bto volunteer magazine 2014

From the British Trust for OrnithologyMaking a real difference for birds

Your effort,

Your stories!

We celebrate 2013 and look forward to the year ahead

Need some help?Come on one of our wide range of training workshops around the country

Nest record scheme looks forward from its first 75 years

one surveyor sets himself the challenge. Did he manage it?

How have bird populations changed since BBs began?

Passing on the skills to new recorders

is 1,000 sPecies in a 1-km square Possible?

the breeding bird survey turns 20 this year

BTO Volunteer Magazine | 20142

Editorial

...to Bto’s Volunteer magazine 2014 – a free magazine for everyone who contributes to our wide range of surveys and schemes. over the past five years, Bto volunteers have contributed a staggering 1,694,137 hours of time to the Bto on average, every year. That is the equivalent of 1,041 additional

full-time staff (our total staff size is currently 100), and a conservative estimate places the monetary value of this work at around £34.4 million annually. our goal with this magazine is to give feedback and thanks to those of you who have given generously to this effort, and to encourage those of you who have been sitting on the side-lines so far to dive in: we need you and there’s lots to do!

i was completely floored by the acceptance speech delivered by one of our longest serving volunteers as he received a Bto medal at our annual conference in december. despite being a volunteer of 50 years and an author of several scientific papers, richard Bland spoke humbly and movingly about the things that have motivated him to keep on keeping on. on page 16 you can read a snippet of his speech, and i hope you’ll enjoy comparing and contrasting it with the views of young Findlay Wilde who, at 11 years of age, is one of our youngest and most vocal volunteers.

inside we’ve also got updates for you on our latest series of surveys on Nightingales, chats, winter thrushes and Woodcock, and tips on what you can do to get involved this year. it’s a great time to get involved in recording nests as the NrS celebrates its 75th anniversary, and as the Breeding Bird Survey (BBS) reaches 20 years there’s never been a better time to take on a BBS square.

Bto is lucky to be able to count on the incredible support that so many tens of thousands of you give us through our surveys and schemes. in order to deliver these effectively and to analyse, interpret and communicate their results, we must raise at least £5 million annually from contracts, donations and membership. We could do more and in order to make real change – to make our islands better for birds – we need to scale up our unrestricted income. This will give our scientists the freedom they need to analyse and deliver high quality outputs, and our iS team the space to innovate and create. Please help us this year by participating in our surveys, donating much-needed funds, or simply by spreading the word about the value of the work that we do together. Thanks for your support, i hope you enjoy the magazine

Blackbird was the hands-down winner of

the Early Bird Survey, run as part of BTO

Garden BirdWatch this year, arriving, on

average, about 11 minutes after daybreak,

closely followed by Robin and Blue Tit.

Robin is a very common bird, but we still receive

very small numbers of nest records from some

areas. There are 23 counties from which we

have received fewer than 5 records a year and

11 from which we didn’t receive any at all!.

Information gathered as part of the

Winter Thrushes Survey has shown that

birds choose berries in trees and

shrubs first, and only swap to feeding

on the ground when the berries have

been depleted.

Thanks to our Cuckoo tracking project we now

know that Cuckoos travel at an average speed

of 50km per hour and fly around 4 miles high,

usually at night when migrating.

The BTO YouTube channel now has

over 2,000 subscribers and our 36 (and

growing) collection of bird ID videos have

had over 400,000 views.

WElcomE...

DID YOu knOW?

Ieuan Evans Head of Membership and Volunteer Engagement

2014 | BTO Volunteer Magazine 3

coNtENtS

COnTaCT uS

BTO, The Nunnery, Thetford, Norfolk IP24 2PU Telephone . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .01842 750050 Facsimile . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .01842 750030E-mail . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . [email protected] site . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.bto.org

BTO Scotland, School of Biological and Environmental Sciences, Cottrell Building, University of Stirling, FK9 4LATelephone . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 01786 466560Facsimile . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 01786 466561E-mail . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . [email protected]

BTO Cymru, Thoday Building, Deiniol Rd, Bangor, Gwynedd, LL57 2UWTelephone . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 01248 383285E-mail . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . [email protected]

The BTO promotes and encourages the wider understanding, appreciation and conservation of birds. Registered Charity no. 216652 (England & Wales) no. SC039193 (Scotland).

Patron HRH The Duke of Edinburgh, KG, KTPresident Chris Packham.Chairman Professor Tony Fox.Honorary Secretary Neil Bucknell.Honorary Treasurer Dr John Osmond.

BTO VOlunTEER MaGazInE

JnCC — All references to JNCC in BTO Volunteer refer to the Joint Nature Conservation Committee, which is the statutory adviser to Government on UK and international nature conservation, on behalf of Natural Resources Wales, Northern Ireland’s Council for Nature Conservation and the Countryside, Natural England and Scottish Natural Heritage.

Editors Ieuan Evans, Su Gough.

layout, design, imagesetting and typesetting O’Connor Design Consultants.

Printing Reflex Litho, St Helen’s Way Industrial Estate, Thetford, Norfolk IP24 1HG.

BTO MEMBERSHIP

Individual . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .£33Family . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .£43life . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . £825Fellow. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .£55Family Fellow . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .£65life Fellow . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .£1,375

Fellows receive Bird Study journal.

iN thiS iSSuE...pg18pg14

pg6

pg16

Welcome . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2Celebrating a year of volunteering.

Contents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

Catching up with surveys . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4Winter Thrushes, Welsh Chats, Nightingales, BirdTrack and WBBS.

Passing on the baton . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6Getting a new generation involved with nest recording.

Volunteer motivation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8Just what does makes you tick? We look at the results of a fascinating survey.

What next?. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11Three ways you can get involved now, if you don’t already take part.

Breeding Bird Survey . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12This year marks the 20th field season of the BBS. How have things changed in that time?

Young to old . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14BTO through the eyes of two members, one a long-time active member, the other a new recruit to the ranks.

Beyond the maps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16We demonstrate how your atlas records are translated into conservation science.

Local listing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18

One member of BTO staff’s quest to record

1,000 species in a 1km square became a

local voyage of discovery.

Wondrous Woodcock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

Results from last year’s survey add to our

knowledge of the status of this mysterious

long-distance traveller.

WeBS and conservation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22

How Wetland Bird Survey data feed into

conservation and highlighting the gaps in

coverage we need to fill.

When you have finished with this magazine, pass it to a friend or recycle it.

The views expressed by the contributors to this magazine are not necessarily those of the Editors, the Council of the BTO or its committees. The Editor welcomes any articles on birds.© BTO 2014. Quotations should carry a full acknowledgement.

The BriTish TrusT For orniThology ISSN 0005 – 3392

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Recent suRvey Round -up


Taking the 2012 and 2013 counts

together from the latest Nightingale Survey,

we now have a good basis for estimating

population size and habitat use. Overall,

a total of about 3,300 territories were

recorded.

The preliminary results shows the

distribution of territories recorded during

main survey visits. It is worth pointing out

that in both 2012 and 2013 there was a

remarkable record of a territory holding

bird in Cleveland, perhaps the most

northerly record for many decades.

ReVealing The picTuRe

Statistical techniques have been used

to estimate the numbers of birds likely

to be present in areas which weren’t

covered and also to correct for detection

– this is necessary because the

probability of detecting all the territorial

birds that are actually present on the two

early morning visits is considerably less

than 100%.

Although we have not yet calculated

the final population estimate for

2012/13, we now believe that the 1999

survey underestimated the population,

mainly because strong emphasis was

placed on nocturnal visits which tend

to underestimate paired birds which are

thought to sing less at night than unpaired

birds and because incomplete detectability

was not full accounted for.

news on nightingale numbers

BiRdTRack gOes inTeRnaTiOnal and WBBs aRRiVes Online

nighTingale suRVey

On april 1 we took the first step in turning BirdTrack into a global system that can be used wherever you might be in the world. Initially, the international data entry will have limited functionality but we plan to develop it into a fully functioning global online system with an accompanying app in the longer-term.

Another exciting development is the launch of the Waterways Breeding Bird Survey (WBBS) online. Volunteers participating in WBBS can now use an online system to enter data. The system is based on the existing BBS survey system so will be familiar to many people. To take part in WBBS you need to be able to identify most birds you are likely to see or hear along a waterway. To see if there is a vacant WBBS transect on a waterway near you, email [email protected].

Grey Wagtail numbers have declined in recent years and is now amber listed. It is one of the vital indicators of water quality that is covered by WBBS.

The results from the latest Nightingale Survey give us the most accurate estimate of population size.

Recent suRvey Round -upd

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despite the atrocious weather, the second winter of the Winter

Thrushes Survey has progressed well with over 540,000 thrushes

recorded on 7,500 visits by February.

early analysis of the data highlights clearly the shift from feeding

in trees and bushes, which peaks in November, to feeding on the

ground later in the winter. This change is evident in all the thrush

species and stems from their use of berries and fruits in hedgerows

and trees until those supplies run low, followed by foraging on

the ground, mainly for fallen fruit or for soil invertebrates. We are

investigating how the timing of this change varies with species and

region and 2013 data will show whether similar patterns will prevail

across both years of the survey. underlining the importance of this

work is the recently updated BirdTrends report which suggests that

mistle Thrush may well be a candidate for moving from Amber to

red listed as a bird of conservation concern at the next review due

to on-going population declines.

BAd WeATher dOeSN’T STOp plAy

WinTeR ThRushes suRVey

Welsh chaTs suRVey

Wales remains one of the uK breeding

strongholds for Wheatear and Whinchat,

as well as for the expanding population

of Stonechats, however, both Wheatear

and Whinchat are declining in Wales

with Whinchat being too scarce to be

monitored by the BBS.

The survey was undertaken to improve

the monitoring of these species and to

help identify relationships with habitat

that could inform land management for

conservation. despite a very wet spring

in 2012, across two years of surveying,

nearly 300 different 1-km squares

were visited by volunteers, with chats

recorded in 63.4% of visited squares. All

species were associated with extensively

managed, non-intensive, unimproved,

habitats, and none with linear features

such as hedges. Both Stonechats and

Whinchats were associated with scrub

or bracken but Stonechats were also

associated with coarser herbaceous

cover and Whinchats with semi-natural

grassland and damp areas.

In many places, semi-natural

grassland may only be available in

areas protected from heavy grazing,

such as fenced young tree plantations

or boulder-strewn steep slopes where

rank herbaceous cover is also less likely

to dominate. due to land management

and grazing, the natural grassland

components of the habitat favoured

by Whinchats especially, will continue

to become increasingly dispersed

if it is protected only by topography

(inaccessibility) or incidental exclusion

(fenced plantations). Wheatear had a

strong association with rocky outcrops

which may emphasise a need for

breeding crevices, however, some

protection of the surrounding foraging

habitat from intensive grazing may

also be important. Further analysis

of these data is ongoing.

chats around Wales

Funds raised by the BTO raffle enabled the Winter Thrush Survey to proceed.

Where to find a Wheatear? The Welsh chat survey shows there is a strong preference with rocks

near suitable foraging habitats

Historically, nests offered a gateway

into ornithology – in the absence of good

optics, the options for getting a decent

view of a bird were restricted to shooting it

or waiting patiently to observe the parents

as they visited their brood. As binoculars

became widely available, nesting remained

an inexpensive alternative for the younger

generation but, unfortunately, children did

not always restrict themselves to observing,

as one nest recorder explains. “As a youth, I

gleaned my entire ornithological identification

knowledge from the Observers’ Book of

Birds Eggs. During the late 1960s, I was

one of a small bunch of those dirty faced

urchins you would see backing out of a thick

hawthorn hedge, guiltily cradling one of the

items described in the pages of this essential

guide.”

While the initial foray into the world of

nesting was frequently destructive, many

subsequently saw the error of their ways,

becoming huge assets to the conservation

community in the process. Our volunteer’s

story continues: “The discovery of a mystery

nest a year later, which turned out to be a

Spotted Flycatcher, coincided with one of

the older boys discovering the Nest Record

Scheme, causing that competitive little gang

to make a slight change in direction – the

flycatchers fledged and over the last 44

years, more than 14,000 nest records have

been submitted to BTO and 25,000 pulli

have been ringed”.

RecoRding on tHe Rise

Many of our most prolific nest recorders

recount similar tales of conversion from the

dark side at an early age and engaging this

community of latent surveyors has been vital

to the continued success of the Nest Record

Scheme. The efforts of these volunteers during

the 1960s and 1970s quickly pushed the

annual number of nests monitored above the

25,000 mark (Fig 1). The survey’s momentum

and the exceptional motivational skills of new

BTO staff member David Glue meant that a

40% drop in submissions in the early 1980s

was quickly reversed and totals continued to

shoot up, topping 40,000 by the mid-1990s.

The raised profile of nest recording, made

Bto Volunteer Magazine | 20146

Nest RecoRd scheme

the batonThe receipt of nine Swallow nest histories during the 1939 breeding season gave birth to the BTO’s Nest Record Scheme. One and a half million records later, as the NRS hits 75, Dave Leech and Carl Barimore reflect on the past and look forward to the scheme’s future.

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Passing on

The species that started the NRS 75 years ago is now a mainstay of the scheme, with 86,000 records of individual nesting attempts of Swallow received to date.

possible by the generosity of Dilys Breese, and

the development of an electronic submissions

system by volunteer Mark Cubitt, helped

reverse a second slump in the late 1990s,

and the NRS is currently in great health, with a

record 45,000 nests monitored in 2012.

A sHift in focus

A combination of education, revised legislation

and a lot of hard work, much of it on the part

of the RSPB’s Investigations Unit, has greatly

reduced the incidence of egg collecting in

the UK, a huge conservation achievement.

An unfortunate by-product of this victory,

however, has been a shift in the ornithological

community’s focus away from the nest at a

time when the pressure on bird populations,

and therefore the need to understand the

mechanisms underlying their declines, is at its

greatest. As a result, the NRS in 2014 faces a

new challenge; creating the next generation of

volunteer nesters from scratch.

