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The Waterford Breeding Bird Atlas 2006-2012

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Waterford maps   national maps   list of main 10-km squares

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This project is funded by the Heritage Council (Wildlife Grant 2008 and 2009, Heritage Grant 2010)

The Waterford Breeding Bird Atlas 2006-2013
 
 

What is it? 

The Waterford Breeding Bird Atlas is a  project to map, at the level of 2-km x 2-km tetrads, the occurrence and status of breeding and summering birds throughout County Waterford. During fieldwork in April-July of the years 2006-2011, almost 100% of the c540 tetrads in the county received 2 or more hours of timed coverage. By the end of July 2012, we aimed to achieve 3 or 4 hours coverage in as many tetrads as possible. Results will be published as detailed maps both online and in print form, providing the most thorough documentation to date of Waterford’s breeding avifauna. This will provide a baseline for assessment of future changes and allow documentation of important breeding habitats in the county. See below for further details of coverage to date.  Update: fieldwork continues 2013 (further improving timed coverage timed coverage and targeting particular species or habitats)   Latest update 21 March 2013.                         

 

See also species maps 

 

Download  2010 pdf report (added Dec 2010)  2009 report (added Nov 2009)   2008 report    national newsletter (August 2009)   methods summary   survey forms

 

 

Coverage update: 2006-2012 seasons combined

Up to 31/7/2012, over 7 seasons of the Breeding Atlas, at least 522 tetrads (97% of the county total) have had 1 hour or more of timed coverage. Of these, at least 503 tetrads (93%) have had 2+ hours, 300 (56%) 3+ hours  and 173 (32%) 4+ hours of coverage. Another 16 "partial" tetrads, often with very little land-area, have had less than an hour's coverage, and in total records have been collected from 538 tetrads. Total timed coverage achieved exceeds 1670 hours, additional to further (unquantified) fieldwork contributing Roving Records. Coverage totals exclude fieldwork in adjacent parts of bordering counties (when border tetrads have been covered).

 

The map below summarizes coverage taking account of the area of land (or freshwater) within Co Waterford. Square symbols indicate a coverage intensity of 1+ hour per square km (equivalent to 4+ hours for a full tetrad with no sea-area and fully within Waterford). Calculations are based on tetrad area to nearest 0.25 square km (inside Waterford county or vice-county) or, if <0.25, rounded up to 0.25 square km. Open sea, coastal intertidal areas and land in adjacent counties are excluded, but those parts of Cos Tipperary and Kilkenny south of the Suir, i.e. in Waterford vice-county H6, are included.  Updated 05/04/2013

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Coverage update: 2012 season

Up to 19/6/2012, 119 tetrads (22% of the county total) - map below - have had some timed coverage this season (10-240 mins each), i.e. compiling lists of species and breeding status. Of these, 49 tetrads (9%) have had 1+ hour of coverage. In addition, dusk or nocturnal surveys have been done in at least 17 tetrads and roving/casual records have been collected in further tetrads (not yet mapped). Fieldwork up to July 2012 will target tetrads with <4 hrs of timed coverage coverage (since 2006), specific habitats (e.g. woodland, reedbeds & marshes) and selected nocturnal or other scarce or difficult-to-find species (e.g. Woodcock, Long-eared Owl). Updated 19/06/2012

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Coverage update: 2006-2011 seasons combined

Up to 31/7/2011, over the 6 seasons of the Breeding Atlas, at least 519 tetrads (96% of the county total) have had 1 hour or more of timed coverage, i.e. targeted fieldwork during which full species lists and notes of breeding status have been compiled. Of these, at least 497 tetrads (92%) have had 2+ hours, 247 (46%) 3+ hours  and 131 (24%) 4+ hours of coverage. Another 16 "partial" tetrads, often with very little land-area, have had less than an hour's coverage, and in total records have been collected from at least 537 (99.6%) of the 539 land-tetrads targeted. Total timed coverage achieved exceeds 1600 hours (equivalent to >400 mornings), additional to further (unquantified) fieldwork contributing Roving Records. Coverage totals exclude fieldwork in adjacent parts of bordering counties (when border tetrads have been covered). Updated 11/04/2012

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Coverage intensity: 2006-2011 seasons combined

The map below summarizes the same coverage figures as above but taking account of the area of land (or freshwater) within Co Waterford. Square symbols indicate a coverage intensity of 1+ hour per square km (equivalent to 4+ hours for a full tetrad with no sea-area and fully within Waterford). Calculations are based on tetrad area to nearest 0.25 square km (inside Waterford county or vice-county) or, if <0.25, rounded up to 0.25 square km. Open sea, coastal intertidal areas and land in adjacent counties are excluded, but those parts of Cos Tipperary and Kilkenny south of the Suir, i.e. in Waterford vice-county H6, are included. Updated 11/04/2012

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Coverage update: 2011 season

 Only timed coverage within Co. Waterford is shown.

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Numbers of breeding species: 2008-2010 seasons combined

Numbers of possible, probable or confirmed breeding species per tetrad are mapped below, based on the latest three seasons' results (2006, 2007 and 2011 data not added yet).  Migrants, non-breeders and species with unspecified breeding status (or recorded as direct fly-overs / flypasts only) are excluded. Updated 22/11/2010.

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Preliminary species maps
See sample maps below, and click here for other maps (updated 22/12/2010).  Note full details of 2006 & 2007 records have not yet been added to all maps.

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