Species Account
Extract from Bird Report 2024
Widespread breeder and passage migrant. Included in 14.1% of BirdTrack lists. The East of England long-term trend is decreasing -35%*. The long-term trend for Bedfordshire is also decreasing -44%*. (Green list).
Breeding was confirmed at ten sites. Adults accompanied by juveniles were at Meadow Lane GP, Clift on Bury Farm, Fen Farm (Sutton), Lodge Farm (Chicksands), Myers Farm (Potton), Octagon Farm GP, the River Ouzel floodplain, Tithe Farm (Potton) and Wrestlingworth WTW. At the Old Rectory, Eversholt, two pairs returned to breed in the hayloft on 10th May. By 21st July, one pair had fledged three young but the other pair had moved on. Th e breeding pair then settled down to breed again, the three chicks from the second brood leaving on 7th October. Probable breeding was noted at another 15 sites.
The earliest were singles at G&M Pit and at Sandy, on 24th March, followed by one at Dunstable WTW on 27th March. They were then reported daily from 29th March, though mostly fewer than ten. Larger flocks (more than 20) were nearly all from wetland sites and mostly in the second half of April. There were five flocks of 100 or more, all in April: 130 at Dunstable WTW on the 19th and 200 on the 27th; 100 at Meadow Lane GP on the 20th; 250 at Grovebury SP on the 27th and 140 on the 28th. Passage seemed to have finished by the end of April, although there was one flock of 100 at Cotton End on 18th May.
The larger flocks of the autumn, comprising 27 flocks of 40 or more, illustrated the build-up of numbers prior to departure. The first indications in July were 65 at Dunstable WTW on the 8th, 45 at Clophill on the 10th, followed by 44 at Gadsey Brook on the 20th and 40 at Broom South Quarry on the 22nd. In August, there were 40 at Dunstable WTW on the 5th, 50 at Broom East on the 13th and 107 over Henlow Grange on the 21st. Numbers began to build up at the end of the month and into September. There were 200 over Henlow on 31st August and again on 1st September, followed by 50 on 4th September. There were 13 other flocks of 40 or more from 11 sites in the first half of September, peaking with 600 (the highest count of the year) arriving in damp conditions at Grovebury SP on 5th September, and 240 at Dunstable WTW on 9th September. Counts were lower in the second half of the month, mostly fewer than 30, except for 200 at Broom South Quarry on 28th September. There were reports from 35 sites in October, mainly in small numbers, but with 100 over Pegsdon Hills on 8th October. There was a long gap after 16th October, when there were two at both East Hyde and Houghton Brook Pools, until the last of the year, an unusually late one over Ickwell Green on 9th November.