BAck to tHe futuRe

Asking our existing recorders how they

became nesters was an obvious starting point,

and the many responses received highlighted

two common themes. The first was the value

of a good book, be it the Observer guide

mentioned above, Watching Birds by James

Fisher or Finding Nests by the legendary Bruce

Campbell, prompting BTO to produce our own

Field Guide to Nest Monitoring in 2011.

The second theme was the importance

of a mentor. For John Callion, the role was

performed by his father, while other recorders,

including hugh Insley and Mike Trubridge, cited

teachers as the source of initial encouragement.

Unsurprisingly, local birders, ringers and natural

history societies provided the required guidance

and support for many other NRS participants.

The value of one-to-one training in the field

is clear, but how could we provide this with

existing staff resources? As usual, our volunteers

have come to the rescue and in 2014 we will be

establishing a NRS Mentoring Scheme, whereby

existing recorders will take keen new recruits

under their wing, providing advice on techniques

to find and monitor nests safely and efficiently.

With their help, we will ensure that both

the NRS and the UK’s birds are still in good

health come the centenary!

2014 | Bto Volunteer Magazine 7

Nest RecoRd scheme

Follow the link at www.bto.org/volunteer-surveys/nrs/taking-part to view the map of mentors, click on the pin to find out more about the species they cover and to contact them via email. All mentors are volunteers and numbers are relatively small, so please be patient and only contact them if you are interested in taking part in the NRs.

FIG 1. Numbers of monitored nests have fluctuated between years, but the overall trend has been positive.

FIG 2. Reed Warbler nest recording provides a great example of the inspirational effect that the studies of one generation can have on the next. All the recorders and groups listed above are still actively monitoring Reed Warbler populations: figures show the total number of records contributed to date.

NRS MeNtoRiNg

NRS SubmiSSioN totalS 1939–2012

InherItIng enthusIasm: reed Warbler nest recordIng

AckNowledGemeNtS The contribution of our nest recorders to conservation cannot be overstated; they are key to the work of the Bto. We’re extremely grateful to Bto/JNcc partnership for their support of the NRs on behalf of the country Agencies, to the dilys Breese estate and to mark cubitt.

Is warmer weather extending the length of the Reed warbler breeding season? we need more recorders to help us find out.

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39 43 47 51 55 59 63 67 71 75 79 83 87 91 95 99 03 07 11

50000

45000

40000

35000

30000

25000

20000

15000

10000

5000

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39 43 47 51 55 59 63 67 71 75 79 83 87 91 95 99 03 07 11

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1100

1000

900

800

700

600

500

400

300

200

100

0

Thetford Forest RG1,000

david Warden4,650

Nigel Westwood2,200

Rye meads RG1,150

maclolm calvert700

Gillian dinsmore200

dave stone650

It may sound obvious but, for an

organisation like the BTO that relies

so heavily on the hard work and good

will of volunteers, it’s really valuable to

understand just why volunteers volunteer.

Understanding volunteer motivations could

help us to design more effective surveys

and schemes and allow us to provide a

better service to our volunteers so they

are more satisfied with their experiences.

For these reasons, we worked with

our academic partners on an online

questionnaire which was emailed to all

volunteers. We were delighted to gather

over 2,500 responses which were carefully

analysed by our academic partners

who provided us with a comprehensive

summary report.

It will come as no surprise that the

single biggest motivating factor for BTO

volunteers is that you are concerned about

conservation issues (Fig 1). You want your

volunteering to have positive impacts

for birds and to have benefits for the


Focus on volunteers

You rock!

But what makes you tick?In 2013 we took the opportunity to work with Professor Katie Truss of Kent Business

School and Dr Kerstin Alfes of Kingston University to study why you, our BTO volunteers, do what you do and how we might make your volunteering experience better. Some of the outcomes surprised us, now Ieuan Evans wants to know what you think of the

“It would be very helpful if the local coordinators of volunteer schemes held a meeting prior to each survey to brief participants – currently all done by email.

This would also improve the social aspects of membership.”

VOlunTeer VOIces…

environment. You are also keen to learn

more about the environment through your

volunteering. Many of you like contributing

to citizen science, but feeling important

through your efforts is less central to

your experience – BTO volunteers don’t

volunteer in order to enhance their self-

esteem.

reasOns TO Be helpful

It seems that one of the single biggest

reasons that you generously give us your

time, is that it provides you with the

opportunity to combine your passion

with volunteering. This should make us

think more creatively about giving you

the chance to do your surveying in the

places you’d most like to do your birding.

We were pleased that a high proportion

of respondents said that surveying helps

them to develop their birding skills.

Generally, BTO volunteers are not

motivated to contribute because family

and friends volunteer or because others

close to you want you to volunteer. You

also don’t usually volunteer because

it helps you work through personal

problems or because it helps with your

career, although I expect both of these

issues are actually very important to

some people within our supporter base.

It was pleasing to see that levels of

motivation, satisfaction and engagement

with the BTO were very high and that

intention to stop volunteering was very

low. We also scored highly on your

perceptions of the working environment;

although we need to do better with staff

support in some areas, particularly since

the level of support and respect you

experience has a direct effect on how

committed and motivated you feel.

rOOM fOr IMprOVeMenT

Personally, the most pleasing aspect of

this survey was the response we received

to the final question – what one thing

would you to do improve your experience

of volunteering with BTO? Over 1,600 of


Focus on volunteersD

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“I would be keen to spend more time volunteering, not only to meet others but also to improve my knowledge of birds, so more regular events or some

sort of buddy scheme would be great.”

VOlunTeer VOIces…

A better understanding of what motivates different volunteers should help us deliver a better service to our supporters.

fIg 1: WhaT MOTIVaTes peOple TO VOlunTeer fOr BTO?

% o

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Conservation issues

Citizen sciencePositive impact

for birdsenvironment

benefitsImproved

understandingenhanced

self-esteem

100

90

80

70

60

50

40

30

20

10

0

Motivation

Low Medium High

group scheme akin to the RSPB’s but with

a narrower focus on surveys – what do

you think?

Along a similar vein, more training

courses delivered at a wider geographical

range of venues and, ideally, free of

charge, was almost equally popular as

a suggested improvement. We have

expanded our training programme

considerably in 2014 but these courses

are currently heavily subsidised by BTO,

and with our restricted funding we can’t

deliver much more. Is there a place again

here for a more active network of local

groups which, in addition to providing

a point of contact for members and

volunteers, also delivers training and

support to those who need it? What are

your views on this? We would all like more time to do our

birdwatching and take part in surveys so

it would be easy to flippantly dismiss the

‘lack of time’ barrier, but I think there is an

important strategic point here for BTO. By

carefully investing in our website, online

systems and mobile apps to make it

easier for you to find the information you

need and to enter and view your data, we

are making those processes faster and

more convenient to valuable volunteers

who have limited time and, often, many

competing interests. It would also help

to address some of the obstacles raised

in the fourth category ‘technical issues’.

Perhaps these results provide evidence to

build a case for investing more heavily in

this aspect of our work.

a call fOr feedBack

To my knowledge this is the first time we

have looked in any detail at the things

which motivate or inhibit BTO volunteers,

and I’d welcome any feedback on the

results presented here directly to me at

[email protected].


