BirdTrack Update: 26 June 2009

We are probably at the low point of the summer as far as migration goes, with spring birds now quieter and involved with breeding activities and the first returning waders a few days away.

Many birders will have enjoyed a couple of relatively showy Marsh Warblers in the last week. Birds at Amwell Gravel Pits in Hertfordshire and Otmoor in Oxfordshire were particularly well appreciated. Marsh Warblers have always been rare in Britain, peaking at just over 100 breeding pairs but down to 6-8 pairs in 2005. Although difficult to identify, spring birds are likely to be in song, which is an amazing, rambling mix of mimicry amidst a few acrocephalus sounds - listen to one from the Netherlands at Xeno Canto.

Interestingly more records of Marsh Warblers in recent years have come from the north and east, with breeding records from Orkney and Shetland. This ties in with the wider picture: the EBCC Atlas of European Breeding Birds (Hagemeijer & Blair, 1997) describes dramatic increases in Scandinavian populations and it is clear that this species, on the edge of its range in Britain, is generally expanding northwards.

Finally a couple of BirdTrack tips:

• You can use a single column format for entering species lists, rather than the two column format. This makes it easier to add breeding status to your records, and makes them more valuable for the Bird Atlas. When logged in click on your name or "My Details & Settings" to change your preference
• Also from "My Details & Settings" please check that your email address is correct so you can receive BirdTrack monthly update emails.

BirdTrack updates
We've made a few updates to the website recently, so if you haven't browsed around for a bit, then have a look. We now have results pages for all of Scotland and England, and anyone logging in may have noticed that we've changed the look of the site creation pages.

Bird Atlas 2007-11
We are now well through the second summer of fieldwork for Bird Atlas 2007-11. Records submitted to BirdTrack are an integral part of the Atlas process - please ensure that you record breeding statuses wherever possible to make your data even more useful. More information on why we need a new Atlas, and how you can help can be found here. To find out more about the relationship between BirdTrack and Atlas 2007-11, click here.

You can really see how your BirdTrack records count, and the maps below show the winter distribution of Buzzard in the last winter Atlas in 1981-84 (left) and BirdTrack records submitted during the first winter's fieldwork from November to February (right).

Anyone already registered for BirdTrack can easily set themselves up to take on Atlas fieldwork by following the Bird Atlas link from Survey Home. Don't forget though that all of the sightings you enter into BirdTrack will also be available for the Atlas, so there's no need to enter things twice. If you have any queries about the Atlas, then don't hesitate to get in touch with us.

Your records working for conservation
For more information on how your BirdTrack records are being used directly for conservation, check out the Bird Conservation Targeting Project. Project maps for farmland species can also be found on the main site here (and click on Agri-environment Targeting).

View all the archived BirdTrack news here.

To contact the BirdTrack Organiser
email:

It is now quick and easy to find out which birds can be found on your own doorstep or at your local Nature Reserve.

You can download a species list by entering your postcode, browsing through a list of Nature Reserves, or simply clicking on a map. You can then view species by month, by season (breeding or wintering) or all year round. To start downloading, simply click here.

Important Notices

Desktop wallpaper to download
Sorry for the delay in getting new wallpapers for you - we'll rectify this soon!

Periodically we upload stunning wallpapers you can download to your desktop. Currently you can choose from images of Great Northern Divers and Robin. These can be downloaded here.

We also now have a selection of recorders' photos online, so if you see something interesting, take a shot and send it in. The best, rarest or most unusual will add to our ever-growing library!

BirdTrack is an exciting project that looks at migration movements and distributions of birds throughout Britain and Ireland. BirdTrack provides facilities for observers to store and manage their own records and for forwarding records to their County Bird Recorders. The results will contribute to knowledge of birds and to their conservation at national, regional and local scales. BirdTrack developed from Migration Watch, which ran in the springs of 2002-2004. All of the data gathered through Migration Watch is incorporated within BirdTrack, though the old Migration Watch site can still be viewed here.

How do I register as a recorder? Click on the "Register for BirdTrack" button listed under 'Your options' in the blue box at the top left of this page and then choose the relevant page. On subsequent visits just click the "Login to enter sightings" button to enter the part of the site where you can enter and view your own data.

Update your email Click on 'Login to enter sightings' and you will arrive at Data Home. Click on 'My details and settings' and you can update your email there. You can also change the species order from alphabetical to taxonomic.

Bird recording outside Britain and Ireland. Visit www.worldbirds.org to find out about other countries with online recording systems that would welcome your records.

Website response times
Due to the success of the BTO’s online data gathering projects, our servers are often subject to very heavy use and this can sometimes cause slow response times. Peak activity is generally in the early evenings, so if you do experience difficulties, then you might like to use the system at the less busy times of day (i.e. mornings).