This training session at Abney will be run by David Darrell Lambert who has over 25 years’ experience in professional surveying and runs the Birdbrain UK ornithological consultancy. He regularly carries out bird population surveys for London boroughs and businesses. He will be accompanied by Martina Girvan, Ecologist and Trustee and Kirsten Foster who heads up the Abney Trust Nature Volunteers. There will be limited places available on a first come basis but there will be further training opportunities later in the year. The training is free but we would ask that you agree to undertaking one survey this year March to August inclusive and provide your results to the Trust.
Please come in footwear suitable for walking, binoculars would be an advantage but are not essential. We also recommend that you download the Merlin Bird ID App which is free to install.
If you're interested in birds, and have experience of birdsong identification or want to get better at it, please consider volunteering for the Abney Park Trust's Breeding Bird Survey. Abney Park, in Stoke Newington N16, is a wonderful former Victorian cemetery, now a unique nature reserve and park. The Abney Park Trust helps run events and activities on site and wants to improve its knowledge of Abney's wildlife in order to understand, manage, protect and promote it better.
We want to start a long-term breeding bird survey this year. The details are still to be finalised but it will probably entail walking a set route, stopping and observing signs of breeding activity at certain set points. We will probably do the survey once or twice a month but you don't have to commit to surveying every month. Once a month would be fantastic.
Good ID skills - both by sight and sound - of common park/woodland birds are needed. But we're also interested in hearing from people who are less confident of their skills but want to gain experience. If you'd like to help us secure the future of this amazing oasis of biodiversity by joining the Abney Nature Volunteer Group, then please register your interest by emailing info@abneypark.org with the words 'Breeding Bird Survey' in the subject line.