Focus on volunteers

you responded to this particular question

with positive feedback about your

experiences, or a suggestion for how we

might improve. Four groups emerged as

key places where making changes could

significantly improve the experience of

our volunteers (Fig 2). I was surprised by

just how often you said you’d like more

contact with other volunteers in your local

area. BTO has rather kept its distance from

this sort of approach, preferring to support

local bird clubs in their efforts. I’d love to

explore this in more detail to understand

whether this appetite for more local

contact is universal across our volunteer

base, or is more strongly expressed by (for

example) Garden BirdWatch participants.

Perhaps it is time for a radical change in

the way we work, even to consider a local

“I would like to attend workshops near to where I live on bird ID and how to count large numbers of birds. It would be fun to meet others doing GBW.

Also I would like to know more about other surveys I could do…”

VOlunTeer VOIces…

While birdwatching, ringing and nest recording can be a solitary activity, this research suggests a clear need for more opportunities to meet others.

fIg 2: hOW can We IMprOVe yOur VOlunTeerIng experIence?

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GettinG involved

now what?

Take one of our commonest garden

birds: the Blackbird. In 2012 only

two Blackbird nests were recorded in

Greater london, four in Bedfordshire

and two in Dumfries and Galloway.

So, this spring, have a good look

around your garden, local park or

scrubby lane, poke your head into

one of those bushes (taking care to

follow the nRS Code of Conduct) and

let us know what you find. Anyone

can take part in our nest Records

Scheme and the results you collect

could help inform us about serious

and urgent declines in species we

might be tempted to take for granted,

like Blackbird (Fig 1) and other

common garden birds.

Find out more at www.bto.org/nrs

3 things YOU can do…You can make a contribution to BTO surveys wherever you are.

You really can. And what’s more, every contribution does count, however insignificant you might think it is.

1. nesTlIng dOWn

2. pOnd dIppIng

do you pass a pond, river or canal

on a regular walk? The Wetland

Bird Survey (WeBS) isn’t just about

counting thousands of waterbirds

on windblown estuaries. If you can

identify most of the birds you see

on a local waterbody, then you can

take part in this survey. Some of our

commonest species, like Mallard, have

shown some worrying population

changes over recent years and small,

dispersed water bodies could hold

significant proportions of these

species, so the more of these areas

we can cover, the more alert we can

be to change. visit webs.org to check if

your local watery patch is registered.

Get involved at www.bto.org/webs

3. gO The full MOnTy

are you a pretty good birder? Reckon

you can ID most birds by sight

and sound? Well how about giving

yourself the challenge of a random

Breeding Bird Survey square? Sign up

and we’ll send you to a part of your

region you’ve probably never been

to before. You only have to make two

visits during the breeding season and

record all the birds you can find. If

your square has been covered before,

you’ll be able to see how the species

contained within that square have

changed over time. I know many of

you will be motivated simply by the

challenge, but even better is fact

that data from this survey are used

by the government, conservation

organisations and others as an

indicator of the health of our bird life,

the wider countryside and even of the

quality of our lives!

Register today at www.bto.org/BBs

FIG 1. The map shows counties (plus roi and ni) for which fewer than ten nest records are received each year for Blackbird.

Yellow areas<10 records

Green areas10+ records

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We already knew that these birds, and

many others, were in severe decline, as

numbers had been monitored since 1962 by

the Common Birds Census (CBC). However,

we also knew that the CBC wasn’t always the

best possible method of recording change.

Surveyors selected their own sites, normally

in lowland farmland or semi-natural sites,

meaning that the trends weren’t necessarily

representative of all habitats. Furthermore,

the intensive fieldwork – ten visits to map

all territories – meant that only a few

hundred sites were covered every year.

A more efficient way of monitoring these

worrying population changes on a large and

representative scale was clearly needed,

and in 1994 the Breeding Bird Survey was

launched.

Has it been Working?

Twenty years on, we ask whether the plan

to create a scientifically rigorous mass-

participation bird monitoring scheme was

successful. The BBS has certainly increased

volunteer participation in bird monitoring;

over 2,500 people survey a BBS square every

year, ten times the number that took part

in the CBC. BBS participation has increased

steadily over the last 20 years, with dips due

to the Foot and Mouth outbreak in 2001 and

during the fieldwork for Bird Atlas 2007—11.

This large-scale participation is possible due

to the manageable contributions by individual

volunteers, who make two morning visits

per year to their squares. These add up to

an impressive dataset; over 100,000 survey

visits have been made to over 5,000 sites,

covering a wide range of habitats across

the UK. Continuity is important too; nearly

350 squares have been surveyed in every

possible year since 1994, and over half of

those have been surveyed by the same

person over that time. This kind of dataset

is a powerful and sensitive instrument for

picking up changes in bird populations,

particularly when linked to historic CBC data

for many species.

More tHan Monitoring

Given the numbers above, we can

certainly say that data collection has been

a success, and we are able to produce

national trends for 108 bird species as

well as nine mammals. But a simple focus

on trends hides the tremendous added

value for research and conservation that

these data provide. The initial focus was

on investigating farmland bird declines,

and research identified causes of change

including the link between winter cereal

bto Volunteer Magazine | 201412

Breeding Bird Survey

1994–2014 Two decadeS of change…Twenty years ago there were seven times as many Turtle Doves breeding in the UK as there are today, and twice as many Starlings. We know, because in 1994 the Breeding Bird Survey (BBS) was launched. Kate Risely tells us more about the changes BBS has tracked in the previous two decades.

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stubbles and trends for farmland birds

such as Skylark and Yellowhammer. BBS

data have also been used to help design

experimental work on conservation

measures and assess their effectiveness,

leading, where successful, to further

conservation action including work by

the RSpB to lobby government and

advise farmers on management. it’s been

suggested that this kind of action may

have caused the recent slight upturn

in Tree Sparrow numbers. long-term

bird monitoring has established the

principles underpinning the design of

agri-environment schemes, which appear

to have slowed, if not reversed, the

decline in farmland bird numbers, and

BBS data have been used to assess the

effectiveness of the large-scale Entry level

Stewardship scheme and the impacts

of the loss of set-aside. BBS trends have

helped to designate birds such as Grey

partridge, Yellow Wagtail and Wood

Warbler as high conservation concern,

targeting action to protect these species.

WHat is causing tHe cHanges?

While farming practices remain one

of the major causes of change in our

agriculturally-dominated landscape, in

recent years attention has also turned to

the impacts of climate change on bird

populations. BBS data have been used to

document recent shifts in the distribution

and abundance of breeding birds, and

indicate how they might change in the

future. Analyses of these trends has

particularly linked them to the location

of wintering zones for migrants, leading

to field studies in Africa to pinpoint

the habitats used and climatic changes

driving declines.

large-scale changes caused by

agriculture and climate are not the

only processes investigated using BBS

data. in 2005 Greenfinches were hit

by trichomonosis, which was shown by

BBS analysis to be causing the observed

population declines. increasing deer

numbers have been linked to declines in

woodland birds, such as Willow Tit, using

mammal data also collected from BBS

squares. Conversely, analysis of BBS data

has indicated that increasing Sparrowhawk

and Grey Squirrel populations are not

responsible for widespread declines in

songbird numbers, and that Cuckoo

declines have not been caused by

changes in numbers of their host species,

as previously suggested.

