Hi. I would like to participate but I have the following questions:
1) It is suggested to watch "for 1 hour". Is it allowed to spend more time or would that mess up the results?
2) I would like to participate twice, watching my own garden and later on the local park. Should I then register twice? I'm asking because when I pre-registered I was asked for details about the garden
Check my birdbox!
Agree, Sparrow and Galatas.
I do think the most important thing is to record the number of different species that regularly frequent the garden.
The BGBW cannot by its nature be a "scientific" undertaking but is a general survey of the distribution and numbers garden birds throughout the UK. It is also is a popular way of getting people involved. The one hour watch period is quite arbitrary but I suppose it provides some sort of framework or guidance for the survey.
"The road of excess leads to the palace of wisdom" - Wlliam Blake
ClaireM,
That makes sense to me. Like today I was in the park close to my house and I saw all the birds that I usually see, but I didn't see all of them within the same hour. The count within an arbitrary hour of the day would therefore be less representative of what is in the park during that day than my total of the day.
However, I really would like to know what is the "official" position of the organisation on this. Because the replies in this topic alone already prove that people interpret the rules in different ways and therefore count differently. More clarity about how to count would make the collected information more valuable in my opinion.
Hi Firefly, the idea of the Big Garden Birdwatch is to pick an hour over the weekend, your choice when that hour is, get comfortable and to record all of the bird activity going on within the garden during that hour. As a guide, most garden birds often have a couple of busy feeding periods, mid-morning and mid afternoon seem to be good times to consider.
It's important not to over complicate the survey, it was never intended to count every bird that comes into every garden, the survey methodology does however give an insight into garden bird activity which is comparable with the 30 years plus of survey data that we now have.
It is important to report the results back to us even if you do not see many birds, even if none turn up at all, we still want to know so it shows an accurate reflection of bird activity in the area.
So the plan of action for the survey weekend should be to find yourself a comfy perch with good views over your garden, get your bino's, pen and recording form at hand, tea and biscuits optional, and enjoy an hour of relaxing bird watching.
If something occurs in that hour which you feel interupts the survey, by all means try again later during the weekend.
Warden Intern at Otmoor.
I cant sit in a comfy chair as I cant see the whole of the back garden from one window so end up moving from the kitchen window to the living room window keeps me fit :-)
A very old Shropshire Lad.
Am I getting the wrong idea or is the task not to count the maximum number of each species seen at one time during the course of an hour, otherwise you would be counting the same birds over again if you break the session up. ie if you saw 5 Blue Tits at once on a feeder and that was the most you saw together at one point during the hour then that is the number you submit?
Drogo said: ie if you saw 5 Blue Tits at once on a feeder and that was the most you saw together at one point during the hour then that is the number you submit?
ie if you saw 5 Blue Tits at once on a feeder and that was the most you saw together at one point during the hour then that is the number you submit?
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I'd be interested to find out the answer to this question from Drogo.
I have too many places to watch so I break it up a bit. I watch the feeders in one tree for 15 minutes and count those birds; then the ground feeders for 15 minutes; then the feeders in the other tree; and lastly the laurel bush where I have a feeder under cover. I couldn't count the birds otherwise. The garden is too busy. There may be some overlap but there is no way to do it otherwise.
Crossed post. Maximum number at any one time.
But what happens if the goldfinches are on the feeder and on the ground feeder at the same time? There will be more than the maximum count on the feeder.
Totally agree. If you split the time up you could see 10 of a species in the first 15mins and the same 10 later on that day and so on which would, to me, give a misleading result........wouldn't it?
Thanks, Doggie. I don't spread the time out but can only focus on one area at a time. Trying to count a species at a time is too difficult and they move to quickly for me to be accurate. The starlings are going to be difficult. They come in a mob of around forty and spread out!