Gathering records for the LBC database

Most of you will know that we collect your sightings of birds from the Forum for entry onto the LBC Database, which is then used to compile Annual Reports.

The LBC has a main database, which is maintained by Jan Eastmead, the LBC Secretary, and two other databases, one of which we use and the other is used by Steve Keightley, the County Recorder, who records the sensitive sightings and breeding records that are forward to him by LBC members.

If you would like any of your personal records, which are not posted on the Forum, included in the database there are many ways you can send these to Steve or us, preferably on a monthly basis.

If you are running Wildlife Recorder, which is the system used by LBC, or Bird Recorder, your records can be sent by email as an exported file. This information is then imported directly into Wildlife Recorder. From our point of view this is obviously the best option, as it involves less work and gives us more time for bird watching!

Another option is the use of spreadsheets. The best format is known as a "Trip", which gives the date and location, together with a list of birds seen (not necessarily in systematic order) with the number of each species seen. The information can be copied onto a special template, which has been designed by Andrew Chick, and again can be imported into the database. If anyone is interested in submitting records in this way, a copy of this template, shown below, is available on request.

H = heard only, several other codes are also used, ie E = escape etc, we will add these codes as appropriate.

Click here to download this template - LBC Recording Template

If you have no method of recording your sightings, an email to Steve Keightley or us would be most acceptable, using the same format as for spreadsheets, ie in "Trip" format.

We wouldn't object if the same information is hand written and sent to Steve Keightley by snail-mail, preferably with the information in the same order as for spreadsheets/emails.

For those who are not members of the LBC there is the Casual/Confidential facility available on the Forum. Why not join - for £12 a year we think it is good value!!

At the end of each month information is sent to Jan Eastmead and Steve Keightley, and is used to compile the LBC Newsletter and a monthly report for the Birding press, so it is important that we get all the records to them by the 4 th of the following month.

As some of you may know work has already started on the 2008 Annual Report, and some work has been done on the 2003-2005 Report. Many people have volunteered to help Paul French who, brave man, has undertaken the task of compiling the 2008 Report. It was not possible to commence work on this report at the end of May as planned, because quite a lot of 2008 records were received after that date and it has been quite a time consuming task to get them onto the database.

So that we can continue the momentum, you can help by letting us have your records for 2009 as soon as possible after the year end - we are aiming for a cut-off date of 28 th February 2010.

Sheila and Colin Jennings

September 2009