Worcestershire Record No. 18 April 2005 p. 4

RECORDING WORCESTERSHIRE’S BREEDING BIRDS

Harry Green

This survey was started in April 2004 with the aim of collecting information on the distribution of red and amber listed breeding birds 2004 was a trial year and we received a few hundred records – many thanks to those who sent information.

So that we could cope with computerising the data fairly easily our main aim was for data to be submitted by email using a recording form down loaded from the WBRC website. We simply cannot cope with large amounts of paper data.

The recording form also gives instructions for the survey. There are several important things to remember. First this is strictly a BREEDING BIRD SURVEY of a restricted list on species (listed on the form).

Secondly we cannot cope with repeat data from the same site in the same year. Again, strictly, we need

ONE RECORD, ONE PLACE, ONE YEAR

We do of course want reasonable proof of breeding:

Nesting activities (including feeding young in the nest or fledged)
Singing males

We need you to record

Species
Date
Grid ref
Nearest name on OS map
Breeding code
Habitat code
Your own contact details

It’s all on the form!!

Last year we suggested that the next ‘place’ to the first record should be around 200 metres away. We now suggest ONE RECORD PER 1 KM SQUARE or perhaps per square quarter of a 1 km square.

What we should really like is for an observer to systematically visit a stretch of countryside moving from one place to the next based on these criteria.

Our prime aim was for this to be an internet survey, not online entry but to access the recording form on our website, copy it, enter records and then email it to Patrick Taylor

We are happy to receive written records but they need to follow our detailed requirement. These can be posted to John Tilt who will enter them and send them on to Patrick.

Please join in and send records. With the changes in agriculture it will be very interesting to look for changes in threatened breeding birds.

WBRC Home Worcs Record Listing by Issue Worcs Record Listing by Subject