February Update from the British Trust for Ornithology

FEBRUARY ROUND UP

February 2010 was a month of contrasts. Large parties of Red Grouse were seen in the Scottish Highlands, including an incredible count of about 400 birds in Strathdearn. This unusually large gathering perhaps helped the grouse to improve their foraging success in the snowy conditions, as further severe weather hit parts of Britain and Ireland. There was a mini-influx of Waxwings; nothing on the same scale as last year but some modest-sized groups of these wonderful winter visitors were seen at several localities up and down the country. Of note was a colour-ringed individual that returned to a garden in Grampian, Scotland almost exactly a year after it was trapped and ringed in a garden just down the road. The first indications of the breeding season were also noted as many resident passerines began to sing and waders started to return to inland sites.

Eager Nest Recorders found the first Long-tailed Tit nests and will be monitoring other early nesting species over the next few weeks. The information gathered by surveys like the Nest Record Scheme and BBS will be vital in allowing us to fully understand the effects of this winter on resident bird populations so please get involved if you can.

BTO Nest Record Scheme: http://www.bto.org/nrs

BTO/JNCC/RSPB Breeding Bird Survey: http://www.bto.org/bbs/

Colour-ringed Waxwing: http://btoringing.blogspot.com/2010/02/waxwing-returns-to-scottish-garden.html

BIRDTRACK FLICKR POOL PASSES 100 MEMBERS
The BirdTrack flickr pool reached a major milestone in February: 100 contributors! Highlights from last month included an exciting action shot of a Peregrine chasing a Lapwing and an atmospheric portrait of a Black-necked Grebe. Congratulations on all the fantastic images and please keep them coming.

Peregrine chasing Lapwing: http://www.flickr.com/photos/alifeattheshoreline/4326822095/in/pool-birdtrack

Black-necked Grebe: http://www.flickr.com/photos/penwith-nature/4351017505/in/pool-birdtrack

100 MILLION BIRDS IN THE BANK
The collection of bird records in the BTO online database hit 100 million in February, making this the most important bird resource in the country. The database comprises records from Bird Atlas, BirdTrack, Breeding Bird Survey, Garden BirdWatch and Wetland Bird Survey so it was encouraging to find out that the record-breaking submission, a Coal Tit in South Wales, came in via BirdTrack! Records drawn from the wealth of information in this database are very valuable in the conservation of Britain and Ireland’s birds.

Stephen Baillie, Director of Science at the BTO said, “These records have been amassed over the years through the dedication of BTO volunteer surveyors. The importance of the huge amount of information collected can’t be underestimated. Being able to inform government policy using these long-term datasets is testament to the power of the volunteer effort.”

COUNTRYSIDE BIRD SURVEY – VOLUNTEERS NEEDED IN IRELAND
Any day now the advance parties of Wheatears, Chiffchaffs and Sand Martins will be reaching our shores. Spring is on the way and the Countryside Bird Survey is about to commence its 13th season of early morning bird counts all around Ireland. If you have a good working knowledge of the sights and sounds of common birds in Ireland and are able to help, please see the link below.

Take part in the Countryside Bird Survey in Ireland: http://www.birdwatchireland.ie/Ourwork/SurveysProjects/CountrysideBirdSurvey/tabid/114/Default.aspx

HELP HALT ILLEGAL BIRD KILLING
BirdTrack’s predecessor, Migration Watch, was set up with a specific aim of helping to document the fortunes of our summer migrants. Eight years on from the start of Migration Watch, those migratory species continue to face some entirely preventable hazards as they make their way across the Mediterranean Sea. The RSPB have organised a petition to present to the Maltese government; check the link below for more information.

Help stop illegal hunting on Malta: http://www.rspb.org.uk/supporting/campaigns/illegalkilling/index.asp

DID YOU KNOW THAT BIRDTRACK CAN
All your BirdTrack records can be viewed on screen or downloaded as an Excel spreadsheet via the Search and Download Facility! Click the Search/Download button on your Data Home page, set your search parameters then click Search and hey presto, all your records are retrieved. You can choose to see everything or just the records of one species, one location or a single month or year.

Happy BirdTracking!

Nick Moran ..... BirdTrack Organiser

POSTED BY: Steve Halliwell