Over the last twenty years the large

and detailed BBS dataset collected

by volunteers has provided answers

to many questions about changes in

bird numbers. We intend to carry on

collecting data in the same way for the

foreseeable future, both for birds and

other groups such as butterflies and

mammals. The questions will change, but

the power of the data to answer those

questions will only increase the longer

the survey runs.

2014 | bto Volunteer Magazine 13

Breeding Bird Survey

1994–2014 Two decadeS of change…

TurTle doves: TAle oF Woe

Turtle doves have declined by 85% since 1994, according to

BBs counts. In 1994, Turtle doves were recorded on 10%

of BBs squares; today they are found on just over 1% of

surveyed sites.

Get involved with BBS

The BBS could not succeed without the dedication of the many volunteers who take part in it each year. To find out more about BBS, the results, or to get involved visit www.bto.org/bbs

The Breeding Bird Survey is run by the British Trust for Ornithology (BTO), and jointly funded by the BTO, the Joint Nature Conservation Committee (JNCC, the statutory adviser to Government on UK and international nature conservation, on behalf of Natural Resources Wales, the Council for Nature Conservation and the Countryside, Natural England and Scottish Natural Heritage) and the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB).

I’m a very ordinary birder – I hugely

admire the dedication of ringers, but I’ve

never done any; I’m astonished by the ID

skills of the twitchers, but I’ve never seen a

rare bird; I am amazed by the patience of

the sea watchers, and the counting skills

of the duck counters and estuary watchers,

and the ingenuity of the nest finders but I’ve

never done those things either.

I started with a Starling roost at school,

and I have spent 50 years tramping the

streets of Bristol and the lanes of Avon

counting birds. I became fascinated by

urban birds: by sparrows, Starlings, Feral

Pigeons and gulls, and the complex

relationships between them – and

between them and the equally complex

habitat changes that human society

created. And by this I mean rubbish tips,

and black bags and wheelie bins, and

gardens laid to lawn or decking, or filled

with bark mulch, or F1 hybrid plants. These

are real habitat changes that have affected

some birds. And if you can’t be bothered to

count them, how will we know in 10 years’

time, what has changed? And everything

does change, not just from year to year, but

month to month and week to week.

If I’ve learnt one thing in 50 years it is

to do the same thing in the same way over

and over again – then the changes will leap

out at you, and the longer you do it, the

more fascinating it becomes.

It has been an amazing fifty years, just

compare Bird Atlas 2007—11 with the first

and remember that, when that one was

launched, everyone had said it would be

impossible to check the breeding species

in every 10-km square in Britain within five

years. We now have the ability to monitor

change with great precision, so what can I

expect in the next fifty years? Understanding

more about bird sounds would be a good

place to start and I think we can learn from

the bat people; their quarry are not just

invisible, they are inaudible as well, but they

now have the technology to record the bats

automatically. Then there is ‘patchwork’.

Lots of us do it, and we know our patches

very well, but this vast body of data is not

often published or used, and it holds vital

clues to the question we are not good

at answering: what is it that has caused

the population changes that we have so

meticulously recorded? Data mining would

be good too, there is far, far more data sitting

in the archives from the Winter Atlas than

was ever used, for example, and that goes

for the Inland Observation Points of the early

sixties as well. And, of course, we need to

be far more European and international – it’s

amazing what the Australian ornithologists

achieve.

Then there’s technology. I have this

vision of the day that I can lift my binoculars

to a passing bird, press a button and, if it

has been chipped, all its past will scroll

before me, a video camera will start to

record its calls and activity. Then every

detail of the sighting, with a ten digit map

reference, will automatically be sent to

BirdTrack, to the Avon Bird Report, to the

Bristol Environmental Record Centre, to the

Avon Wildlife Trust and, if appropriate, to the

county bird recorder and the Rare Breeding

Bird Panel, and, of course, to my own

computer and be flashed up on my website.

Now that would be my idea of heaven!


Focus on volunteers

BTO vOLUNTEERS ThROUgh ThE AgES

richard Bland

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aged 77, BTO MeMBer fOr 50 years

“If I’ve learnt one thing in 50 years it is to do the same thing in the same way over and over again – then the changes will leap out at you.”

House Sparrows and other urban birds and the problems they face have long fascinated Richard.

The alarm goes off at 4am and

anticipation starts to surge though my veins.

That’s how ringing mornings start for me.

These early starts have so many benefits: the

ghostly shape of a Barn Owl hunting across

the fields, a Fox running across the path, a

hare kicking up its back legs, moths fluttering

in the headlights, calmness, a Woodcock

flying off down the track and, of course,

stunning sunrises.

I first became aware of the BTO at the

BirdFair a few years ago, and it was great to

meet Andy Clements and the team properly

at the most recent fair. my opportunity to

start ringing was in january 2013 when I was

invited to join a session in south Lancashire.

During that session I asked if I could go

with them again and now they can’t get rid

of me! my ringing trainer has taught me so

much already but the most important thing

he has told me is that the safety and welfare

of the birds must always come first.

I enjoy being a member of the BTO

family because there are so many people

with the same interests as me to talk to and

help me. I always seem to have a lot of

questions to ask and there are always plenty

of people to answer them or point me in

the right direction.

For me birds are one of the most

engaging parts of nature, they really stand

out and I want to learn more and more

about them. Where do they go? how do

they get there? What do they eat? how do

they interact with each other? I want to

know everything there is to know about

birds! Studying birds at home for the BTO

garden BirdWatch survey is helping me with

this. This year I plan to be better at putting

my records onto BirdTrack.

Being a volunteer and member of the BTO

is important to me, as it makes me feel like

I am helping in nature’s fight for survival. The

tracking of birds is critical in this because it

helps us understand their movements, their

numbers and how they are coping in the

modern world compared to years ago. how

amazing if one day I can invent a tracking

device that fits inside each ring!

When I am out volunteering I know I am

part of something that can help to make

a difference to the long-term protection of

birds.


Focus on volunteers

BTO vOLUNTEERS ThROUgh ThE AgES

Findlay Wilde

What was it that first engaged you with birdwatching and surveying? We asked two BTO volunteers what attracted them to the BTO and why they keep volunteering.

Young bloggers to watch

Findlay Wilde: In his Wilde about Birds Blog, Findlay provides updates about his ringing, surveying and general bird and wildlife watching. He updates it regularly with news of his latest adventures and observations, check it out at wildeaboutbirds.blogspot.co.uk. Findlay has also contributed as a guest blogger on Mark Avery’s blog and is very active on twitter, you can follow him @WildeAboutBirds.

