BASC Species of the Month – February
BASC’s Dr Conor O’Gorman takes a look at his favourite bird species – the enigmatic grey partridge…
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Now is the time to whip out those notebooks and start recording your duck nest tube findings. However, don’t rush to submit your data just yet – your patience could reward you with a brilliant piece of kit.
The duck nest monitoring project launched in 2021 and encourages land managers, shooters and conservationists to contribute to mallard conservation by monitoring nesting success in artificial nest tubes.
Recording your findings is key to the project, but please hold off from sending your results to us until mid-July. This is because mallards sometimes raise a second brood later in the year, and we would like to have a full picture of how they got on.
BASC’s scientific advisor, Sophie Stafford, explains: “The data we receive from participants of this project is invaluable. By waiting until the end of the breeding season to submit observations, we ensure that the data is complete, capturing all breeding attempts at each site. This helps us better understand mallard nesting success and factors that influence it, while contributing to positive conservation outcomes.”
This year the project invites all individuals who monitor duck nest tubes – whether self-built or provided by BASC – to submit their nest observations from the 2025 breeding season. In return, we will enter you into a draw to win a ZEISS Secacam 3 trail camera, ideal for monitoring wildlife.
The prize draw is open to all participants who submit their observations via the online form between 14 July and 26 September 2025.
Last year’s prize draw saw Robert Gooch of Ipswich win a SpyPoint trail camera. Robert wasted no time in putting the camera to use last year, saying: “I found the results from it fascinating. I use it to check what is visiting my pheasant feeders and will set it up for watching my duck tube in the spring.”
To be in with a chance of winning this year’s prize, you will need to:
Since its launch, BASC has installed 500 nest tubes across the UK. These are now monitored by diligent members of the shooting community.
The duck nest monitoring project is a collaborative effort between several north-west European hunting organisations. Together they form the Waterfowlers’ Network, with BASC being the UK representative.
The project aims to improve nesting success, with hatching success rates as high as 90 per cent in occupied nest tubes. Its goal is to contribute to scientific research on mallard breeding across the flyway.
Find out more about how you can get involved in the duck next monitoring project here.
BASC’s Dr Conor O’Gorman takes a look at his favourite bird species – the enigmatic grey partridge…
The Duck Nest Monitoring Project enjoyed a successful year in 2021; find out how you can get involved, including our calendar of what to do and when.
Members of BASC’s research team recently travelled to Poland to speak at an international conference on game and wildfowl.
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