Bird Atlas - increasing species lists

You can use the 'priority squares' feature on the Bird Atlas website to check species that are yet to be recorded in a 10km square but have been recorded in a neighbouring square. It will default to your home square but you can re-centre to check other squares by clicking on them while holding down the shift key.

First some general points:

• Record full-winged feral wildfowl and gamebirds - e.g. Snow Geese - so long as they are not obviously in captivity.
• Note that Common Redpoll in the list refers to Mealy Redpoll and not Lesser Redpoll, which is the common species in the UK. This reflects recent splits and you are likely to see Lesser as a race of Common in field guides.
• You may find records of species that are uncommon in the region queried as they can often need a description locally or for the Yorkshire recorders; e.g. Goshawk, Lesser Spotted Woodpecker. I have to make sure that the Atlas is in line with the 'official record'. See previous posts from February 2009.

Targets species right across the region:

• Scarce gulls, e.g. white-winged gulls such as Glaucous, Iceland.
• Any scarce birds are worth recording.
• Any species of goose - although feral Greylag and Canada Goose have been recorded in most, although not all squares.
• Bewick's Swan, Black-tailed Godwit, Common (Mealy) Redpoll, Common Crossbill, Gadwall, Goshawk, Hen and March Harrier, Lesser Spotted Woodpecker, Little Egret, Long-eared Owl, Red Kite, Ruddy Duck, Short-eared Owl, Smew

The next few posts will list target species for each 10km square. Information for these can be found in using the 'priority squares' function although I have amended some lists to add (or subtract) where relevant.

Please contact me if you have any questions.

Bird Atlas final winter starts soon

It's now under a month until the final winter's fieldwork for the Bird Atlas - it starts on 1st November.

The priorities for the York Region this season are:

1. Complete visits to tetrads for TTVs already allocated.


2. Roving Records to increase species lists in all 10km squares. I shall post a list for each square, so please refer to these or use the 'Priority Squares' feature on the Bird Atlas website.


3. Cover each 10km square with an evening visit to listen for crepuscular and nocturnal species. Please let me know if you can help with these.


4. Roving Records to improve coverage in SE53, SE56, SE67 and SE73.


5. Additional TTVs. Request these through the website or contact me.

Please contact me if you have any questions or would like to take on some work but are unsure.

Bird Atlas breeding evidence gaps

I have been asked by several roving recorders where we should focus our efforts during the breeding season, so I have reviewed which birds have been recorded as confirmed breeding. Here's a summary for a number of commoner species, I have excluded those that have been confirmed in all hectads (10km squares):

Mute Swan SE53, SE55, SE56, SE64, SE66, SE67, SE73, SE75

Greylag SE53, SE56, SE64, SE67, SE73

Canada Goose SE53, SE55, SE56, SE57, SE64, SE67, SE73, SE75, SE76

Mallard SE53, SE57, SE66

Other ducks Most species in most hectads (only the occasional one confirmed)

