Breeding waders on WBBS stretches
Breeding Wader visits
After the incredible volunteer response in the Breeding Wader (BW) visit trial, and the promise of the data produced, we are asking volunteers to build upon this momentum.
We ask that WBBS volunteers complete additional BW visits on sites where they record breeding Curlew, Golden Plover, Lapwing and Oystercatcher on their core WBBS visits, to collect valuable information on the breeding success of the waders they observe. Depending on species and location, these additional visits will be undertaken from mid-May to the end of June.
Updated and improved guidance on recognising relevant behaviours and when to visit is available in the Resources section of this page.
Getting started
If you would like to get involved, please sign up for visits using the short online sign-up form.
You can request a paper pack using the sign-up form or download and print the Instructions and Recording forms from the WBBS Taking Part page.
If you have any questions, or would like an informal chat about participating in the survey, please email waders [at] bto.org.
Collecting data
The additional BW visits follow the same basic methodology as core BBS visits, with some important differences:
- Only wader species are recorded on BW visits
- Extra information is recorded about wader behaviour and the presence of young
These differences are fully explained in the instructions, which we have updated with improved guidance on wader behaviours and when to visit.
Returning data
WBBS Breeding Wader 2022 Data Entry Form
Return your dataTo return your data, please use the BBS Breeding Wader 2022 Data Entry Form.
If you prefer not to use the online data entry form, please email your field records directly to waders [at] bto.org or post them to BTO Scotland.
If you have any queries about collecting and returning data, please get in touch at waders [at] bto.org.
How will these data be used?
Data from these BW visits will help to develop methods to assess wader breeding success without the need for intensive monitoring. Recent wader population declines in the UK are largely being driven by low breeding productivity. However, because waders are relatively long-lived birds, low breeding success can take a long time to translate into decreases in numbers of breeding pairs. This means that abundance information collected using standard wader survey methods, or derived from BBS data, is not well suited to delivering information on productivity.
The BW survey method we are asking you to help trial is intended to fill this information gap, revealing how productivity varies in space and time, and between different habitats and types of management. Methods like this should put us in a much better position to assess whether local wader populations are sustainable, and what we can do to help them.
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