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Metadata: 2013 Natural England (NE) Aerial Bird Surveys in the Outer Thames SPA
Abstract:
The Outer Thames Estuary Special Protection Area (SPA) is designated for wintering red throated divers which are listed in Annex I of the European Union (EU) Birds Directive (79/409/EEC). The population of red-throated divers is currently designated as 6,466 individuals; 38% of the Great British population. This figure was taken from visual aerial surveys undertaken between 1989 and 2007. The aim of this project was to provide current information regarding the abundance and distribution of a variety of wintering bird species, predominantly red-throated divers, present within the Outer Thames Estuary SPA. Two high resolution digital aerial surveys of the Outer Thames SPA were conducted during January and February 2013. Each survey was flown on a series of transects separated by 1.8 km, collecting abutting 3 cm resolution imagery. Average coverage was 15%. Population estimates of red-throated divers were calculated using two methods 1) a design-based method and 2) a model-based estimate using a Generalised Additive Modelling (GAM) framework. Model-based estimates had tighter confidence limits around the population estimates and precision was improved from the design-based estimate. From the model-based calculations, red-throated divers peaked in February 2013 at an estimated 13,605 (12,712 â?? 14,489) individuals. This peak is more than double the designated SPA total and represents 79% of the wintering Great British population. Higher numbers of red-throated divers were recorded in the southern part of the Outer Thames SPA during February 2013. In January 2013, higher numbers of individuals were recorded in the northern part of the SPA. This suggests a movement further into the estuary between the two surveys. wide range of other bird species were recorded, including greylag geese, shelduck, wigeon, scaup, common scoters, red-breasted mergansers, black-throated divers, great northern divers, great crested grebes, fulmars, gannets, cormorants, shags, oystercatchers, lapwings, redshanks, great skuas, kittiwakes, black-headed gulls, common gulls, lesser black-backed gulls, herring gulls, great black-backed gulls, guillemots and / or razorbills, little auks and puffins. After red-throated divers, common gulls were the next most abundant species (12,403; 2,203-30,110). 9. A number of marine mammal species were also recorded during the aerial surveys including dolphins and / or porpoises not identified to species level, harbour porpoises and a phocid (seal) species. Marine mammals were most abundant in January 2013 (584; 356-880) and were distributed widely throughout the SPA. 10. Although it is necessary to treat modelling results based on two months of survey data with great caution, red-throated diver distributions on the SPA appeared to be related to various environmental valuables including: bathymetry, chlorophyll a, wave base, tidal base, aspect of the sea bed, slope of the sea bed, average sea surface temperature, distance from dredging operations and distance to coastline. The distributions of red-throated divers may also have been affected by shipping activity and the presence of operational and in-construction wind farms
Data holder:
Natural England
Click on the red button for resource contact details:
- Click on the red button for resource contact details
Use constraints:
OGL
| Other details | ||
| Internal code | Internally assigned metadata identifier | 293 |
| Title | The title is used to provide a brief and precise description of the dataset such as 'Date', 'Originating organisation/programme', 'Location' and 'Type of survey'. All acronyms and abbreviations should be reproduced in full. | 2013 Natural England (NE) Aerial Bird Surveys in the Outer Thames SPA |
| File Identifier | The File Identifier is a code, preferably a GUID, that is globally unique and remains with the same metadata record even if the record is edited or transferred between portals or tools. | 1029463f26a62ea9bf8ad0b5cae54aa6 |
| Resource Identifier | This is the code assigned by the data owner. | NE_2062 |
| Resource type | The resource type will likely be a dataset but could also be a series (collection of datasets with a common specification) or a service. | dataset |
| Start date | This describes the date the resource starts. This may only be the year if month and day are not known | 2013-01-26 |
| End date | This describes the date the resource ends. This may only be the year if month and day are not known | 2013-02-12 |
