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Records not verified

Submitted by ALAN J SALTER on

I have several records of a variety of fauna that never seem to be verified, these include some birds, spiders and many others all with photos. Are there other ways apart from irecord whereby they could be checked and verified? I have tried some Facebook groups but again have come up with no responses. Does anyone else have these issues?

Submitted by Gustav Clark on Thu, 04/08/2022 - 11:20

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Verification depends on unpaid specialists, who may also cover just a region.  The worst case is a reasonably common group but the local recorder has moved out of the area.  It could take years to fill the gap.

Birds records come by many routes, iRecord is one of the minor ones so recorders may not get round to them until autumn.  Butterflies and dragonflies have the same problem.

Spider recording has only just started accepting iRecord, and except for a few taxa you need photographs of the genitalia.

Beetles are very varied - I have ladybirds verified within weeks whilst some weevil records haven't been looked at in 2 years.

All together it is a bit of a muddle.  What does matter though is to get the record uploaded so that other people know what you think you saw, and have enough detail to evaluate them.  They will get into NBN Atlas, albeit as unverified, and that is an essential step in recording biodiversity. 

My experience of Facebook groups has been very good.  It helps to explicitly ask for help - I posted some pictures of a rove  beetle asking which of 2 species, and all I get is lots of likes.  I think they mean that one of them is correct.  Its worth having a few alternatives - for weevils I use Beetles of Britain and Weevils of Britain.

Submitted by ALAN J SALTER on Thu, 04/08/2022 - 21:07

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Thanks for that information, much of which I do understand such as realising that Verifiers are volunteers, I know some of them.

I guess I feel frustrated because in September 2021 I marched way out into the Brecon Beacons to an unrecorded square and took a photo of a spider that is I believe correct in my ID but am unable to get it verified despite even putting it

on the spider group on Facebook. It's not the end of the world but I feel I may have to visit that square again for more records. 

Submitted by Gustav Clark on Sun, 07/08/2022 - 12:11

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Tried British Spider Identification Group and UK Spiders.  I suggest joining one of these and posting stuff there.

Submitted by julia.miflin@o… on Wed, 28/06/2023 - 16:08

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Hi Alan

I've recently taken on a volunteer role as Verification Assistant for Butterfly Conservation in VC42 Breconshire to support the County Butterfly Recorder. Others have taken on a similar role in other counties. 

I hope you've seen a difference over the past few months? If you're the same Alan Salter, it looks like there's just a few caterpillar records to verify (your butterfly records have been verified). If you're not the same Alan Salter, I apologise, but that would be a huge coincidence?

Kind regards

Julia