BTO Atlas

We are now into the 4th and final month of the first winter period of the Atlas. The weather has not always been particularly helpful, but the fieldwork effort has got off to a pretty good start.

Timed Tetrads

From records submitted on line so far, timed tetrad visits (TTVs) have been made in 73 out of 98 tetrads allocated since November. Twenty-five of these have received both early and late visits. The second visits have to be in either January or February, so there is still quite a lot to do! A minimum of one hour is all that is required per allocated tetrad, so please try to complete your second visits by the end of Feb. otherwise it will be too late!

Just to reiterate the protocols for TTVs. Both winter visits have to be done in the same winter season, so if you have not done the first visit yet, please leave this until next November and try to complete the two winter visits then. However, spring is not so far away, so you can do paired timed counts between April and July for the breeding season element - more about that a little nearer the time!

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Roving Records

Thanks to everyone who has submitted on line roving records - whether directly to the Atlas web site or via Bird Track. The coverage has been pretty good so far, with records from 28 out of 29 ten km squares.
The only 10 km square that currently appears blank is SM62 (offshore islands - west side of Ramsey and Bishops and Clerks). Hopefully, Greg and Lisa Morgan have managed to get some coverage from Ramsey to help fill this gap.

However, don't assume that every dot means complete coverage of a tetrad or a 10 km square - it could be only a single species recorded there.

The Pembrokeshire Bird Group has signed an agreement with the BTO allowing us to have access to all the Pembrokeshire records for our own local atlas needs. Once we have this information, we'll be able to produce maps showing how many species have been recorded in each tetrad - so you'll be able to see where more coverage is needed next winter. Over the next 3 winters it will be great if we can add roving records from all tetrads - we are certainly well on the way to achieving this.

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Owls

As the end of the winter approaches, it would useful to update the owl distribution maps. These are difficult species to find, but anybody hearing or seeing any of our owls could improve the distribution map. So please do look or listen out for them.

Bird Atlas update

To date we have allocated 102 squares for timed tetrad visits, and 68 of them have had a first visit completed and entered on-line. A few more will be done on paper and entered at the end of the winter. As some people have volunteered for several tetrads to be done over the 4 years of the survey, this is a really good start.

Both winter visits to a tetrad have to be done in the same season, so we hope everyone is gearing up for their second visits before the end of February.

Spring visits start in April, so anyone who wants to volunteer for a tetrad in those areas not yet covered - there are still some 50 squares available.

We are also doing quite well for roving records, with some records entered for over 260 of the 480 tetrads in the county. Some of these are records of one species, others are lists of over forty species. So there is plenty of room for more records!

Garden Birdwatch records will be added in the spring, and some records from Birdtrack haven't come on line yet.

Many thanks to all of you who have contributed so far, and please keep up the good work.

Maps of coverage to date can be found at http://blx1.bto.org/atlas-results/allocpemb.html and more information about taking part can be found at www.bto.org/birdatlas

BTO Atlas

Everyone should be aware by now of the new BTO wintering and breeding bird atlas. It has had plenty of coverage on the TV and radio, and in magazines etc. We do need people to contribute their records, either through birdtrack, or the garden birdwatch, or directly to the Atlas itself.

In addition to general birdwatching records, there are "Timed Tetrad Visits" which are designed to give an idea of the relative abundance of common species across the country. You are not expected to see every species or every bird during your hour or two in the tetrad, but to simply count what you do see.

In Pembrokeshire we need to survey about 140 squares in this way, and to date have signed up volunteers for 52 of them. You can sign up for a tetrad now, or preferably four tetrads to be done over the four years.

Full details are on the BTO website www.bto.org/birdatlas

We've been looking at other counties, and Pembrokeshire is way behind in terms of the proportion of tetrads signed up and the number that have already had their first visits. Also, coverage by casual records seems relatively low, so please help us catch up at least by putting your records into birdtrack.

WeBS October

Help needed: a volunteer needed to count the Cleddau section between Little Milford and Haverfordwest - just this month while Trevor is on holiday.

New counters needed: Dowrog Pools (St David's), Trefloyne Pools (Tenby).

Please email me rushmoor1@tiscali.co.uk

BTO Atlas - breeding and wintering bird survey.

The new BTO atlas season kicks off in November this year, and all records are welcome. If you usually put your records into Birdtrack, they will count for the new atlases.

