English Winter Bird Survey

This winter, the BTO is running a survey on BBS squares with methodology based on the BBS itself to monitor the use of farmland by birds and brown hares. Around 75% of BBS squares in the York region have been signed up.

English Farm Woodland Bird Survey

The BTO has secured funding to run a English Farm Woodland Bird Survey, starting in March 2019 and running through to July. The survey is focused on small woodland plots on farmland and needs birders with good bird identification and survey skills (ability to recognise species by sight and sound as well as some previous experience of BTO surveys and/or territory mapping). Visits are expected to be fairly quick, possibly 20 minutes or half an hour.

 

The survey webpage (https://www.bto.org/volunteer-surveys/english-farm-woodland-bird-survey) has just been updated, providing details of the survey.  The site request map is now live so all sites are available to view and volunteers can start requesting their survey plots, grouped within 1-km squares. Access permission is being sought by the Forestry Commission but you can still register your interest in particular sites. The survey will be co-ordinated centrally by BTO staff.

 

Please have a look at the web page and see if there are any sites that you could help with, assuming there will be access permission granted.

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Tawny Owl Point Survey

The BTO's first survey that forms part of Project Owl, called the Tawny Owl Point Survey, is under way. There are still three priority tetrads available in SE56 in the Tollerton and Easingwold area and one in SE53, south of Sherburn.

 

This is a point survey where observers count from a central point for 20 minutes on two or three visits to a tetrad. The survey period started in August and continues to October, with follow up counts in the spring, but I am still looking for volunteers.

The counts ideally should be done within a two week period, weather dependent. It would be suitable for beginners to surveys as well as those more experienced though one may have to travel and it will be after sunset.

 

The survey is using a pattern of 10km squares across the country, with a regular pattern of tetrads within these. There are two 10km squares selected within the region: SE53 and SE56.

 

Information is on the BTO website at https://www.bto.org/volunteer-surveys/project-owl. Signing up for tetrads is done through the website using normal BTO credentials and registering for the survey. That will send a request to me for approval. There is a map so you can see where they are.

BBS 2018

All data from the 2018 Breeding Bird Survey in the York Region have been returned to the BTO. This year we equalled the record for numbers of squares covered - 40. This is a great effort by all surveyors. Many thanks to all.

In addition all four Waterways BBS stretches were covered.

March 2018 - Newsletter

I have recently written a newsletter for members and surveyors about what is going on in the York Region, giving a summary of 2017 surveys and what is coming up. This is available as a pdf, please use the contact details in the right side-panel to email me if you want a copy.

House Martin Nest Study 2017

With House Martins now being seen regularly in the region this spring, now is the time to start to monitor your nests. The BTO's House Martin Nest Study has been extended to 2017 and is particularly suitable if you have nests on your house, your work or somewhere you visit often. It does not take much effort to monitor a nest or two, just a few minutes a week, but it is very rewarding to see the progress through the season.

For full information, see the website at https://www.bto.org/volunteer-surveys/house-martin-survey
.

EBBA2

Are you one of the many people who miss atlassing? Here's an opportunity to contribute to the second European Breeding Bird Atlas. You can help by recording breeding evidence in your BirdTrack records, recording complete lists which will help to determine abundance and recording lists when on holiday.

See the information at https://www.bto.org/volunteer-surveys/find-gap-european-breeding-bird-atlas-2?dm_i=NXN,4W8NT,3GK6ZR,IJK7B,1

BTO Yorkshire Conference 2017

The next BTO Yorkshire Conference is planned for Saturday 18th March 2017 at the Ron Cooke Hub, University of York (Hes East). There will be a full day's programme of talks with refreshments for £22.

This is one for the diaries. I shall circulate the programme to members in the York Region when it becomes available and also publish it here. There will also be more information in due course on the BO website at;
https://www.bto.org/news-events/events/2017-03/bto-yorkshire-conference

York Region BBS update - fabulous 40!

Brilliant news, we have just hit a high of 40 squares covered in the region for the first time. There is even a possibility of another to come. It's also great to have most of the data returned already.

Moreover, three WBBS sites are also complete for the year with one to go.

Many thanks to all volunteers for your efforts.

State of Nature Report 2016

You may have seen or heard on the news about the State of Nature 2016 report that was published yesterday (14th September). BTO monitoring schemes, including the BBS, contributed to this important work. So many thanks to all volunteers and supporters for your efforts. This shows how our results can be used to understanding the wider environment.

You can read more online and download the report: https://www.bto.org/research-data-services/publications/state-nature/2016/state-nature-report-2016.

York BTO Survey mid-June update

Here's a mid-June update of the BTO surveys in the York Region this survey season.

 

Out of 44 squares allocated in the Breeding Bird Survey, there have been data returned from 25 squares so far with 14 of these having had their second visit recorded online. There is still time to carry out the late visit and, if you were unable to do an early one, it is still worth a visit as the BTO can make use of the data even from just one. It would be great to see if we can match or beat the recent years' efforts when we have had coverage in the high 30's. Can we get to 40 squares in the region this year? That would be excellent.

