Breeding Bird Survey - vacant survey sites and how to take part
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Spring is in the air, literally. Skylarks are singing, and many other birds are making themselves known too. The breeding season is, for some, already upon us, but for most it’s still few weeks away.
Our recent talk was from Steve Willis of the BTO about the Breeding Bird Survey. Have you ever thought of taking part? Within or bordering the Clyde area there are 15 x 10km squares with vacant BBS survey sites. While the specific 1km survey route can only be located on applying for a site within a specific 10km square, the following may pique your interest. |
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Three of the 10km squares, NN20, NS28, NS29, cover from Helensburgh, north along Gare Loch, up to Arrochar on Loch Long. It the includes the Rosneath peninsula, and a good number of the Arrochar Alps.
The square NN30 covers a portion of the north end of Loch Lomond. It includes Tarbet and Kenmore Woods on the west shore, and roughly from Rowardennan to RSPB Inversnaid on the eastern shore. NS48 covers the area east of Balloch and around Gartocharn, RSPB Loch Lomond, Drymen and Croftamie. |
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NS68 overlaps the Clyde area into Stirling, and includes the Carron Valley Reservoir. The village of Fintry is included, a portion of the Endrick Water, mixed woodland and moorland habitats.
NS67 has Kirkintilloch at its centre, along with Torrance, Lennoxtown and Moodiesburn. Gadloch and Antermony Loch and the River Kelvin are the main water bodies, with Lenzie Moss nature reserve include too. Mixed woodland and farmland are also habitats within this square. Squares NS76 and NS86 cover from Coatbridge in the west to nearly Harthill in east, and from Bellshill, Holyton and Shotts in the south, north to Glenboig, Caldercruix and Blackridge. Included within these squares are places like, Blawhorn Moss National Nature Reserve, Hilend Loch, Roughrigg and Forrestburn Reservoirs, and Drumpellier Country Park. |
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NS65 and NS75 covers from East Kilbride in the west to Motherwell and Wishaw in the east. These areas will be well known to a lot of Clyde birders, but some places of interest are RSPB Baron Haugh, Strathclyde Loch, Blantyre Moss, Cathkin Marsh, Langlands Moss local nature reserve, Drumbuie Moss, Rigmuir Woods, Chatelherault Country Park, Carbarns Moss and Woods, with the River Clyde winding it’s way through the area as well.
NS64 goes from the west side of Strathaven, Cladance Moss in the north, Caldermill in the south and Ardochrig Hill in the west. The West Browncastle wind farm sits in the south west of the square, with a large area of mixed woodland in the west, and farmland in the north and east.
NT04 is roughly east of Carstairs junction and north of Biggar, containing the villages of Newbiggining, Elsrickle and Dunsyre. Notable hills are the Black Mount, White and Newholm Hills, with a good coverage mixed woodland and farmland.
NS64 goes from the west side of Strathaven, Cladance Moss in the north, Caldermill in the south and Ardochrig Hill in the west. The West Browncastle wind farm sits in the south west of the square, with a large area of mixed woodland in the west, and farmland in the north and east.
NT04 is roughly east of Carstairs junction and north of Biggar, containing the villages of Newbiggining, Elsrickle and Dunsyre. Notable hills are the Black Mount, White and Newholm Hills, with a good coverage mixed woodland and farmland.
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Square NS72 is in East Ayrshire and South Lanarkshire between Muirkirk and Gelspin. Areas in here include the River Ayr, Glenbuck Loch, Cairn Table and Dryrigs Hills.
NS73, like NS72, sits across East Ayrshire and South Lanarkshire. West of Coalburn it’s almost exclusively rural. A mix of mixed woodland, moorland, a few small reservoirs and a small area of farmland. |
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Want to find out more, go to the BTOs Breeding Bird Survey web page
An introduction and practise session has been arranged by the BTO to take place at RSPB Lochwinnoch on the 06/04/2025, see here for details - but note that the session is now fully booked. Others in Scotland are available - see here.
An introduction and practise session has been arranged by the BTO to take place at RSPB Lochwinnoch on the 06/04/2025, see here for details - but note that the session is now fully booked. Others in Scotland are available - see here.