Tipperary Branch

BirdWatch Ireland Projects

BirdWatch Ireland is engaged in many projects concerning habitat preservation, ornithological surveys and research and education. Information on these projects can be found on the BirdWatch Ireland website at www.birdwatchireland.ie/ and in the BWI quarterly magazine "Wings".

The Atlas Challenge - Answer the Call

The Bird Atlas 2007-2011 is a joint project to map all of Ireland and Britain’s birds during both the winter and the breeding season. It is a working partnership between BirdWatch Ireland, the British Trust for Ornithology and the Scottish Ornithologists' Club. It will allow us to assess changes in bird distributions since previous breeding atlases in 1970 and 1990, and since the last winter atlas of the early 1980s. Atlases have been immensely important for furthering bird knowledge and conservation and Bird Atlas 2007-2011 is destined to set the agenda for the next decades of ornithological work in Ireland and Britain.

Fieldwork will span four winters and four breeding seasons, starting on 1 November 2007, during which we will cumulatively survey the whole of Ireland. To fulfil these objectives there are two complementary fieldwork methods which offer something for everyone - Roving Records and Timed Tetrad Visits.

To make the Bird Atlas a huge success and to achieve the necessary coverage in your county we need your help. So why not be one of 50,000 birdwatchers across Ireland and Britain helping to produce the biggest and best Bird Atlas ever. For further information or to get involved please contact Brian Caffrey at the BirdWatch Ireland Midlands Office or follow the link to find out more: www.birdatlas.net

18th March 2010 update:

Taking part couldn’t be simpler. Have a look at the list of species recorded for your 10-km square and go birdwatching to help fill in the gaps. Known as ‘Roving Records’ these bird sightings will help us produce accurate distribution maps for every Irish bird species. It is also important to note the highest level of breeding evidence that you observe for each species. If your local 10-km square is already well covered, then choose a nearby square where more help is needed. The breeding season runs from the 1st April – 31st July, however, breeding records outside this period are also important.

Click on the Atlas Website www.birdatlas.net , register and log on, then from the ‘Data Home Page’:

To view the list of species and levels of breeding evidence for a specific 10-km square click on‘Any Square Summary’

To view a 10-km map click on ‘Latest Results’ along the top tab then ‘Regional Results’ and click on your county.

To see which 10-km squares in your county need more help click on ‘Latest Results’ along the top tab then ‘Regional Results’ and click on your county.

To enter your bird sightings or ‘Roving Records’ click on ‘Add Roving Records’

Alternatively, contact Brian to have any of the paper forms, maps or details above posted or e-mailed to you.

Contact Details: Brian Caffrey, BirdWatch Ireland Midlands Office, Crank House, Banagher Co. Offaly.

Phone: 057 9151676 e-mail: bcaffrey@birdwatchireland.ie

The Importance of Breeding Evidence

There are three categories of breeding evidence, Possible, Probable & Confirmed. Each category has a number

of codes (outlined below) associated to it which describe the types of breeding behaviour you are likely to

encounter. Using your birdwatching skills, record the highest level of breeding evidence for each species that you

can. The ultimate aim is to confirm breeding for all those species that regularly nest in a 10-km square. Have a

look at the 10-km square species list for your local area, you may be surprised to find that many common species

still need to be confirmed breeding.

Possible Probable Confirmed

Code S: Singing Male Code D: Courtship & Display Code NE: Nest Containing Eggs

Top Tips for Recording Breeding Evidence

Some of the most useful codes are described below. For a full list of codes follow the link

(http://www.bto.org/birdatlas/taking_part/bevidence.htm) or contact Brian to have this information posted to you.

Possible Breeding

H (habitat) - most species you record in the breeding season will be in suitable breeding habitat so H can be used.

S (singing) - many of the species you encounter you detect by singing so S can be applied.

Probable Breeding

T (permanent territory) - this is a really useful code. If you hear several birds singing at the same time in a small

area then you use T. This is really important when visiting remote areas where it is likely that no one else will be

visiting again. If you re-visit your area at least a week later and record birds in the same places then use T.

P (pair) - use this when you see a pair in suitable nesting habitat.

D (courtship and display) - typically used for species well known for displaying such as Great Crested Grebe,

grouse, waders or raptors.

A (agitated behaviour) – if you are close to a nest or fledged young many species will give a distinctive alarm

call e.g. the piercing ‘kyip-kyip-kyip’ alarm call of a Redshank.

Confirmed Breeding

FF (faecal sac or food for young) – one of the easiest ways to confirm breeding is to look for adults carrying food

for young. A beakful of insects is a tell-tale sign.

ON (occupied nest) – look for adults entering or leaving a nest site.

FL (fledged young) – a useful code but should be used with caution. Recently fledged young are capable of

significant movements so look for young birds still dependent on adults e.g. feeding. A lone juvenile could

have come from many kilometres away and using FL is not appropriate.

Timing is Key

To confirm breeding for as many species as possible in a 10-km square then a few well-planned visits are

required. In some areas, a visit in March might be required to look for Ravens or breeding Crossbills. For most

of us, a visit in April will pick up early nesting species such as Rooks and Grey Heron and it will be easy to

record many resident species in song or displaying. If you hear several birds of the same species singing

against each other then record this as T (permanent territory) as this is one of the easiest ways to get to

probable breeding. From mid-April to the end of May migrants will be arriving and they can easily be

recorded singing on territory. During visits in June and July really look for adults carrying food for young and

listen out for agitated birds giving alarm calls, usually a signal of a nest or young nearby. For some of our

later nesting species such as Bullfinch and Spotted Flycatcher a visit in August may be the best time to

confirm breeding. Don’t forget about nocturnal visits for species such as Woodcock, Corncrake and owls.

Percentage of Expected Species Reported in Tipperary to Date (18th March 2010)

Breeding Season

Species Richness map key
Percentage of species found so far.
white=1-50%;
yellow=50-74%;
orange=75-90%;
red=greater than 90%
(Based on previous atlas data)

Winter Season

Home

Events