Winter fieldwork runs from 1st November to 28th/29th February inclusive.
The recording period is divided into an early period in November/December
and a late period in January/February
Breeding season fieldwork runs from 1st April to 31st July inclusive.
The recording period is divided into an early period in April/May and a
late period in June/July, though we recommend late period visits be done
in June if at all possible because bird activity tends to tail off in July.
No, anyone can submit Roving Records and there is no need to register in
advance. However, to use the online system and submit these records online to
see instant results you will need to register to get a BTO online username and
password. This is very easy to do (click here, Coming Soon!).
To do a Timed Tetrad Visit you must first speak to your Regional Organiser to
get an available square. It is not essential to be an online user but again we
very much encourage this because results can be seen much more quickly.
Click here (coming soon!) where you can enter your
postcode to determine who is your RO. Alternatively,
visit the England, Scotland,
Wales or Northern
Ireland maps to see maps of BTO Atlas regions.
A 10-km grid reference denotes a 10km by 10km square of the relevant (British or
Irish) Ordnance Survey national grids. A full 10-km grid reference comprises a two
letter prefix followed by two digits. You can add a single letter suffix to further
denote the tetrad (2km by 2km grid square), e.g. SK45B. Click here for a worked
example of how to give a grid reference.
Tetrads are 2km by 2km squares. There are 25 tetrads
in each 10-km square and each is identified by the
grid reference of the 10-km square (e.g. SK45) plus
a single letter suffix to identify the tetrad (e.g.
SK45B). Tetrad codes run from A to Z (excluding O)
from the SW (bottom left) corner to the NE (top right)
corner as shown in the grid example. For more information
on giving grid references click
here.
Many formerly rare species are now much more widespread
or now benefit from increased protection. Unfortunately,
some species are still subject to persecution or egg
collecting. In conjunction with the British and Irish
Rare Bird Breeding Panel the Bird Atlas has developed
a protocol for how accurately we will map records
of confidential species. Basically we will only map
certain species at coarse scales so as not to give
away the precise breeding location. Some species will
not be mapped under any circumstances. Any more precise
information provided for the Bird Atlas project will
remain confidential. To read the full policy click
here.
Click here (coming soon!) to view additional Roving Recorder forms that can be printed
directly. If you require a large number, perhaps to distribute to birdwatchers, please contact
the Atlas Coordinator (mailto, or call 01842 750050). Timed Tetrad Visit forms are only available
by signing up to a tetrad through your RO. To view field instructions for a TTV click here (coming soon!).
Yes you can do both methods - just remember that there is no need to submit the records
of birds you see during your Timed Tetrad Visit on the Rover form, but everything else if fair game.
No. You must arrange which tetrad(s) to survey through
your Regional Organiser. Tetrads only need to be visited
in one year so we do not want duplication. Moreover,
there are target tetrads for coverage so please speak
to your RO. To find out who is your RO click here.
You can of course submit Roving Records for
any tetrads and 10-km squares without 'signing up'.
Contact your Regional Organiser to sign up for a
tetrad for Timed Tetrad Visits. They will give you
online access so that you can download forms and submit
your data directly over the web. If you specifically
want a paper form they can also provide one to you.
To find out how to contact your RO click
here
Certainly. You can survey as many tetrads as you like. We do have a target to get at least
8 tetrads surveyed with Timed Visits in each 10-km square. So if 8 have already been done it is better to move on
and start doing tetrads in the next 10-km square to count towards its 8. In some areas county clubs are producing
a local atlas alongside the national one and in those cases they are looking to survey all 25 tetrads in each 10-km
square so there should be plenty to go around.
If a tetrad has been selected for coverage it should
receive a pair of visits in that particular season.
We would prefer the same tetrad to be surveyed in
both winter and summer. So this means 4 visits in
total, the 1st in November/December, 2nd in January/February,
3rd in April/May and 4th in June/July. Once
a tetrad has received a pair of visits in the winter
and a pair of visits in the breeding season it is
complete and you can take on another tetrad in the
next year. Tetrads should not be covered in all four
years.