But in addition to general records, the BTO would like some systematic counts done so that they can get an estimate of the density of birds in different parts of the country. These systematic counts involve a commitment to visit a particular tetrad (or more than one) twice during the winter, and twice during the summer. The following season you can do different tetrads. The idea is to make counts of the species that you see in a one hour or a two-hour period. You are not expected to find all the species in the tetrad, just to count the ones you do find when visiting as much of the square as practical.

You can sign-up to a tetrad on-line - those of you who take part in WeBS, the garden bird survey or Birdtrack will have noticed an extra option on the BTO survey log-in page. You can also sign up directly at http://www.bto.org/birdatlas/index.htm and then choose a tetrad or two - a request then comes to me and if no-one else has already taken that tetrad, I'll allocate it to you. I should receive the recording forms soon, and send them out to you. I'll also be giving a talk to the North Pembs group in November, and Bob and I will be promoting the atlas at the Bird conference.

We haven't had any systematic atlasing in the winter in Pembrokeshire since the last BTO winter atlas (1980s) so I hope you'll all take part.

Wetland Bird Survey

The 2007-08 season starts on September 16th, and I'll be sending out the recording forms soon. From this season, you can enter your results directly on-line.

Help needed for September - Jane Hodges has damaged her knee and won't be able to do the September counts, so if there are any volunteers for Sandy Haven or Bicton Reservoirs, please contact me and I'll send details of the sites. Jane hopes to be back doing surveys the following month.

The survey work for the Breeding Birds Atlas is now in its final year and we should have at least some coverage of all the tetrads in the county by the end of this season. The map above shows where coverage is still needed. We really ought to be able to turn most of the county yellow - more than 40 species per tetrad. So if anyone would like to help, let us know which area you are interested in, and I will send a map showing which tetrads have less than 30 species, so that you can concentrate your effort where it is needed most.

Meanwhile, you should be able to find signs of some species breeding at this time of year - ravens, crossbills, raptors - the nests of these birds are often more visible when there are no leaves on the trees. Look for Goshawks and others displaying over suitable habitat.During the spring and summer we are particularly keen for records of Green Woodpecker, Lesser Spotted Woodpecker, Spotted and Pied Flycatchers, Yellowhammers, Skylarks.

If it's easier for casual records, just read off the 1km grid reference from the map which we can turn into the correct tetrad.

Breeding Bird Survey 2007

I'll be sending out survey forms in a couple of weeks time. If anybody would like to volunteer to do a survey, please look at the map for any open points in an area you would like. The filled points are already taken. Then contact me at rushmoor1@tiscali.co.uk

The survey only takes three mornings during the spring and summer, and the results can be entered on-line or on paper forms.

More information can be found at the BTO website - http://www.bto.org/bbs/index.htm

WeBS counts totals for January 2007 -
all Pembrokeshire sites

Red-throated Diver 8
Great Northern Diver 7
Little Grebe 63
Great Crested Grebe 35
Cormorant 68
Shag 2
Little Egret 49
Grey Heron 13
Mute Swan 136
Whooper Swan 2
Canada Goose 598
Dark-bellied Brent Goose 1
Light-bellied Brent Goose 5
Shelduck 406
Wigeon 1601
Gadwall 16
Teal 1337
Mallard 567
Shoveler 51
Pochard 2
Tufted Duck 21
Scaup 1
Goldeneye 32
Red-breasted Merganser 1
Goosander 14
Water Rail 4
Moorhen 102
Coot 288
Oystercatcher 560
Ringed Plover 34
Golden Plover 300
Grey Plover 17
Lapwing 3116
Purple Sandpiper 3
Dunlin 1096
Jack Snipe 2
Snipe 291
Woodcock 2
Black-tailed Godwit 1
Bar-tailed Godwit 10
Curlew 1011
Spotted Redshank 1
Redshank 675
Greenshank 8
Common Sandpiper 1
Turnstone 84
Kingfisher 2
Mediterranean Gull 6
Black-headed Gull 4556
Common Gull 72
Lesser Black-backed Gull 62
Herring Gull 1161
Great Black-backed Gull 57
Kittiwake 1
Snow Goose 2
Iceland Gull 1
Razorbill 2
Bonxie 1

