The Surrey County Bird Recorder is: Eric Soden.

Reporting Guidelines

Records intended for the website or Birding Surrey can be e-mailed to:

sightings@surreybirdclub.org.uk (Please click on this link rather than type it in or it won't work)

The SBC Database Surrey Bird Club Records are kept in a computer file. The copying of paper-based records into the file takes a great deal of time, much of which can be saved if observers send their records in electronic form.

Data Protection
To download a copy of the clubs Data Protection policy, click here

The SBC records are kept in a commercial database called Recorder, which is designed to accept electronic inputs sent as attachments to E-mails. Before submitting a report, please read the reporting guidelines.

The Data that is wanted

The Recorder file requires seven basic pieces of information for each record. These are:

* Species,
* Number of birds (figure, qualifiers such as c(irca) or + are acceptable
* Name of observer
* Date (dd/mm/yyyy e.g. 21/06/2010); less precise dates, e.g. May 2009, are acceptable but please be as specific as possible
* Name of place or site
* Grid reference (6 figure, 4 figure or tetrad), not essential but very helpful
* Any notes

Choice of file format

By far the preferred alternative is to use the SBR Reporting Spreadsheet which can be downloaded here . This is in Microsoft Excel.
Other compatible formats are also acceptable. Examples of data that can be directly loaded into the database are shown below:

Species, Number, Observer, Date, Location, Grid Ref, Notes,

Gannet, 20, A.Lister, 20/03/2009, Stoke Lake Guildford, TQ000500, Fishing

Common Gull, 10, John Smith, 03/2010, Ripley, , Up to 10 seen daily in March

Place names should preferably be consistent with names used in the Surrey Bird Report.

Examples are:

Epsom Common, Thursley Common, Unstead S.F.

Additional detail such as 'Pine Island' etc should be put in the notes.

Email

Provided the report follows the above guidelines, please click on the following link: sightings@surreybirdclub.org.uk.

The covering e-mail should clearly indicate the subject, to avoid being destroyed as spam. Please check for acknowledgement of receipt.
If you have questions about electronic submission of records please contact the database manager Steve Chastell.

If you need a reporting form for a scarce/rare species you can download one here. Once completed please return to the Records Committee Chairman Dave Harris

Not sure if you need to write a description? Click here to download a list of which species require brief notes or a full description.

Post

Address: Steve Chastell, Database Manager, 8 Burnet Avenue, Guildford, GU1 1YD