DARVIC RING DATABASE
The existence of an unofficial database appears to have a Marmite effect on certain parts of the Osprey community, well one or two self appointed experts seem to be very vocal on the subject, so I thought we should look at the situation.
Before following in the the footsteps of United Kingdom Ospreys, we discussed the concept with several people, including acknowledged experts in the field from both sides of the Atlantic. The only suggestion/request being that we included a link to reporting Colour Ringed Ospreys. Which we have done on both the website and the Facebook Group.
INFORMATION TYPES.
It is our view that there are THREE types of information.
- Sensitive Information
- Non-Sensitive Information
- Information which should be passed on.
SENSITIVE INFORMATION
This is particularly relevant to unmonitored nests and those on Private land, and includes accurate geographical information of nest sites, grid references, how to get there and where to park, etc.
This type of information. is never knowingly included in any Facebook posts or on the website. should others post this type of information it will be removed by the admin team.
NON-SENSITIVE INFORMATION
Surely this should include, have the Birds returned, are they mating, are they incubating eggs, feeding chicks and how many chicks. And lastly any Ring Numbers and have they fledged. Away from the nest any sightings and migration information.A good example of managing this type of information, would be from J. Williams and the Clywedog Osprey Project, who at the end of the current season, announced that a second nest had been successful and the fledgling ringed in the area (great news).
Please ask permission before sharing any information of this type, unless it has been previously shared to a public site.
This is what the Roy Dennis Wildlife Foundation has to say about Colour ringing.”The metal ring is numbered and includes a British address so that finders can send finding details to the BTO as part of the national bird ringing scheme. The colour ring is unique and allows individual birds to be identified in the field using a telescope or telephoto camera. This technique is particularly valuable for following birds at their nests in order to build up knowledge on lifetime reproduction. It means that we can determine whether our birds return to their natal area, identify the origin of new birds in the area and build up records on mating partners and brood success rates. We are extremely interested in sightings of colour rings and would be very grateful if reports of colour rings, including digital pictures showing the colour ring, are reported using our simple online form.
INFORMATION WHICH SHOULD BE PASSED ON
All sightings of Colour Banded Birds should be reported to The Roy Dennis Foundation using this link. Report a colour-ringed Osprey – Roy Dennis Wildlife Foundation
Group Admin do pass on to Tim Mackrill any posts containing Colour Banded Birds, which to their knowledge have not been previously reported that year, we also actively encourage the original poster to report any sightings.
Any activity in the area of the nest which disturbs or potentially disturbs the birds, should be reported to the individual project in the first instance and secondly to the Local wildlife Crime team.
ENGAGEMENT
The vast majority of Osprey Projects and the conservation of of Osprey nationally and internationally rely upon contributions from individuals, whether in time or financial support. It is our belief that by embracing those individuals, sharing information and inclusion rather than exclusion, you significantly raise interest and awareness and in doing so help in the long term conservation of the species.
Some recent quotes from Osprey enthusiasts
“I think there is too much fractionality in the Osprey conservation world frankly. Any attempts to break that down and allow the “ordinary fans/watchers” more access to information the better. There are a lot of barriers unfortunately. It’s a shame but the more people try to show that that approach is counterproductive to engagement with the conservation issues the better in my opinion”
“People talk about Osprey conservation and mention the importance of the likes of Roy Dennis, Tim Mackrill and the various Osprey projects and conservation agencies. What you do in the collation and dissemination of all the data is, in my book, also vital for that conservation process and is absolutely to be applauded.”
THE ARGUMENT AGAINST
The argument against it appears to boil down to one issue in the eyes of the critics. They believe that by having a public Database, people will look up information and then not report any sightings. Some of the critics go as far as excluding individuals from groups for sharing information. The other point frequently raised is that the Unofficial Database is inaccurate and some of the entries incorrect.
THE OPPOSITE VIEW
We believe that by involving people sharing information and through that process increase the awareness of the importance of reporting and the reasons behind it, you up the chances of sightings being reported.
Inaccuracies there may be some genuine mistakes, which we are happy to correct, we gain our information from published sources, webcam observations, social media posts and replies from Osprey Projects. We always look to verify any information and delay posting to the website until there is verification.
There are some who believe that the withholding of information by some (certainly not all) is about power, I know something you don’t, it’s about politics between certain groups/individuals, whilst definitely not wishing to open old wounds, it is a sad state of affairs when old scores cannot be left in the past. Some individuals appear to use these circumstances to underpin there opposition to sharing information, we believe that we should all be working together to help conservation.
IN CONCLUSION
It is our view that having a public database, that publishes known information, can only be a positive thing, it assists in public engagement, informs and includes enthusiasts. It raises awareness in regard to Reporting any sighting. We appreciate that we have a biased view and that there are those who will disagree, that is your view and your right to hold. We, however, believe that if you want public support in whatever form then you should include rather than exclude. The decision George Waterstone made many years ago at Loch Garten to involve the general public has been recognised the World over as a major step in conservation. There is nothing to be gained by withholding non-sensitive information. There is also a considerable amount of supporters who follow individual nest/ Birds and like to study lineage and build Family Trees, keep statistics relating to individual nests/birds, these are the supporters that conservation and projects rely on for support in a variety of ways. No-one wants information to be shared that in anyway endangers nests or individual birds, however, sharing information which enhances the whole experience, can only be for the best. We would like to thank those projects and groups who readily share their information whether in full or in part, those who choose to retain information for themselves, we ask that you reconsider, and share non-sensitive information with supporters.
UKOsprey Information 