 

The Waterways Breeding Bird Survey is now tied in with the main BBS in terms of systems and organisation. We have four sites for the WBBS in the region, three of these have had both early and late visits completed and the data have already been entered on the system, which is great news.

 

This year we see the second part of the House Martin survey, this one being the nest study elements. The survey continues throughout the season and volunteers are monitoring nesting activity from April/May through to September. In the region, 26 sites have been logged on the survey system, 21 of which have had data recorded from visits so far.

 

The annual Heronry Census covers four known heronries in the region, we have data input to the new system from two of these so far and another historic site was checked out earlier in the year to see if herons had re-colonised (they hadn't).

 

Very many thanks to all volunteer surveyors and supporters.

House Martin Nest Study 2016 launched today

Help is needed for the new House Martin Survey which is launched today. Called the House Martin Nest Study 2016, it is complementary to last year's survey which was based on random tetrads. It aims to investigate the timing of breeding and the number of broods raised. It is hoped to help find reasons behind differing population trends; declines in some areas, increases in others.

 

If you can observe a nest or group of nests for a few minutes a week throughout the breeding season (April to September), you can help. It's ok to miss the odd week for holidays. Observations can be made from ground level or from vantage points where nests can be safely viewed, there is no need to look in nests. Most visits will be to note the condition of the nest and any activity that is taking place.

 

You can pick your own study site and it is ideal for those who have nests on or near to your home, work place or anywhere you visit regularly. The first visit is due in the first half of April.

 

You find out more information on methodology and register your interest from today at http://www.bto.org/volunteer-surveys/house-martin-survey/house-martin-nest-study-2016.

 

I hope that this will appeal to many people and there will be a good take up of the survey locally.

Breeding Waders of English Upland Farmland 2016

This year the BTO is running a survey of breeding waders in England. There are tetrads available in upland areas on "in-bye" land, which is the area of farmland just below moorland. As the York Region is basically a lowland area, there are no squares selected for this survey. However, there are squares available nearby in the North York Moors and the Pennines.

Have a look at the BTO website for what the survey entails and to register your interest.

http://www.bto.org/volunteer-surveys/breeding-waders-english-upland-farmland

Survey updates - local coverage

House Martin survey

Forty three squares were surveyed this year in the region for the random square component of the survey, out of 45 that were allocated. This is great coverage by volunteer surveyors. There was a total of 62 colonies counted across the region, though many squares had none. Next year there will be a follow up survey which will focus on observations of individual nests to collect information about nesting activity.

BBS and WBBS

So far, data have been returned from 37 BBS squares (out of 43) and 3 WBBS sites (of 4). There is still a possibility of hitting the 40 square target, which would be a record, as at least two other squares have been covered for BBS.

Thank you to all who took part in these surveys.

Woodcock & preliminary Peregrine results published

Visit the BTO's website to read about the decline by 29% since 2003 of Woodcock as revealed by the results of the recent survey - http://www.bto.org/volunteer-surveys/woodcock-survey.

Also published there are preliminary results from last year's Peregrine survey, showing a general increase, though with significant country and regional differences. This includes shedding more light on what's sadly happening in our uplands. Visit http://www.bto.org/volunteer-surveys/peregrine-survey/results.

Simple Goldfinch Survey this winter

What are Goldfinches feeding on in your garden?

 

The BTO has launched a simple survey today to try to find out.

 

While Garden BirdWatchers are telling us that Goldfinches are becoming increasingly common in gardens, we don't fully understand the reasons for this. How important is the food we put out or the plants we grow? Do they truly prefer nyger seed or is sunflower seed their choice treat? 

 

It only takes a couple of minutes for observations and data submission is online.

 

Go to http://www.bto.org/volunteer-surveys/gbw/about/background/projects/goldfinch-feeding-survey to find out how to take part.

BBS early August update

Very many thanks to all surveyors who have taken part this year. 

 

There are 43 squares available in the York Region for the BBS. Of these, so far I have received complete data from 29 squares. I know that two did not get covered but, if most of the remaining 12 were surveyed, we'll still be well up on surpassing the previous record for coverage, which would be excellent.

 

If observers are still to enter data or return your forms, please try to do this by the end of August as initial processing of data will begin from then.

BBS data return by end of August

Could all BBS surveyors in the region who haven't yet entered their data for the 2015 season please try to finish that before the end of August?
Many thanks
Rob

Euro Bird Portal

The EuroBirdPortal (EBP) project and its demo viewer (www.eurobirdportal.org) launched on 16 June 2015 in Brussels as part of Green Week 2015, the annual conference on European environment policy.The EBP project is a new initiative of the European Bird Census Council (EBCC) through which European online bird recording schemes will collaborate to research European-wide seasonal distributional changes, migratory patterns, and migration timing of  birds and to understand how these patterns are changing over time. EBP data for Britain and Ireland come from BirdTrack. View the EBP website and introductory video.

This is taken from a BTO press release.