Introduction
In this guide I will attempt to explain how to use the new recording form. These are only guidelines, if anyone has any suggestions or queries about the recording form please do let me know!

The form is laid out in several sections, lets now look at these starting at the top.

Recording the Location
At the top of the form you need to enter details about the site, date and time, and who it is recording. Please use one form sheet per visit, there isn’t provision for different dates on the form!

Recorder Name – Your name or the name of the person you are recording for. If you have Microsoft Excel then you can put this in straight away and before printing it out.

Site Code or Name– The name or code of the area you are recording in. Again if you only record in a single area you can put this in straight away before printing. The name of a site is usually based upon the car park name, but the SOS/BTO also have a list of the sites with a corresponding code, to help us and to help you the official SOS/BTO site names and codes are listed below:

Site Grid Ref – This is a 4-figure grid reference for the area you are recording in. If you put in the site code then you don’t necessarily have to fill in this field. If you only put in the site name then please record a 4-figure grid reference for the site.

Date & Time – The date and time of your visit to the site.

Recording what you’ve seen
The main part of the recording form is, obviously, where you log what you have seen or heard. If you count the same species at more than one location or have different sexes within the same count please use a different line to ensure all details are properly recorded.

Species Name – The full name of the bird species.
Count – The number seen or heard.
Sex – Whether it was male (M), female (F) or juvenile (J).
Age? – If it is a species which can be further broken down, for example blackbird has a 1st winter stage, please abbreviate as appropriate (e.g 1stW for 1st winter, 1stS for 1st summer, etc).
Hrd? – Tick if the species was heard calling/singing or not.
FO? – Fly Over, whether the species was flying or not.
FO Dir – If applicable, the rough direction the species was flying in.
Behaviour – Please enter any appropriate Behaviour Codes, details of which can be found HERE. They can also be found on the bottom of the new recording form.

Grid Ref – This is the most important field next to the name and count! A 6 figure grid reference must be entered for each and every species recorded (no ifs or buts, everything!).

Rec. Type – Please enter any appropriate Record Type codes, details of which can be found HERE. If left blank A (Actual count) will be assumed. They can also be found on the bottom of the new recording form.

Time Seen – If recording something fairly unusual please enter the time you first saw it, possibly including the last time as well. For some species like Hen Harrier recording all the times it was seen on a particular visit is very useful information but please do make a note of the last time and possibly durations as well. Please use the Notes field if you run out of room!

Notes – Any additional information you think is useful for the record.

And finally… Listed on the bottom of the form are the Behaviour Codes, Record Type codes and some basic guidelines. And thats it! If you have any problems, questions or even suggestions for the recording form please do let me know. Also if you have trouble printing it I’d like to hear from you!