How do they count flocks of birds so accurately?

I was intrigued to see in Bill Teale's column that 4,975 goldfinches had visited Spurn Point compared with the previous record of 4,650.
By The Newsroom
Published 22nd Oct 2010, 16:35 BST
Updated 22nd Oct 2010, 16:35 BST

How on earth does any person or group count birds with such pin-point accuracy?

If I get a flock of sparrows or tits in the garden I would have difficulty in establishing whether there were 20

or 25 as they flit around so rapidly.

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Presumably there must be some system if records are to be established. I would be interested to know how it is done.

From Brian Waddington, Dukes Wharf, Terry Avenue, York

From: Pamela Frankland, Hull Road, York.

FURTHER to Sarah Todd's column about the theft of money from the honesty box of her daughter's egg enterprise, what a rotten trick to steal from a nine-year-old, what a sad lesson for her to learn.

She will have everyone's sympathy.

I feel Sarah's conclusion that the culprit could be a "hoodie" may be wrong, as this sort of thing has gone on over many years.

Local potato "honesty" boxes, plus the potatoes, have disappeared, as have eggs along with the money for them.

This was happening more than 50 years ago to my knowledge, sadly nothing new here?

CW 23/10/10

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