Last 15 days Submissions

The last fifteen days saw 40 observers submit 147 cards for KZN. 14 of these cards were for new pentads.
This equates to 9.8 cards per day and 3.7 cards per observer.
As matter of interest over the last few periods for which I have statistics [ending 5/12/09; 20/11/09; 5/11/09 & 19/10/09], we have been averaging 9.8; 9.9; 9.5 & 11.3 cards/day respectively, with 3.7; 3.9, 3.8 & 3.4 cards/observer. As can be seen we seem to have a fairly regular submission rate, even with a constant change in observers.
Looking at the new pentads covered per day, the values change quite considerably over the same period: 0.93; 1.33; 1.18 & 0.53. We seem to have hit a peak in cards for new areas from 5/11/09 to 20/11/09, where we had 1.33 cards/day for new pentads. As can be expected this is likely to tail off, as we now have 61.5% of KZN covered.

Priority QDGC's in KZN (again)

Here are two maps of showing the priority QDGC's in KZN. The first map shows only the QDGC's, while the second has the pentad coverage as at 07h00 this morning.
We now have only FOUR core QDGC's with no coverage:

2731DC NONGOMA
2731DD NGXONGWANE
2830BD FORT LOUIS
2830DA COLLESSIE

There are also four boundary QDGC's with no coverage:

2731AB - mostly in Swaziland
2832BC - which 400m of beach and some dune forest north of Mission Rocks at St Lucia
3028BB - mostly Eastern Cape with some Lesotho
3029DD - Eastern Cape, but has three pentads touching KZN.

Who Has Been Atlassing in KZN

In the period 19 October to 5 of November 2009, we have had 162 cards submitted for KZN, 20 of which were for new pentads. There were 43 observers who submitted cards.

This works out to 9.5 cards per day over 17 days, at 3.8 cards per observer. Of course some people managed more cards, Tim wood managed a staggering 26 cards, while Rina Pretorius managed a to cover whopping 8 new pentads.

In the last reporting period of 15 days, 4/10 to 19/10, we had 49 observers submitting 169 cards, only 8 of which were for new pentads. [11.3 cards/days at 3.4 cards/observer].

Well done to all who are participating, every contribution is valuable.

Prioity QDGC's in KZN

These are the QDGC's with absolutely no pentads covered as at 8 October 2009.

The biggest gap still remains at Pomeroy, Collessie & Fort Louis (2830CB, DA & BD respectively).

The two empty QDGC's west of Mkuze are 2731DC & DD, Nongoma and Ngxongwane.

East of St Lucia is the empty QDGC 2832BC. The problem with this one is that there is only 0.18 km² of land in this QDGC, in one pentad. This lies just North of Mission Rocks.





This is the same map as above, I have simply added in the pentad coverage layer as it stood at 8 October 2009.

For for some more maps regarding SABAP 2 and the comparison with SABAP1 look at http://colinsbirds.blogspot.com/

KZN Atlassing

This last stats period of 17 days, which included the long weekend saw 51 observers submit 152 cards for KZN, of which 17 were for new pentads. Put another way we averaged 8.9 cards a day and three cards per observer.

Who Has Been Atlassing in KZN

In the 12 days since I last ran the numbers, we have had 32 observers submit 92 cards, 8 of which were for new pentads. This averages out at 7.7 cards per day and 2.9 cards per observer.

If we look at a breakdown of how many observers submitted cards:

11 of us submitted 1 card,
8 - 2 cards,
4 - 3 cards,
4 - 4 cards,
2 - 5 cards,
1 - 6 cards,
1 - 10 cards & lastly Johan Gouws with 11 cards, 4 of which were for new pentads.

SABAP2 vs SABAP1

I thought that since we are now 26 months into the project it would be interesting to compare where we are now, against what SABAP1 showed.
The only stats that I do have are the numbers of cards submitted and the species totals, so I looked briefly at the latter. [I am not certainly not going to open the whole 1 vs 2 debate here. There are definitely pros & cons for each protocol, but 26 months into SABAP2, I do not think that we are are going to change much on it project now].

