The Atlas Challenge - Answer the Call

The Bird Atlas 2007-2011 is a joint project to map all of Ireland and Britain’s birds during both the winter and the breeding season. It is a working partnership between BirdWatch Ireland, the British Trust for Ornithology and the Scottish Ornithologists' Club. It will allow us to assess changes in bird distributions since previous breeding atlases in 1970 and 1990, and since the last winter atlas of the early 1980s. Atlases have been immensely important for furthering bird knowledge and conservation and Bird Atlas 2007-2011 is destined to set the agenda for the next decades of ornithological work in Ireland and Britain.

Fieldwork will span four winters and four breeding seasons, starting on 1 November 2007, during which we will cumulatively survey the whole of Ireland. To fulfil these objectives there are two complementary fieldwork methods which offer something for everyone - Roving Records and Timed Tetrad Visits.

To make the Bird Atlas a huge success and to achieve the necessary coverage in your county we need your help. So why not be one of 50,000 birdwatchers across Ireland and Britain helping to produce the biggest and best Bird Atlas ever. For further information or to get involved please contact Brian Caffrey at the BirdWatch Ireland Midlands Office or follow the link to find out more: www.birdatlas.net.  Or,  for Co Waterford,  contact  Paul Walsh  or follow this link:

www.waterfordbirds.com/breedingbirdatlas.html.

Brian Caffrey

BWI Midlands Office

Crank House

Banagher

Co. Offaly

(05791) 51676

bcaffrey@birdwatchireland.ie

Paul Walsh.

16 Castlepoint,           or         Brownstown Head,

Crosshaven                            Dunmore East,

Co. Cork                                 Co Waterford

0861701599

atlas@waterfordbirds.com

Message uploaded 13/09/2007