Etiquette while conducting nature surveys

blackstairsboy

Isabel Thankful Sweeper wrote: »

That's different as you initially referenced roadside only.

As for knowing about their numbers: we count them. Me and hundreds like me. Several times a year for many years.

I spend every spare minute of my time working the countryside as both a farmer and a fieldsports enthusiast and I have never seen a birdwatcher or had a bird watcher approach me looking for permission to watch birds on my land and neither has my father before me. In fact I have never even heard of a farmer in my area who has been asked by a birdwatcher to cross his land. Do not get me wrong I do not have anything against the birdwatching community and I respect some of the work they have done. But what I want to know is where you and 100s others have done all this counting as it certinatly has not been anywhere near me.
As a shooting author once said he had spent 60 years hunting game all over Ireland and in all different terrains and he never once encountered a birdwatcher. So the question is where is this counting done????

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

blackstairsboy wrote: »

I spend every spare minute of my time working the countryside as both a farmer and a fieldsports enthusiast and I have never seen a birdwatcher or had a bird watcher approach me looking for permission to watch birds on my land and neither has my father before me. In fact I have never even heard of a farmer in my area who has been asked by a birdwatcher to cross his land. Do not get me wrong I do not have anything against the birdwatching community and I respect some of the work they have done. But what I want to know is where you and 100s others have done all this counting as it certinatly has not been anywhere near me.
As a shooting author once said he had spent 60 years hunting game all over Ireland and in all different terrains and he never once encountered a birdwatcher. So the question is where is this counting done????

As I do this for a living I always get permission from landowners on my patch. Not every time, but at my first visit. I come across birders every week. I join them at weekends. They don't go looking for a landowner every time they enter a field. Many landowners live miles from the fields. Even at my home I could be in the field beside my house at some stage for a hour twice a week and never see my neighbour who farms that land. You don't see them but bird counters are out there. Many of us have our dedicated grids that we visit regularly. How you or your father has never seen anybody birding amazes me. Also, not all birds have to be watched in fields. We have gardens, parks, woods, coastline, marsh, bog etc. Fields can be counted from roadsides and laneways.

blackstairsboy

Isabel Thankful Sweeper wrote: »

As I do this for a living I always get permission from landowners on my patch. Not every time, but at my first visit. I come across birders every week. I join them at weekends. They don't go looking for a landowner every time they enter a field. Many landowners live miles from the fields. Even at my home I could be in the field beside my house at some stage for a hour twice a week and never see my neighbour who farms that land. You don't see them but bird counters are out there. Many of us have our dedicated grids that we visit regularly. How you or your father has never seen anybody birding amazes me. Also, not all birds have to be watched in fields. We have gardens, parks, woods, coastline, marsh, bog etc. Fields can be counted from roadsides and laneways.

As I made clear I am in no way knocking you but I also find it amazing that nobody has approached me to go bird watching on my land. It contains woodland and meadows which harbour many hundreds of song birds whose population has been greatly enhanced due to the strict vermin control and feeding regime that I carry out. During the snow every day as I was feeding my pheasants I would clear back an area of snow and feed it for the birds. Hundreds would sit in the trees waiting for their feed. It is surprising the boost the population receives when you kill off the cats and magpies.

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

blackstairsboy wrote: »

I also find it amazing that nobody has approached me to go bird watching on my land. .

They may well watch birds ther - they just don't ask you.

Feargal as Luimneach

Isabel Thankful Sweeper wrote: »

They may well watch birds ther - they just don't ask you.

I never ask either

Dusty87

Feargal as Luimneach wrote: »

I never ask either

tis always polite though. Most farmers wont mind once ya ask. There is that lawsuit years ago about someone who (without permission) injured themselves and claimed off the landowner. Whats wit the smiley's smoking fearghal, hope there not joints!!:)...

blackstairsboy

If there was someone trespassing on the land the ould fella would nearly have a fit;);)
Seriously though it is both a legal and moral obligation to ask permission and I would advise you to as it will avoid problems for both yourself and the land owner.

homerhop

Do they have any personal insurance to cover them while on farmers lands?

