We are delighted to announce free training days for the Countryside Bird Survey (CBS):
- Sunday, 9th March – Clara Bog Visitor Centre, Clara, Co. Offaly
The Countryside Bird Survey (CBS) is one of Ireland’s longest-running bird monitoring projects. Established in 1998, it tracks the status of common and widespread breeding birds such as Robin, Wren, Blackbird, and Chaffinch, as well as some of the rarer species. The survey is coordinated by BirdWatch Ireland and funded by the National Parks and Wildlife Service. More about the CBS.
Each year, over 200 observers contribute to this important survey. These training sessions aim to encourage new volunteers, provide feedback to existing participants, and offer practical field experience. The sessions are informal and interactive, with plenty of opportunities for questions. A map of currently available squares can be viewed here.
Let Us Know You’re Coming
To help us prepare, please complete this short questionnaire so we can gauge attendance and any additional requirements. Further details will be sent closer to the date.
PLEASE REGISTER YOUR INTEREST HERE
What to Expect:
Short talks covering:
- Introduction to CBS.
- Survey methods and techniques.
- Tips for bird identification and participation.
- Key achievements of the survey.
Outdoor Fieldwork:
- After the talks, we’ll head outdoors to practice bird identification and survey techniques in the field.
Who Should Attend?
Since a certain level of bird identification skill is required, we recommend attendees be familiar with the songs and calls of common species. By sight & sound: Mistle Thrush, Blackcap, Redpoll, Willow Warbler, Sedge Warbler, Reed Bunting, Dunnock, Treecreeper. By sight: Merlin, Whinchat. If you can confidently recognize at least seven of these species, you should be well-suited for the survey. If not, these sessions may be a bit advanced.
Event Details
Start time: 10:00 AM
Morning session: Presentation on survey methods and bird identification.
Field session: Short example of survey.
Finish time: 2:00 PM
We look forward to seeing you there.
PLEASE REGISTER YOUR INTEREST HERE
Andrew Lynch
CBS National Coordinator
alynch@birdwatchireland.ie
