Species Account
Extract from Bird Report 2024
Common resident and winter visitor. Included in 32.7% of BirdTrack lists. The East of England long-term trend is increasing +2%. The long-term trend for Bedfordshire is also increasing +27%*. (Amber list).
Records were widespread throughout the year but generally in small numbers. In the Summer Garden Bird Survey they were only found in 33% of gardens, the lowest level since the surveys started in 1998. There were 18 at Strawberry Hill Farm on 15th May.
There was evidence of autumn influxes with, in October, 18 over The Pinnacle on the 3rd, 16 at Pegsdon Hills on the 5th and 26 over Blows Downs on the 30th. At Meppershall nocmig recordings took place almost daily from 2nd October to 13th November, with peaks of 15 on 17th October, ten on 31st October, 25 on 3rd November and ten on 10th November.
