CHRIS PAYNE
Eco Monitoring
About
Welcome
Welcome to my website of Bird & Wildlife Monitoring which bring the natural world closer to us all, without any disturbance yet revealing their secret world by using bespoke remote cameras & systems set ups in all manor of different environments from sea cliffs to woodland, reedbeds, woodland & farmland.
Having worked initially as Production Co-ordinator for the RSPB Film Unit back in the 80's, my love for wildlife & birds in particular has never ceased I am now using my wide knowledge in ways to observe & document all the intriguing behaviours of our natural history both in the UK & abroad.
Bird Ringing
As a senior Ringer & Trainer for the Northants Ringing Group it gives me the opportunities to operate under licences including specialized BTO Schedule 1 licence to ring & protect species such birds as Barn Owls & Marsh Harriers for example. I frequently collaborate with local conservationists, large estates & farming managers to check the welfare of many species. Breeding site checks are done with the use of remote cameras which can give me 24/7 views of what the birds are doing so that I can safely approach these sites to ring chicks or adult birds. All the data collected contributes directly to national population data banks for scientists to use.
By carefully recording a bird data, age, sex, wing length & physical condition we apply a lightweight alloy ring to its leg as a way of identifying that individual bird throughout it life with a unique code & number to each ring.
Such recoveries of these birds with rings on are always facinating with small birds flying incredible distances. A Goldfinch ringed in Northants was recaptured some 360 miles away (579km) on the west coast of Ireland 500 days later in County Clare. Some have migrated to France & Spain.
This data helps assess the overall population which currently is 1.7 million pairs in a survey back in 2016 after a dramatic decline back in 70s & 80s.
