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Frequently asked questions - volunteers
Q. How do I get involved with surveying?
A. You will need to complete a registration form before you can start surveying. This allows project staff to match you up with a suitable farm in your area. To register, email volunteer&farmeralliance@rspb.org.uk or contact project staff in your area.
Q. Will the farmer mind having a survey carried out on his land?
A. The V&FA is a free and friendly service offered by the RSPB to farmers across the country. All farmers participating in the survey have contacted the RSPB independently to request a survey for their farm. They will be happy to meet you and keen to know what you find.
Q. Do I need to be an expert in bird identification?
A. Not necessarily an ‘expert’, although you will need to be able to identify birds through what you see and hear so a reasonable level of identification skill will be required. If you’re out of practice, or a little unsure, read up about the species typically found on farmland in your area, and you can always practice using our bird guide, in the run up to the survey period! To allow the project to survey as many farms as possible, we prefer volunteers to conduct their surveys independently. If you would like to get involved but don’t feel 100% confident in your bird ID skills, arrangements can occasionally be made to pair you up with a more experienced volunteer. However, this is not always possible or practical, so please talk to project staff if this is something that you would be interested in.
Q. Is there any training involved?
A. Volunteers involved in the V&FA are invited to a training session in their area before the survey season starts. This gives you an opportunity to ask any questions about the survey and what is required of you, as well as an opportunity to meet other volunteers. Training manuals are also provided which are a useful reference point throughout your time as a V&FA volunteer.
Q. When do surveys take place?
A. The survey methodology we use is based on the Breeding Bird Survey, so surveys take place when birds are breeding between April and July. Surveys are done in the early morning, when the birds are singing, ideally starting an hour after dawn and completed before midday when the birds become less active. Survey dates are not fixed and you can fit survey dates around your own personal commitments
Q. Who do I go to if I have a question/problem?
A. The project staff in your area will be able to help you if you have any queries or problems.
Q. How many farms will I be surveying?
A. Usually you will be matched up with one farm on which you carry out three to four surveys. However, if you feel you have the time and would like to survey more than one farm, please speak to your local project officer. Generally, a different volunteer, or pair of volunteers, will survey each farm.
Q. If I come back again next year, will I get to survey the same farm?
A. No. Every year we have new farms that we plan to survey, so you will not be asked to re-visit the same farm. However, we hope you will want to continue to take part in the project, and we will endeavour to match you up with a different farm next year. This will depend upon a farm in your local area registering for a V&FA survey.
Q. Will I be expected to give the farmer advice?
A. You are not expected to give any advice to the farmer, and any questions can be referred to project staff. Once your surveys are completed, the farmer will receive information and advice on farming for wildlife, and the contact details of professionals who can assist with farm-specific advice.
Q. What happens to the data I collect?
A. All the bird records you make will be used to generate a computerised map of the farm and the species present. The results of each individual farm are confidential, but data is made available to assist other conservation work including the Bird Conservation Targeting Project and the BTO atlas without identifying individual farms or locations at a very specific level.