Species count

Every year our local club has held its Big Bird Day which is basically a species count in our recording area on the Eastern edge of the Yorkshire Dales with members checking their favourite areas. We opted for one of our best bits of Grouse Moor and had a couple of decent little walks to check it out. I'm not sure of the species total will be yet,last year we managed over 100 species between members we counted 28 species between Chris and myself which is not bad for moorland terrain..It was my fovourite way of birding,just gentle walking with the bins and taking time to look at what is going on around us.We did manage good Red Kite action and our first Golden Plover of the year in full breeding plumage and our first decent Cuckoo sighting. It is an interesting way for a group to check what is in their patch,does anyone do anything similar ?

  • Hi Pete, we have done in the past, where they have done surveys over 5 years on over-wintering birds. You get a rectangle (or 4 or 5!) & where the centre square is, you have to have a walk of a certain distance & must do it within a certain time (1,5 to 2 hours I think). You have to note seen & heard & also the distance away. We found it fascinating as it was a random place & maybe not a place you went to too often. We took a young lad (Charly) with us who was spot on for bird calls. One sunday morning we were doing it on the edge of a hill & 3 thrushes flew over, Charly called thrush, there was a load bang & lead shot landed all over us with the dead bird not far off. You can't imagine the words I shouted at the hunters who had been the other side of the hedge & hadn't seen us. It's illegal to hunt within a certain distance of a public road which we were on. Charly just said "2" & carried on.