Cam Valley Wildlife Group is pleased to receive records of your sightings and photographs of what you have seen.
What information do we want?
We want to know:
- what you saw (preferably to species level)
- where exactly it was seen (see maps of our area and the Location Guidance below)
- when it was seen
- how many you saw (for numbers above 10, approximate numbers are fine)
- any other comments/details you have noted – these include size, sex (if possible), life stage (eg adult, juvenile, larva), breeding or other behaviour, habitat, or any point of interest
- your name and contact details, preferably an email address. We will not use these details for any other purpose than confirming your sighting and they will not be passed on to any other body (eg a recording centre) without your permission.
How do we want it?
Our downloadable forms are at the bottom of the page. We can receive records of your sightings in a number of ways:
- Details and any photos in an email to camvalleywildife@gmail.com or to the email addresses provided on the relevant form
- Completed downloaded recording forms in electronic form or physical form with any photos
- Completed downloaded recording forms by post, with any accompanying photos sent by email – images in printed form might work, but may not have the detail needed to identify the species
Return addresses are provided on the forms.
Location guidance
Please include a 6-figure grid reference (100 m square level) if you can. Although 2km, 5km or 10km references can be used for information, they are too vague for most wildlife recording. Some apps such as what3words and wheres the path include grid-reference options. An address and good description of the location will be useful if you can’t provide a grid reference or a what3words link. There is also a good way of getting a grid reference for a location using the Grab a Grid Reference tool, which allows you to find grid references using either the provided OS map or satellite image (https://www.bnhs.co.uk/2019/technology/grabagridref/gagr.php#map). To do this for our area:
- go to Toggle Vice County and choose North Somerset and then put in either the name or postcode of a location in the GB OS Grid References box
- use the red location marker to go to the exact spot that you want a reference for and check the 100 m square or 10 m square box for 6-figure or 8-figure grid references, or you can find the location on the OS map if you prefer and then follow the BNHS instructions to match up the satellite view so you can then use the red marker to get the grid reference.
Data Protection
Our Data Protection Policy can be viewed or downloaded here. This includes how we use your sightings data.
Bird Recording Forms
.pdf form & Microsoft Excel spreadsheet
Butterfly, Dragonfly & Damselfly Recording Forms
.pdf form & Microsoft Excel spreadsheet
Insect Project Recording Forms*
.pdf form & Microsoft Excel spreadsheet
Mammal Recording Forms
.pdf form & Microsoft Excel spreadsheet
Otter Project Recording Forms
.pdf form & Microsoft Excel spreadsheet
Owl & Raptor Recording Forms
.pdf form & Microsoft Excel spreadsheet
Reptile & Amphibian Recording Forms
.pdf form & Microsoft Excel spreadsheet
* This form is for insects that are not butterflies, dragonflies or damselflies, which have their own form. Please note that records on the Insect Project recording form with four-figure grid references will not be passed on to official recording bodies unless accompanying or further information (eg. what3words link) allows us to identify the location to 100 m square level or to a particular site. It is common for a central 6-figure grid reference to be provided for records on a particular named site, as long as it is not too large a site!
Cam Valley Wildlife Group 