Forthcoming national and local Atlas 2027-31

Many of you will be aware that the next national Bird Atlas will be starting its fieldwork in November 2027. The atlas will be running for four years to understand winter and breeding season distribution and abundance.

This time round, the York Ornithological Club plans to take the opportunity to produce a local atlas in parallel. This will mean there will be a drive to cover as many tetrads (of the 375) in the region as possible; enhancing the national atlas picture at the same time.

Therefore, I shall be looking for volunteer surveyors to take on Timed Tetrad Visits and to visit tetrads for improving the species lists and finding breeding evidence using the Roving Records approach. It is early days yet but please let me know if you are interested in taking part.

BBS 2026 summary

At the time of writing this post, there are 41 squares with data for the 2026 BBS season. There is one other to come that I know has been surveyed; that would make it the best ever season. I am very grateful to all 37 volunteer surveyors who have taken part to achieve this. They have walked 157.8 km and recorded 8,805 individual birds of 96 species. 

Furthermore, all four WBBS stretches were covered again.

An excellent effort, everyone.

Heathland Bird Survey - update and appeal for Nightjar volunteers

The Woodlark component of the survey is coming to an end this month. In theYork Region, we have 44 sites (1km squares) allocated, and I am hoping for a good proportion of these will have been covered. The BTO's system has been updated to allow data entry now. Many thanks to all surveyors who have taken on squares.

The Nightjar component is now under way, from today to the end of July. There are 25 squares with surveyors allocated, with another six still available. Most of these are in the north of the region, especially areound the Yearsley and Grimston Moor areas. Please visit the BTO's website to sign up for the survey and request a square https://www.bto.org/get-involved/volunteer/projects/heathland-birds-survey.

Heathland Bird Survey 2025

 Very soon I shall be looking for surveyors for this survey once I get a confirmation of the list of sites (1 km² squares) and the system to support it has been implemented. Then region has some extended sites, such as Strensall Common, which will be picked up by study groups already monitoring them, but I am expecting plenty of other sites for anyone who wishes to help.

Although named Heathland Bird Survey, it will cover all habitats used by three key heathland species: Woodlark, Dartford Warbler and Nightjar. Therefore, there will also be some sites available in forested areas in the north of the region, for instance, for Nightjars. In the York Region, we will be covering Woodlark from mid-February to the end of May and Nightjars from the end of May to mid-July. As well as looking to record the target species, there is a need for observations of 12 other heathland assemblage bird species, such as Cuckoo, Curlew and Hobby.

The BTO’s website has more information of what will be involved and what skills are required: https://www.bto.org/our-science/projects/heathland-birds-survey. You will be able to sign up here once the system is live.

Breeding Bird Survey availability for 2024

I have two Breeding Bird Survey squares available for regular coverage. One, in SE76 near to Claxton, is on farmland, the other is a suburban square in SE77 in the south of Norton. The BBS monitors the population changes of the UK’s common and widespread breeding bird species. Check out https://www.bto.org/our-science/projects/breeding-bird-survey for the survey methods or email me for more information.

In addition to these two squares, I have one in SE56 on farmland that the regular surveyor will struggle to cover fully this year, so that is available too for 2024.

If you are able to identify UK breeding birds by sight, song and call and are interested in taking part, please email me - the link is in the panel to the right.

BBS 2023 update

 The following are still available, please contact me to volunteer:

 SE6169 north of Farlington

 SE7970 Sutton Grange, Norton

National Woodcock Survey 2023

Since the previous national survey in 2013, there has been annual monitoring of Woodcocks with six to eight sites being visited each year. The first national survey was in 2003, so 2023 sees the third to provide updated population estimates and investigate the causes of the ongoing decline in breeding Woodcock numbers.

In order to do our part to achieve high coverage, I am looking for coverage at four priority sites in addition to the six covered last year. Two volunteers have already come forward and, if I can cover the other two, there is possibility of another three becoming available. 

So please contact me if you would like to take part at a site near Garrowby Hill and one north of Dunnington. The map of survey squares is publicly visible on the main Woodcock Survey page at www.bto.org/woodcock.