Dawn Balmer
Head of Surveys
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.
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. Dawn has a long-term interest in migration and movements of birds and population dynamics and was the Atlas Coordinator for Bird Atlas 2007–11. Dawn is Secretary of the European Bird Census Council and Chair of the Rare Breeding Birds Panel.
Other Information
Editorial Board Member of British Birds, Trustee of the Eric Hosking Charitable Trust and writes regularly for British Wildlife and Sandgrouse. Member of the British Ornithologists' Union Records Committee.
Dawn is a keen birdwatcher, ringer, general naturalist and enjoys photography.
The Bird Atlas 2007–11 team were recipients of the 2014 RSPB Medal.
Qualifications
BSc (Hons) Environmental Science, Polytechnic South West, Plymouth 1988
–91.
Recent BTO Publications
Harris, S.J., Massimino, D., Balmer, D.E., Eaton, M.A., Noble, D.G., Pearce-Higgins, J.W., Woodcock, P. & Gillings, S.
2021.
The Breeding Bird Survey 2020.
Research Report no. 736.
British Trust for Ornithology, Thetford, Norfolk
ISBN: 978-1-912642-28-1
Frost, T.M., Calbrade, N.A., Birtles, G.A., Hall, C., Robinson, A.E., Wotton, S.R., Balmer, D.E. and Austin, G.E.
2021.
Waterbirds in the UK 2019/20.
40pp
Humphreys, E.M., Austin, G.E., Frost, T.M., Mellan, H.J., Boersch-Supan, P., Burton, N.H.K., Balmer, D.E.
2021.
Wader populations on the UK’s open coast: results of the 2015/16 Non-Estuarine Waterbird Survey (NEWS-III) and a review of population trends.
Bird Study
67
: 371-384
View at journal website (DOI: 10.1080/00063657.2021.1884184)
14pp
Burns, F., Eaton, M.A., Balmer, D.E., Banks, A., Caldow, R., Donelan, J.L., Douse, A., Duigan, C., Foster, S., Frost, T., Grice, P.V., Hall, C., Hanmer, H.J., Harris, S.J., Johnstone, I., Lindley, P., McCulloch, N., Noble, D.G., Risely, K., Robinson, R.A. & Wotton, S.
2020.
The State of the UK's Birds 2020.
RSPB, BTO, WWT, DAERA, JNCC, NatureScot, NE and NRW
Kettel, E.F., Woodward, I.D., Balmer, D.E. & Noble, D.G.
2020.
Using citizen science to assess drivers of Common House Martin breeding performance.
Ibis
View at journal website (DOI: 10.1111/ibi.12888)
Teresa M. Frost, Neil A. Calbrade, Gillian A. Birtles, Heidi J. Mellan, Colette Hall, Anna E. Robinson, Simon R. Wotton, Dawn E. Balmer and Graham E. Austin.
2020.
Waterbirds in the UK 2018/19.
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