Bird Monitoring Network in Ireland BirdLink Bird Monitoring Network in Ireland

Birdwatch Ireland Surveys BirdWatch Ireland have a range of bird surveys ongoing - there is a survey for everyone. These surveys help to generate an interest in Birds & BirdWatch Ireland. They also help to raise awareness of conservation issues. But perhaps most importantly, they generate essential data which allows us to monitor the health of our avifauna.

Birdwatch Ireland Volunteer Surveys Garden Bird Survey BWI have a range of bird surveys ongoing - there is a survey for everyone. These surveys help to generate an interest in Birds & BWI. They also help to raise awareness of conservation issues. But perhaps most importantly, they generate essential data which allows us to monitor the health of out nations avifauna. BirdTrack Seabird Monitoring Programme

BirdWatch Ireland Survey Coordinators Each survey is coordinated by a BWI PO – Helen, Dick, Olivia, Brian ect….. (Please send me photos of you to include here) You might be familiar with some of these faces….

Survey volunteers From our Wicklow & Banagher offices PO’s manage a network of dedicated volunteers across the country. Some surveys require relatively little input from PO’s such as Spring Alive, BirdTrack and GBS, while other surveys such as CBS, I-WeBS and Atlas require significant levels of coordination. Already we have some volunteers that take on a coordination role in some counties/regions for some of these surveys – i.e. Atlas & I-WeBS. Now we are looking into the idea of building up and improving this network – hence the idea of developing a Bird Monitoring Network in Ireland.

BirdLink Primary Objective ‘Local Knowledge National Needs: To use key contacts to help us address our conservation priorities’ 1) Cultivate local links, encouraging a sense of 2) Encourage branch members & local community to take on a bird survey. Retention is imortant. 3) Help to get more squares/sites covered. Local knowledge to match vol’s with squares. This will be of enormous benefit to us in planning new surveys of species we’re not overly familiar with 4) At branch meetings/events remind about survey dates, training days, new surveys and correspondence from PO’s 5) Help to deliver training workshops/talks/field visits. 6) Facilitate the pairing up of new volunteers with more experienced surveyors 7) Training, talks & workshops. 8) Better monitoring of local designated sites and establish IBA caretakers 9) Help improve coordination of regional recording – bring together records. 10) Where they don’t exist and also improve feed in to established bird reports

Establish a Familiar Face Establish a BirdLink coordinator(s) in every county/region. Local point of contact for volunteers

Improved Communication To provide a link between the Project Officers and BirdWatch Ireland Branches Provide information on survey dates, training, new surveys

Improved Volunteer Numbers & Confidence Increase survey volunteer numbers Improved retention of survey volunteers

Better Coverage Fill gaps in our knowledge of birds at a regional scale Match volunteers to local squares/sites.

Improved Survey Skills Improve survey skills & understanding of survey methodology Help organise/run training events & workshops Pair up new volunteers with established counters Sometimes volunteers won’t ask obvious questions because they feel they should already know the answer. Help alleviate volunteer ‘fears’ of taking on a new survey.

Bird ID Skills Seagull Puffin Robin Improve bird id skills

Down the line………………..

IBA’s Better monitoring of our IBA’s. Establish IBA caretakers

Local Bird Reports More of them Easier collation of data

Coordinated approach to bird recording

Some more detail….

Current BirdWatch Ireland Branches BirdLink will work best through the Branch network

BirdLink will not replace the Project Officer, but will act as a link between Project Officers and Branches Every Branch is different, so a flexible approach will be required. BirdLink will not be required to deal with forms, post, data input, admin. A nominated BirdWatch Ireland Staff member will provide support, training & advice to BirdLink. Establish an online forum for BirdLink coordinators

The Ideal skills for BirdLink Coordination in your region Good communication skills Active participant in bird surveys & good knowledge of survey methodologies Good bird id skills Familiarity with the birds, birdwatchers and habitats within their region. Working knowledge of online bird recording systems Note that this is the list of IDEAL skills, we understand that any one person is very unlikely to have all these skills.

This is the list of IDEAL skills – any one person is not likely to have all these skills. You could work as a team!

Next steps…….. Your feedback – please visit the BirdWatch Ireland website for further details about BirdLink and complete our questionnaire