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!
I meant the most you can see in the area you are watching rather than on just one feeder, sorry for not explaining myself better. ie if you look out the window and can see 20 goldfinches in various positions in the garden at one time, and then run like the clappers to the front garden and see 5 there, then you could call that 25! The point is by breaking up the session you are potentially counting the same birds over again. The emphasis is on session, only one, the organisers have given it an hour to give a reasonable chance of the maximum number of birds in any species to make an appearance in the garden. If you know your birds well I would guess you could put down the number you know there to be BUT, problem then is I know I have one GSW so if he doesn't show I could put down 1 as I know I have one in the garden, the problem is because he didnt show in mine he was probably in someone else's and was counted there. It can't be an exact and precise survey but it will show trends if it is compared to similar surveys done in the same way over the years and I guess that is what they are looking for. Like for example after bad winters a lot of birds like Long-tailed Tits will be down, Trichomoniasis is still hammering Chaffinches and Greenfinches so those numbers will be important to see how they compare with previous years.
True, good point . That would be the way to do it.
I meant your post here is a good point, sorry, got to get used to this forum
If you split the hour up in to 15mins spread over 4 hours and say you saw 5 blue tits in the first 15mins and 6 in the last 15 mins you would use the 6 as it's the greater amount
if you saw 10 in every 15min period the count would still be 10
Doggie is quite right. Count the maximum at any one time.
You aren't really supposed to split your garden up into areas. I think you are supposed to either find somewhere you can watch the whole garden at once, or chose one area only, or register each area separately and do a separate count for each.
It's all estimated anyway. The RSPB aren't bothered if you are a few out in your count.
Cheers, Linda.
See my photos on Flickr
That's why they say STOP!!! and try again later. Are people being awkward for the sake of it :-)
I have finally registered for this years birdwatch. I can't believe I almost forgot as it was this that led me to find this forum a few years ago now. That has gone so quickly.
All ready now only to realise it's not till next weekend.
Sarah
I've learned that I still have a lot to learn...
http://www.flickr.com/photos/bramble67/
Hello all ......I've just registered today intending to take part in the BGBW.
My question is ....We have a semi tame Pheasant visitor to our garden,it seems to have difficulty flying and I'd guess this is because we have a Country Estate only 200/250yards from our house,this estate frequntly holds "shoots" and I suspect our Pheasant has [at some time] been hit by shotgun pellets damaging a wing.
Is he a wild bird,or does he count as hand reared bird which was just bred for the [so called] sport.
Sorry if this is an obvious question,but IMHO,the only silly question is the one you dare'nt ask [even if you dont know the answer].
best regards
Tel [Terry]
Hello Tel and welcome to the forum.
As Doggie says, if it were in my garden it would get counted.
Hey ;-) .....cheers Alan & Linda for the answer......heres hoping he [the pheasant] shows up.
Terry