As you may have noticed the BTO website and WeBS Online, BirdTrack and Atlas have been unavailable for the past couple of days. The website is hosted by the University of East Anglia and they are currently suffering major problems which have taken out all internet and phone services. The UEA is working towards fixing the problem and we hope to have everything back to normal very soon.
We apologise for any inconvenience this may cause especially with the WeBS count this weekend!
The online surveys are on a different server to the new BTO website which is based at UEA and they have been having a few problems and things seem to be working fine again now so you can keep inputting all your records.
We are aware there were a few issues with the new website over the weekend but these too have now been sorted.
If you do experience any problems, please contact websupport@bto.org and let them know.
Why does the BTO feel the need to produce a new logo every few years - this is the 3rd in my relatively short membership (about 20 years I suppose). The RSPB doesn't do this. Don't care for this latest effort, especially the colours. And the ring recovery site doesn't work any more (www.ring.ac) - instead it's a Euring site. Tip: you have to enter a country from a drop-down list. Don't look for Great Britain or United Kingdon alphabetically as they aren't there. Instead, United Kingdom is at the top of the list. I got Afghanistan in error...
I think its great and eye catching the way the eye and bird morph together is genius. the text should have been more corporate and said British trust for Orinthology. We are not the RSPB! its all about science. Looking out for birds? LOB what kind of birds do they mean!
As for the new look BTO, I'm not a big fan. I fully understand and agree with them raising their profile and there's certainly nothing wrong with a bit of overdue modernisation. But that new logo? Nah, they could have done much better than that. Looks like something you find on a pre-school wall to me
I've got to admit that I do share some of Ian's reservations, and was a bit disappointed when I saw the new logo.
Apparently market researchers discovered just how little the BTO is known amongst the general public AND how it is wrongly perceived by a lot of birdwatchers. Many get the idea that the BTO is rather aloof and not very approachable (I do hope that I've not contributed to this view!) hence the new look. Time will tell.
I must say though that the new website (as mentioned below by Bill) is a lot more user-friendly. Try clicking on "my BTO" and you're taken directly to the surveys to which you have contributed.
The new website did have a few technical glitches at first but now appears to be working OK.
Apologies...got a bit carried away and forgot which forum I was posting on. All GM Breeding Birds Atlas stuff on that particular forum in future...promise.
As for the new look BTO, I'm not a big fan. I fully understand and agree with them raising their profile and there's certainly nothing wrong with a bit of overdue modernisation. But that new logo? Nah, they could have done much better than that. Looks like something you find on a pre-school wall to me
A new look BTO Bird Atlas 2007 - 2011 homepage too! This can be found at http://www.bto.org/volunteer-surveys/birdatlas
I understand that the data from the third breeding season of the GM Breeding Birds Atlas project is currently being looked at by the atlas boffins (aka Steve Suttill and Steve Atkins). Whilst I'm not privy to any advanced information on the latest batch of data (my trusty mole at WikiLeaks just couldn't get those guys to "sing"!), I'm second guessing that for our local atlas to achieve its goals then it will need and would certainly welcome a really big input from all GM birders, especially so in that all important final breeding season of 2011.
What I do know however is that in the run up to and also throughout the final breeding season in 2011 there are lots of things planned and currently being worked on in the pipeline to help us GM birders target those particular species and areas where a more complete set of data for our local breeding bird species appears to be missing at the moment. Additionally, a whole series of "Species in Focus" articles are planned for release on the atlas section of this forum, throughout the final year of the project.
Please do have a look at the new look atlas homepage. If you feel you are able to help next year, especially so in contributing those all important roving records towards our very own atlas database, then your assistance will really be appreciated. For those not previously involved in atlasing, then why not give it a try.......you will be surprised how rewarding and enjoyable this type of bird watching and recording can be.
Anyway, the final season of our breeding atlas is still a few months away yet so let's get back to the present day. We are now 39 days into the final recording period for the national BTO Winter Atlas - with just a mere 81 days left! There's still a little bit that needs doing on this as well. More information can be found on both of the National Bird Atlas 2007 - 2011 and the GM Breeding Birds Atlas 2008 - 2011 projects under the "Bird Atlas and Bird Surveys" section to be found on the homepage of Ian's website.
If any help or advice is needed on our local atlas, please feel free to contact via pm any of those persons named on the Greater Manchester Breeding Atlas 2008 -2011 section of this forum.
Good luck and many thanks,
Bill.
-- Edited by Bill Myerscough on Thursday 9th of December 2010 01:22:50 PM
(aka Steve Suttill and Steve Atkins). 
Whilst I'm not privy to any advanced information on the latest batch of data 
(my trusty mole 
at WikiLeaks just couldn't get those guys to "sing"!)
, I'm second guessing that for our local atlas to achieve its goals then it will need and would certainly welcome a really big input from all GM birders, especially so in that all important final breeding season of 2011.