A reminder that fieldwork starts on 1st April for the breeding season component of Bird Atlas 2007-2011.

Everybody can collect records of their bird sightings, including evidence of breeding, to contribute to the distribution maps of Sussex that we plan to produce - even that blackbird nest in your garden could put a dot on the map, or how about the buzzard displaying over your local wood, or skylarks singing over your local fields? For details of how to record these, see the Surveys pages of this website.

If you haven't yet signed up to do Timed Tetrad Visits (standardised 2-hour counts in specified tetrads) - and if you want to - it's not too late. Look at the maps of Sussex at http://blx1.bto.org/atlas/tetrads/open-tetrad.jsp, and choose an unallocated tetrad to survey - you'll be sent instructions and forms.

Nearly 400 tetrads across Sussex were surveyed over the winter - a fantastic start to this 4-year project. Let's make an equally good start with the breeding season fieldwork!

Helen Crabtree.