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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Hugh Harrop" data-source="post: 1275233" data-attributes="member: 4703">Given the UP concept, I would doubt that we (on a fixed line transect with maybe 60 observers onboard, 25 - 30 of whom (COW clients) are primarily looking for cetaceans (thus there is very little telescope scanning and an awful lot of naked eye scanning so many birds will be missed)) could match what UP are reporting but it would help if we know what they saw in the first place! Obviously you'd have to factor in so many variables and base on available hours at sea which on the UP trip I estimate at 65. On a COW trip we would average 21 hours of at sea survey time - for the rest of the time at sea in unproductive waters our guides give illutrated talks and lectures etc etc).I do not need compare to numbers to prove our worth -a classic example being the numbers of Cory's on one of our trips last week. We (as a business) recorded 250-ish and this was our published final figure. But the hardcore of Cardiff Bird Club who seawatched on the boat pretty much from dawn to dusk recorded over a 1000 and also had 3 Little Shears and quite a few more Greats and Sooties than us.CheersHH</blockquote>