Recording Birds by Matthew Shaft

Allegations that Matthew’s sole claim to fame is that in Cornwall he can detect a pasty outlet from a distance of 3 miles, is not only scurrilous but possibly exaggerated, and will not be repeated here. Whilst in Norfolk he was also able to detect a sandwich bar from 2 miles, in thick fog.

Matthew is an experienced naturalist, and here he writes about how to record wildlife. He will always be seen with his notebook in hand, forever adding notes and ticks to every creature he hears or sees. Science as yet has been unable to decipher these hieroglyphs, but finalised on computer, they are superb kept records of the vast area that he covers.

If you are willing to have a go at recording species, organisations will welcome you with profound thanks. This will be a symbiotic relationship as you will derive satisfaction from the challenge. You do not have to be an expert, you could simply record your garden birds, and as a health warning, those at home should not attempt what Matthew does. You will probably be quite happy to have your own patch or two. Matthew has 7 of these, and he records all other fauna, as well as birds, and these total over 20 square miles! He records for the BTO, HOS and for his own extensive files. He is also a meteorologist which again he records, and on top of all this, he manages the odd hour of sleep.

With 12 feeders in his garden, his birds are probably better fed than even those of Bernard Matthews, and certainly happier. His regular visitors include Woodpeckers, Finches, and in the winter of 2004, recorded 220 Bramblings, as far as we know, the second highest garden record in Hampshire. A strange sight is seeing up to 5 foxes eating dropped bird seed, with pheasants, magpies and other birds feeing with them. We can offer no explanation as to why they are oblivious to one another.

No, Matthew does not own a manor house with landscaped gardens, but actually just a small garden on the outskirts of Petersfield.

Wildlife recording by Matthew Shaft

Why record wildlife? Recording what is seen when out and about, can be fun and interesting. We can then read what has been recorded, and usually are surprised at how much has been seen. Recording also has a more serious purpose. Without it, conservation bodies and others, would lack information on how a particular species is faring. By keeping records year after year, we can ascertain which species are doing well and those that are declining in numbers, and therefore have scientific back-up for any conservation endeavours that may be required.

Bird recording

For about the last ten years I have been recording every bird I come across, on any of my birding trips. I have several local patches, which I survey at least once a month. With a wealth of data for the past decade, I can detect trends in East Hants and on each of my local patches, such as; continuing declines for Lesser Whitethroat and Spotted Flycatcher; a serious decline in Willow Warbler since 1998; a recent decline for Kestrel and Mistle Thrush which may have now halted; a recent increase in Bullfinch; Firecrest becoming much less scarce in the past few years; a continuing increase for Buzzard, Blackcap, Chiffchaff and Nuthatch.

The British Trust for Ornithology (BTO) offers a number of surveys which you can participate in. One of the most simple is the BTO/CJ Garden Birdwatch. This is a year- round survey of birds in your own garden. You can spend as little, or as long, as you want, noting each week which birds are in the garden, then filling in a simple form for that week. There is no problem if you are away, as that week can simply be left blank on the form. This survey, which started in 1995, has become very important in monitoring common species such as Starling and House Sparrow, which most other surveys are unable to do. With over 17,000 participants, this survey is the largest year round study of garden birds, anywhere in the world.

The Heronries Census is another simple survey. All this involves is counting the occupied nests of Grey Herons (and now Little Egrets) and filling in a simple card. This survey first started in 1928 and is the longest continuous bird survey in the world.

The BTO/JNCC/RSPB Breeding Bird Survey is another easy survey, but requires knowledge of bird identity and song. This requires three visits each spring, of about an hour and a half, to a randomly selected grid reference, but obviously the location must suit you. Once you have been allocated a grid square by the BTO, you need to sort out two transects in the square, each a kilometer long. The initial visit is to record habitat Although some people find this daunting, I find habitat recording very interesting, as it helps me to recognize different crops and flora. An understanding of habitat helps in understanding particular requirements of species.

The first survey is carried out in mid-spring, the next in late spring/early summer. You record onto a form, each bird seen or heard, as you walk each transect.

The BTO offer many more surveys. These can be found on their web site at www.bto.org

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A short anecdote-

In February 2005, I saw Matthew on a transect, and asked if he wished to have a ride to see the Waxwings that had just arrived in Bordon. As he has never before seen these birds, he jumped at the chance, so off went. Being easy to see, colourful, in a flock, we quickly located our quarry.

We were close to the birds as we watched them with our binoculars. I was awaiting the usual reaction, a slow drawn-out ‘Coorrrrrr’ but instead after a minute or two, I was surprised to hear Matthew utter the words, ‘Forty six’. Puzzled, I enquired what he was talking about.

Rather than admire the unique colours, behaviour and beauty of these birds, Matthew’s first reaction was to - - - - - - count them. This just gives a small insight into how we are all different. I rarely count anything, but am still occasionally accepted by the professionals.

You do not have to finish up like this, Matthew records everything (one unfortunate consequence being that he always knows how much money I owe him). It was only minutes later that the ‘cor’ factor achieved its rightful prominence.

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