Murray Orchard, Chairman of the KOS Surveys and Conservation Committee, writes:-
"Results from the Kent and National Turtle Dove surveys are now in! An official announcement of the UK results, including Kent, is planned to be released by RSPB on June 20th.
Data from 121 volunteers and two paid RSPB fieldworkers has been processed for over 300 sampled 1km squares surveyed across Kent to produce a county population estimate. Additionally, casual records from BirdTrack and eBird have been used to improve knowledge of the species range. The population estimate for the county will be publicised when the national announcement is made.
The survey has confirmed that Kent is the top county which now holds about a third of the UK total of breeding Turtle Doves. Many thanks again to all who participated in the survey. A personal thank you email will be sent to all the volunteers once the official announcement of the results is made. Meanwhile, some fieldwork is continuing this year for squares within TDFZs (Turtle Dove Friendly Zones), and so some of last year’s volunteers are being contacted to request further survey work this summer.
Now that the first quantitative survey of Turtle Doves has been completed, it is hoped that improved understanding of the numbers and range of this attractive species across Kent and the UK will help to target conservation efforts. It is hoped to repeat the survey in a few years to monitor the effects of these conservation measures. "
Murray Orchard - June 11 2022