The crucial six weeks for SpringMAP2012 is upon us! 

Over the next six weeks, the bulk of the Palearctic migrants will arrive. Changes in timing of migration may (or may not) be occurring, depending on whether species are adapting (or not adapting) to warmer and longer summers in Eurasia. This is our one and only chance to document the timing of arrival of migrants as accurately as we can in the spring of 2012.

The SABAP2 mini-project which measures our progress is called SpringMAP2012. The map of coverage so far is above. It started on 8 August just before the long weekend which included the expedition to the Knersvlakte, the northwestern corner of the Western Cape – the success of the expedition is clear on the map.

So far 253 atlasers have contributed to SpringMAP2012. In total, we have already submitted 1438 checklists for 934 pentads. That is 5.4% coverage in a little over a month. 69 795 records have been submitted.

But the remaider of September and the whole of October is the critical arrival period for most of the Palearctic migrants, and this is the period for which we need you to make a special effort. What we would most like atlasers to do for SpringMAP2012 is to do their favourite pentads on a regular basis. If you can manage to do your pentad weekly, you are a SABAP2 star. You will be rewarded by being able to observe first arrivals of the migrants, and then their steady build up.

Les Underhill
2012-09-19

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