Where should I survey? In any of the 780 COG grid cells! COG’s annual bird report shows the number of record sheets per grid cell and inevitably, the easy-to-reach sites noted for their good variety of birds are heavily represented. While we don’t want to discourage birders from submitting records for those sites, please consider some of the under-represented Canberra Nature Parks or less-visited areas of Namadgi National Park.
How often should I survey the same site? If you have registered a formal BA 2-ha site, quarterly (once each season). But if you walk through the same area on, say, a daily basis, COG would be interested in more frequent records, say once per fortnight, supplemented by incidental records of unusual sightings on the other days.
What should I do if I’m not sure about the identity of a bird? Do not record it. If you see enough to be able to describe it reasonably well, send the details to the Rarities Panel rarities@canberrabirds.org.au – the Panel exists to assist new birders as well as to assess reports of rarities. Or if you prefer, subscribe to the COG chat line and put your description there and many more experienced birders will proffer their views.
I don’t have a GPS – how do I fill in lat/longs? There are several possibilities. You can borrow a GPS from COG – they are maintained by the Field Trips coordinator, currently Anthony Overs . You can buy an up-to-date map and work out the coordinates from it. You can check the COG website, www.canberrabirds.org.au which has a map. You can ask for help from any member of the Records Management Team at COG meetings. Or you can submit a paper record and leave the coordinates field blank, but with a clear description of where you were in the ‘location’ field – and if you request it, the person who checks your record will give you approximate coordinates for next time. If you use the electronic input form, lat/longs are automatically provided for popular locations.
How do I work out the COG grid cell? Grid cells comprise 2.5 minutes of latitude and longitude – so grid cell A1 is bounded by latitudes 34° 45’ 00’’ and 34° 47’ 30’’, and longitudes 148° 40’ 00’’ and 148° 42’ 30’’. And so on. A chart on the COG website will assist you; we also have a large map on display at meetings with grid cells marked on it. If you still aren’t sure, put in a paper record with the box unmarked, and one of the data checkers will complete it and let you know.
I can’t recognise all the birds in a two-hectare site in 20 minutes Don’t worry – you are probably in the majority! Just record what you identify with certainty. Consider spending some time in the site before you begin your ‘official’ survey, to give you more time to sort out the ‘little brown jobs’.
How do I start submitting records? If you can, attend a COG meeting, and seek out a member of the Records Management Team for advice. If you are an experienced birder and want to submit your records electronically, request a COG code and a password from the database manager Paul Fennell (ptf@grapevine.com.au) and you will be given instructions. If you prefer to submit your records on paper, collect Observation Record Forms from COG meetings, request them from the COG secretary (cogoffice@canberrabirds.org.au) or download them from the ‘forms’ section of the COG website www.canberrabirds.org.au – when you have completed them, drop them in the red box at meetings, or mail to COG Records Officer, PO Box 301, Civic Square ACT 2608.
What is a record? A record is an individual indication of the abundance of a species you have noted in a given survey – e.g. 5 Brown Thornbill.
How do I get a COG code? For paper records, simply submit your form with the ‘code’ section blank – the records officer will provide you with your code for future use. For electronic records, ask the database manager Paul Fennell ptf@grapevine.com.au.
How do I know which birds are unusual in the Canberra region? COG publishes on its website, under the ‘forms’ option, two lists for you to consult: the Annotated Checklist of the Birds of the Australian Capital Territory; and the Rarities Panel list of unusual birds in the broader COG area of concern. COG has a policy of not publishing records of ‘unusual’ birds (those on the Rarities Panel list and any other not on the COG observation record sheet). Please note that many birds that are designated ‘unusual’ in our region are quite common elsewhere.
How do I know if something is really worth reporting? Read the most recent COG annual bird report (Canberra Bird Notes 32 (1) March 2007). This will answer most questions such as, how commonly ‘summer migrants’ in fact overwinter (if few or none has been recorded as doing so, and you see one, make sure you put in a record); or how many hobbies are generally seen together (if you see more than one together, put in a record); or how common is it to see Golden Whistlers breeding (not very – so put in a record). If in doubt, put a record in - and in the unlikely event that the data checkers find you are reporting the obvious too frequently, they will doubtless contact you. Broadly speaking, even for a beginner, if you see a quite different bird in a place you frequent, or if you see more of a given species than usual, or if you see an indication of breeding, report it – at least the first and last sightings of a migratory bird, or each stage of the breeding process.
In summary, all records are important, and formal surveys of all species are particularly so. But please also put in incidental reports of the following which you might see when you are not conducting a survey:
I go for a daily walk in the same spot – how often should I put in records? Probably once per fortnight is sufficient, supplemented by incidental records of special birds or breeding sighted on the days you don’t put in your formal survey.
I’ve been watching a nest – how often should I put in records? Once for each stage of the breeding process (nest building, on nest, feeding young etc).
How can I be sure I’m not double-counting, with very mobile species such as parrots? You can never be sure, especially in area searches. This is where the ‘best estimate’ rule comes in. This is also why it might be more accurate to do two-hectare searches.
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