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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 2006-2011
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 2006-2009, at least 70% of the c540 tetrads in the county have received 2 or more hours of timed
coverage. We aim to increase this to over 100% by the end of July 2011 (with 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. Click how to help for further information on methods and how to get involved, or click www.birdatlas.net for full details of the national atlas which Waterford fieldwork will be part of. See also a list
of frequently-asked questions, and the Winter Atlas page for fuller details of the winter survey. Latest update 11 July 2010.
See species maps & 10-km summaries
Download 2009 report (added Nov 2009) 2008 report national newsletter (August 2009) methods summary survey forms
Coverage update: 2010 season
Fieldwork for the 5th season of the Waterford Atlas (and 2nd breeding season of the national atlas)
is now well underway. Known coverage in 2010 is mapped below but not all coverage has been reported yet. At least 108
tetrads (20% of county total) have had an hour or more of timed coverage so far this season, and at least 237 tetrads
(44%) have contributed some records. For comparison, tetrads with 2 hours coverage during 2006-2009 are also indicated.
Coverage update: 2006-2010 seasons combined
In total over the first 5 seasons of the Breeding Atlas at least 486 tetrads (90% of
the county total) have had an hour or more of timed coverage. (Not all data for 2010 have been collated yet.) Of
these, at least 454 tetrads (84%) have had 2+ hours, 142 (26%) 3+ hours and 74 (14%) 4+ hours of coverage. Records
have been collected from at least 536 tetrads (99%) overall. Total timed coverage achieved to date has been at least 1405
hours (equivalent to about 350 half-days), additional to further (unquantified) fieldwork contributing Roving Records. See
10-km summaries for list of species and their maximum breeding status during 2008 or 2009 (Waterford Atlas data also contributing to national
atlas coverage).
Tetrad
priorities & allocations for the coming seasons
The maps
below show three categories of 'priority' tetrads for timed coverage (Timed Tetrad Visits) over
the final two breeding seasons (2010 & 2011) and indicate those which have been allocated, so far, to specific
observers for timed coverage (TTVs). In addition, Roving Records are needed from all
tetrads in the county - particularly confirmed breeding of any species, and records of scarcer or nocturnal species. Updated 6 April 2010.
Priority 1: Full tetrads which have not yet had
at least 2 hours of timed coverage in 2006-09.
9 tetrads still available
(open circles below) + 111 allocated:
Priority 2: Full tetrads that had 2+ hours coverage
in 2006-07, but not in 2008-09, for which further coverage during the National atlas period (2008-11) will help assess
changes since 1988-91, when these tetrads were also covered. (Note: tetrads with at least 4 hours of coverage since
2006 are excluded.)
29 tetrads still available
(open squares below) + 15 allocated:
Priority 3: Partial tetrads which had no coverage,
or < 1 hr of coverage, in 2006-09; either coastal (midpoint below HWM) or border 'fragments' (with <15% of the area
in Co Waterford). These partial tetrads will require at least 1 hour of timed coverage for the Waterford atlas, but
will probably not contribute timed coverage to the National atlas (data will be submitted to latter as Roving Records).
10 tetrads still available
(full TTVs not required) + 6 allocated:
Coverage update: 2009 season
Known coverage during April-July 2009 is mapped below but not all coverage may have been reported yet. At
least 108 tetrads (20% of county total) had an hour or more of timed coverage this season, and 262+ tetrads (48%) contributed
some records.
Coverage: nocturnal and crepuscular species 2006-2009
The map below shows tetrads with records of Water Rail, Woodcock, Snipe or Long-eared Owl, species that
often require targeted fieldwork at dusk or nocturnally. Tetrads checked at dusk or nocturnally but without
success are also shown. Records of other relevant species are not currently mapped - Barn Owl, Nightjar and Corncrake (to maintain site-confidentiality),
or Grasshopper Warbler (many diurnal records and some involve migrants).
Coverage: 2008
The map below shows known coverage of tetrads in Co Waterford from 1st April to 31st July 2008. At least 129 tetrads (24% of county total) had two
hours or more of timed coverage this season, for both local and national atlas purposes, while a further 10 tetrads had
at least one hour of coverage. In total, records were collected for at least 311 tetrads (58% of county total)
in breeding season 2008. Updated 23/11/2008.
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Numbers of breeding species: 2008 & 2009 seasons combined
Numbers of possible, probable or confirmed breeding species per tetrad are mapped below, based on the
latest two seasons' results (2006 & 2007 data not added yet). Migrants, non-breeders and species with unspecified
breeding status (or recorded as direct fly-overs / flypasts only) are excluded.
Preliminary species maps
See sample maps below, and click here for other maps (updated 28/11/2009).
Species richness by 10-km square
The map below (from www.birdatlas.net) summarises coverage reported online since 1/4/2008 (excluding migrants and other non-breeders) as a % of the species
totals recorded in each square in the previous Breeding Atlas (1988-1991). Red
= over 90% of previous total; orange = 75-90%;
yellow = 50-74%; white
= 1-50%. Updated 18 Feb 2010.
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Timed Tetrad Visit allocation: Britain & Ireland
Timed tetrad coverage: Britain & Ireland
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