Recording & Support -
Biological Recording
What is a Biological Record?
Bittersweet (Solanum dulcamara
)©Steve Smith
THE FOUR W's
.Who?
The person who is making the observation (usually you) including your name and preferably your contact details, so that we can contact you in the future for any further information on the sighting.It should be noted that no contact details are passed on to any third party without prior consent.
What?
Simply what you saw! The bird, plant, fungus, animal, etc. you have seen in as much detail as possible. For example: 'I saw a bat' is acceptable, but 'I saw a Daubenton's bat' is preferable. You can also submit details of species' age, sex, condition, numbers, etc. as well if possible.Where?
Where you made the observation. Again, this should be given in as much detail as possible. If you are reporting on something seen in your garden, your post code is important, as it enables the KMBRC staff to locate the record accurately. If you are recording out in the countryside, then a detailed description of the location, or preferably an Ordnance Survey grid reference, will assist. For instructions on how to determine a grid reference, either refer to the legend of an Ordnance Survey map, or click here to read our grid reference tutorial.When?
When you made the observation. This could be as vague as 'sometime in 2003' or 'summer 2003', but again, the greater the detail, the better i.e. day/month/year.A range of recording forms and spreadsheets are available for download to assist you with your recording. Visit our Recording Methods pages for further information.
