The Global Cement Bird Watch
#globalcementbirdwatch
How many different species of birds visit your cement plant each year?
Are you one of the best cement plants in the world for the number of bird species visiting each year?
Now it's time to find out!
Global Cement launches the Global Cement Bird Watch 2017 - 2018.
How to take part:
Tell us in an email (to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., Subject line 'Global Cement Bird Watch') that you are going to take part.
Just count the number of species that visit your cement plant (including your quarry and any land you own which is attached to the cement plant). Record them in the Global Cement Bird Watch Spreadsheet (downoad here).
The count should last from 1 April 2017 to 31 March 2018.
Any number of plant personnel can take part.
This is on an 'honour' system - we trust you not to cheat!
Only birds that actually 'touch down' are counted - birds flying over are not counted!
You have to positively identify each bird with a high degree of certainty. How high? Imagine if your little finger was on the chopping block, and would be severed if you got the identification wrong.... that's how high your degree of certainty should be! If in doubt, leave it out!
You are allowed (and actually positively encouraged) to attract birds to your cement plant: Give birds a home; Provide them with wetlands and other water resources; Provide them with food (not just by putting out food for them, but also, for example, by planting food crops and other plants that attract birds - and the insects that birds feast on; Reduce any pollution (dust, emissions, noise, disturbance); Rehabilitate quarries and other land; Increase biodiversity through habitat diversification.
Record the number of individual species seen each month. Total up the total number of different species seen over the course of 12 months. Send us your record after 31 March 2018, to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
All cement plants participating in the Global Cement Bird Watch will be acknowleged on this page.
The cement plants with the most different species will be honoured in Global Cement Magazine in 2018.
Good luck - and happy birding!
'Hungry robin,' photo by Paul Brown, Global Cement magazine
LafargeHolcim - Aggregate Industries Cauldon cement plant (UK) has sent in its bird list (37) to date:
...robin, goldfinch, blackbird, tree sparrow, feral pigeon, kestrel, buzzard, barn owl, tawny owl, lapwing, chaffinch, fieldfare, mistle thrush, song thrush, bullfinch, mute swan, mallard, grey heron, skylark, great spotted woodpecker, green woodpecker, curlew, nut hatch, tree creeper, pied wagtail, swallow, grey wagtail, sparrowhawk, pheasant, carrion crow, magpie, wood pigeon, canada goose, blue tit, great tit, wren, long tailed tit.
Below: fledgling kestrels at Cauldon cement plant (UK), by Mark Ollier.