Dusty87

homerhop wrote: »

Do they have any personal insurance to cover them while on farmers lands?

it wouldn cover someone if one were trespassing afaik.

kildare.17hmr

you should defo ask permission to do your birdwatchin on someones land if anything to let the farmer know your around, most dont mind once their asked. why should i have to ask permission to do my hobbie on their land and not you?

Feargal as Luimneach

kildare.17hmr wrote: »

why should i have to ask permission to do my hobbie on their land and not you?

An armed weapon is potentially alot more dangerous than a telescope......

homerhop

Feargal as Luimneach wrote: »

An armed weapon is potentially alot more dangerous than a telescope......

That depends on whos bedroom window you are looking into.

homerhop

I was at a meeting 2 weeks ago, it was mentioned that there has been an increase in claims against farmers by people crossing their lands. From what was said there is going to be a push to deny people access onto farm land in the coming future unless they have personal insurance.

Dusty87

Feargal as Luimneach wrote: »

An armed weapon is potentially alot more dangerous than a telescope......

a weapon is somethin used to attack or defend in combat. Anyway, its not the instrument, its the person behind it. I just think it is polite to ask, that way you know the story. Otherwise your trespassing. My uncle dosn care who crosses his land (bar horseback hunts) but his neighbour would have a fit if someone entered without permis. I cant blame him tbh, if someone was in my yard, not knowin who they were or what they are at, i wouldn be happy. The way things are nowadays.

kildare.17hmr

Feargal as Luimneach wrote: »

An armed weapon is potentially alot more dangerous than a telescope......

I dont have a weapon feargal i have a firearm that is capable of being used as a weapon. sure if you hit someone over the head with your telescope it becomes a weapon too. its better to ask ether way is all im sayin, iv seen lads bein told to leave because they didnt ask and they were not even shooting.

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

Some general points on taking survey or birdwatching in general. Just listing in no particular order and please excuse if I inadvertantly repeat one.


Avoid going too close to birds or disturbing their habitats; when a bird flies away or makes repeated alarm calls, you're too close. This is particualarly important at the nesting stage.

Please do not approach nests to carry out a survey. Watch from a distance. We'd much rather a report of activity around a nest followed by news of fledging weeks later, than to be told 5 eggs were present on Monday and nest abandoned on Tuesday.

Don't enter private land without permission unless it is open for public access on foot. This is at times easier said than done, as many landowners don't live on the land concerned, or may only farm part-time. Make an effort. If you see someone working the land, while you are birding, go to them rather than have them come to you. Be polite and respect the land. Your actions may well influence the landowner in their opinion of Birders generally. Goodwill is very important. Local farmers can be a wealth of information too, so use them. Never trespass on posted property.

Park you car carefully and out of the way - never block a gate or lane no matter how unused it may seem.

Stay on roads and paths where they exist and avoid disturbing habitat used by birds or damaging crops.

Disturbance is not just about going too close. Wading birds on the shore can be disturbed from up to a mile away if you stand on a wall.

Use gates (and close them after you). Don't climb through hedges or ditches if you can at all avoid it.

Repeatedly playing a recording of birdsong, or calls to encourage, a bird to respond can divert a territorial bird from other important duties, such as feeding its young. Never use playback to attract a species during its breeding season. And remember this kind of disturbance can be illegal if used on some species.

Keep noise to a mimimum.

Avoid taking the dog if you can (although I do take mind to certain areas I must admit).

Do not erect nestboxes on property that is not yours. Get permission.

Respond in a friendly and positive manner to questions from interested passers-by. They may not be birdwatchers yet, but getting a good view of a bird or a helpful answer from you may get them interested.

Mothman

Isabel Thankful Sweeper wrote: »

Respond in a friendly and positive manner to questions from interested passers-by. They may not be birdwatchers yet, but getting a good view of a bird or a helpful answer from you may get them interested.

The vast bulk of people I come across in the country take an interest in my moth activities (ie have an interest in flora and fauna) and every encounter is an opportunity to educate