Red-legged Partridge All hectads

Grey Partridge SE53 to SE55, SE57, SE64, SE66, SE67, SE74 to SE77

Pheasant SE53 to SE55, SE57, SE75, SE77

Little Grebe SE54 to SE56, SE65, SE66, SE73, SE75 to SE77

Great-crested Grebe SE53, SE56, SE63, SE64, SE66, SE67, SE74 to SE76

Sparrowhawk SE53, SE57, SE63 to SE67, SE75 to SE77

Buzzard Most hectads

Kestrel Most hectads

Moorhen SE75

Coot SE56, SE64, SE67, SE75

Lapwing SE53, SE55, SE57, SE73, SE75

Other waders Most hectads

Feral pigeon SE53 to SE57, SE66, SE67, SE73 to SE77

Stock Dove SE53, SE56, SE57, SE64, SE66, SE67, SE73 to SE77

Woodpigeon SE76

Collared Dove SE53, SE54, SE56, SE64, SE66, SE67, SE73 to SE77

Turtle Dove Everywhere

Cuckoo Most hectads

Barn Owl SE53, Se54, SE56, SE57, SE75

Little Owl Most hectads

Tawny Owl SE53 to SE55, SE64, SE66, SE67, SE73, SE75 to SE77

Swift SE53, SE64, SE66, SE67, SE73

Kingfisher Everywhere

Green Woodpecker Most hectads

Great Spotted Woodpecker SE57, SE64, SE67, Se73, SE75, SE77

Skylark SE53 to SE55, SE57, SE66, SE67, SE73 to SE75, SE77

Sand Martin SE53, SE56, SE57, SE63, Se64, SE66, SE67, SE75, SE76

Tree Pipit Everywhere

Meadow Pipit Most hectads

Yellow Wagtail SE54 to SE57, SE64, SE67, SE73, SE75 to SE77

Grey Wagtail SE53, SE54, SE56, SE57, SE66, SE73, SE77

Pied Wagtail SE57

Wren SE53, SE73, SE75, SE77

Dunnock SE75

Mistle Thrush S53, SE56, SE57, SE64, SE66, SE73, SE75, SE77

Sedge Warbler Most hectads

Lesser Whitethroat Everywhere

Whitethroat SE54, SE57, SE73, SE75, SE77

Garden Warbler Most hectads

Blackcap SE54 to SE57, SE63, SE65, SE66, SE73, SE76

Chiffchaff SE56, SE57, SE63, SE64, SE66, SE67, SE73, SE75, SE77

Willow Warbler SE56, SE57, SE65, SE66, SE73, SE76, SE77

Goldcrest Most hectads

Spotted Flycatcher SE54, SE55, SE57, SE65, SE73, SE75, SE77

Long-tailed Tit SE54, SE56, SE57

Marsh & Willow Tit Most hectads

Coal Tit SE56, SE64, SE75

Treecreeper SE53 to SE57, SE64, SE67, SE73, SE75, SE77

Jay Most hectads

Magpie SE53, SE54, SE57, SE66, SE73, SE75 to SE77

Jackdaw SE53, SE66, SE73

Chaffinch SE73, SE77

Greenfinch SE53, SE56, SE67, SE73, SE76

Goldfinch SE54, SE56, SE73, SE76

Linnet SE54, SE56, SE57, SE65, SE66, SE73, SE74, SE76, SE77

Lesser Redpoll Everywhere

Bullfinch Most hectads

Yellowhammer SE53, SE54, SE56, SE57, SE63, SE66, SE67, SE73, SE76, SE77

Reed Bunting SE53 to SE57, SE65, SE67, SE73, SE75

Corn Bunting Most hectads

Please look for evidence to confirm breeding for these species in the hectads as shown in the list. Evidence is also needed for scarce breeders, which I haven't put in the list.

Note about breeding evidence - FL

Remember that one of the main aims this breeding season for the Bird Atlas is to get confirmed breeding evidence for as many species as possible.

FF - 'Adult carrying faecal sac or food for young' is very useful

FL - Recently fledged or downy young is also good evidence. But beware when you are using this code, as young birds can move some distance from where they were bred, even several 100km within a couple of weeks. Evidence of some dependency on the adults is a useful indicator.

Bird Atlas third breeding season

The third breeding season of the Bird Atlas has now started. The main areas of focus are to:

1. Increase the breeding evidence where possible.


2. Complete allocated tetrads.


3. Fill gaps in species distribution through roving records.

Nationally the following are under-recorded so it would be great to get some searches done for these: owls of all species, Woodcock, Nightingale (not so likely here in York), Grasshopper Warbler, Spotted Crake, Nightjar and Water Rail. Evening Roving Records visits would greatly increase the chances of hearing or seeing some of these.

Within the York region, the following have a lesser level of breeding evidence than what we could get: wildfowl, gamebirds, raptors, waders, doves, owls, Swift, warblers, Treecreeper, Magpie and Jay, some finches, buntings. Certain species have confirmed breeding evidence gaps in the odd 10km square too; e.g. Woodpigeon is only a 'probably breeding' in SE76 and Moorhen in SE75. Please look out for evidence of carrying food, occupied nests, recently fledged or downy young for these, or indeed any species - you may be able to fill in a gap.

The Bird Atlas website has a wealth of information on the progess of coverage. You can see species lists and maximum breeding evidence or each square within the region by clicking the Any Square Summary button or going to http://blx1.bto.org/atlas/square-access/num-square-choice.jsp

Please make every effort to complete tetrads allocated to you. Or, if you can take on a tetrad for TTV counts, please let me know.

It's great fun and you can learn a lot.

Good Atlasing.

Breeding Bird Survey 2010

I have a few squares available for the BBS this year. It's not a huge commitment and can be very rewarding.

Please contact me to volunteer.

BTO North East England Conference

All members and surveyors should have received information about the conference at Bishop Burton on 10th April. If you haven't seen it, here are some details:

From the Humber to the Tees

Venue - Bishop Burton College, York Road, Bishop Burton, Beverley, East Yorkshire, HU17 8QG
Date - Saturday 10 April 2010
Time - 0930 to 1645
Tickets - £12 includes lunch & refreshments - in advance from the BTO

All welcome

Talks on:

• Bird Atlas 2007-11 - Dawn Balmer, BTO Atlas Co-ordinator
• Monitoring Forest Birds - Tony Lewis, North York Moors & Forest Bird Study Group
• RSPB Volunteer & Farmer Alliance - Blanaid O'Connell, RSPB
• Raptors & Owls of the North York Moors, Wilf Norman, North York Moors Merlin and Forest Bird Study Groups
• Breeding Bird Survey - Kate Risley, BTO BBS National Organiser
• History of Spurn Bird Observatory - Dr Ian Glaves, Spurn BO
• Breeding Biology of the Goshawk - Garry Marchant, North York Moors & Forest Bird Study Group
• Birds of the Lower Derwent Valley - Terry Weston, Wildlife Consultant
• Notes from a BTO Regional Representative - Mike Denton, BTO RR for Yorkshire (Bradford)

A great chance to get together with other BTO members and fieldworkers from across Yorkshire and beyond, local Regional Reps and BTO staff.

I think the last similar event was in 2003 but was not as local as this.

Drop me an email if you want further information or a booking form.