Species Account
Extract from Bird Report 2024
Regular passage migrant and localised breeder. Included in 3.5% of BirdTrack lists. The East of England long-term trend is decreasing -48%*. (Red list).
Confirmed breeding was at just two sites, at Coronation ClP and Felmersham NR, although was no doubt under-recorded. Probable breeding was noted in the Barton Hill Farm area, Blunham Lakes, Cardington Cross, Havannah Farm at Sutton, Lousy Bush NR at Sutton, Meadow Lane GP, Standalone Farm at Potton, Wilden and Woodbury Low Farm at Tempsford.
The first to arrive was at Upper Caldecote on 26th March, five days earlier than the ten-year average arrival date, followed by two at Willington Lock Quarry and one at Old Warden, all on 30th March. A few more trickled through during the first week of April, with a heavier passage from 8th April onwards. By the end of April they had been noted at 36 different sites, with the largest flocks being ten at Rookery South ClP on the 8th and 12 at Grovebury SP on the 26th. Further passage in May was light, with the highest counts all being of four, at Wrestlingworth WTW on the 4th, Lousy Bush NR at Sutton also on the 4th, Broom South Quarry on the 16th and East Hyde on the 20th.
The highest count in July was eight coming to roost at Broom South Quarry on the 7th. Numbers then started to build in August, with the largest group of the year being at least 40 at Old Warden church on 21st August. They flew in from the Shuttleworth direction, briefly perched on wires and then departed. There were ten foraging amongst cattle at Henlow Grange on 21st August, 32 between Blunham Lakes and the Ridgeway Walk on the 28th, ten at Harrowden WM on the 29th and 25 at Broom South Quarry on the 30th. In September, there were 29 at Wrest Park on the 1st, 16 at Myers Farm Potton on the 3rd, and then a series of decent counts at Broom South Quarry, including 36 on the 9th, 30 on the 10th, 17 on the 12th and nine on the 20th. After 18th September, the highest counts elsewhere were of just two. In October, there was one at Everton on the 3rd, two at Harrowden WM on the 4th–9th, two at Broom East on the 9th and two at Wrest Park on the 13th, seven days later than the ten-year average last date.
