|
|
|
Introduction
When the Society was formed in 1941, a number of objectives were promoted:
a) to further the study of wild birds,
b) to make known to each other the local students of Ornithology and
c) to collect and record all past, present and future data appertaining
to the wild birds of the two counties.
Over the last few years, it has become noticeable that despite the increased
number of observers in the field and records being submitted, there are
still large parts of the County where we have little or no knowledge of
the birds found there. Species distribution maps were more likely to plot
the distribution of birdwatching activity within the County than a true
reflection of the status! This is the case for a number of species with
obvious concentrations around Rutland Water, Eyebrook Reservoir, Charnwood,
etc.
To this end the LROS Conservation and Census subcommittee is attempting
to fill some of the gaps and fulfil the aims of the Society. The result
is the 'Tetrad Survey Scheme'.
The idea is straightforward; we want as many members as possible to pick
a tetrad (a 2km x 2km square), visit it at least four times a year (once
in each season) and by completing a simple recording
form, let us know what you've seen to enable us to fill some of
the gaps. It doesn't matter where in the County your chosen tetrad is,
although we obviously want to avoid the well-covered sites such as Rutland
Water and Eyebrook Reservoir. It could be a tetrad close to your house
or close to your local patch.
Primarily we are looking for records pertaining to Resident, Breeding
or Wintering birds. Whilst passage migrant records are welcome, they are
not so important but the more information we receive the better.
If possible, we would like you to make a minimum of 4 visits per year,
one in each quarter; Jan-Mar; Apr-Jun; Jul-Sep and Oct-Dec. Please leave
at least a four week gap between two visits, i.e. do not visit in the
last week of June and then again the first week of July unless you do
a second visit in that period. But you are not restricted to just one
visit per quarter.
We would like you to cover as much of the tetrad as possible, but please
do not trespass. Use public footpaths and roads where possible unless
you have permission from the relevant landowner.
Under-watched Areas Within Leicestershire and Rutland
Based upon distribution maps of Sparrowhawk and Kestrel (produced from
records submitted in 2000), the following 10km squares within the County
would appear to be particularly under-watched.
SK30 - Bounded by Sheepy Magna, Market Bosworth, Newton Burgoland
and Ashby Magna.
A very interesting area which includes: a long stretch of the Ashby Canal;
Twycross Zoo; Tucker's Holt Clay Pit; Bosworth Water Park; Gopsall Park
(with its heronry); Sheepy Lake and a long stretch of the River Sence
including a nice marshy area near Newton Burgoland. The western part of
this area has held good numbers of Corn Buntings (are they still there?)
and the same area can be very good for Quails in 'Quail years'.
SP39 - Half a square bounded by Hinckley, Bosworth Battlefield
and Atherstone.
A very under-worked area which includes: a stretch of the River Avon forming
the County boundary with Warwickshire; a short stretch of the River Sence
at its confluence with the latter; part of Ambion Wood and a scattering
of small spinneys around White Moors; a stretch of the Ashby Canal and
Higham on the Hill which used to be noted as a haunt of Golden Plovers.
SK40 - (Away from Thornton Reservoir) - bounded by Market Bosworth,
Desford, Markfield and Ibstock.
A superb area which includes: Thornton Reservoir; Ratby Burroughs; Old
Brake Spinney; interesting woodlands and the lake known as Big River to
the south of Market Bosworth; Bagworth Heath and associated National Forest
new plantings; the upper reaches of the Rothley Brook; Cadeby Quarry and
small lakes around Kirkby Mallory.
SP58 - Centred on Lutterworth.
This area includes: the dam end of Stanford Reservoir; Shawell Gravel
Pits; Husbands Bosworth Sand Pit; Misterton Hall Lake; Bruntingthorpe
Airfield and the River Swift, whilst further south, a small area of SP57
within the County includes the River Avon where it forms the County boundary
with Northants, and Stanford Park and Lake.
SK62 - Half a square, bounded by Wymeswold, Saxelbye and Nether
Broughton.
This area includes: woodlands around the Six Hills area; lovely wide roadside
verges along the B676 west of Six Hills and some nice woods around Old
Dalby.
SP68 - (Away from Stanford Reservoir) - bounded by Stanford Reservoir,
Foxton Locks and Bruntingthorpe.