There are now 6 KZN QDGC's where the SABAP2 species counts are higher than those of SABAP1.

Five of these are courtesy of Duncan McKenzie's very hard work around Vryheid. I know SABAP is a team effort, but Duncan has virtually single-handedly achievded higher Atlas species totals, than what was achieved the first time round. The best of these is 2730DD VRYHEID with a total of 294 against a previous total of 169, or 125 better. The other 4 Northern KZN QDGCs average 24 better than last time.
Interestingly, the first [and only] Southern KZN SABAP2 QDGC to surpass the last effort is 2930DB INANDA, with a total of 19 better than last time. This happened during my last stats update period, ie in the 18 days from 17/08/09 to 4/09/09.

What should be noted about all of these QDGC's is that the SABAP1 cover in these areas was not that good. If we look at most of the rest of KZN, where the cover was often a lot better, the picture is not as rosy.

If one now adds 10 to the SABAP2 total, then there would be an additional 2 QDGC's where the totals are the same or higher than SABAP1. Adding 20 species renders the same result.

If 30 is added, then we are up to 11 [or another 5 to the original 6].
If 40 is added, then we are up to 17.
If 50 is added, then we are up to 28.
If 60 is added, then we are up to 39.
If 70 is added, then we are up to 54.
If 80 is added, then we are up to 68.
If 90 is added, then we are up to 81.
If 100 is added, then we are up to 94.

At which stage I gave up. I counted 169 QDGC's as falling in or on the KZN border.
In a nutshell, if we added between 90 to 100 species to the current totals, we would have only 50% of the QDGC's that are the same or better off for SABAP2..

I then looked at some of the bigger centres or hotspots:
Durban had 355 species recorded in SABAP1 while we have a total of 294, or 61 behind;
PMB had 349 against a current total of 287, or 62 behind;
Empangeni: 319 against 255 (-64);
Ndumu: 388 vs 208 (-155);
Mkuzi (2732CA): 405 vs 266 (-139);
(2732CB): 399 vs 316 (-83);
Spioenkop: 287 vs 216 (-71);
Weenen: 298 vs 212 (-86);
Hlabisa: 262 vs 169 (-93);
Hluhluwe: 379 vs 287 (-92);
Mfolozi: 340 vs 207 (-133) and
Port Shepstone: 331 vs 211 (-120).

Priority Areas for KZN

This is the priority map for KZN as at 4 September 2009.

We have a little movement, or lessening of garish pinks, in our biggiest problem area, since the last time I posted this map.

Our biggest problem remains the area streching from Pomeroy through to Mahlabatini, with six empty QDGC's.

What is also surprising, is how little has been done around Itala GR. While the coverage in the GR itself has improved in recent weeks, three of the QDGC's that Itala straddles, have only a single pentad covered.

To sum up we only have eight QDGC's wholly within KZN that have no coverage, and four along our boundaries. (Of these latter QDGC's, one hardly even has an entire pentad on land).

Active Atlassers in KZN

The list alongside is a summary of who has submitted cards for pentads in KZN from 17/08/2009 to 4/09/2009.
Iain Guthrie submitted 14 cards, followed by Tim Wood, Malcolm Robinson and Johan Gouws with 11 each.
To be completely provincial, it has taken an out-of-towner, Mr S Terblanche to submit THREE cards for pentads with no cover, all in our empty Tugela Basin. As per usual, Alan Manson is once again near the top in terms of new pentads covered.
It is encouraging to see that in 18 days, 47 observers submitted 170 cards, ie we averaged 9.4 cards / day.

QDS's to Atlas

The latest coverage map shows some improvement to the last one posted.

We have one empty QDS less, and a few more with additional pentads covered.

The north-east is the area we need to be concentrating on.