Ellis Lucas: 12 year old Ellis already has a life list of 220 and his passion shines through in his blog Ellis’ Wildlife Walks at http://elliswildlife.blogspot.co.uk/ and his tweets @Ellisethanfox

Evie Miller: Evie is a trainee ringer, nest recorder and passionate wildlife enthusiast, catch her on http://thewildoutside.com/index.php/easyblog/blogger/listings/eviemiller and @ ev1e_miller

Toby Carter: Toby blogs about his wildlife encounters and runs a weekly wildlife quiz from his blog and twitter accounts, you can follow him at http://grimstonwarbler.blogspot.co.uk/ and @TobyWarbler

aged 12, BTO MeMBer fOr 1 year

“I always seem to have a lot of questions to ask and there are always plenty of people to answer them or point me in the right direction.”

Findlay shares his enthusiasm for birds through his blog. Ringing Jays was a recent highlight.

Common Blue

As well as contributing to government

indicators that are used to assess the health

of biodiversity in this country and elsewhere

across Europe, volunteer data are regularly

turned into peer-reviewed publications by

BTO ecologists. Such publications form

the evidence base for both conservation

and science, where, for example, they

have been key to informing debate around

climate change.

SurveyS work together to

monitor SpArrowS

One of the most recent papers to be

published provides a particularly good

example of the value of the BTO’s datasets.

This paper, published in the journal Bird

Bto volunteer magazine | 201416

AtlAs science

your timeMuch of the BTO’s excellent reputation hinges on the long-term and high-quality datasets we hold say Viola Ross-Smith and Rachel Gostling. These data are largely gathered by a dedicated army of more than 50,000 skilled volunteers, contributing approximately 1.2 million hours per year to our organisation. While the results of a recent survey on volunteer motivations suggest that many participants in our surveys do so for enjoyment and to hone their field skills, we wanted to emphasise the value of the data collected and thank all our volunteers for this valuable resource for science and conservation.

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citizen scienceData from three BtO-led

volunteer surveys was integral to the recently published research looking into the

causes of deline in the House sparrow population.

our experts : great science

Study, used data collected by volunteers

participating in three BTO-led surveys, BTO

Garden BirdWatch (GBW), the nest Records

Scheme (nRS) and the Breeding Bird Survey

(BBS), to investigate changing House Sparrow

population trends. British House Sparrow

numbers have fallen sharply in recent years,

leading to their inclusion on the Birds of

conservation concern Red List. Population

trends are not uniform however, with greater

declines in urban than in rural areas, and

in eastern and south-eastern Britain than

in other parts of the country (where the

population is stable or increasing).

This study found that population trends

were linked to measures of breeding

performance. The House Sparrow is a

multi-brooded species, making it difficult

to establish the productivity of pairs over

the entire breeding season. However,

because House Sparrows are rather

sedentary, it was possible to use weekly

count data from GBW to derive a measure

of chick production across the breeding

season. GBW data showed that season-

long productivity was highest in Wales

and lowest in the east of England, but that

there was no difference between rural and

urban areas. The regional difference in

GBW productivity was mirrored in the nRS

data, which revealed that House Sparrow

clutch and brood sizes were significantly

lower in the east of Britain than in the

west. The number of breeding attempts

per year and post-fledging survival did not

differ between regions, so are not thought

to contribute to the observed differences in

population trends.

Cut And dried SolutionS?

Such studies are vital for generating and

implementing effective conservation

measures. in this example, we now have

scientific evidence that productivity is an

important part of the puzzle contributing

to House Sparrow population trends. it’s

not the whole story – ecology is rarely

as cut and dry as physics or chemistry

but this highlights where further work

should be targeted. For instance, volunteer

and scientific effort could now focus on

investigating the still unresolved question

of why population trends differ between

urban and rural areas. Here, other factors

such as differences in food availability,

could be important and our ecologists

might need the help of volunteer citizen

scientists to help explore and answer

these remaining questions.

The core monitoring programmes to

which so many volunteers contribute

each year, coupled with targeted research

work and one-off studies, provide a

powerful tool for understanding population

change. Together they deliver the evidence

that supports conservation action and helps

to shape and assess policy. none of this

would be possible without the partnership

that exists between BTO researchers and

the network of fantastic volunteers.

2014 | Bto volunteer magazine 17

AtlAs science

bird atlas 2007–11: beyond the maps

The BTO raises funds from individuals, organisations and charitable trusts to support our survey work and examine research questions (such as our Winter Thrush Survey, investigating how thrushes use resources available in the countryside in winter). These funds also allow us to maximise the use of data that have already been collected by our fantastic volunteers (for example, a current piece of work looking at the wintering ecology of Blackcaps). Our latest appeal aims to raise money for an in depth analysis of the data collected by over 50,000 volunteers for Bird Atlas 2007–11.

The wealth of information contained in this book has revealed huge changes in abundance and range for many bird species. It has also raised questions about why particular species, like Nuthatch, are thriving and expanding their range, while others, such as Willow Tit, are now virtually extinct in certain areas. Atlas data also allow us to look at groups of species for the first time. For instance, they tell us that the decline in farmland birds has slowed, potentially thanks to agri-environment schemes, but there is still real concern for woodland and upland birds. Ring Ouzel, Snipe and Whinchat are in trouble in Britain and Ireland, while Short-eared Owls are being lost in Wales and Scotland.

The funds raised by our appeal will launch a major programme of research entitled Beyond the maps, aiming to investigate these complex changes and answer important conservation questions. We want to understand how and why

species are shifting; are the distribution shifts in line with climate change or are there other explanations? Are we protecting the right areas for particular species? As more land is developed for housing, and towns and villages grow, what is it within these environments that determine the species we see? Learning more about what is important for species like House Sparrow, Swallow and Bullfinch could inform the planning of new developments and improve existing urban areas to make Britain and Ireland a better place for birds.

FINd OuT mORe Visit www.bto.org/beyond-maps to find out more or to make a donation.

The Atlas revealed many things, including the continued northward spread of Nuthatch, but there is much left to learn.

In 2013, BTO staff member Andy Musgrove,

thought he would try to understand better

the real meaning of biodiversity, and set

himself a challenge: to see if it was possible

in one year to find 1,000 species in his

home 1-km square. In particular, he was

keen to look for the common species

that make up our biodiversity. His square

contains part of a village with typical arable

fields, roadside verges, a few small patches

of recently planted woodland and, most

significantly, an area of wet common with

a stream, plus his house and garden, of

course. Was 1,000 possible? Andy tells us

how he got on.

The lisT sTarTs growing rapidly

Most of the resident birds were rapidly added

to the list in January. My 100th species

appeared on 7 January; the larval ‘leaf-mine’

of the fly Phytomyza hellebori on a Stinking

Hellebore plant. I spent some of these early

weeks learning how to identify woodlice and

millipedes, and struggling with mosses and

The BTO monitors the state of bird populations in the UK, not just for their own sake, but because we consider this gives us

wider insights into the state of the environment. However, birds represent only a tiny proportion of the UK’s biodiversity. Although the true number is not accurately known, we have over 60,000 species of animals, plants and fungi. The recent State of Nature

report, which collated trends across as wide a species range as possible, was only able to present information pertaining to

about 3,000 of these species.

BTo Volunteer Magazine | 201418

LocaL Listing

PHOTOgrAPHS: ANdy MUSgrOve. FOllOW ANdy ON @andymus1

Andrena flavipes: one of many species of solitary bee, hard to identify!

Carabus granulatus: large and spectacular ground beetle, found under a plant pot.