This area includes: the majority of Stanford Reservoir; a long stretch
of the Grand Union Canal; part of Bruntingthorpe Airfield and woodlands
at Laughton Hills.
SP69 - Bounded by Shearsby, Foxton, Burton Overy and Wigston.
This area includes: a long stretch of the Grand Union Canal, Great Glen
Lake and its small heronry; Saddington Reservoir; Wistow Lake and a long
stretch of the (other) River Sence. Only the areas around Saddington Res
and Kilby Bridge have reasonable coverage. There are Corn Buntings around
Foston (could they be elsewhere?), Wistow Park is good for woodland species
and anything can turn up at Saddington Reservoir (Great White Egret, Purple
Heron, Black-necked Grebe, Kittiwake and Pallid Harrier to name just a
few).
SK70 - Bounded by Billesdon, East Norton, Knossington and Baggrave.
Probably the most scandalously under-recorded area in the county considering
how many people pass through on their way to Rutland Water and Eyebrook
Reservoir. The main features of this area are some of the best woods in
the County (Owston Wood, Launde Big Wood, Loddington Reddish, Tugby Wood,
Skeffington Wood, Billesdon Coplow, etc). There are also: small lakes
at Withcote Hall and Rolleston Hall, both in superb areas and the upper
reaches of the Eye Brook. Redstarts may still be hanging on in the Launde
area (could there be more?) and this was the last stronghold of Nightingales
in Leicestershire (could they still be hanging on?).
SP78 - A small part of this square surrounds Market Harborough.
The main features of this small area (apart from the town) are the Grand
Union Canal and the River Welland partly forming the County boundary with
Northants.
SP79 - Bounded by Foxton, Medbourne, Hallaton and Illston on the
Hill.
This area includes interesting looking small lakes in the Keythorpe/Gaulby
area from which we receive no records; superb woodlands around Noseley
(with possible breeding Buzzards); a stretch of the River Welland forming
the County boundary with Northants; Langton Caudle (an area which should
definitely get more attention) and Welham Lake.
SP89 - (Away from Eyebrook Reservoir) - bounded by Medbourne, Thorpe
by Water, Uppingham and Allexton.
Apart from EBR, this area includes: several superb woods in the NW of
the square (Allexton Wood, Wardley Wood, Park Wood, Bolt Wood, Great Merrible
Wood and Stoke Dry Wood) with an increasing Buzzard population, and a
long stretch of the River Welland forming the County boundary with Northants.
SK80, SK81, SK90, SK91, SP99, TF00
and TF01 - Rutland !!
Away from Rutland Water, we receive precious little information from Rutland,
yet habitats include: a long stretch of the River Welland forming the
County boundary with Northants; several woodlands to the SE of Rutland
Water which still hold Nightingales; Ketton Quarry; the Rivers Chater
and Gwash; Exton Park and associated woodlands; Fort Henry Ponds; woodlands
along the Lincolnshire boundary (Stretton Wood, Clipsham Park Wood, Pickworth
Great Wood, etc), with Hawfinches in at least one of these, whilst there
are Corn Buntings and Quails around Great Casterton - we could go on and
on!
Copies of the recording form for each tetrad can be downloaded from the
LROS website here (Word file,
114k). It may be better to use one in the field and then transfer that
information to a clean sheet. Please return your completed forms to Rob
Fray (contact details) at the end of each
quarter. Do not forget to put in record slips in the normal manner on
a monthly basis for the Grebe fieldnotes.
Choosing your tetrad for the scheme
There
are c750 tetrads (2km squares) in Leicestershire and Rutland. These are
identified by the 10km square grid reference and a letter as indicated
in the example below:
|
980
|
E
|
J
|
P
|
U
|
Z
|
|
960
|
D
|
I
|
N
|
T
|
Y
|
|
940
|
C
|
H
|
M
|
S
|
X
|
|
920
|
B
|
G
|
L
|
R
|
W
|
|
900
|
A
|
F
|
K
|
Q
|
V
|
|
SP
59
|
500
|
520
|
540
|
560
|
580
|
If a site
that you wanted to monitor for the scheme was at SP550950, for example,
then the tetrad that you would choose would be SP59M.
Contacts:
We hope to get as many LROS members (or non-members) as possible involved
in this scheme, so if you're interested or require more information, please
contact either
(0116-2238491) or
(0116-2625505).
|
