Cooling Reserve - Breeding Bird Survey
From mid-April for 6-8 weeks, Friends of the Wild Spaces Fund conduct
a series of bird counts to establish the breeding
bird population of the reserve. Morning surveys are chosen to
observe the birds when they are most vocal, allowing for optimal observation
of species present, so it's an early rise for our keen observer, starting
before sunrise and usually completing the count by mid-morning.
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Using the many natural boundaries, we conveniently divide up the 179-acre site into 13 manageable plots of about 6 hectares, allowing our observer to note species present in particular areas. Without causing undue disturbance, finding nests amongst the thickly reeded dykes is virtually impossible, so we have to rely on other evidence. Birds carrying nesting material, food or faecal sacks, adults feigning injury, finding eggshells or recently fledged young are very clear signs to confirm breeding |
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