CURRENT SURVEYS

The Bird Club is working in partnership with the BTO in its BIRD ATLAS PROJECT which will run during the years 2007-2011 inclusive. Details of the survey and further information can be obtained either at the BTO web site  www.birdatlas.net or from the local BTO Representative whose contact details are shown on the Contacts page.

You can read or download a copy of the latest NTBC/BTO Local Atlas Newsletter (Nov. 2009) here

SUMMERTIME ATLASING - 2010                                             (added 06/02/2010)

There has been a fantastic effort during the past winter to `atlas` Northumberland, it is a tribute to the birdwatchers of the county that so few timed tetrads remain for the next and last winter of the Atlas period. But as the winter season draws to a close we are again asking for volunteers for breeding season work. As you would expect it is mainly the out of the way places that need some coverage but you don’t have to be `mountain explorer` to survey the sites although some are off the beaten track a `little`.  If you are thinking of volunteering for a Forestry Commission area but are put off by the need to seek permission, don’t be. Forestry Commission has generously offered access to surveyors.  Please get in touch.  Wark Forest, NY77, is particularly short of coverage.

The Tetrads that are currently unallocated are;

NU04 W, X for both seasons (recently returned)

NY66 H, I, P, S, U, X, Y, Z breeding season only

NY77 A, C, E, I, J, N, P both seasons

NY77 D, U breeding season only

NY78 V, W, breeding season only

NY84 D, N breeding season only

NY84 E, H, I, L

NY98 F, H, I, J, Q, V, W, X, Z breeding season only

If you are able to help with any of these tetrads please get in touch or visit www.birdatlas.net

There are also some Northumberland tetrads, administered by our colleagues in Cumbria and County Durham, which need to be surveyed. Visit the web site via county in the usual way, or contact the relevant organiser.

The following are administered by Durham, organised by David Sowerbutts, email david.sowerbutts@duelm.org.uk

 NY94 E, J, both seasons

NZ15 E both seasons

The following are administered by Cumbria, organised by Steve Westerberg, email stephen.westerberg@rspb.org.uk  

NY58 U winter only

NY58 W, X, Y, Z both seasons

NY64 I, J, P, U, both seasons

NY67 U breeding season only

NY67 P, U, V, Y, Z, both seasons

NY74 P, T, U

It would be helpful to us to know if you can take any of the above tetrads.

We are expecting, as we go through a consolidation that some tetrads will come back to us for a huge variety of reasons, for reallocation. So if you would like to help but are not able to visit any of the listed tetrads please get in touch as there may be something to suit you, or we could add your name to the list of people who can help in specific areas.

Roving records

Please don’t forget Roving Records these are vital for producing distribution maps for the atlas. So whenever you are out note the species, count, 10km square, tetrad, and, during the breeding season, a note of the breeding status.

Finally can we say a huge thank you for all of the effort everyone has made. Just think over 140 people have contributed to the Northumberland Atlas so far, what a team!

Tom and Muriel Cadwallender tomandmurielcadwallender@hotmail.com tel. 01665 830884

On behalf of the Northumberland Atlas Committee – John Day, Tim Dean and Dick Myatt

EMBLEHOPE BLITZ  29TH NOVEMBER 2009 - how to atlas in the middle of Kielder Forest

It’s 06:00 am, cold and dark  as I look out of my Whitley Bay bedroom window – Fog!! that’s the last thing I expected. Would this finish off several  weeks planning for a ‘raid’ by 14 brave souls into NY79 centred on Emblehope Moor, one of the remotest squares to successfully atlas in Northumberland? Last winter we had to abandon our plans twice because of heavy snow, severe frost and badly churned up forestry roads. I needn’t have worried, as the day came alive the high ground in the west of the county was largely blessed with sunshine, blue skies and not a breathe of wind although it was pretty nippy! Those taking part got occasional glimpses to the east where the mist lingered all day in some areas. We couldn’t have planned it better with perfect weather that will rarely, if ever, be repeated in Kielder during the winter months!

Our mission was to try and carry out single two-hour timed visits to as many tetrads as we could during the short daylight hours. With special access for several vehicles into forestry roads (courtesy of Martin Davison – many thanks) and everyone in teams of two we managed to visit 15 tetrads from various points in the square.

The data generated is extremely interesting and useful in the atlas context at both local and national level and fills a big potential gap in winter coverage. Many species vacate this upland area during the winter months and we did not expect a huge list. A total of 1,219 birds of 44 species were counted with top position, in terms of numbers, going to Crossbill with 443 birds including some seen display-flighting and singing presumably in preparation for mid-winter breeding! It appears to be a good winter for Crossbill in Kielder but perhaps not so in nearby Redesdale.

In second place, and with no surprise, came Coal Tit with 182 quickly followed by Wren in third position with 161. Goldcrests have been remarkably scarce in some areas this year, perhaps as a result of the prolonged hard weather last winter, and the count amounted to just 91. Raptor numbers were low, as we expected they would be, with just five Common Buzzards, four Kestrels, three Sparrowhawks and, for one team, an awesome Goshawk soaring directly overhead! Probably rarest of all the species found were three Twite, always difficult to locate on high ground in the county at any time of the year.  The supporting cast was still very good and included, for example, totals of  76 Bullfinches and 17 Great Spotted Woodpeckers. The best thing though was everyone enjoyed the outing!

Thanks are due to those intrepid atlas counters who took part : Phil Allott, Graeme Bowman, Trevor Bridges, Mike Carr, Alan Curry, Tim Dean, Roger Forster, Mike Hodgson, Steve Holliday, Alan Janes, Chris Knox, Dee McKeown, Andy McLevy, Les Robson

MIKE S. HODGSON

added  08/12/09

NOTES FROM A FIELDWORKER MEETING HELD 5th APRIL 2009

Details of this very successful joint meeting are available at this link. Please note that there are a number of important notes about the fieldwork which were raised during the meeting. Anyone who is taking part in the survey and was unable to attend is encouraged to read these.

ONGOING SURVEYS

Many members take part in two regular surveys organised locally by our BTO representatives

WeBS (The Wetland Bird Survey)

This is a joint scheme of the BTO, Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust (WWT), Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) and the Joint Nature Conservation Committee (JNCC) to monitor non-breeding waterbirds in the UK. The survey involves counts of waterbirds both inland and along the coast on specified count dates. The local organisers contact details can be found here

BBS (The Breeding Bird Survey)

This scheme monitors the population changes of the UK’s common and widespread birds and is organised by the BTO/JNCC/RSPB. It involves just three visits per year to a specified one-kilometre square. The local organiser can be contacted by our BTO Representative