| Spatial resolution | This describes the spatial resolution of the dataset or the spatial limitations of the service. | inapplicable |
| Frequency of updates | This describes the frequency with which the resource is modified or updated i.e. a monitoring programme that samples once per year has a frequency that is described as 'annually'. | notPlanned |
| Abstract | The abstract provides a clear and brief statement of the content of the resource. | The Outer Thames Estuary Special Protection Area (SPA) is designated for wintering red throated divers which are listed in Annex I of the European Union (EU) Birds Directive (79/409/EEC). The population of red-throated divers is currently designated as 6,466 individuals; 38% of the Great British population. This figure was taken from visual aerial surveys undertaken between 1989 and 2007. The aim of this project was to provide current information regarding the abundance and distribution of a variety of wintering bird species, predominantly red-throated divers, present within the Outer Thames Estuary SPA. Two high resolution digital aerial surveys of the Outer Thames SPA were conducted during January and February 2013. Each survey was flown on a series of transects separated by 1.8 km, collecting abutting 3 cm resolution imagery. Average coverage was 15%. Population estimates of red-throated divers were calculated using two methods 1) a design-based method and 2) a model-based estimate using a Generalised Additive Modelling (GAM) framework. Model-based estimates had tighter confidence limits around the population estimates and precision was improved from the design-based estimate. From the model-based calculations, red-throated divers peaked in February 2013 at an estimated 13,605 (12,712 â?? 14,489) individuals. This peak is more than double the designated SPA total and represents 79% of the wintering Great British population. Higher numbers of red-throated divers were recorded in the southern part of the Outer Thames SPA during February 2013. In January 2013, higher numbers of individuals were recorded in the northern part of the SPA. This suggests a movement further into the estuary between the two surveys. wide range of other bird species were recorded, including greylag geese, shelduck, wigeon, scaup, common scoters, red-breasted mergansers, black-throated divers, great northern divers, great crested grebes, fulmars, gannets, cormorants, shags, oystercatchers, lapwings, redshanks, great skuas, kittiwakes, black-headed gulls, common gulls, lesser black-backed gulls, herring gulls, great black-backed gulls, guillemots and / or razorbills, little auks and puffins. After red-throated divers, common gulls were the next most abundant species (12,403; 2,203-30,110). 9. A number of marine mammal species were also recorded during the aerial surveys including dolphins and / or porpoises not identified to species level, harbour porpoises and a phocid (seal) species. Marine mammals were most abundant in January 2013 (584; 356-880) and were distributed widely throughout the SPA. 10. Although it is necessary to treat modelling results based on two months of survey data with great caution, red-throated diver distributions on the SPA appeared to be related to various environmental valuables including: bathymetry, chlorophyll a, wave base, tidal base, aspect of the sea bed, slope of the sea bed, average sea surface temperature, distance from dredging operations and distance to coastline. The distributions of red-throated divers may also have been affected by shipping activity and the presence of operational and in-construction wind farms |
| Lineage | Lineage includes the background information, history of the sources of data, data quality statements and methods. | As part of APEMâ??s standard practice, both internal and external Quality Assurance (QA) was carried for each survey. Each bird image was reviewed and checked by APEMâ??s own dedicated QA manager, ensuring that 100% of birds found were subject to internal QA. Images were assessed in batches with a different staff member responsible for each batch. Images containing no birds were removed and kept separately for further QA. Of these â??blankâ?? images, 20% were randomly selected for QA by an independent reviewer. Upon completion of the internal QA, a percentage of the birds located in each survey were subject to external QA by an independent organisation. The appointed auditors for seabirds are the British Trust for Ornithology (BTO). The images for external QA were selected at random using a random number generator. The selected images were provided to the BTO along with information on measured body lengths and wingspans of the birds. All identifications were conducted â??blindâ?? by the external analyst. Upon completion a matrix was created to show the proportion of agreement and identify areas of potential misidentification. For marine mammals, all images containing such animals were sent for external ID. The appointed auditors for marine mammals are the Sea Mammal Research Unit (SMRU Ltd). Upon return of their identifications, our data was updated accordingly with any improvements on the level of identification already achieved by the image analysts and ornithologists. |
