The New Forest Biodiversity Forum supports and promotes species recording in the New Forest National Park, including through a Volunteer Ecological Surveyor Programme (VESPA). These guidance notes provide information to VESPA participants and anyone looking to identify and record wildlife sightings in the New Forest, with a focus on smartphone-based apps that can be used in the field.

 

1. Species identification apps

Field-based species identification has traditionally been based around books (field guides) that cover popular species groups such as birds, plants, and insects. However, the increase in smartphone camera capability, coupled with development of powerful identification apps, means that many species can now be photographed and identified in the field. This can have the additional benefit of automatically adding a GPS location and time stamp to an image. Three examples of popular identification apps are listed below.

 

Merlin - this bird ID app is particularly useful when identifying bird songs and calls.

 

ObsIdentify - this photo-based app provides a percentage likelihood for identified species and can be good for tricky invertebrates. 

 

Seek - an app developed by iNaturalist that covers a wide range of taxa and is particularly accessible for younger wildlife enthusiasts.

 

2. Additional identification resources

Note that these identification apps can and do make mistakes, so if you are uncertain about an identification then wait until suitable reference material can be accessed or seek expert help (see links below to County Recorders).

 

In addition, the Wild New Forest Facebook page has 15,000 members and is a great community resource that regularly features identification queries based on images taken in the New Forest, and has enabled rare species such as Smooth Snake and Honey Buzzard to be correctly identified and recorded.

 

3. Biological recording apps

Once you’ve identified your species, the next stage is to get it recorded so it can be used for future conservation efforts. There are a variety of online recording apps, operating at both national and local level, as well as those tailored to particular species groups. The two that we strongly recommend are shown below:

 

iRecord - this is generally viewed as the optimal online portal for UK species records as it covers all taxonomic groups and is well connected to national data portals such as NBN Atlas that underpin conservation efforts.

 

iNaturalist - this is a good option for those seeking a more community-based approach with global coverage that incorporates photo ID assistance, but it is less well integrated into UK data portals.

 

4. Additional information

At a local level, Hampshire Biodiversity Information Centre (HBIC) has a useful species recording page herethat provides an up-to-date list of county recorders and preferred recording routes for different species groups, as well as links to guidance on what constitutes a ‘good’ record. HBIC also promotes Living Record as a local online recording system that covers all taxa.

 

Other sites that contain useful information on biological recording are shown below.

 

Natural History Museum - introduction to biological recording.

 

Natural History Museum - how to share and explore wildlife records online.

 

Field Studies Council - provider of field and online biological recording courses.

 

Biological Records Centre - national focus for terrestrial and freshwater species recording.

 

NHBS Bookstore - holds an extensive catalogue of field guides and other wildlife books.