
Thank you for considering submitting sightings of upland birds. While all sightings are valuable, for the 'What's Up?' project we are particularly interested in birds seen in upland habitats. Where you go and what you record is up to you (although see below for information about priority species).
Even if you only submit records of a single species (e.g. Ptarmigan) this is still of use. Please enter as many records as possible! Your sightings can help us to better understand where different upland bird species occur and how these distributions change over time. This is valuable information which can help conservation science.
Priority species for casual recording

In brief, however, during the breeding season we would be particularly grateful for records of the following species:
Goosander | Whinchat |
Common Sandpiper | Ptarmigan |
Grey Wagtail | Wheatear |
Curlew | Golden Plover |
Lapwing | Dipper |
How to submit your sightings
We aim to make this as easy as possible, so your initial records can be submitted by email (include the species, number seen, date, name of location and grid ref). When providing a grid reference, please be sure to include the relevant two-letter code (e.g. NN, NM) in addition to the six digit number.
Ideally we would like you to use of the BirdTrack system, online or via phone app. This ensures that your sightings are processed quickly, accurately and efficiently. View this guidance to learn how to make BirdTrack work for you.
Safety and responsibility
While undertaking survey or recording work volunteers are encouraged to follow the BTO's Health & Safety guidelines.
Please be considerate and courteous towards landowners and take all reasonable steps to avoid disturbance or harm to wildlife.