• Welcome to BirdForum, the internet's largest birding community with thousands of members from all over the world. The forums are dedicated to wild birds, birding, binoculars and equipment and all that goes with it.

    Please register for an account to take part in the discussions in the forum, post your pictures in the gallery and more.
ZEISS DTI thermal imaging cameras. For more discoveries at night, and during the day.

BTO recording (1 Viewer)

Metermaid

Metermaid

Well-known member
I was wondering how many members record for BTO - I was interested to hear about the Owl survey and had a look at their site - I see you have to pay £12 to submit records to them so was just wondering how many people here contribute and if they feel it is worthwhile.

Thanks

Rita
 
I've been doing it since July 1995 - it's been made much easier since the option of entering records online was introduced some while back. You can give more information online, and I find it quicker to do than inking little boxes on a machine-read form. Obviously this helps them too, as a fair number of the paper forms are not filled in correctly, or arrive too crumpled, or have notes on them for correcting errors - and have to be fed into the machine. I look upon the £12 as another subscription to a good cause!

I think there are quite a few BF members who do it - maybe this thread will encourage more people to take part - I certainly feel it is worth while. I print out a sheet for each week, and mark numbers down whenver we see more birds. One day I might get round to putting my records on computer, as I still have all the sheets.
 
I think there are one or two who do a WeBS count, I am one. I really enjoy doing my monthly walk on the canal and keep a list of all the species I see as well as the WeBS species. It costs nothing and you could get in touch with your county recorder to see if there is an uncovered bit of water/wetland.
 
I do the garden count. Its quite interesting to see what birds turn up. The first garden Linnet (in urban Harlow) was very exciting as was the flock of Long Tails that shot through one afternoon, never seen before never seen since!!
 
I do a WEBs count. Its an estuary site which means its actually quite hard work - the estuary isn't big enough to really justify additional counters when ther'es work to be done elsewhere.

But there is some satisfaction in being able "to relate" to the published counts even if your own site is really quite insignificant interms of UK totals. AND - I believe that counts that were done before I took over thes site ahve ben useful in putting forward planning objections.

regards
Gordon
 
bto

yeah, i do migration watch, but only really get common species, house martins etc. I've just posted the from today to register for Garden BirdWatch. Sounds good fun, I reckon its worth £12.
 
Did the WEBs through much of my time at school though the upper Gipping Valley in Suffolk is about as dire a place as any to count wildfowl - lukcy for an odd Tufted Duck or Pochard. In 5+ years 1 Red-necked Grebe and 2 Smew were the highlights. Looks good on your CV though
 
I also take part in garden watch, & its fun, you never can tell what will turn up.
bert.
 
Yes I am going to sign up - I spend half my time watching the garden birds anyway so might as well feel it is useful too ! (did I say only half my time......ummm !)

Thanks for replies
 
I do the Garden Bird Watch as well, sending my results online. Very worthwhile, and interesting to be able to look back on your own records.

Go for it!

Steve
 
I take part in surveys as they come along if I can but would keep the BTO subscription up in any case. This is where some serious numbers are crunched. Take a look at the latest BTO News and the amount of evidence based research is impressive.

You wouldn't need to be a member to contribute to WeBS, which is a partnership between BTO, WWT, RSPB and JNCC.
 
Rob Williams said:
I do the Garden birds and have just signed up to bird track.

I enjoy both and look upon the £12 as a donation really.


Rob
Click to expand...


I do the 'Breeding Bird Survey', Bird Track and also this year, the ' Swallow Feeding Survey'.

All very worthwhile.

paj
 
Been doing Garden Bird Watch for couple of years now, £12 is nothing over the year but it all helps the BTO. I'm not one for keeping lists, just in my head, but it is good to look back on what has come and gone over the years.It's good to compare my garden with the rest of the country results. Give it a go if anyone's thinking of it.
 
trishhickson said:
forgive my Ignorance, but what is Bird Track please? Trish.
Click to expand...

Birdtrack took over from 'Migration Watch', the difference being you enter all your bird sightings onto Birdtrack throughout the year as opposed to migrating species at certain times of the year.
Take a look at the BTO web site for more info. www.bto.org


paj
 
I started my "bird diary" years ago and was thrilled when I read in "Birds" magazine of the BTO Garden Birdwatch and my figures could be useful (up until then people had laughed at me, now I can say my figures are useful for BTO and I think they are also used by the Government in a report called "State of the Nation". No doubt someone will correct me if I have got that wrong.

The more people that sign up but also contribute their figures regularly the better to help our knowlege of the birds in the U.K. and maybe help declining species before they become endangered.

Ann
 
Warning! This thread is more than 20 years ago old.
It's likely that no further discussion is required, in which case we recommend starting a new thread. If however you feel your response is required you can still do so.

Similar threads

condor1992
Shaming birdwatchers on social media
2 3 4
Replies
78
Views
5K
jurek
jurek
Andrew Whitehouse
Most misidentified birds in your area
2 3 4
Replies
73
Views
6K
hookem2010
hookem2010
A
Dn many people keep a county year list?
2
Replies
20
Views
2K
Paul Chapman
Paul Chapman
P
Owl viewing ethics
2
Replies
36
Views
3K
Xenospiza
Xenospiza
SueO
Stories Behind Birds You've Photographed
Replies
18
Views
829
Joe H
Joe H

Users who are viewing this thread

Total: 2 (members: 0, guests: 2)
Back
Top