A 'good number' in Dunham Forest Golf Course - last time I visited there were 40+ Rooks hanging around the old nests but not yet building. I'll do a proper count when I start Atlasing again in April
If, as part of the Bird Atlas project, we do counts in every tetrad in the county (and that is our intention) we should get a reasonably accurate figure of Rookeries and nests. These should be entered in the Colony Counts section of the TTV forms. I can't remember the date of the last comprehensive BTO survey of Rookeries (probably 15 years or so ago) but Judith will have the figures on the county database and a pretty accurate comparison can be made.
Wouldn't a hugely increased observer coverage produce higher results than historically though Bill, which could mask the magnitude of any decline? Henry.
I attempted to count the "rookery" at Kiln Lane, Milnrow yesterday afternoon (18/3). Sadly, I could only find one nest (with a bird sitting). The 2006 county bird report indicates 6 nests here in that year and also the preceding year and 18 in 2004. Unfortunately, it looks like this particular rookery might be on its "last legs"?
Wouldn't it be great if as users of the forum we could count all of the rookeries in GM in the 2009 breeding season? I see from the statistics from the forum that there are now 384 registered members! I am sure between us over the next few weeks or so we could make an extra effort to count the rookeries - all will help towards the 2007-2011 BTO atlas project records.
Keep atlasing! (breeding records required Apr- Jul)
Cheers,
Bill.
-- Edited by Bill Myerscough on Thursday 19th of March 2009 08:06:50 AM
1 Nest outside my house first time ever they have nested here, have been watching them building nest from scratch, one of the wonders of the world, nesting building.