Priority QDGC's in KZN

The map alongside shows the priority Quarter Degree Grid Cells (QDGC) in KZN.
The dark pink are those in which no pentads have been covered, the light pink with only one, and the cyn ones with two.
The SABAP2 target is to have at least three pentads covered by next year.

So if anyone is heading to any of these areas, please consider atlassing in one of these QDGC's.

Last Week's Submissions

This last week saw 22 observers submitting 41 cards, 6 of which were for new pentads. This is against 24 observers submitting 76 cards, 8 of which were for new pentads.

This week's champion atlasser is Tim Wood with 5 cards, followed by Barry Porter and Richard Johnstone each submitting 4 cards. Dave Everard and Iain Guthrie covered 2 new pentads each.

[I think that the rest of us also deserve a mention for taking the time to submit atlas cards and helping to keep the atlassing effort going in KZN].

Who Has Been Busy

Hopefully I will be back into a weekly update routine again now that the holidays are over.

This last week saw 24 observers submit 76 cards, 8 of which were for new pentads.
Duncan McKenzie led the charge with 14 cards, 5 of which were for new pentads. Sharon Louw, Alan Manson & Johan Gous submitted the other three cards for new pentads.
Good to see a mix of stalwart observers week after week as well as a number of visitors who submitted cards.

Who Has Been Atlassing in KZN

Since it has been 2½ weeks since I last managed an update, I will not compare this set of stats with the last, just what has been covered.
41 of us have submitted 122 cards, 15 of which were for pentads that had not been covered before. Michael Lee submitted the most cards, closely followed by Trish Strachan. Alan Manson covered the most new area, with four new pentads.
Good to see that so many people have been active, even though we are now well into the middle of winter.

KZN Boundary Bash

Hi Everyone,

Under downloads(Boundary Bash Pentads)you will find a list of KZN Border pentads that have not been atlased yet. Iain Guthrie, kindly put this list together, he has just had a back op and is house bound for a few weeks, so here is a challenge to all those wonderful atlasers out there who would like to see KZN completely "ATLASED IN" We are going to call this the "Boundary Bash" Iain will keep tabs on how many of these border pentads are done, I think we should aim to have them done by the end of 2009?

There is a link to the species recorded in SABAP1 for the Quarter degree square that pentad is in. These pentads are grouped into borders with Eastern Cape, Lesotho, Free state, Mpumalanga, Swaziland, Mozambique and the Indian Ocean!

Regards, "House bound" Iain

This Weeks Atlassers

This weeks sees a climb to 31 observers submitting 79 cards over the last six days. 22 cards were for new pentads.
This is up from 22 observers, 51 cards and 5 new pentads last week.
I suspect that there was a bit of a lag after the long weekend, ie some cards were only submitted after last Wednesday, when I last did the numbers.
It is very encouraging to see that there are new, and different names on the list, as well as the stalwarts.
Well done everybody.

This Weeks Atlassers

This last week saw a drop in submissions in all three categories, though I may have drawn the stats a day early, as some observers may have not gotten their long weekend returns in yet.
In any event we have one less observer than last week, 38 cards less and 8 new pentads fewer.
On the positive side, we appear to have some new names on our observer list. So a big welcome to them, and many happy hours atlassing.
I don't know about the rest of you, but I am finding it more and more difficult getting to pentads with no cover, either distance or access wise. Put another way, the pentads with no cover are either further away, or ones that I am less inclined to visit, usually because of safety or poor roads.
On a happier note, I find that I have been enjoying my winter birding, what birds are around are definitely showing well, or is it simply a lack of vegetation?

Some Atlas Targets [Again!]

KZN does look healthy. Our provincial average is above 90%, with two areas now having closed out all Quarter Degree Squares. Sisonke [Southern KZN] has not very far to go, being above 95%. North, Zululand and Trogons [South Coast] are all in the 85-90% band, so some work to do there.

