Counting

You count the most you see at anyone time a think...

But dont the same ones come and go?

Thk u,,, Accent is fine!!!

Lol On the security side of things it's best you change your user name from your email as this is a public site and you may end up with a bundle of spam!

As Linda says, only count the maximum number of each species you see at any one time during the hour you select.

Easiest way is to have a pen/notepad............ ie., 2 blue tits land and you jot down 2 Blue Tit on your note pad, if you then see 3 blue tits land together (may be the same two birds coming back with a third blue tit). you cross out 2 and write 3 .... As the hour ticks down you may see 5 blue tits appear at once (could likely be the same three blue tits you saw earlier with another two blue tits joining them) , so cross out 3 on your pad and write 5. .... and so on.
At the end of your bird count your note pad will have multiple crossings out as you always count the maximum number of each species that land at any one time; do not count birds in flight or birds you are not 100% sure about.    

Finally, after the hour is finished you can fill out your submission form based on your note pad observations with your finally tally for each species of bird.   Good luck and enjoy your birdwatching hour.

With some species, eg blackbirds and chaffinches, you can differentiate by gender, so you may only see one at time but still count 2 if you see one each gender.
Trevor

The RSPB and the BTO who do most of the UK bird surveys seem to have a formula in their system which allows for double counting. I think those of us on the forum who do bird counts would agree that there will never be a 100% accurate count.

My wife last year used the footage from the trailcams, and her own decision, was to count those flying in, not out, though that didn't rule out those that flew out and back in, which we knew at the time and long before, does happen.

So its good to read the RSPB have a formula that will help to balance out the numbers.

…. and as long as the RSPB doesn’t make it clear (and it’s not difficult to do) that you’re to count the number of each bird that’s seen at any one time, they’re going to get totally misleading and pointless results.