As announced in the latest newsletter, the Club is organising a survey this year of breeding House Martins. The results will be compared with those in the Cleveland Breeding Bird Atlas to see if our local birds are maintaining their numbers or following the downward national trend.
This survey consists of counting the species' mud nests, which are built mostly under house eaves. It is suitable for members who have done little or no surveying, though we hope more more experienced people will also join in. You can adopt a tetrad (or share one with someone else), but casual records will also be welcome. Surveyors from the original Atlas work might like to revisit their tetrads to see how 'their' birds are getting on.
The 93 tetrads that held breeding martins during the Atlas years are a priority for coverage and I will be uploading a list of these with their location details, together with survey instructions and how to report results. The survey will start at the end of May/beginning of June.
If you need to contact me, email : tbc.projects@hotmail.co.uk
Eric James