Bird Atlas 2007-11

Tetrads status as of July 2010 Yellow dots: No records Grey dots 1-14 species Orange dots 15-24 species Red dots 25-39 species Black dots 40+ species         Data provided by Dave Ferguson

Most of you accessing this site will be aware of the BTO atlas project to produce a concurrent winter and breeding atlas over the next 4 years (using 10km x 10km squares. However what you might not know is that there is also a plan to produce a detailed Bucks atlas at the tetrad (2km x 2km) level using the same data.

This will then give us the chance of assessing the species local to Bucks interest and perhaps answer some of the following imponderables.

Just how many Buzzards and Ravens are establishing themselves?

How are Corn Buntings, Partridges and other farmland birds faring in the north and west?

A Corn Bunting and the species distribution map from the "Birds of Buckinghamshire" 1991.  The species has declined significabtly since that time.

Are Willow Tits and Lesser Spotted Woodpeckers almost gone?

The map from the 1991 Birds of Buckinghamshire shoes that the Lesser Spotted Woodpecker was scarce at that time.  Has the species declined since that time?

In the winter where do Bramblings go during the day?

I’m sure you could think of many more.

As some preliminary analysis will be done after the first year it might not be 4 years before some answers emerge. But that means we need plenty of surveyors to cover as many of the (approx 500) tetrads as possible.

The BTO website has all the details and a quick and easy method of choosing your very own tetrads (some have already done this). So I would urge you to visit that and select a favourite tetrad. Or you might like to choose an area you aren’t familiar with and go on a voyage of discovery.

I would also suggest you to use the link and read the excellent article by Dawn Balmer who is running the BTO survey, but if you want more information or clarification then please contact me.

David Lee

Telephone: 01492 650335

Email: oldfield51@btinternet.com