SMADD 2009 Survey
Peter Dare and Pete Reay are looking forward to receiving your Summer Migrant Arrival and Departure Dates in Devon (SMADD) pilot survey records. Even if you only have one date for one species, please send it in, as the responses to the pilot survey will help decide the scope of the full survey (due to start with summer migrant arrivals in 2010), and what modifications to the survey may be needed.
All members will have received a copy of the Survey Form with their June 2009 Harrier. However, you can download from the SMADD main page, a copy of the form in either PDF format to be mailed, or you can download an Excel version that can be filled in and emailed directly. Please submit your completed forms by 7 December.
It is intended to produce a short report on the results of the pilot survey in the February 2010 Harrier.
Summer Migrant Arrival and Departure Dates in Devon (SMADD)
Those of you who have read the article by Peter Dare on spring arrival dates of summer migrants in Devon Birds 62(1): 3–18 will know that he based his analysis on first arrival dates published in the annual reports. Although the results were interesting and illuminating, it was acknowledged that the use of first dates was not ideal, and that a more meaningful measure of arrival, perhaps concentrating on breeding rather than migration sites, is needed to study changes in migration timing in greater detail.
It was decided, therefore, to initiate a new survey to monitor both arrival and departure dates throughout Devon. This will distinguish between breeding sites and non-breeding sites and will generate average dates rather than the extreme dates available up to now. The mechanism for this is very simple, but it does require participation by as many observers as possible – ideally the whole membership of DBWPS! All you have to do is to record your personal first and/or last dates, and submit these to DBWPS. Even if you can only record the arrival of one species at one breeding site in one year, your participation will be valuable. But clearly, the more species and years you can cover, the better. All dates will be useful, and information is needed especially from your home district where breeding sites may include gardens, buildings, farmland, woods, hedgerows etc.
From the results submitted, we will work out, for each species, both its average and median arrival dates (the latter being the date when 50% of observers have recorded their first – or in autumn, last – birds in the year). For the first full year (2010), it will be interesting to compare these values with the absolute first – and last – reported dates, and to compare species. But the main interest will develop after several years of data become available and we can then look for trends in migration timing and estimated lengths of breeding seasons.
The full survey will begin in 2010, but this (2009) autumn we will run a pilot survey to gauge the level of interest in participating in the survey. The main aim here will be to note last dates of departing summer migrants; the first (notably Cuckoo, Swift) leave in July/August. So, starting this July, please start noting when you think you have seen your last bird of a species, and add the final date/s to the form.
The survey form was distributed with the Harrier, with the instructions printed on the reverse side of the form. However, you can download a printable PDF here or use the link below. Alternatively you can also download an Excel version here of the entire form or use the link below, so that you can fill it in and email it back directly. Use the embedded email address on page 2 of the spreadsheet.
The 2009 pilot (trial) survey will also include three common winter visitors. Gathering data on their arrival dates this autumn will give us a good idea of the sort of data that will be generated from recording spring migrant arrivals next year.
We look forward to receiving your contributions either by post for the printed forms or via email for the Excel version. Please submit these by 30 November at the latest.
Submissions by post to :
DBWPS – SMADD Survey
PO Box 71
Okehampton
EX20 1WF
By email to: SMADD@devonbirds.org
If you have a printed copy and would like to use the Excel version, you can download a copy here.
Although a few summer migrants may linger into December, and some people may not have recorded their first winter visitors by the end of November, these will make little difference to the final result. The November ‘deadline’ will give us time to analyse the pilot results, summarise them in the February Harrier and here on the website, and to prepare for the start of the full survey in early 2010.
Download copies of the form and spreadsheet using the links below: