Atlas listing (1 Viewer)

[Mary]

Today's winter map for Raven is interesting, I reckon. Certainly more widespread than I expected. http://www.bto.org/birdatlas/birdoftheday.htm

 

[Surreybirder]

Today's winter map for Raven is interesting, I reckon. Certainly more widespread than I expected. http://www.bto.org/birdatlas/birdoftheday.htm

I agree! They are regarded as 'megas' in Surrey, yet much of what I think is Surrey on that map is 'red'. I hope that the ROs are exercising due diligence.
Ken

 

[joannec]

Today's winter map for Raven is interesting, I reckon. Certainly more widespread than I expected. http://www.bto.org/birdatlas/birdoftheday.htm

It is very interesting, Mary. In my part of the country, East Sussex , ravens only began breeding here about 10 years ago and they are now breeding at about 10 sites I believe. Ravens are rapidly expanding in numbers and range in Sussex.

 

[davercox]

Finally got round to doing one of my late winter TTVs today. It was much milder than last time! I did TQ34Z which is a nice rural area, mostly farmland but some small woods and the odd stream and pond. In all I saw 40 species. Some of the more interesting ones were: red-legged partridge, sparrowhawk, buzzard, peregrine, yellowhammer (singing), treecreeper, stock dove.
Ken

Very nice Ken, good collection of raptors there.

I did my last winter TTV yesterday; found three Cirl Buntings singing on the 'walk in' to the square, but none in the tetrad itself, which was a pity.

 

[Surreybirder]

Managed to do my second (and last) TTV on Saturday (lovely day!!) Nothing too out of the ordinary but there was a nice variety with 40 species.

 

[Ian Pritchard]

There are some really interesting (and depressing!) preliminary results emerging from the Atlas already:
http://www.kentos.org.uk/cands/AtlasWinterMaps.htm
and
http://www.sos.org.uk/maps/tawny-owl-map-1st-winter.html

Ian

 

[JTweedie]

I've just completed my 2nd winter survey today, right on the wire!

Over the two visits to NS55Y, I recorded a total of 21 species. It was interesting to note that on my first visit, 28 December, I saw Blackbirds, Fieldfares and Song Thrushes, but didn't see any of Thrush species at all today, however I did see lots more members of the Crow family, most of which looked like they were nest building, especially the Rooks, Magpies and Carrion Crows I saw.

The square I covered has a variety of habitats, but I wasn't able to cover large parts of it due to it being bisected by a busy road. However, what I did survey included woodland edges, fields, hedgerows and a small river, so all in all a decent range of habitat. Plenty of gulls to be seen, but all flying over the square so I couldn't record them as actively using the square, although no doubt some of them will use the fields at some point.

 

[Surreybirder]

There are some really interesting (and depressing!) preliminary results emerging from the Atlas already:
http://www.kentos.org.uk/cands/AtlasWinterMaps.htm
and
http://www.sos.org.uk/maps/tawny-owl-map-1st-winter.html

Ian

A lot of 'losses' indeed. I think that we have almost entirely lost grey partridge, hawfinch, tree sparrow (apart from Beddington) from Surrey. Corn bunting has gone.

I don't think you can read too much into the tawny owl map. They are surely under-recorded. For example in TQ34, TO has only been recorded in one tetrad so far but I'm sure that it's because there are few local birders and even the few that there are don't go out at night listening for owls.

 

[Stephen Dunstan]

Sorry I haven't posted on this thread much lately. My last TTV of the season was last Sunday at Sand Villa, Pilling. There was a Pinkfoot flock in the square later estimated at 7000 birds. I also saw a Barnacle in with the Pinks, my first Merlin on a TTV and 70 Whooper Swans. A pleasing end to the current season.

Stephen

 

[joannec]

Sorry I haven't posted on this thread much lately. My last TTV of the season was last Sunday at Sand Villa, Pilling. There was a Pinkfoot flock in the square later estimated at 7000 birds. I also saw a Barnacle in with the Pinks, my first Merlin on a TTV and 70 Whooper Swans. A pleasing end to the current season.

Stephen

Wow! 'Pleasing' is an understatement!! I'd love to see those sorts of numbers of geese.

 

[Stephen Dunstan]

Wow! 'Pleasing' is an understatement!! I'd love to see those sorts of numbers of geese.

Fair comment. Today I had a couple of hours with my eldest who had no strong preferences so I took her to do one last tetrad on the edge of Fleetwood. This was a good move as I had a flock of 40 Twite as well as other worthwhile stuff including a couple of Gadwall.