A basic visit lasts 1 hour in which you count all the individuals of all species you
encounter. You can opt to do a second hour of counting but your tallies must be kept separate. If you wish you
can also stay even longer to list additional species or to try and confirm evidence of breeding.
You do not have to survey the same tetrad in winter and summer but we are looking to achieve
the target of 8 tetrads visited in both seasons, and it would be very useful to have information for both seasons from
the same tetrad. In any case, it will be very interesting to go back in the other season and see what has changed.
Your route should take you through all the major habitat types in the square. Don't be tempted
to ignore open farmland or urban areas - all are equally interesting when it comes to putting the distribution maps together.
Some summer migrants do not arrive until late May (e.g. Spotted Flycatcher) and a
single visit in April would miss them. Also, a late season visit is useful for confirming breeding. It is
best to try and get the late visit done in June if possible rather than leaving it until July when song
activity can tail off. In winter we benefit from an early and late visit by catching movements of birds
such as those that move into Britain in late winter following cold spells on the continent.
If your tetrad is in a very remote area and is hard to access you can make a single 2
hour visit. If you are doing many tetrads in a 10-km square try to spread the visits so that some are early
and some later rather than all early or all late (which might miss certain species). Better still, try to make
the visits in mid season (May-June) so as to coincide with peak activity of as many species as possible.
Only tetrads whose centre is above the low water mark are eligible for Timed Tetrad
Visits. Remember the guidance is to cover the range of habitats present in the square. So this includes checking
the intertidal and sea for species. Count only as far offshore as you are confident in identifying birds (and
don't count beyond the theoretical boundary of the tetrad).
No - just record what you see during your Timed Tetrad Visit. If you wish to return later,
you can submit a Roving Recorder form with evidence of breeding.
Yes, TTVs should be for a whole tetrad, even if it's part in one county/district and part
in another. However, if you encounter any rare species, please keep a note of which county/district they're in,
and inform the relevant Recorder.
Roving recorder forms can be used to submit any bird distribution and breeding evidence records.
You might decide to go out and thoroughly cover a tetrad or 10-km square and use the Rover form to record all the species
you see; you could use it to record a flock of swans seen from the motorway whilst on a long drive; even just to submit a
record of a Sparrowhawk hunting through your garden. Basically any and all records count because they all contribute towards
the cumulative species list for each square.
If you cannot be certain which tetrad you were in then please submit the record at 10-km resolution. For
more information on giving grid references click here.
A 10-km grid reference denotes a 10km by 10km square of the relevant (British or Irish)
Ordnance Survey national grids. A full 10-km grid reference comprises a two letter prefix followed by two digits.
You can add a single letter suffix to further denote the tetrad (2km by 2km grid square), e.g. SK45B. Click here for a worked
example of how to give a grid reference.
No - just record what you see, but by all means
go back to the site on a later date or spend longer
observing if you think the species might be breeding.
But always remember the welfare of the birds must
come first and do not cause undue disturbance. You
do not need to find nests to confirm breeding. Click
here to read more about evidence of breeding.
Yes. If already doing Roving Recording, contact
your Regional Organiser to find out which tetrads
are available for Timed Tetrad Visits. Click
here to find out how to contact your Regional
Organiser.
For many years Atlases have categorised records
according to 'Possible', 'Probable' and 'Confirmed'
breeding and have mapped these differently so it is
possible to see, for example, early colonists that
are not yet breeding, or the edge of a range where
a species is contracting and now failing to breed.
The standard definitions identify several types of
sightings you may make that constitute each category
of breeding. For example, a single bird singing in
suitable habitat constitutes 'Possible breeding',
whereas a bird carrying food or faeces constitutes
'Confirmed breeding'. Many of these types of evidence
are things we see every day whilst birdwatching and
surveying and we are seeking these records to help
determine the category of breeding for each species
in each 10-km square. To see the full list of definitions
and read more, click here.
Some rare and scarce breeding birds are protected
under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 as amended
by the Environmental Protection Act 1990 and it is
an offence to visit a nest of these species without
a licence. A full list of these species and details
of what to do if you encounter one of these species
is given here.
