I heard about the RSPB Big Garden Birdwatch on the radio, and it seemed like something useful that anybody could do to contribute to scientific knowledge of changing bird populations and thus help conservation efforts. So I put aside an hour the other weekend to gaze out of the window with my elderly father at his house. I have only just got round to entering the results on the web site.
I was surprised that two questions were not asked - the location where the bird watch was carried out and the time of day. Surely these are vital pieces of information if the data being collected are to be of any scientific value? (For example, you'd expect to see different numbers and types of birds in central London at midnight as compared with a cliff top in Pembrokeshire at nine in the morning.) But there was no facility to enter the time or location. Instead they wanted to know my age, postal address, phone number and E-mail address.
This suggests to me that this isn't a scientific endeavour at all, but just a marketing exercise.
May I suggest that for future similar surveys the RSPB do ask where and when the birdwatch was carried out, even if they have no intention of using the information. It would prevent them from appearing dishonest, and, you never know, the survey results may one day be of interest to scientists rather than just empty-headed suits with degrees in marketing.
I am sure that the BGBW, as well as collecting the data about the birds seen in our gardens during an allotted time is the main reason for this very enjoyable survey & we are all registering important information to be evaluated on our bird life.
However, undoubtedly the RSPB would also use our data to request that we join the society, whilst on the site, in just the same way as any other company, business or association in today's world. After all, by taking part in the garden survey or simply visiting the site we have shown an interest in our wild life & the work they do.
Im sorry but regardless of scientific data... I look at it from a mothers role, i sit everyday with my 2 year old son pointing out the different birds, there names colours and what they eat ontop of counting hte different kinds. SO as far as Empty air head marketeers in suits its educational. My son loves doing this and has done since last year and he now knows the names of the great tits and the pidgeons robins black birds pheasants and other kinds
What's all this about being "sold" on it being "a serious scientific enterprise"?
Now I'm feeling cheated ;-) I just heard a polite invitation on the radio inviting listeners to do something enjoyable, fun and easy and in so doing to help take a snapshot of what's where and in turn gather some data useful for trend analysis.
It was voluntary and I thought it did what it said on the tin.
Frankly if I'd not been counting birds for the survey then I'd have been sitting having my morning coffee and watching what birds were about that day.
A bird in the hand can make an awful mess!
I could have sat for a lot longer than an hour watching all our birds! I don't think there can be any question over how worthwhile the Birdwatch is.
Our herring gulls are red listed birds. Think about that the next time you hear some flaming idiot calling for a cull of them.
For those who think anything like Grhm can I back up IanH. I was fortunate to spend 5 years on RSPB Council and every year similar questions were raised at that level about accuracy etc. Those questions often raised by senior ornithologists. Those concerns were always looked at and adressed but over the last 30+ years this survey has shown itself to be accurate, enjoyable and a good recruiting tool for the RSPB. That is recruiting not just in terms of members but also, and more importantly, recruiting people to an understanding of the environment around us. I suspect there are many ecologists around that started their interest through sitting on someone's lap watching their garden birds.
The Cotswold Water park sightings website
My Flicker page
Thanks all for your comments.
Grhm, chillax as the kids say these days. I'll go though your comments and offer some responses but Roy et al have covered most of the ground more than adequately! I think Roy has hit the nail on the head about clearer instructions being needed as well so thanks for pointing that out. I will explain further!
Before anything else I want to make it crystal clear that in no way have I lied and if you would have contacted us for help initially we could have talked you through the submission process without any of this confusion.
I did realise that you took the survey at your fathers address, having re-read your original post, you do not make it clear that you registered your own address on the survey. I assummed therefore that you submitted your fathers address on the recording form, in which case you are correct, we do not ask for a seperate location as we assume that you took the survey at or near to the address provided.
If you registered to take part in the survey but didn't do it from the corresponding address that you registered with, that does confuse things a little, to do this you would need to fill in the form that didn't require pre-registering. Again, had you of contacted us we could have pointed this out to you. On the screengrab below you will find an option for 'otherwise start here', if you wanted to submit the results for your fathers location rather than your own, this form allows you to do so, obviously giving his address instead of yours. If you wanted to ensure he didn't receive any further correspondence from us, you would need to check the boxes at the end of the form, the provision of email and phone details are optional. We ask for age group as it's interesting to see what demographic of the population are taking part. Maybe this does need some clearer instruction for next years survey.
If you have any further problems with submitting your results please email web.enquiries@rspb.org.uk and hopefully we can sort out these issues.
Warden Intern at Otmoor.
I think its alil cheeky that he now expects a pack when hes not even signed up. All on the basis hes had this SPAT it not about freebies its feathered friends and me and my sons sat and watched out pheasant that pops in everyday this morning.
What bit about 'voluntary' didn't the OP understand?
Ian, IMO you're very patient and polite ;-)
mommaj said:I think its alil cheeky that he now expects a pack when hes not even signed up.
I don't think that there was any desire to receive a pack expressed, it fact I think that it was exactly the opposite - the belief that an unsolicited recruitment pack would be sent out because the sole reason for the BGBW was to gather contact details for this purpose.
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I also think that there is the potential for the RSPB to gain something from this thread. If people can go away with the impression that they have been tricked into submitting details from the birdwatch purely so that the RSPB can gather addresses to which they can send marketing, then they might want to look at how this, and similar projects, are promoted and how clearly the forms are worded for the future. If one person is prepared to post on an RSPB forum stating that they went away with this opinion, I would think that you can be fairly certain that others have also ended up with a similar impression.
Unfortunately there will probably always be some who leave with a similar impression however a project like this is promoted and worded (and marketing is part of the reasons for the project), but sometimes negative feedback can help to reduce this sort of thing in the future.
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Ok i retract my rather grr statement. I still think what it has NOW isnt as damning.