BTO Bird Atlas
The British Trust for Ornithology is currently organising a national Bird Atlas.
This is one of the most important base-line surveys in recent years and relies on local observers.
the Atlas covers both the winter and summer breeding periods, and fieldwork runs from 2007-11.
One winter/summer period has gone, but there are three more opportunities left.
the next winter survey period starts on November 1st.
It is not onerous.
All you have to do is walk through a tetrad twice in each period, making a one hour or two hour timed visit noting everything you see and hear.
A tetrad is 2 x 2 km square
Records can then be recorded on paper sheets (I have a supply) or online at
http://blx1.bto.org/atlas/
The aim is to cover a minimum of 8 tetrads in each 10 km square.
Observers can also enter casual records into the Atlas, either through Roving records or via Birdtrack, the on-line database.
Each tetrad can only have one surveyor for timed visits, although casual records can be added by anybody, so I will co-ordinate if you want to use the paper recording sheets. I am not the official co-ordinator, but am willing to act as the co-ordinator in the absence of anyone else
Key Hull Valley sites with grid references have already been set up by me in Birdtrack.
The results at the end of the Atlas period will be made available to local bird clubs and societies. This is a great chance to map the birds of the Hull valley for future reports,. Some areas such as Barnsley are looking for 100% tetrad coverage for a Barnsley atlas..
Embarrassingly, many Hull Valley tetrads have not been signed up for, even Tophill Low and Paull Holme Strays!
On the BTO website you can see the areas where there are gaps by following the links at the bottom of the page, without having to sign up, but here are examples
http://blx1.bto.org/atlas/tetrads/open-tetrad-allocation.jsp?county=YKEA&r=3&s=
http://blx1.bto.org/atlas/tetrads/open-tetrad-detail.jsp?county=YKEA&grd=TA05&r=3&s=
http://blx1.bto.org/atlas/tetrads/open-tetrad-detail.jsp?county=YKEA&grd=TA06&r=3&s=
http://blx1.bto.org/atlas/tetrads/open-tetrad-detail.jsp?county=YKEA&grd=SE96&r=3&s=
http://blx1.bto.org/atlas/tetrads/open-tetrad-detail.jsp?county=YKEA&grd=SE96&r=3&s=
http://blx1.bto.org/atlas/tetrads/open-tetrad-detail.jsp?county=YKEA&grd=TA14&r=3&s=
http://blx1.bto.org/atlas/tetrads/open-tetrad-detail.jsp?county=YKHU&grd=TA13&r=3&s=
http://blx1.bto.org/atlas/tetrads/open-tetrad-detail.jsp?county=YKHU&grd=TA12&r=3&s=
Some squares are quite well covered, mostly nearer to Hull
http://blx1.bto.org/atlas/tetrads/open-tetrad-detail.jsp?county=YKHU&grd=TA03&r=3&s=
http://blx1.bto.org/atlas/tetrads/open-tetrad-detail.jsp?county=YKHU&grd=SE93&r=3&s=
You can sign up for a square straight away, or I can leave paper recording sheets in the hut at Tophill Low and you can contact me so that I can let the BTO know a square is taken. At the AGM I will bring along maps and recording sheets, and you can sign up there and then.
Some local observers are doing a lot: Dave Woodmansey, Ray Eades, Steve Elliott and myself.
Others, including several members, may just be doing the odd square, but every little helps as they say.
Mike Coverdale found Black-bellied Dipper when atlasing, so there are rewards.
We do need a lot more help, so if you can do a couple of squares per year for three years, it would make a big impact.
Then I can focus on Holderness!
Geoff Dobbs
East Yorkshire Bird recorder
Yorkshire Naturalists Union
You can contact Geoff by e-mail for recording sheets or further information at
geoffdobbs@aol.com
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