The York Ornithological Club - birds and birdwatching in York and North Yorkshire

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Bird sightings in the York Recording Area
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Our bird recording activities
in York and North Yorkshire

The YOC has the responsibility for recording bird observations over a wide area of North Yorkshire. The area which we cover is 1,500 sq.km. (about 580 sq.miles) - the fifteen 10 km. squares with the City of York nearly in the centre. You will appreciate this clearer by looking at the colour map of our Recording Area, which is also a useful guide to some of the birdwatching sites in our area. See also our guidelines on How to submit records of bird sightings.

For information on survey work in our area carried out by English Nature, click here


Our boundaries are approximately:
  • North: Ampleforth, on the southern edge of the North Yorkshire Moors
  • South: Just beyond the small town of Selby, on the River Wharfe
  • East: Malton and Garrowby Hill, on the edge of the Yorkshire Wolds
  • West: Just west of the small towns of Easingwold in the north and Sherburn in Elmet in the south
How do we get our information?
 Records of sightings and observations are sent to us by:
  • Our members (both verbally at our monthly meetings and in writing throughout the year)
  • Other birdwatchers in the area, such as members of the RSPB (although many of them are also members of our Club)
  • Visitors to the area
Please send all records to our Recorder:
Mr Andy Booth
9 Wenlock Terrace, Fulford, York, YO10 4DU
Tel: 01904 628947 Email: recorder@yorkbirding.org.uk

What kinds of bird records are important?
 We would sooner have too many records, than too few! We are interested not only in rare or unusual birds, but also in building up, over the years, information on changes in bird populations in our area.

So, the types of information in which we are interested are:
  • Arrival and departure dates of migrants and seasonal visitors
  • Breeding records - dates and numbers
  • Flock sizes throughout the year
  • Changes which the observer has noticed from one season to another
  • Unusual or interesting observations of bird behaviour
  • .. and, of course, scarce or rare birds

Shelduck sightings wanted

During the summer of 2001 a total of 46 Shelduck ducklings were colour-ringed as part of a study on this birds in the valley. While coastal Shelducks have been well studied there appears to have been little investigation into inland breeding birds, perhaps as a result of their dispersed nature away from the coast or estuarine site. Birds have been marked with Black darvic rings with two white letter, eg DA, DB, DC and so on.

It is hoped that this will give us a better idea of how many pairs breed in the Lower Derwent (estimated at c100 pairs) and how they use the site throughout the breeding season. Several young ringed this year walked 6Km from Aughton to Breighton on their trip to the Humber before fledging. One three week old duckling achieved this is just three days

How to submit records
 We welcome your records of bird sightings in our Recording Area. These should be sent to our Recorder (contact details above). You can also use our Online Sightings Form online, but please make sure that you include all the relevant information.

The records must be in the new taxonomic order issued by the British Ornithologists' Union. Ideally, your records should either be typed or in electronic format - but legible handwriting is quite acceptable! Check out our submission guidelines here

Please ensure that your name and contact details are included.

For each species / sighting, please ensure that you give the date and location of your records. If the location is obscure, a 6-figure grid reference would be appreciated.

For rare or unusual birds, a detailed field description must be given if we are to accept your record and pass it on to the appropriate bodies for regional / national acceptance.

 Publishing our records
Each year, YOC produces an Annual Bird Report, compiled by the Recorder and a team of Assistant Recorders (see our 'Organisation' page for their names).

The 2001 Report is now available and can be purchased for the price of £4.00 (including P&P) from our Secretary: Peter Watson, 1 Oak Villa, Hodgson Lane, Upper Poppleton, York YO26 6EA Tel: 01904 795063
 




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