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Dawn Balmer

    Dawn Balmer

    Job Description

    Head of Surveys

    Role

    The Surveys Team at the BTO runs most of its large-scale bird surveys, including the Wetland Bird Survey, Breeding Bird Survey, BirdTrack, Waterways Breeding Bird Survey and Heronries Census. In addition, Dawn also maintains and coordinates the Regional Network, BTO's network of volunteer Regional Representatives. She also has responsibility for Regional Conferences.

    Qualifications

    BSc (Hons) Environmental Science, Polytechnic South West, Plymouth 1988–91.

    Interests & Responsibilities

    The Surveys Team organises volunteer-based surveys to collect the data that are core to the BTO’s work on bird populations, including population estimates, trends and distribution. I have a long-term interest in migration and movements of birds and population dynamics. Dawn was the Atlas Coordinator for Bird Altas 2007–11.

    Other Information

    Editorial Board Member of British Birds, Trustee of the Eric Hosking Charitable Trust and writes regularly for British Wildlife and Sandgrouse. Keen birdwatcher, ringer, general naturalist and enjoy photography. The Bird Atlas 2007–11 team were recipients of the 2014 RSPB Medal. Member of the British Ornithologists' Union Records Committee.

    Recent BTO Publications

    Gillings, S., Balmer, D.E., Caffrey, B.J., Downie, I.S., Gibbons, D.W., Lack, P.C., Reid, J.B., Sharrock, J.T.R., Swann, R.L. & Fuller, R.J. 2019. Breeding and wintering bird distributions in Britain and Ireland from citizen science bird atlases.. Global Ecology and Biogeography Link to publication View at journal website (DOI: 10.1111/geb.12906)
    M. W. Wilson, D. E. Balmer, K. Jones, V. A. King, D. Raw, C. J. Rollie, E. Rooney, M. Ruddock, G. D. Smith, A. Stevenson, P. K. Stirling-Aird, C. V. Wernham, J. M. Weston & D. G. Noble. 2018. The breeding population of Peregrine Falcon Falco peregrinus in the United Kingdom, Isle of Man and Channel Islands in 2014. Bird Study Link to publication View at journal website (DOI: 10.1080/00063657.2017.1421610)
    Graham Austin, Teresa Frost, Heidi Mellan, Dawn Balmer 2017. Results of the third Non-Estuarine Waterbird Survey, including Population Estimates for Key Waterbird Species. Research Report no. 697. British Trust for Ornithology, Thetford, Norfolk ISBN: 9781908581860 69pp PDF icon Download Report (1.95 MB)
    Harris, S.J., Massimino, D., Gillings, S.E., Eaton, M.A, Noble, D.G., Balmer, D.E., Procter, D. & Pearce-Higgins, J.W. 2017. The Breeding Bird Survey 2016. Research Report no. 700. British Trust for Ornithology, Thetford PDF icon Download Report (4.08 MB)
    Chris B. Thaxter, Cat Horswill, Kathryn E. Ross, Graham E. Austin, Dawn E. Balmer and Niall H.K. Burton 2017. Urban Breeding Gull Surveys: A Survey Design Simulation. Research Report no. 699. British Trust for Ornithology, Thetford ISBN: 978-1-908581-78-5 60pp PDF icon Download Report (1.33 MB), PDF icon Download Report (8.12 MB)
    Harris, S.J., Massimino, D., Newson, S.E., Eaton, M.A., Marchant, J.H., Balmer, D.E., Noble, D.G., Gillings, S., Procter, D. & Pearce-Higgins, J.W. 2016. The Breeding Bird Survey 2015. Research Report no. 687. Link to publication ISBN: 978-1-908581-69-3 23pp
    View all BTO publications for this author