This target is really part of the Chamaeleon Challenge [see http://sabap2.adu.org.za/challenge_wc2009_splurb.php]. The thrust of this challenge is to change the colour of pentads on the coverage map [the number of cards returned for each pentad are represented by various colours]. Extra points for the challenge are scored if the colour changes from light to dark greem, i.e. if you return the seventh card for a pentad.
On the provincial level we are drawing away from the March-09 target of 13% [of the pentads with cards having more than seven cards]. We are now a touch under 16%. Northern KZN has the most to do, but is showing encouraging upward movement.

GATHERING FOR KZN ATLASERS & FRIENDS

During July Doug Harebottle (SABAP2 Project Manager) is attending a conference in KZN, after the conference he will be available from 25th July - 29th July.

SO.........this is what the plan is..........................

Saturday 25th July, evening meeting (Some where down the South Coast)

Sunday 26th July there will be a function for atlasers at Umgeni Reserve (WESSA) in Howick. We will have an early lunch braai (bring your own food and drinks). This gathering is to celebrate our achievements in atlasing close to 50% of the 1278 pentads. This will be a time when we can socialise with other atlasers, hear some exciting atlas stories and share experiences. Doug will give us a presentation and feed back on the project, as well as answer any of the questions that folk may have.
Please let me know if you will be able to attend. We will be charging a small fee of R30 per person for the use of the facilities. For those who live close to the venue we may organise to atlas a local pentad !!
Monday 27th and 28th Doug and I will be travelling to Zululand and Eshowe areas. Meetings and venues still in planning stages.
LOOKING FORWARD TO SEEING YOU THERE

This week's Atlassers

Here is a summary of the atlas card submissions for the last week.
To summarise: we had 23 observers who submitted 89 cards, 13 of which were for new pentads.
This is against 20 observers last week who submitted 62 cards, 23 of which were for new pentads.



[Wednesday 10 June 2009]

SABAP2 Coverage SHP File

I was thinking about the easiest way of planning an atlas trip, and if one is using a GIS viewer like Christine [or if you are lucky enough, ArcView], it did occur to me that if the most recent coverage and species richness data were available in SHP file format, it would really make life a whole lot easier.
So instead of instead of trying to get back to sleep this morning, I downloaded the pentad shp file off the SABAP2 web site. I also copied all of the Gap Analysis data for KZN off the web and into Excel. I then manipulated these data in Excel to create a dbf file [a format that ArcView uses], joined this onto the pentad shp file and copied to a new shp, and presto the result is alongside.
So if anyone is using GIS for their atlas trip planning, and would like a relatively up-to-date shp file with all the data (plus some quarter coverage info) from the SABAP2 website, contact me.
[The shp file displayed on the image here is only 74KB when zipped].

[Friday 5 June 2009]

SABAP2 Targets

The following graphs are summaries of where the respective KZN Bird Clubs are with respect to achieving the stated SABAP2 targets.

This target is to cover at least one pentad in every Quarter Degree Square in KZN. The idea was to have covered at least one pentad for 60% of the QDS's (equivalent to a 1:50 000 topo map sheet), by the end of March. All areas were already beyond this in January 2009.
Most notable is that this week Port Natal achieved 100% coverage.

This target is to cover one third of the pentads in each QDS. The interim target was to be at 33% at the end of March 2009. Again KZN was at the fortunate position to be above this in January already, though Northern KZN just managed this. What is most encouraging is that is the KZN line (labelled Total) has only been level for three reporting periods between January and now, otherwise we have had a steady upward climb, with Trogons (South Coast) at the top of the tree with 78%.

The last two targets are a little strange in that the wider our coverage is, the poorer we fair, provided we do not follow up and re-visit pentads. SABAP2's interim target for March was to be at 50%.
Only two clubs failed to reach this target, with Northern KZN being most disadvantaged simply because they have a very larg area coupled to the fewest birders. Trogons are an interesting case because they were well ahead, but then dipped below as they expanded their coverage, climbed back up as they do follow ups, and then dip below as their cover broadens again.
Overall as a province we have been on a downward trend as our coverage increases. North, Trogons, Sisonke & Midlands are all only slightly better off now, than they were at the beginning of January.