| Related keywords | ||
| Keyword | General subject area(s) associated with the resource, uses multiple controlled vocabularies | Marine Environmental Data and Information Network |
| General subject area(s) associated with the resource, uses multiple controlled vocabularies | Habitats and biotopes | |
| General subject area(s) associated with the resource, uses multiple controlled vocabularies | Species distribution | |
| General subject area(s) associated with the resource, uses multiple controlled vocabularies | Bird counts | |
| General subject area(s) associated with the resource, uses multiple controlled vocabularies | Habitat extent | |
| Geographical coverage | ||
| North | The northern-most limit of the data resource in decimal degrees | 52.1858 |
| East | The eastern-most limit of the data resource in decimal degrees | 1.7362 |
| South | The southern-most limit of the data resource in decimal degrees | 51.3565 |
| West | The western-most limit of the data resource in decimal degrees | 0.1212 |
| Regional sea | littoral | |
| Responsible organisations | ||
| Role | The point of contact is person or organisation with responsibility for the creation and maintenance of the metadata for the resource. | pointOfContact |
| Organisation name | Natural England | |
| Position name | Marine GI Team | |
| Phone | +44 (0)300 060 3900 | |
| Fax | +44 (0)300 060 2356 | |
| Delivery point | Foss House, Kings Pool, 1-2 Peasholme Green | |
| Postal code | YO1 7PX | |
| City | York | |
| enquiries@naturalengland.org.uk | ||
| Role | The distributor is the person or organisation that distributes the resource. | distributor |
| Organisation name | Natural England | |
| Position name | Marine GI Team | |
| Phone | +44 (0)300 060 3900 | |
| Fax | +44 (0)300 060 2356 | |
| Delivery point | Foss House, Kings Pool, 1-2 Peasholme Green | |
| Postal code | YO1 7PX | |
| City | York | |
| enquiries@naturalengland.org.uk | ||
| Role | The originator is the person or organisation who created, collected or produced the resource. | originator |
| Individual name | APEM Ltd | |
| manchester@apemltd.co.uk | ||
| Role | The custodian is the person or organisation that accepts responsibility for the resource and ensures appropriate care and maintenance. If a dataset has been lodged with a Data Archive Centre for maintenance then this organisation is be entered here. | custodian |
| Organisation name | Natural England | |
| Position name | Marine GI Team | |
| Phone | +44 (0)300 060 3900 | |
| Fax | +44 (0)300 060 2356 | |
| Delivery point | Foss House, Kings Pool, 1-2 Peasholme Green | |
| Postal code | YO1 7PX | |
| City | York | |
| enquiries@naturalengland.org.uk | ||
| Dataset constraints | ||
| 20 Limitations on Public Access - Access constraints | otherRestrictions | |
| 20 Limitations on Public Access - Other constraints | This states any limitations on access to the data and uses free text. | OGL |
| 21 Conditions for Access and Use - Use limitation | This states any constraints on use of the data. Multiple conditions can be recorded for different parts of the data resource. If no conditions apply, then `No condtions apply` is recorded. This uses free text. | OGL |
| Version info | ||
| Date of publication | The publication date of the resource or if previously unpublished the date that the resource was made publicly available via the MEDIN network. | 2013-08-05 |
| Date of last revision | The most recent date that the resource was revised. | 2013-08-05 |
| Date of creation | The date that the resource was created. | 2013-08-05 |
| Harvest date | The date which this record has been (re)harvested from the provider. | 2026-04-19 |
| Metadata date | The date when the content of this metadata record was last updated. | 2022-02-01 |
| Metadata standard name | The name of the metadata standard used to create this metadata | MEDIN Discovery metadata standard |
| Metadata standard version | The version of the MEDIN Discovery Metadata Standard used to create the metadata record | 2.3.8 |