However, there is a box for 'other birds and wildlife seen in your hour' so you could specify 'sparrowhawk flew over but didn't land', then they can take it into account or not as appropiate, but you will have registered its presence.
'If you have a garden and a library, you have everything you need.'
If we just do what the RSPB asks us to, no more and no less, with all the instructions observed literally, then the survey will work as they have designed it to. Unfortunately people start interpreting it for their own preferences (I've seen them at it), so the survey returns have to be modified to compensate for bias and silliness as well as for ID skills.
It's not meant to be a twitchers' competition - we can do that during the other 8783 hours this year. Enjoy the day, and even if you only see one Dunnock then that's a valid result.
I do try to follow the rules and and I know that even a nil result is 'valid', but as mine is the only house within at least a square mile doing the survey, and probably 4 times that, it would be nice if I were able to give a representative picture of what is living here. It isn't as if a neighbour is going to fill in the gaps
Sorry Buttercup, but I'm afraid that's not the way the survey works. If you want to give someone a representative picture of your 4 square miles, your local ornithological society would love to have all your records.
Was late home from work so caught The Archers on the car radio this evening .....they gave a great plug for the birdwatch this weekend, with one of the characters not only declaring she would be taking part, but also explaining (to her rather bewildered lunch companion) what it was all about. Wonder if that sort of exposure puts participation rates up?
I'm sure it must. Not necessarily because everyone's thinking "I simply must emulate so-and-so from the Archers" but it's just a familiarity thing. They'll hear it on there and then when they see something about it elsewhere they've already heard of it... which makes it more accessible.
'If you have a garden and a library, you have everything you need.'
I have already done my Garden Birdwatch - last weekend - by mistake - I didn't know the date! (I wondered why I couldn't find anywhere online to record my result!) So it will be very interesting to see the difference between my two lists. I was puzzled not to see any sparrows, but have just seen two outside my computer window, hope they will consent to join in. I didn't have a thrush or dunnock this time, either, but I did note one new visitor, a very stroppy siskin. He refused to let anyone else onto the feedtable, he just swore at them and spread his wings intimidatingly. It worked, too, and he's just a little bird.
Looking forward to seeing results from everyone. Good luck, hope it's not raining.
It will be interesting to see the difference in your results - I hope you don't have an experience like mine last year (precious little turning up in the allotted time, although they'd been around the day before and reappeared the day after). Good luck!
Quite a lot of rain forecast for me over the weekend (SE London) and I've got a pretty hectic weekend lined up so won't be able to necessarily pick the best time depending on the weather. Oh well, fingers crossed.
'If you have a garden and a library, you have everything you need.'
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Aha! Found it, thank you.
However, there is a box for 'other birds and wildlife seen in your hour' so you could specify 'sparrowhawk flew over but didn't land', then they can take it into account or not as appropiate, but you will have registered its presence.
Mostly I get the tit variety, pigeons, starlings, robins and sparrows
this is morning I was emptying the washing machine and happened to glance out of the window. There was a sparrow hawk perched on my fence!
If we just do what the RSPB asks us to, no more and no less, with all the instructions observed literally, then the survey will work as they have designed it to. Unfortunately people start interpreting it for their own preferences (I've seen them at it), so the survey returns have to be modified to compensate for bias and silliness as well as for ID skills.
It's not meant to be a twitchers' competition - we can do that during the other 8783 hours this year. Enjoy the day, and even if you only see one Dunnock then that's a valid result.
I do try to follow the rules and and I know that even a nil result is 'valid', but as mine is the only house within at least a square mile doing the survey, and probably 4 times that, it would be nice if I were able to give a representative picture of what is living here. It isn't as if a neighbour is going to fill in the gaps
Sorry Buttercup, but I'm afraid that's not the way the survey works. If you want to give someone a representative picture of your 4 square miles, your local ornithological society would love to have all your records.
Was late home from work so caught The Archers on the car radio this evening .....they gave a great plug for the birdwatch this weekend, with one of the characters not only declaring she would be taking part, but also explaining (to her rather bewildered lunch companion) what it was all about. Wonder if that sort of exposure puts participation rates up?
I'm sure it must. Not necessarily because everyone's thinking "I simply must emulate so-and-so from the Archers" but it's just a familiarity thing. They'll hear it on there and then when they see something about it elsewhere they've already heard of it... which makes it more accessible.
I have already done my Garden Birdwatch - last weekend - by mistake - I didn't know the date! (I wondered why I couldn't find anywhere online to record my result!) So it will be very interesting to see the difference between my two lists. I was puzzled not to see any sparrows, but have just seen two outside my computer window, hope they will consent to join in. I didn't have a thrush or dunnock this time, either, but I did note one new visitor, a very stroppy siskin. He refused to let anyone else onto the feedtable, he just swore at them and spread his wings intimidatingly. It worked, too, and he's just a little bird.
Looking forward to seeing results from everyone. Good luck, hope it's not raining.
It will be interesting to see the difference in your results - I hope you don't have an experience like mine last year (precious little turning up in the allotted time, although they'd been around the day before and reappeared the day after). Good luck!
Quite a lot of rain forecast for me over the weekend (SE London) and I've got a pretty hectic weekend lined up so won't be able to necessarily pick the best time depending on the weather. Oh well, fingers crossed.