Species Account
Extract from Bird Report 2024
Common summer visitor and passage migrant. Included in 10.1% of BirdTrack lists, but 12.1% in 2023. Th e East of England long-term trend is decreasing -58%*. (Red list).
The first in spring were singles at Wigmore Valley Park and MCP Wetlands NR on 21st April, with then 11 at Broom East the next day. With sightings accelerating as April went on, they were at another 15 sites by the month’s end, with the largest group being 14 at Broom East on the 29th. In the first half of May most of the bigger groups were again at Broom East, peaking at 50 on the 13th–14th, with generally much smaller numbers elsewhere. During the second half of May, numbers increased and were more widespread, with 40 at Langford on the 16th, 50 at Broom East on the 24th, 90 at Dunstable WTW on the 28th, 80 at Priory CP on the 30th and 40 at Meadow Lane GP and 60 at Grovebury SP on the last day of the month. In June, the largest counts were 100 at Harrold-Odell CP on the 1st, 60 at Grovebury SP on the 2nd, 100 at Priory CP on the 8th and 68 at Grovebury SP again on the 25th. During July, the peaks were 64 in the Meppershall area on the 2nd, 60 at Tetworth Hall Estate and 75 at Broom East on the 3rd, 60 at Dunstable WTW on the 4th, 70 at Priory CP on the 5th and 87 at Houghton Brook Pools on the 18th. Sightings slowed down towards the end of the month, but there were still 60 over Limbury Mead, Luton on the 24th. The highest count in August was of 60 over Dunstable on the 2nd. Numbers dropped quickly as the month progressed and, apart from 38 at Priory CP on the 25th, the highest count in the last week of August was just seven over Bedford on the 28th. As expected, numbers were low in September, with highs of just six at Dunstable WTW on the 2nd and seven at Priory CP on the 11th. The last for the year were singles at Fenlake Meadows and Priory CP on 15th September.
There was also an intriguing sighting of a swift species, briefly over the River Lea in Luton, on 28th March.
