Abstract from BTO Research Report No 322:

Marchant, J.H. & Noble, D.G. (June 2003)

Waterways breeding bird survey progress report 01-02 (To be published by Environment Agency Contract No W1-071)

Executive summary

1 The Waterways Breeding Bird Survey (WBBS), which is operated by BTO and funded in collaboration with the Environment Agency’s R&D Programme, began in 1998. Phases 1 and 2 of the project are already complete. The present interim Phase 3 report covers the scheme’s development during 2001–02, with emphasis on the results of the 2002 field season. Summary data from earlier years are included for comparison. Results are given also for the BTO’s long-running Waterways Bird Survey (WBS).

2 WBBS coverage was due to be increased in 2001, as part of Phase 3 of the project. Plans for this development were shelved, however, owing to the outbreak of Foot & Mouth Disease (FMD), which restricted access to open land across the UK throughout spring 2001. Only 51 WBBS surveys were conducted in 2001, compared with 175 in 2000, and 23 WBS mapping surveys, compared with 97 in 2000. The surveys that were conducted showed a changed geographical distribution, being concentrated mainly in the English Midlands and the north of Scotland.

3 Owing to FMD, efforts to increase the sample were postponed until spring 2002. A further 249 WBBS stretches were selected randomly for coverage beginning in 2002, bringing the total number of random sites selected to 512. WBS observers were also asked to continue with both WBS and WBBS surveys on their stretches in 2002. An excellent response was received from volunteer observers in both the random and the WBS-linked WBBS samples. The number of WBBS surveys conducted in 2002 was the highest ever, at 220, covering 1472 500-metre sections of river and canal.

4 Estimates of numbers of birds per unit waterway length in 2002 were similar to those recorded for 1998–2000. Wood Pigeon was the most abundant species and Chaffinch the most widespread. Dipper was found on 61 stretches and Kingfisher on 41.

5 Population changes from WBBS and WBS in 2001–02 showed a preponderance of increases, perhaps related to poor coverage of some sites in 2001.

6 Mammal data were returned from 190 (86%) of the 220 WBBS stretches surveyed in 2002. There were 30 mammal species recorded, of which Rabbit and Mole were the most widespread, and Rabbit and Red Deer the most numerous.

7 Increases in the number of random WBBS sites surveyed in 2002 brought more species over the threshold required for population monitoring. Seventeen waterbirds and 41 other bird species had sample sizes of more than 40 plots. Where sample sizes are too small from the random WBBS alone, there may be scope for combining them with the non-random sites, and/or with Breeding Bird Survey data, to provide a sufficient sample.

8 Further efforts have been made to increase the number of WBBS surveys to be conducted in spring 2003, which is the final year of the project’s Phase 3.

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