Travelling a couple of miles by car for a 6km walk is the furthest I’ve been for weeks. But we are in mid-May and the May is out in flower, and this is the time for the first visit to Breeding Bird Survey squares.
I can see why the BTO hasn’t yet updated its guidance after Johnson’s confusing explanation of what we all ought to be doing, and of course the BBS is a UK-wide survey and things are different in England from Northern Ireland, Wales and Scotland in terms of official advice and instruction, but it wasn’t hard for me. My survey route is all on public rights of way (so I didn’t feel I had to ask anyone) and the chance of seeing anyone at 6am while I am surveying is (based on years of experience) about 25%, and the chance of being in a situation where any other person and I could not, with good will and sense, keep 2m apart is zero.
So, today I did my first BBS visit to my first BBS square. It was a bit dull bird-wise but I have entered the data online and they are available to the BTO for ever.
It was cold, it was a bit birdless, but it was well worth doing and ‘r’ will not have been affected (and I had some exercise).
It was good to be out. And I did record my first Red Kite on this site in 16 years of data collection – so that’s something.
And when I got home there was a male Peregrine over the house and the remains of yesterday’s rhubarb crumble for breakfast.
[registration_form]
Of Course whilst the advice from BTO has changed in England it has not here in Wales. We are still not permitted to survey, our Schedule One and Ringing permits are suspended outside our own property etc. I am almost but not quite the only person walking along the two exercise routes I use along the upper Severn, yet officially I cannot nest record the Red Kite, Carrion Crow or Little Ringed Plover nests or Goosander brood I pass twice or three times a week for the NRS scheme.
It is utter nonsense, I am not out there looking for nests I am there legitimately for my exercise and walking our dog, but you cannot help but notice these things as a naturalist, not recording them goes very much against the grain.