Questions about Big Garden Birdwatch 2012

Hi Firefly

There's nothing to stop you watching for more than one hour in total, but you must only record the birds you saw during one timed hour.

I'm not sure if you can definitely register twice to watch two different places, but I can't see why it would be a problem

Hi Firefly,

I made a similar query last year about the timing of the watch.  As WP says, the watching period should be for a timed hour but you could break up the hour into shorter periods, eg 4 fifteen minute watches.

I break my hour up into shorter periods and spread it out over the day. I was told a couple of years ago that this was OK.

Thanks for the replies!

So I understand that it is important that it is a timed one hour for the records to be valid.

When the watch period is broken up in for example 4 times 15 minutes, then I guess you have to set the times beforehand to avoid "cherry picking"! I mean, if you spend the whole day watching birds you cannot just use the 15 minute periods when you saw the most.

Of course you get vastly different results depending on how you define these things, that's why I'm asking.

Firefly,

I think there has to be an element of cherry picking.  If I choose to watch for an hour in the early afternoon I know that fewer species would be recorded in the garden than if the watch was carried out just after dawn or just before dusk. I think it is important to record as many of the different species that regularly visit your garden during the watch period/s.

ClaireM,

I'm not sure about that, but it is very important to get this clear!

Let's take an extreme example: I divide my one hour watch period into sixty periods of one minute each. Then I go birdwatching the whole day and cherry pick the one minute periods during which I see something interesting. Of course the results will then be similar to the results that I would have when I watch the whole day!

I do from 9am to 10am on the Sunday so I can compare my results with other years. I have always thought that it had to be done as one hour all in one go?

CJ

Suppose you chose a particular hour, and after 10 minutes the neighbour comes out with his lawn mower or does a little DIY on the adjoining fences, or his dog gets locked out and barks constantly, or his kids have a footie match. All the birds would go. Best to stop and continue later.

Anyway, we all know the birds do a bunk that weekend!

I don't understand the logic of selecting one hour. I can quite confidently predict that at certain times during the day there will be far more activity than  at other times. If I choose to do my watch during the first hour of daylight I will have little at all to record , which won't give an accurate picture of the birds that visit my garden throughout the day.

Exactly, Galatas. Thats why I split my hour up into shorter periods. The birds I see and count are far more reflective of the norm.