WeBS counts totals for December 2006 all Pembrokeshire sites

Red-throated Diver 3
Great Northern Diver 4
Little Grebe 83
Great Crested Grebe 30
Cormorant 52
Shag 2
Little Egret 59
Grey Heron 23
Mute Swan 171
Canada Goose 916
Light-bellied Brent Goose 4
Shelduck 440
Wigeon 2835
Gadwall 14
Teal 1178
Mallard 624
Shoveler 34
Pochard 3
Tufted Duck 22
Common Scoter 43
Goldeneye 24
Red-breasted Merganser 1
Goosander 11
Water Rail 11
Moorhen 117
Coot 289
Oystercatcher 560
Ringed Plover 44
Golden Plover 200
Grey Plover 25
Lapwing 1799
Purple Sandpiper 2
Dunlin 2172
Jack Snipe 5
Snipe 235
Black-tailed Godwit 10
Bar-tailed Godwit 11
Curlew 974
Spotted Redshank 5
Redshank 512
Greenshank 16
Green Sandpiper 1
Turnstone 71
Kingfisher 4
Mediterranean Gull 4
Black-headed Gull 1996
Common Gull 62
Lesser Black-backed Gull 130
Herring Gull 417
Great Black-backed Gull 29
Feral/hybrid goose 1
Feral/hybrid mallard type 23
Snow Goose 2
Iceland Gull 1
Buzzard 5Merlin 1
Peregrine 3

Total 16311

WeBS counts - Pembrokeshire totals for November 2006

Red-throated Diver 1
Great Northern Diver 1
Little Grebe 72
Great Crested Grebe 11
Cormorant 33
Shag 8
Little Egret 43
Grey Heron 22
Mute Swan 55
Canada Goose 223
Shelduck 265
Wigeon 7699
Teal 957
Mallard 315
Pintail 19
Shoveler 10
Tufted Duck 1
Common Scoter 34
Goldeneye 1
Water Rail 3
Moorhen 18
Oystercatcher 431
Ringed Plover 42
Golden Plover 1
Grey Plover 1
Lapwing 2070
Purple Sandpiper 1
Dunlin 1204
Snipe 20
Curlew 755
Spotted Redshank 1
Redshank 622
Greenshank 15
Common Sandpiper 1
Turnstone 77
Kingfisher 3
Mediterranean Gull 3
Black-headed Gull 1605
Common Gull 44
Lesser Black-backed Gull 228
Herring Gull 460
Great Black-backed Gull 44
Kittiwake 1
Iceland Gull 1

Pembs Total 17421

The 2006 National Dartford Warbler survey

Until 2003, when six pairs of Dartford Warblers were found in one location (at least three of which reared young), there had been no previous reported evidence of them breeding in Pembrokeshire (Pembs Bird Report 2003). This year’s national Dartford Warbler survey therefore provided an opportunity to find out if they were still maintaining a foothold in the county, or if there were indications of further population expansion.

Between April and June 2006, 55 tetrads (2km x 2km OS squares) were checked for presence of Dartford Warblers and evidence of probable or confirmed breeding. These included a few targeted locations where there had been recent breeding evidence. Most of the remaining locations surveyed were squares randomly selected by the BTO/RSPB.

Despite a cold, wet and rather unpromising early spring, results were encouraging.

Between 14 and 18 Dartford Warbler territories were recorded in suitable habitat. This was based on mapped registrations of singing/calling males, displaying birds/pairs, or adults with food or young.

Three pairs were just over the border in Carmarthenshire, the remainder were in seven separate tetrads in Pembrokeshire.

It is still early days, but the survey shows that the population, although still small and potentially vulnerable to predation and the vagaries of weather, is still expanding its range within the County.

None of the randomly selected squares had much suitable heathland habitat and no Dartford Warblers were found in them. However, at least 38 Stonechat territories (Stonechats were an additional species to record) were found. These were reported in more than 50% of the tetrads visited – providing some additional information for the ongoing Pembrokeshire Breeding Birds survey.

Fieldwork for the survey relied on a team of volunteers. The following observers contributed records:

John Best, Sam Bosanquet, Ian Bullock, Jonathon Copp, Richard Crossen, Richard Ellis, Steve Gerlach, Bob Haycock, Jane Hodges, Greg Morgan, Trevor Price, Graham Rees, Steve Sutcliffe and Matt Sutton.