Early Marsh-orchid was one of four orchids found in the square.

Cionus scrophulariae: a striking weevil found on the stems of Water Figwort.

lichens! Finding each new species became

harder, and the 200th was not until 17

February when I found a lesser Stag Beetle

under a plant pot.

There was an exceptionally late, cold spring

in 2013, but the cold air finally started to move

away in mid-April. My 300th species was a

splendid red Kite overhead on 13 April, and

then the spring kicked in. Flowers started to

open and insects emerged. It only took another

15 days to reach 400: Broad-leaved Pondweed

in the stream. The hectic pace continued and

the 500th species was a Swift flying past

my house on 14 May, whilst the 600th was

another plant, Small-flowered Cranesbill on

a grass verge, on 25 May. The next couple

of months became a bit of a blur as insect

diversity increased rapidly and the next three

milestones were all insects: the soldier beetle

Cantharis figurata on 8 June (700); a Clouded

Silver in the moth-trap on 18 June (800); and

a Painted lady butterfly on 30 June (900).

Finally, the 1,000th species fell as I located

greater Spearwort on the common on 9 July.

number could be anything up to 5,000.

There is an awful lot of wildlife out there.

It’s fascinating, often stunning and there is

a lot still to learn. It’s clearly not possible to

draw conclusions in terms of the BTO’s work

from such a small area, but I like to think

it has given new perspective. When asking

“how is biodiversity doing”, we need to define

carefully what we mean.

Finally, the best thing about the year was

that, after mentioning the idea on Twitter,

a group of other people joined in with the

challenge in their own 1-km squares. There

was a fantastic sense of camaraderie and we

all learned a huge amount from each other.

In the end, 15 people passed the 1,000 total,

and more enjoyed having a go.

A few more folk have taken up the baton and

are getting involved in 2014. Why not think

about trying something similar? The number

1,000 is not important, but with the wealth

of information publicly available now, it could

be a great time for you to teach yourself more

about biodiversity.

2014 | BTo Volunteer Magazine 19

LocaL Listing

all done By July?

I could have stopped here, but instead pushed

on, rapidly reaching 1,100 with an Alder

Spittlebug on 21 July. After a family holiday

away, I got stuck in again and number 1,200

was the leaf-mining moth Phyllonorycter

acerifoliella in a Field Maple leaf. Once the

autumn hit, things slowed down but the total

continued to mount and another leaf-mining

moth – Stigmella floslactella (on Hazel) - was

number 1,300 on 3 November. It really slowed

down in late autumn due to less daylight, but

I spent a lot of time identifying some of the

more difficult insects I’d found earlier in the

year. On a family walk on Christmas day I

added Brambling and roe deer, and on New

year’s eve, the fungus Birch Woodwart became

species 1,400. After a few late identifications,

the final tally was an astonishing 1,406

species. Only 91 of these were birds, whilst

519 were moths and butterflies.

It sounds a lot of species, but one thing

that had become apparent was how many

species I was overlooking; I expect the true

Horse-chestnut Leaf-miner is better known from its effect on the tree, but the

tiny moth is stunning.

Broad-bodied Chaser is a widespread dragonfly, but seldom abundant.

Common Broomrape is a plant lacking in chlorophyll and depends on other plants

for its nutrients.

Troilus luridus: shieldbugs are relatively large and easy to identify

Mixed hawk-moths (Sphingidae) Wild Clary is localised in south Norfolk.

Acknowledgements WeBS is a partnership between BTO, RSPB and JNCC, in association with WWT. Above all, thanks to the volunteers who have helped WeBS over the years.

RefeRence foR new weBs RepoRt Austin, g.e., Read, w.J., calbrade, n.A., mellan, H.J., musgrove, A.J., skellorn, w., Hearn, R.d., stroud, d.A., wotton, s.R. & Holt, c.A. 2014. Waterbirds in the UK 2011/12: The Wetland Bird Survey. BTO/RSPB/JNCC in association with WWT.

Millions of birds

WeBS monitors the status of the UK’s non-

breeding waterbirds in terms of numbers

and trends at both a species and a site

level. This crucial information can be used

to understand what is driving population

changes of waterbirds at coastal and inland

wetlands. Each year, the survey counts several

million waterbirds. The UK’s estuaries support

particularly large aggregations, both in winter

and when birds are migrating to and from

Arctic breeding areas. If peaks of different

species are summed, The Wash supports the

most birds: averaging over 360,000 birds

each year and it is internationally important

for 17 species. However, the total number of

birds dependent on such sites will be more,

as summing peaks does not take into account

turnover of migrating birds.

Assessing the heAlth of the

UK’s protected sites

The UK has international obligations to protect

its important numbers of non-breeding

waterbirds. The WeBS Alerts system identifies

changes in numbers across different spatial

and temporal scales, which allows us to

assess a species’ status on Special Protection

Areas (SPAs) (e.g. Fig 2) and Sites of Special

Scientific Interest (SSSIs). The Alerts are

advisory, they can be used to direct research

and any conservation efforts needed.

help Webs neAr yoU

We have vacancies for WeBS counters at

some major wetlands. Many of these sites

support internationally important numbers of

birds so monitoring them is very important. If

you can help with coverage, please contact the

WeBS office via [email protected], or check www.

bto.org/webs/takepart/contactlo.htm for details

of your relevant Local Organiser.

Webs developMents

The last year has been extremely busy for

WeBS. As well as 3,000 WeBS volunteers

continuing to provide invaluable data, we

have changed how the outputs are reported.

In addition to a summary paper report, WeBS

now publishes data via an interactive online

interface at www.bto.org/webs-reporting. The

online report features a section on Numbers &

Trends (you can see species trends for different

countries and regions within the UK as well

filter tables by country, county and habitat) and

sections on WeBS Low Tide Counts and the

WeBS Alerts.

Every month thousands of Wetland Bird Survey (WeBS) counters contribute to monitoring the status of wintering waterbirds in the UK. They play an important role in the conservation of the birds and the wetland habitats they use. Chas Holt, Neil Calbrade and Heidi Mellan explain more about WeBS and how easy it is for you to get involved.

bto volunteer Magazine | 201420

WeBS

A vitAl piece of the conservAtion jigsAw

The Uk’s non-breeding population of Black-tailed godwits has increased by over 400% in the last 25 years, although numbers have stabilised since 2005. It remains a very rare breeding bird.

2014 | bto volunteer Magazine 21

WeBSD

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fIg 1. lARgest wAteRBIRd AggRegAtIons. Wetlands supporting average annual peaks of 20,000+ waterbirds during 2007/08–2011/12. The red circles mark the top ten wetlands, all averaging 100,000+ birds. Some of the sites have sectors in need of WeBS counters – can you help?

fIg 2. long-teRm (25 yeARs) weBs AleRts stAtUs At specIAl pRotectIon AReAs In Uk. Each triangle represents an SPA; sized according to the net positive (upward green) or negative (downward red) Alerts status of waterbird species for which the SPA is designated. More red triangles in the north and west

indicates poorer WeBS Alerts status there, which could be associated with changes in waterbird distributions in response to climate change. However, the WeBS Alerts need to be examined on a site-by-site basis to ensure that local conservation issues are not overlooked. For more information, see the online Alerts report: www.bto.org/webs-reporting-alerts.

