Submitting records to the SOC Highland recorder
All records should be submitted by the electronic recording systems BirdTrack or eBird, both have mobile phone apps for Android and Apple devices.
Any records of rarities or rare breeding birds should be emailed as soon as possible to highlandrecorder@yahoo.com.
All records should be submitted by the electronic recording systems BirdTrack or eBird, both have mobile phone apps for Android and Apple devices.
Any records of rarities or rare breeding birds should be emailed as soon as possible to highlandrecorder@yahoo.com.
Submitting Records
The status of birds in Highland is constantly changing and the collation and publication of valid records submitted by all observers is a prime role of the SOC. Such records are not only of interest to birdwatchers but also help identify sites of particular importance to birds and hence aid conservation effort.
Records submitted to the Highland Recorder are used in compilation of the annual Highland Bird Report, national records are included in the Scottish Birds Records Committee report in the journal Scottish Birds, and rarities for the whole of Scotland, England, Wales and Northern Ireland are included in the British Birds Rarities Committee report in the journal British Birds.
What to Report
Although the highlight of a day’s birding may be the sighting of an unusual bird, the majority of records documented in the Highland Bird Report concern commoner species. It is important that we maintain a comprehensive and up to date picture of all species in our area. We also need to understand their movements through Highland and the arrival and departure dates of migrant species.
It is not always easy to know what to report but submitting more information, which can be edited or summarised, is preferable to too little. Reading through recent editions of Highland Bird Report should indicate the type of information we wish to collect.
These pointers to records of interest may help you decide what to submit:
It should be emphasized, however, that all records are welcome – it is better to receive more information than can be accommodated in the annual report than to lose any potentially significant records. All submitted records are stored electronically for future scrutiny.
The status of birds in Highland is constantly changing and the collation and publication of valid records submitted by all observers is a prime role of the SOC. Such records are not only of interest to birdwatchers but also help identify sites of particular importance to birds and hence aid conservation effort.
Records submitted to the Highland Recorder are used in compilation of the annual Highland Bird Report, national records are included in the Scottish Birds Records Committee report in the journal Scottish Birds, and rarities for the whole of Scotland, England, Wales and Northern Ireland are included in the British Birds Rarities Committee report in the journal British Birds.
What to Report
Although the highlight of a day’s birding may be the sighting of an unusual bird, the majority of records documented in the Highland Bird Report concern commoner species. It is important that we maintain a comprehensive and up to date picture of all species in our area. We also need to understand their movements through Highland and the arrival and departure dates of migrant species.
It is not always easy to know what to report but submitting more information, which can be edited or summarised, is preferable to too little. Reading through recent editions of Highland Bird Report should indicate the type of information we wish to collect.
These pointers to records of interest may help you decide what to submit:
- Arrival dates of summer visitors in spring
- First dates inland for species which desert the uplands in winter (e.g. oystercatcher, grey wagtail)
- Last dates of departing summer visitors in autumn
- Arrival dates of winter visitors in autumn
- Last dates of departing winter visitors in spring
- Records of rarities and scarce birds
- All records relating to influxes (e.g. Waxwing, Quail etc.)
- Counts of flocks of commoner species
- Regular counts throughout the year from a local ‘patch’
- Comments on increases or decreases of any species
- Counts of seabird passage (preferably for timed periods)
- First dates for song or other breeding behaviour in spring
- Breeding colony counts for colonial nesting species
- Data obtained from nest box schemes
- Notes of interesting or unusual behavior
- Plumage aberrations (e.g. albinism)
It should be emphasized, however, that all records are welcome – it is better to receive more information than can be accommodated in the annual report than to lose any potentially significant records. All submitted records are stored electronically for future scrutiny.