This target, like the last, is harder to achieve as coverage increases. The interim target was to be at 13% at then end of March. As a province we did achieve the interim target.
What is very encouraging, is that unlike the last target we are on an upward trend, with no club being worse off now than they were at the beginning of the year. I suspect that we can thank those atlassers who are diligently atlas their home and adjacent pentads. (Also thos who plan their atlassing according to the pentad charts, links on the right).
All of these graphs are in the QDS Summary with Project Targets file. A link to this file is on the right.

[Wednesday 3 June 2009]

Who has been atlassing in KZN

The adjacent table lists the observers who have submitted cards for pentads within KZN over the last week. Note that some of these cards are for periods before this last week.

To summarise: 20 observers submitted 62 cards, 23 of which were for new pentads.


[Wednesday 3 June 2009]

Pentad Chart for Kruger National Park

A pentad chart is now available for KNP for those who would like to plan their atlassing within the park.
The format is as per the post below, except that the QDS responsibilty is shown at province level, ie either LP for Limpopo or MP for Mpumalanga, and the park boundaries are shown in a broad dark green line.
If anyone would like a copy please contact me by leaving a comment below.

Using the Pentad Charts

This pentad chart was designed by Peter Spence as an aid to planning atlas trips. It is essentially a map showing pentads grouped by Quarter Degree Squares.
The nine pentads per QDS are surrounded by a dark black line for the boundary of the QDS, which is also equivalent to a 1:50 000 topographic map. The 1:50K map code is shown at the top left of this dark black box, with the name at the top centre and the club in whose area of responsibility the map falls on the top right [where M = Midlands, N = North, P = Port Natal, S= Sisonke, T= Trogons & Z = Zululand].
The dark red line is the degree boundary. In the illustrated example the whole of 2930 is shown.

The pentads are coloured according to how many cards have been returned. White pentads have no cover, yellow pentads one card, orange pentads 2 to 10 cards and dark orange pentads have more than ten cards returned.
In addition, the following data are displayed in each pentad:

• Pentad code in top left;
  
• If the pentad falls on any IBA or PA this is on the top right [IBA's higher priority than PA's];
• Pentad name in bold on the next line;
• The next line reflects the cards returned per quarter. The quarters read: SON :DJF:MAM:JJA. I did try to follow the seasons as best possible.
• The last line reflects the total number of cards for the pentad in bold black on the left, and the total species recorded in bold blue on the right.

The idea is obviously to get to all white pentads first. If this is not possible, try to get to a yellow pentad, preferably during a quarter that has no card. This principle then applies for the next two colour pentads as well.
These charts are generally updated on a weekly basis and can be downloaded from the links on the right.

GPS Pentad Tracks - Atlasing made easier

To all those techno people out there, please check out Ernst Retief''s blog (see link)

Ernst spent hours setting up these tracks , DOWNLOAD for FREE

Many thanks Ernst for all your hard work

ATLASING made easier with pentad tracks !!!!!

Target Atlassing

This map shows the half degree squares in KZN, or touching KZN that do not have coverage in four or more pentads. The is the first of the stated targets for SABAP2, as published on the web site
(http://sabap2.adu.org.za/show_barometers.php)
The red lines are a rough indication of the Bird Club areas of responsibility.
To summarise:
Zululand have four Half Degree Squares with below target coverage
[2632D, 2731A, 2831A, 2832B];
Port Natal have one [2931B];
and Sisonke have two [3027B, 3027D]. (Though in fairness to Sisonke, if we use the new provincial boundaries, these two HDS's are outside KZN).
So if anyone is planning any sort of atlassing trip further afield, please have a look at these half degree squares first.

