You can submit records of any species recorded in SW Scotland direct to SWSEIC. However if you have a keen interest in a particular species group which you record regularly we would recommend you send your records direct to the county recorder for that group.
There are many national recording schemes and societies which focus on recording a particular taxonomic groups, gathering records from observers all around the country. The Biological Records Centre maintains a list of national recording schemes on the BRC website. Some schemes, typically those covering more popular species groups, have broken down organisation into regional or county recorders. County recorders are usually experts in their field with an excellent knowledge of the species present in the local area. As such many help with the verification of records submitted through the scheme or through local environmental records centres. SWSEIC works with county recorders to share records and make them available for local use.
Below is a list of useful links and key contacts for the most popular taxonomic groups.
The British Bryological Society are the best source of information on bryophytes and recording in Scotland
County Recorder – VC75 Ayrshire: Rory Whytock
County Recorder – VC100 Clyde Isles: Vacant
County recorder – VC72, VC73 & VC74 D&G: Chris Miles
The Botanical Society of Britain and Ireland (BSBI) co-ordinates the national network of plant recorders. The National Plant Monitoring Scheme is a recently established habitat-based monitoring scheme which aims to monitor changes in plant abundance and diversity.
County Recorders – VC75 Ayrshire: Dave Lang, Gill Smart & Carol Crawford
County Recorder – VC100 Clyde Isles (Isle of Arran, Bute and the Cumbraes): Angus Hannah
County Recorder – VC72 Dumfriesshire: Chris Miles
County Recorder – VC73 Kirkcudbrightshire: David Hawker
County Recorder – VC74 Wigtownshire: Michael Jeeves
Butterfly Conservation are the co-ordinating body for the network of county recorders for butterflies . They also co-ordinate surveys such as the UK Butterfly Monitoring Scheme and the Wider Countryside Butterfly Survey.
County recorder – Ayrshire: Vacant
Please send records direct to SWSEIC.
County recorder – Dumfries and Galloway: Scott Shanks
For more information about moth recording visit the National Moth Recording Scheme website.
County Recorder – Ayrshire: Gill Smart
County Recorder – Arran: Sue Archer
County recorder – D&G: Alastair Sommerville
For more information about recording dragonflies visit the British Dragonfly Society recording pages.
Pat Batty is the County Recorder for the whole of Scotland.
For more details of how to get involved with bird recording in your area visit the bird recording and surveys pages of the Scottish Ornithologists’ Club website . The British Trust for Ornithology co-ordinate a range of volunteer surveys and monitoring programmes such as the Breeding Bird Survey.
County Recorder – Ayrshire: Fraser Simpson
County Recorder – Clyde Isles (Isle of Arran, Isle of Bute and the Cumbraes): Dr Bernard Zonfrillo
County Recorder – D&G: Gavin Chambers
Information about mammal recording can be found on the Mammal Society website. There are active bat groups in Ayrshire and Dumfries and Galloway, each affiliated to the Bat Conservation Trust who also co-ordinate various bat surveys and monitoring. For cetaceans the national sightings network is co-ordinated by Seawatch Foundation. There is an active community project in the Firth of Clyde.
There is currently no county mammal recorder for this area. Please send all records to SWSEIC.
Whales and dolphins
Seawatch Regional Co-ordinator Cairnryan – Mull of Kintyre (including firth of Clyde): Hebridean Whale and Dolphin Trust
Marine Mammal project – Clyde Porpoise CIC
County Recorder – Dumfries Galloway: Andy Riches
Whales and dolphins
Seawatch Regional Co-ordinator Dumfries and Galloway: Mark Pollitt
SUP is registered in Scotland as a company limited by guarantee with charitable status. Registered address: The Southern Uplands Partnership, Studio 2, Lindean Mill, Galashiels, TD1 3PE. Company No. SC200827 / Charity No. SCO29475