October WeBS counts for Pembrokeshire

Red-throated Diver 1
Little Grebe 63
Great Crested Grebe 8
Cormorant 55
Shag 6
Little Egret 51
Grey Heron 31
Mute Swan 152
Greylag Goose 1
Canada Goose 872
Shelduck 14
Wigeon 3812
Teal 1451
Mallard 1076
Tufted Duck 3
Moorhen 141
Coot 79
Oystercatcher 525
Ringed Plover 34
Golden Plover 161
Dunlin 72
Snipe 40
Black-tailed Godwit 4
Bar-tailed Godwit 5
Whimbrel 1
Curlew 798
Redshank 227
Greenshank 16
Common Sandpiper 2
Turnstone 19
Kingfisher 3
Mediterranean Gull 12
Black-headed Gull 4615
Common Gull 1
Lesser Black-backed Gull 443
Herring Gull 1438
Great Black-backed Gull 96
Sandwich Tern 7
Guillemot 1
Razorbill 3
Sparrowhawk 1
Buzzard 6
Kestrel 1
Peregrine 2

September WeBS counts for Pembrokeshire

Little Grebe 44

Cormorant 57

Shag 2

Little Egret 77

Grey Heron 46

Mute Swan 174

Greylag Goose 2

Canada Goose 1972

Barnacle Goose 6

Light-bellied Brent Goose 1

Shelduck 23

Wigeon 914

Gadwall 3

Teal 600

Mallard 684

Pintail 6

Moorhen 75

Coot 90

Oystercatcher 580

Ringed Plover 61

Grey Plover 2

Knot 13

Sanderling 12

Dunlin 86

Ruff 1

Snipe 21

Bar-tailed Godwit 1

Whimbrel 1

Curlew 517

Spotted Redshank 1

Redshank 175

Greenshank 40

Common Sandpiper 4

Turnstone 50

Kingfisher 6

Mediterranean Gull 10

Black-headed Gull 2018

Common Gull 2

Lesser Black-backed Gull 172

Herring Gull 1045

Great Black-backed Gull 50

Sandwich Tern 10

Common Tern 1

Feral/hybrid goose 2

Manx Shearwater 2

Bar-headed Goose 2

Razorbill 1

Sparrowhawk 1

Buzzard 1

Peregrine 3

Wetland Bird Survey

The next count is on October 8th. We are looking for counters for the Pwllcrochan Flats and Trefloyne Pools. Any volunteers with reasonable ID skills for waders and wildfowl, please contact us - rushmoor1@tiscali.co.uk

Winter Plover Survey - Volunteers needed

More information at http://www.bto.org/survey/special/w-plover.htm

We have been allocated some random tetrads for survey, so any volunteers would be much appreciated. Contact me and I'll send the recording forms and maps. rushmoor1@tiscali.co.uk

St Bride's
Hermon (up in the north-east)
Templeton
Puncheston Common/Dyffryn Mawr area
Dudwells
Portheiddy/Llanrhian
Clarbeston Road
Dinas Island
Gupton Burrows
Merrion/Warren (Castlemartin).

Survey dates are based around the weekends of Oct 8th, Nov 19th, Dec 17th, Jan 21st, Feb 18th (same as Wetland Bird Survey)

All other records of Lapwing and Golden Plovers should be put onto the BTO website or birdtrack.

BTO summer surveys

Anyone taking part in the Breeding Bird Survey, the Waterways Breeding Bird Survey, the Dartford Warbler Survey, the Scarce Woodland Bird Survey or any other BTO survey that I've missed, please get your forms to us as soon as possible. For the Breeding Bird Survey, you can input your data directly onto the BTO BBS website, and so far four people have done so this year - I get a message saying that you have input data, so then I can stop chasing you for it.

Pembrokeshire Breeding Bird Atlas

With the season for breeding birds now pretty much at an end (though there were still a few wrens fledging in the last few days) I hope you can all find time soon to get all your records onto recording sheets and sent to Graham Rees as soon as possible. If things have gone to plan, we should end the season with some records for every tetrad in the county.
Even if you haven't recorded anything specifically for the atlas, records of green woodpecker, lesser spotted woodpecker, redstart and spotted flycatcher (among others) will be very much appreciated.

NB Graham Rees (Pembrokeshire Bird Recorder)
22 Priory Road, Haverfordwest, Pembrokeshire, SA67 8BB