Humber Estuary (Yorkshire/Lincolnshire)Help is needed on the north side west of Hull and the south side near Tetney. The Humber supports a peak of 200,000+ birds and is internationally important for 13 species. A priority for WeBS recruitment.Colne Estuary (Essex)Help needed to cover this site. The Colne is of international importance for Dark-bellied Brent Geese and Black-tailed Godwit.Blackwater Estuary (Essex)Help needed on the north shore including Osea Island and Tollesbury area. Six species occur in internationally important numbers.Thames Estuary (Essex/Kent)Pressures from proposed developments means that thorough WeBS coverage of Thames Estuary is vital, including in the currently uncounted Foulness area. The Thames is internationally important for 11 species.

Medway Estuary (Kent)Help needed for most sectors. The Medway is internationally important for Avocet and Black-tailed Godwit.Swale Estuary (Kent)Four sectors require counters: Spitend Marshes, Grovehurst, Great Bells Farm and Capel Fleet. The Swale is of international importance for Teal, Black-tailed Godwit and Bar-tailed Godwit.Helford Estuary (Cornwall)Two sectors require counters: Treath and Tremayne Quay.Severn Estuary (Gloucestershire/Somerset/Glamorgan)There are several uncounted sectors in Gloucestershire and two sectors near Bridgwater. The Severn is internationally important for seven species.Conwy Estuary (Gwynedd)Help is needed for most sectors of the Conwy.

Clwyd Estuary (Clwyd)Help is needed for most sectors of the Clwyd.Ribble Estuary (Lancashire)The Ribble is internationally important for 15 species, but the area near Freshfield is currently uncounted.Morecambe Bay (Lancashire/Cumbria)Help needed within Morecambe Bay which supports 14 species in internationally important numbers.Tay Estuary (Fife)Three sectors of the Tay Estuary need counters.Middle Tame Valley Gravel Pits (Warwickshire)This site is nationally important for Tufted Duck, Pochard and Gadwall, but several of the gravel-pits are not covered.Carlingford Lough (Co.Down)Help needed to cover one of the key sites in Northern Ireland.

1. 2.

Solway Estuary

Morecambe bay

Ribble Estuary

Dee Estuary

Somerset Levels Thames Estuary

Humber Estuary

The Wash

North Norfolk Coast

Breydon Water &

Berney Marshes

You can get involved! important uK wetlands needing weBs counters now…

20,000 – 30,000

30,000 – 50,000

50,000 – 75,000

75,000 – 100,000

> 100,000

secrets


UniqUe displays

The conspicuous roding displays of male

Woodcock offer a unique opportunity to

survey a species that is otherwise seldom

seen. Until the 1970s, male Woodcock

were believed to be territorial, but GWCT

radio-tracking studies revealed that

roding flights are more akin to aerial leks;

rather than defining the boundary of an

individual’s territory, flight lines overlap as

males compete for air-space and, in doing

so, attract the attention of females. By

recording the number of passes of roding

Woodcock in a given time, abundance

can be calculated.

sUrVey cOVerage & siTe OccUpancy

In 2013, 820 random and 135 additional

1-km squares were visited during the

breeding season. Surveys were widely

spread across the UK and, for the first

time, included sites in Northern Ireland.

Naturally, coverage was greatest in areas

with higher densities of volunteers (Fig 1),

but there was also reasonable coverage

in less densely populated areas, such as

Scotland and Northern England. This broad

coverage will be valuable to our analysis

as there appears to be a large degree

of geographical variation in Woodcock

occurrence across the country.

Nationally, roding Woodcock were

encountered at just over one third of

woodlands surveyed. The highest levels

of occupancy were recorded in northern

England, where more than two-thirds of

woodlands surveyed were occupied. This

is closely followed by eastern England

(59% occupancy) and northern Scotland

(45%). The lowest occupancy levels were

recorded in Wales and southwest England

(13% and 19% respectively) (Fig 2). This

came as no real surprise as the southwest

has traditionally only held small numbers

Back in 2003, the GWCT (Game and Wildlife Conservation Trust) and BTO conducted the first national survey of breeding Woodcock, which provided the most accurate estimate of the UK’s resident population to date. Given the contraction in breeding distribution reported by Bird Atlas 2007–11, a ten-year repeat survey to measure change in breeding population size seemed timely. Thanks to the help of

more than 800 volunteers, over 800 randomly selected sites were surveyed in 2013. Christopher Heward (GWCT) and Greg Conway

(BTO) provide an insight into the preliminary results.

Fig 1. Woodcock presence and absence across 11 UK survey regions (shaded = present, white = absent).

Fig 2. Woodcock presence and absence at 955 surveyed sites across the UK (darker shaded = present, lighter shaded = absent).

WoodcocK sUrvey 2013

UNlIKEly WadEr rEvEalS

putting Woodcock on the map

1.

Wandering Woodcock amaze trackersThe gWct is using satellite tracking to study the astonishing long-distance migrations of the Woodcock which visit Britain and ireland in winter. individuals can travel many thousands of miles to breed, and yet return to the same areas to winter. see www.woodcockwatch.com for the latest results.

2.


of breeding Woodcock. The central south

region (43% occupancy) and East anglia

(48% occupancy) fared well compared

to other southern regions, most likely

due to the availability of extensive, well-

connected woodland.

change since 2003

Initial comparison with 2003 suggests

a decline in overall site occupancy of

around 8% in the last 10 years. This ten-

year estimate suggests a range decline

which is slightly less severe than that

indicated by Bird Atlas 2007–11 (29%

over the last 20 years). There were

differences in trends apparent between

regions, however. The most severe

decline was in south Scotland, where

there was a 21% reduction in the number

of occupied survey sites, whereas in

northern England there was an increase

of 18%. Examination of changes in

occupancy on a site by site basis indicates

that occupied sites appear to be clustered

around areas where large wooded areas

remain, such as the New Forest, Thetford

Forest, the Forest of dean and Kielder

Forest, whilst losses of Woodcock seem

most common in areas with patchier,

more isolated woodland.

While confirming concerns raised

by Bird Atlas 2007–11, these initial

conclusions are simply based on

presence or absence of Woodcock.

Further analysis is currently under way

which will examine changes in Woodcock

abundance since 2003 and to produce

new national population size estimates.

We will use Woodcock abundance change

at survey sites between 2003 and 2013,

in combination with habitat information,

to examine potential causes behind

different regional trends in Woodcock

numbers and distribution.

WoodcocK sUrvey 2013

We are very grateful to the many volunteers who participated in the 2013 Breeding Woodcock survey, which was funded by gWct and Bto. We are also particularly grateful to the small band of Woodcock enthusiasts who have surveyed a site annually between 2003 and 2013. annual counts enable us to monitor population trends with greater accuracy and help us better understand annual variation in Woodcock abundance and roding behaviour. please do consider monitoring your site again in 2014; please go to www.bto.org/woodcock-survey or contact greg conway [email protected] for more details.

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bto volunteer magazine 2014

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