programme of speakers below.  

During the lunch and refreshment breaks there will be an opportunity to visit the stands of our guest exhibitors, all of whom have a local connection. These will include beautiful images by a professional bird photographer, the work of an exceptional bird artist, as well as stands by some of our speakers’ conservation organisations and, of course, the BTO and GBC. 

There are only limited places available, so be sure to sign-up soon. We look forward to seeing you there! https://www.bto.org/our-work/events/glamorgan-bird-club-and-bto-conference 

Talk	Speaker
The return of the White-tailed Eagle to South East Wales and the Severn Estuary	Dr Sophie-lee Williams  (Eagle Reintroduction Wales)
Skylarks, Yellowhammers and pollinators galore –  farming alongside nature in the Vale of Glamorgan	Rob Parry (Wild Cymru/Cymru Wyllt)
Help us map the UK’s birds – an introduction to the 2027-31 BTO National Atlas	Dr Rachel Taylor (BTO Cymru)
The ups, downs and the downright unusual – what previous BTO Atlases have shown us about birds in East Glamorgan	Daniel Jenkins-Jones (BTO East Glamorgan Regional Representative)
Birding by bike – what’s (k)not to like? Local listing on two wheels	John Aggleton (local birder)
Col. H. Morrey Salmon – the father of British bird photography; preserving and sharing his work	Andy Kendall  (Cardiff Naturalists Society)
Girls Go Birding! A BTO Youth initiative	Ciera Atkins (BTO Youth)
BTO Cymru update: news of the BTO’s surveys in East Glamorgan	Gethin Jenkins-Jones (BTO Cymru)
The Hawfinches of Fforest Ganol and beyond –  the results from a colour-ringing project	Rich Facey  (Cardiff Ringing Group)
Glamorgan Bird Club – the way forward	Alan Rosney (GBC)