The Lincolnshire Bird Club

Looking back over my garden bird survey records, I'm puzzled by the decline in starling visits noted in the winter surveys. From the last week in September to this week (21 weeks), they've been present:

2008-9
20 weeks, highest count 6
2009-10
16 weeks, highest count 12
2010-11
19 weeks, highest count 7
2011-12
11 weeks, highest count 4
2012-13
2 weeks, highest count 2

Numbers seem to have plummeted in the past two years; any ideas?

Geoff

There were 3-400 on the roofs around the Brown Cow, Newmarket last Sunday

John

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Lincolnshire Birds https://www.flickr.com/photos/120340949 ... 8078912016
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Contact: recorder_north@lincsbirdclub.co.uk

However, Geoff is right the trend is down and they are a red listed species

Red list criteria
Globally threatened
Historical population decline in UK during 1800–1995
Severe (at least 50%) decline in UK breeding population over last 25 years, or longer-term period (the entire period used for assessments since the first BoCC review, starting in 1969).
Severe (at least 50%) contraction of UK breeding range over last 25 years, or the longer-term period

John

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Lincolnshire Birds https://www.flickr.com/photos/120340949 ... 8078912016
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Contact: recorder_north@lincsbirdclub.co.uk

For first time this winter on Wednesday before snow came had 38 of them poking in back garden, as of late only had one or two sometimes more. There are upwards of 100+ at dusk, I can see them flying back and forth as they do.

Max

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GETTING OLD HAS IT'S ADVANTAGES BUT I CAN'T REMEMBER WHAT THEY ARE lol

They must be after the Adnams bitter!

Geoff

15 in my garden this afternoon....

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Hi Geoff, you make a very good point. The Lincs BBS shows that starling numbers have declined by 81% in Lincs from 1995 to 2010. The drops for EastMidlands and England are -42%and -55% respectively. Not sure why. They seem to be much commoner on the eastern side of Louth that the west side.

In my thrush surveys this winter its notable that they are much commoner in coastal towns like Mablethorpe and Sutton than they are in other areas I've counted inland.

A pair started breeding in a swift box I put up on my house 3 years ago and it looks as if they will do so again this year. The male is already singing.