Species Account
Extract from Bird Report 2024
Common summer visitor, increasing as a wintering species. Included in 28.9% of BirdTrack lists. The East of England long-term trend is increasing +130%*. The long-term trend forBedfordshire is also increasing +124%*. (Green list).
Confirmed breeding records originated from Blunham, Broom East, Deepdale Quarry Potton, Dunstable WTW, Harrowden WM, Henlow Grange, Henry Smith Park Potton, Houghton Brook Pools, MCP Wetlands NR, Myers Farm Potton, Old Warden, Pegnut Wood, Potton Wood, Priory CP, the River Ouzel at Leighton Buzzard, Sandy, Th e Lodge, Thurleigh Airfield and Woburn. Probable breeding occurred at a further 26 sites, although records were received from 217 sites during the breeding season, compared to 166 during 2023.
Overwintering individuals were at 19 sites during January, with 16 of those being observers’ gardens. Th is compares with 25 and 20 respectively in January 2023. Reports were received for 26 days of the month, compared with 29 in January 2023. In February, records were received for 17 days, compared with 27 during February 2023. From mid-March, the number of sites increased significantly, although the first indication of a major arrival did not occur until the end of the month, when on the 30th five were at Myers Farm and three were at Priory CP; the following day, nine were at Willington GP and six were at MCP Wetlands NR. In April, the first double-figure count was of 12 at Willington GP on the 2nd, with also 12 at Priory CP on the 6th, and 20 at Strawberry Hill Farm on the 8th, when numbers at Priory CP rose to 14. On the 10th there were 21 at Stewartby Lake and 18 at Strawberry Hill Farm. There were 27 at Pegnut Wood on the 14th and numbers rose to 19 at Priory CP on the 18th. The highest count of the month, and the year, was 41 at MCP Wetlands NR on the 20th. Th ere were 26 at Strawberry Hill Farm on the 29th. During May, the highest counts were 34 at Strawberry Hill Farm on the 15th, 19 at Pegnut Wood on the 12th and 17 at Priory CP on the 5th. There were 25 additional counts in the range ten to 16. In June, the highest count was 14 at Old Warden on the 17th, with 13 at Strawberry Hill Farm on the 7th. Counts of 12 were received from the River Ivel at Blunham on the 2nd, Lidlington on the 17th, Myers Farm on the 7th, 22nd and 26th, and Wrest Park on the 9th.
In July, the only double-figure counts were of 15 at Houghton Brook Pools on the 18th, with12 there on the 8th, and ten at Myers Farm on the 2nd. During August, numbers increased as recently fledged birds became more mobile and passage migrants passed through: 24 were at Brogborough Hill on the 28th, 13 were at Bedford WTW on the 6th and 11 were at Pegsdon Hills on the 26th. During September, migration slowed as the month progressed, with records received from fewer sites. The month’s highest counts were 22 at Brogborough Hill on the 15th and 15 at Pegsdon Hills on the 7th. In October, the regular ‘inter-seasonal’ hiatus in records occurred, with no records received during the period 16th–28th October, the longest spell in the year without a record and which probably marked the delineation of breeding and passage birds leaving and overwintering birds arriving. Only 12 records were received from 11 sites during November, rising to 34 records from 17 sites in December.
