On January 19^th 2020, Birds of Poole Harbour organised and conducted the Big Poole Harbour Bird Count which was to provide the public with an opportunity to get out and explore their local patch whilst collecting important data which would be used to provide a snapshot of bird species diversity, species totals and species distribution across the Poole Harbour area on a single day during the winter. Poole Harbour is nationally and internationally important for a whole range of species during the winter with many birds arriving from thousands of miles away to seek refuge here during the colder months.

SUBMISSIONS MAP : THIS LINK will take you to our survey results map which plots everyone’s records from the day and provides a range of statistics from the Big bird Count.

Slavonian Grebe – Jerry’s Point – Ian Ballam

On the day of the survey, the weather was certainly on side as winter sunshine beamed down across the harbour and a light northerly wind softly cooled the cheeks of each of the participating members of the public. The survey also coincided with the monthly Poole Harbour WeBS (Wetland Bird Survey), which is an important survey managed by Birds of Poole Harbour and carried out by 31 BTO (British Trust for Ornithology) volunteers which see’s every single water bird in the harbour counted each month during the winter to monitor over-wintering populations.

The ask was simple…..if you were out birding that day, we wanted to know what you saw, how many you saw, and when and where you saw it. Then, with that data we would be able to analyse and asses totals of each species based on when people saw different birds and where they saw them.

Now, after a few weeks of getting our head around the data we’re able to provide you with the final counts and totals from the records submitted to us from the survey.

The Purpose : Although this data only provides a snapshot of bird populations on a single day, it’s hoped that we’ll be able to host this event as an annual survey from now on, and like any long term data set, we should be able to note population and range changes over time. Plus, it also allows us to note which species are under recorded/represented and perhaps need a special survey focus in the future to gage true populations, for example Water Rail, Jack Snipe, Woodcock etc.

Background

Spring 2018 saw Birds of Poole Harbour open its engagement headquarters on Poole Quay. The information hub is a focal point for our work and an information rich environment for visitors to learn about the harbour and its birds. Founded in 2013, the charity aims to raise the profile of bird conservation, preservation and observation in and around the Poole Harbour area. The harbour benefits from national and international protection and to date has hosted 331 bird species. Boasting a diverse mosaic of habitats, the Poole Harbour basin offers excellent birding opportunities throughout the year. Our HQ offers visitors an in-depth insight into how to ‘bird’ the harbour and showcases our various projects. The centre is also a small retailer of optics, books and postcards.

Reports to

HQ Manager, Birds of Poole Harbour Trustees

Duties

The Engagement Supervisor is expected to:

• Engage with and enthuse visitors about the local bird life.
• Promote and interpret our flagship Osprey Translocation Project.
• Assist HQ Manager with volunteer management.
• Contribute to online engagement including social media and monthly newsletters.
• Field questions and provide information on where and when to visit birding sites.
• Conduct start and end of day cash handling and opening/closing procedures.
• Take bookings and promote events and boat trips.
• Provide information and optics demonstrations.
• Process till payments for products on sale.
• Provide further information on the interpretation on view within our HQ.
• Maintain high standards of HQ appearance and resource quality.

Person Specification

Full training will be provided for this role including till usage, visitor engagement roles, optics display and display usage/maintenance.

Personal Attributes

• Friendly and outgoing personality (Essential)
• Passion for local wildlife (Essential)
• Dynamic and proactive attitude with ability to take initiative (Essential)
• Team player who can motivate and inspire (Essential)

Skills

• Moderate level of bird identification skills (Essential)
• Public engagement and/or customer service experience (Essential)
• Excellent verbal and written communications skills (Essential)

Knowledge

• Moderate understanding of birding optics (Desirable)
• Moderate level of knowledge of Poole Harbour birding sites (Desirable)

Contract information

Salary: £8.72/hour

Full-time and part-time positions considered. Weekend work required.

Contract: Fixed Term – May to September

Closing date: 29 February 2020

Who to contact?

If you are interested in joining our team, please forward your CV together with a covering letter by email (PDF files only).

Send application details to:

Joe Parker

hqmanager@birdsofpooleharbour.co.uk