Data Entry

Friday, January 10th 2014

It has been mentioned several times on the blog that we have two computer programmes for entering information, IPMR for the bird ringing data and the Species Programme for the flora and fauna at Foxglove. 

We now input the data from each ringing day at Foxglove straight into IPMR. It is fascinating to watch the seasons change as the data is brought to the computer.  Bramblings and Redwings in the late autumn and through the winter.  Come spring we await the arrival of the first Chiffchaff and look at the dates of return and age of any retrapped birds.  Through the breeding season few females are caught as they are busy brooding the eggs and young.  Then in summer the influx of all the juvenile birds.  The end of the summer sees the last of the summer migrants and then pages and pages of Meadow Pipits. 

All the nest box ringing information, the Meadow Pipits and birds ringed at Cape Wrath have to be entered during the winter. Although time consuming it can be fascinating, as information is gleaned from IPMR about the history of some birds.

Entering data into the Species Programme is just as interesting.   The moth data from all our moth trapping during 2013,  has now been entered and like the birds the species caught during the year change.  We have continued to trap throughout the winter and have added Winter Moth as a new species.  Unfortunately the moth and weather have conspired against an even half decent photograph!  Out of interest the front veranda is winning, over the moth trap, in the number of moths caught this winter.

Although this blog is about data entry it is also an excuse to put on some photographs of moths.  Silver Ground Carpet was caught in the trap and could be found on vegetation during mid May to late July.

From mid July through to early August no moth trapping is complete without these gentle giants, the Poplar Hawkmoth.  They are always so co-operative and sit still and are so photogenic, of course there is always an exception to the rule as you can see this one was using its wings to warm up before flight.  Apparently the adults do not feed.

As the year progresses we are able to identify some moths very easily.  Then one makes us stop and we have to refer to the books.  Merveille du Jour was one of these, found in September.  When the data was entered it was interesting to see that the last time this moth had made an appearance was October 2010.  During 2013 four of these moths were recorded over three nights.

The total number of birds in the data base is 190,036.  The species list now stands at 2444 different species.

A huge thank you to everyone who collects the information and to those who input all the data.

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