Avon BTO

Tuesday, April 28, 2009

99 to go

36 tetrads done, 99 to go, and five weeks left; no problem.
You will have noticed the nice tips on the Atlas home page about breeding status. Please try to assign a breeding status to every bird you see- not always easy I know, and just pouytting H or S is the easy option. But was the bird singing against another- in which case it is T- or were a male and female present- that is P- or was one bird displaying, or fighting another- that is D. Or is that bird going into its nest site- that could be N, or better still go for the two letter codes- Is that nest occupied- then it is ON. Is that bird collecting food for its young or carrying food in its beak- that is FF. At this time of year that is the best evidence- though there are yoiung in the nests of Ravens- which will fledge in a week or two, and Herons- and there are fledgling Moorhens and Mallard around.
Also please make it clear that when species is not nesting- Curlew should all be U- so should Black-headed Gulls, and all Herons not at a heronry- the sites of which we know- and all Cormorants. And try to distinguish between birds that are clearly Migrants - almosty all Sand Martins at present, Wheatear, Whinchat, Redstartand until the start of May all the migrant warblers too, and Yellow Wagtail.
But wandering Herring Gulls are best left without status, they are just food hunting- but make sure you dont miss the breeding pairs.
Good luck

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