Colin Summersgill

Let's Light a LAMP for SABAP2

LAMP, the Long Autumn Migration Project, starts 1 March

LAMP is like BASH, the Big Atlasing Summer Holiday, which atlasers did in December and January. LAMP is the SABAP2 challenge for the autumn months, from the beginning of March until the end of May. Whereas the emphasis in BASH was unashamedly "wide" first, and "deep" second, LAMP is the other way round. Autumn is one of the key periods for SABAP2. One of the objectives for SABAP2 is to help us to define the timing of migration. We live in an era of climate change, and one predictions is that the timing of migration will change. For most of our migrants, autumn is the departure period. Atlasing, SABAP2-style, is the most brilliant way to monitor departure. As migrants depart, they get fewer and fewer and it takes longer and longer before you encounter them, and then you realize, gosh, it is three weeks since last I had a Barn Swallow on my list.
The three months March-pril-May represent the only opportunity we will ever have to quantify migrant departure in the autumn of 2009. The best way to do this is go "deep" and to make repeated checklists for pentads.
We still want our atlasers to go wide, to reach the unatlased and underatlased pentads. But particularly in autumn (and spring) there is huge value in going deep, and that is what LAMP is all about.
We hope that there will be more than 200 pentads with at least 5 lists each, 50 pentads with at least 10 lists and 10 pentads with at least 15 lists.
How about setting yourself the target of doing your favourite pentad every weekend this autumn?
Les.

Marabou's, incidentally

Anyone from KZN following the irruption (eruption?) of Marabou Storks across the Westren Cape on SABirdNet, should also be on the lookout here in KZN.

Some years back (after SABAP1 and before SABAP2), there were a pair of Marabous that hung out at the free range piggery just off the R33 North of PMB (just after the Wartburg turn-off). In conversation with the piggery owner, he stated that they often went off foraging in newly tilled sugar fields, where nice ripe pig manure had been spread.

I have seen a single Marabou at the piggery again in recent months - which was reported to SABAP2 as an incidental. Last Saturday (21/02/09) I then saw a single bird stalking (or should that read storking) across a newly tilled sugar field, where nice ripe pig manure had been spread. This practice has been growing considerably across the KZN Midlands sugar belt of late. (One wonders if the sugar that we are now growing can still be considered kosher or labelled halaal?)

The gist of my now rather long-winded post is that if you should happen to be out and about in this area, look out for Marabou's in any newly tilled field.

Birding with a Purpose

SABAP2 BIRDING WITH A PURPOSE

SABAP2 (Southern African Bird Atlas Project 2) was formally launched on 1 July 2007. This project is an atlas project involving Birdlife South Africa (BLSA) Animal Demography Unit (ADU) at the University of Cape Town and the South African National Biodiversity Institute (SANBI), and is a follow-up from the first bird atlas project (SABAP) which took place from 1987-1991. It aims to determine the impacts of environmental change on the distribution and abundance of bird species in South Africa, Lesotho and Swaziland. It also aims to promote the public awareness of birds and update distribution maps in the field guides.

There are 1278 pentads (small defined survey areas) to atlas in KZN. To date (24th February 2009) we have atlased 490 pentads, that’s 38.3% coverage. A total of 1862 cards have been submitted for these pentads comprising 109.675 records.

We need as much help as possible with this very exciting project. If you are a birder, enjoy new challenges and would like to make your birding contribute to long-term bird conservation in southern Africa please consider getting involved. I will gladly organise for someone to visit you, set up the software, give you a lesson on how to atlas and submit cards. It is really easy.

The user-friendly software can downloaded from the SABAP2 website
http://sabap2.adu.org.za

If you don’t have a computer - there are manual forms that one can use to submit information. I am also happy to submit cards on your behalf if you email or fax me the relevant information.

Atlasing is fun; new places to visit, new birds to list and new people to meet.

Trish Strachan
Atlas activities Coordinator for KZN
Fax: 0866 853754
Mobile: 082 411 2708
E-mail: sabap2.kzn@futurenet.co.za