Spurn is well known for amazing migration days and for rarities, but maybe less so for the monitoring and research taking place in the area. Spurn Bird Observatory is continually developing this area of work with the help of dedicated birders, ringers, staff and long-term volunteers at the Observatory, alongside collaborations with bird Observatories around the world, academic institutions and conservation organisations.
As part of this work, Spurn Bird Observatory has created a Science and Research sub-committee which is tasked with taking this work forward with the core aims of enhancing monitoring as well as continuing and supporting existing recording, digitalisation and storage of data, encouraging research collaborations and helping to facilitate researchers conducting studies at Spurn. Progress is then fed back to the main Committee.
Here, we share the exciting projects taking place in the Spurn area right now, run by the Observatory independently, in partnership with others, or by independent researchers visiting the area to carry out their studies. There is a dedicated page covering our data, Data Research Terms and availability for research and information on how we might be able help facilitate new projects or collaborate with existing projects taking place elsewhere. We have also started to collate a list of the publications from research carried out in the Spurn area.
The Science and Research sub-committee consists of Marcus Brew (secretary), Richard Boon, Paul Collins, Sarah Harris, Rob Hunton, Adam Hutt, Tim Jones, Kieran Lawrence, Ollie Metcalf, Dan Wade (chair) and Nick Whitehouse.
Thank you to everyone who has contributed sightings to the Observatory, has chosen the Spurn area as a location for studies, has helped with data entry (with special thanks to Mike Archer and his team for historic BirdTrack data entry and checking, Andy Hanby for entering data onto Trektellen, and the late Phil Ridsdale for Point Count data entry) or has contributed to specific Observatory-led research over the years. Your efforts are hugely appreciated.
