WOS Records

If you have seen an interesting bird, an unusually large flock or an unusually early or late migrant, we would like to receive your records. Data submitted to WOS are used in our publications Hobby and WOS News, and for conservation projects (such as the RSPB’s farmland bird project). Data are also provided to the Wiltshire & Swindon Biological Records Centre so that they can be used for local conservation cases, such as planning applications.

New spreadsheet for providing records electronically

From the start of 2011, we encourage all members to submit their records electronically in a spreadsheet. This has now been updated to provide Gazetteer locations for the most important birding spots in Wiltshire. Please use these wherever possible. Click on the link to download.

WOS recording form Version 1m, August 2011 (344 Kb)

The same information is required as previously for the paper forms (species, location, grid reference, observer, date, abundance and comment). Where possible, we would also like you to provide breeding evidence.

The spreadsheet allows us to include some simple validation and, we hope, make entering and providing the data easier than using paper forms.

What records to submit

  • Sightings of any unusual or rare species
  • Large numbers or unusually large flocks
  • Early or late sightings of migrants
  • Sightings of species in unusual locations or showing unusual behaviour

For the more common residents such as Blue Tit, Robin and Blackbird, not all records are required, though evidence of breeding is very useful.

Comment on significant changes in status are also helpful, eg if you no longer see House Sparrows in your garden yet they were previously common. Enter the record details as normal in the spreadsheet, and explain the change in the ‘comment’ field.

Description species

For some species, a description is required for the sighting to be formally accepted. National rarities are assessed by the British Birds Rarities Committee (BBRC), while rarities in Wiltshire are assessed by the WOS Records Panel. (See the guidance notes for further information.)

Species requiring descriptions are indicated in the ‘Species list’ worksheet of the spreadsheet. Note that all subspecies in Wiltshire require descriptions.

Submitting your records

Please email the spreadsheet with your records at regular intervals to the County Recorder, Rob Turner.

Please continue to submit data for national surveys and the Wiltshire Atlas using the BTO website – WOS automatically receives a copy of these data, so there is no need to duplicate those submissions.

Check here for new versions

From time to time, we will update the spreadsheet (to add new features that make data entry simpler and quicker). Please check the WOS website regularly for the latest version.

Please contact Rob Turner, Peter Cranswick or Nick Adams if you have any queries about the spreadsheet. We also welcome suggestions for how we might make the spreadsheet easier to use, or improve the guidance notes.