NLRG was formed in 1957 to help in the study of birds in the Lancaster and District Birdwatching Society area. There are currently 12 active ringers. Species currently being studied include: Pied Flycatcher, Bearded Tit, Sand Martin, Twite, Goosander, Oystercatcher and Grey Wagtail. Migration has been studied for 28 years at Heysham. We welcome anyone who wants to observe, help or perhaps wish to become a ringer. Photo: A Heysham-ringed Twite on the Mull of Kintyre (thanks to Eddie Maguire)

Tuesday 31 July 2012

Where Have All the Sedge Warblers Gone

This season is turning into the most difficult we have experienced in the 16 years we have been doing our reed bed ringing at Leighton Moss. We usually rotate our ringing round four main sites, but this year due to the poor weather and the resulting high water levels we have only been able to make 12 ringing visits compared to an average of 24 in previous years. Allowing for this fall in activity Sedge Warblers are well down with 39 ringed this July a 37% decline on 2011. Reed warblers with 261 ringed are also down by 13%. By contrast Willow Warblers with 82 ringed are similar to 2011. Will be interesting to see what August brings- it may be that the season is later this year, in fact the last two days of July were our best day for Sedge Warblers. We also caught a Dutch ringed adult Sedge Warbler presumably ringed on passage in the Netherlands. John

1 comment:

Pete Marsh said...

To this I would add Whitethroat and Lesser Whitethroat which I know are not regular at the Moss but should be around in reasonable numbers at Heysham and Middleton and are just not there. Sedge Warblers have been fairly poor at Middleton but, as at Leighton, Willow Warblers about average. Also a distinct lack of tit flocks around Heysham/Middleton, especially Long-tailed.