Stephen.

 

[Stephen Dunstan]

Started the new season with a tetrad including the north part of Stanley Park Lake, in deepest Blackpool. The lake has a sizeable heronry and nesting Great Crested Grebes, so a nice way to kick off the breeding season.

Stephen.

 

[Surreybirder]

It's nice to be back in 'Atlas time'! It adds spice to everyday birding.
I must admit that I prefer to do my TTVs a bit later when there are more of the summer visitors about. Apart from the odd swallow and sand martin (and chiffchaff, of course), I've not seen any migrants yet.
Ken

 

[Capercaillie71]

I must admit that I prefer to do my TTVs a bit later when there are more of the summer visitors about.

Me too. I won't start my breeding tetrads until the end of this month, although I will start putting in roving records. I haven't seen any summer migrants yet.

 

[Stephen Dunstan]

We've been here before. I prefer to do my tetrads later on as well, but I am doing loads and passing up calm, sunny weather would therefore be a potential mistake.

Stephen.

 

[Mike Cook]

We've been here before.

Stephen.

Yes we have, but I've changed my mind about it. Last year I did all my early breeding tetrads in May, but in case anything went wrong, I also did one in early April, a "banker", to be discarded if I had time to repeat it in May. I did have time and discarded it (but entered it on Bird Track).

When I compare the April survey with the May one for the same tetrad, I actually recorded more species in April.

Species recorded in May but not in April: Feral Pigeon, Collared Dove, Swift, Swallow, House Martin, Blackcap, Garden Warbler, Whitethroat, Willow Warbler and Rook.

Species recorded in April but not in May: Shelduck, Buzzard, Moorhen, Curlew, Stock Dove, Collared Dove, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Grey wagtail, Pied/White Wagtail, Song thrush, Mistle thrush, Goldcrest, Long-tailed Tit, Marsh tit and Linnet.

Even before I looked at the data, I had the impression that there was more song from resident species in April than in May. I'm sure that the Stock Doves, thrushes and tits were still there in May but were silent and I never found them.

I am now moving to the view that I should try and cover my tetrads in the last two weeks in April and the first two in May, i.e. two weeks earlier than last year. I hope this will result in less under-recording of resident species but means that I have to rely on the late breeding surveys to catch late arriving migrants.

Unfortunately, I have not time to repeat more early breeding tetrads to see if I can find statistical evidence to support my opinions. Did anyone else notice that the song of resident species already seemed to be decreasing by the middle of May?

 

[davercox]

Did anyone else notice that the song of resident species already seemed to be decreasing by the middle of May?

Agree with that, definitely. Some species (like Mistle Thrush) sing much more in early spring.

 

[Surreybirder]

As it's a nice day here and a bank holiday I decided to do a TTV at TQ34Z - rather nice mixed woodland and grazing mostly.
I had 38 species in the two hours including yellowhammer, linnet, buzzard, stock dove. Not too many summer visitors around but I did see swallow, house martin, chiffchaff, blackcap and willow warbler.
Ken

 

[Stewart J.]

Completed 2 TTV's once mist cleared today, both upland sites and I would have preferred to leave them till later in month but I've limited time to complete 9 this season. Decided to do the upland ones first as most waders now on territory many still displaying as are Skylark and Mipits so much easier to count. Will mop up summer visitors with roving records as and when time permits.

Must agree with others many resident species song tends to tail off making them more difficult as April goes on this is also true with Curlew, Lapwing and the like, many of the latter now brooding up here. From experience displaying Snipe are very noticeable at present by the month end they wont be and become very difficult/impossible to count.

Both TTV's were beside Hadrians Wall, a very friendly farmer kindly showed me a Barn Owl in one of his buildings for which he built an owl box 2 years ago but is not being used asking me why they wouldn't? Then I was shown a pair of Little Owls in a derelict building where they have "bred for years" literally in the shadow of the wall. He only asked that I do not disclose exact location, its a biggish hill farm owned by his family and he won't allow any hunting. Total species count this TTV 37 species and included several summer visitors.

At the second TTV 44 species and included a very small Heronry.

So a good afternoon.

Enjoy this thread.

Good birding all

Stewart

 

[Stephen Dunstan]

I have done four tetrads in the last three days. Highlights have included encouraging numbers of Tree Sparrows in the tetrads where they could be hoped for, and more surreally 3 Reeve's Pheasants today!

Fantastic weather for Atlasing at the moment.

Stephen.