MANCHESTER BIRDING TOURNAMENT RULES AND COUNTABLE SPECIES LIST

There are some rules (or we'd all cheat!), so here they are:

1. Birds must be self-found, that is, the person claiming it must have been the finder of the bird, involved in the finding or involved in the identification of the bird. In the event of finding a countable species, you must endeavour to make sure no one else has already claimed the bird (i.e. any decent wader at Pennington or Audenshaw is likely to have been seen by half a dozen birders before you think you've found it!), honesty is paramount here as otherwise we'll be reduced to verified only sightings which will be a real shame.

2. All county or national rarities must be accepted by the relevant committees. If there is any controversy with any other claims, you can't have it, 'cos it probably wasn't one!

3. Any countable species that leaves a site and returns to the same site is no longer countable, any countable species which leaves a site and is relocated at another is countable so long as the sites are more than a mile or so apart (as the bird flies).

4. Each individual bird counts, so finding a really big flock of Black Terns in Spring or Autumn would be great for your position on the rankings board!

5. Entrants are welcome to joint at any point in the year but claims are only countable after you've joined, so if you find a county first and then decide to join, it won't count (but you really should be happy anyway!).

6. Obviously, only sites and species within Greater Manchester count and you can visit any sites you like, infact finding birds on your mate's local patch is to be wholly encouraged!

7. Restrictions on any particular species must be stringently observed (see table below).

8. Known breeding sites include those utilised within the past 3 years.

9. County rarities are those species listed in the 2007 County Bird Report.

10. Juveniles at the nest or dependant on their parents are not countable.

11. If an observer finds a single or flock of previously found birds has increased in number, the additional birds are countable.

12. Only the highest points total applicable for any species is countable, points are not accumulative i.e. a county first which is also a BBRC rarity will only receive 50 points and not 85 (see table below).

13. Escapes, introduced, released, feral or those with just plain dodgy origins are not countable.

14. In the event you find a countable species, you must endeavour to inform me as within one month of the sighting so I can update the rankings board and as birds claimed retrospectively after someone else has found them may only lead to arguments (this is only for fun after all!) and any claim after this one month period will not be countable.

15. In the event of any confusion, queries, complications, arguments or controversy, I will be judge and have the last say ☺

16. Points must be claimed within one calendar month. Outside this, any points will be uncountable.

The table below lists all the species that are countable in the contest and the points and any restrictions that come with them.

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