Aims of the Society
• To practice and encourage ornithology in Mid-Cheshire.
• To work for the protection of birds and the conservation of their habitat.
• To collaborate with other organisations in Cheshire which have similar aims.
• To this end, the Society shall arrange talks, discussions, field meetings, the keeping of records and other activities.
The Mid-Cheshire Ornithological Society (MCOS) has been in existence since 1963 and was founded by Peter Schofield, W Ashley, G Pass and R Thomason with the inaugural committee meeting on 14th November of that year. Meetings were held at Winnington Hall Club, ICI Northwich. The first open meeting was held on 9th March 1964 and was addressed by the well known T Hedley Bell talking on "Birds of Cheshire"; A cold buffet supper was provided at the princely sum of 5/-. Annual membership was 15/- and was open to adult ornithologists. The programme consisted of both indoor and outdoor meetings.
At the second annual general meeting in 1966 membership had to be limited to 100 because of Winnington Hall Club rules and because the Society comprised a large number of non-ICI members, a move to other premises was inevitable. The move was to the Railway Hotel (now the Hazel Pear), Acton Bridge where the Society stayed for the next 17 years. There followed a brief move to Acton Bridge Village Hall, then to Hartford Village Hall and finally to Cuddington & Sandiway Village Hall where the Society currently holds indoor meetings.
Throughout its history, the Society has had a recorder who collected and compiled listings for publication in the annual newsletter and submission to the annual Cheshire Bird Report. Many members also submit records to the County Recorder. The Society and some of its members individually take an active role in local conservation, particularly the Witton Area Conservation Group and have added strong support to safeguard local birding areas. Specifically, contributions have been made to the County Structure Plan (1978) to oppose the attempt at Nunsmere (1977, 1981) to create a Water Sports Training Area and latterly in 1996/7 helped defeat the proposed National Angling Centre, Northwich which would have had a major impacton some key local birding habitats. One of our long standing committee members, Paul Kenyon, has been undertaking an important survey of Nightjar breeding at Nercwys Moutain, Flintshire since 1994. His work was published in 1998 in Welsh Birds (vol.2, no.1,4-15), the journal of the Welsh Ornithological Society.
In 1986, the Society took out a lease on Hatton's Hey which is our own bird reserve comprising a varied habitat of marshy pools and woodland complete with a hide.
The Society is affiliated to the Cheshire & Wirral Ornithological Society.
We always welcome visitors to our indoor and outdoor meetings and hope that you will become full and active members of the Society.
