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Where are the starlings?
http://lbcarchive.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=18554		 Page 1 of 1
Author:  Geoff Mullett [ Mon Feb 11, 2013 11:15 am ]
Post subject:  Where are the starlings?
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
Author:  John Clarkson [ Wed Feb 13, 2013 3:49 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Where are the starlings?
There were 3-400 on the roofs around the Brown Cow, Newmarket last Sunday

John
Author:  John Clarkson [ Thu Feb 14, 2013 3:00 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Where are the starlings?
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
Author:  John T Goy [ Fri Feb 15, 2013 4:23 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Where are the starlings?
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
Author:  Geoff Mullett [ Fri Feb 15, 2013 9:30 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Where are the starlings?
John Clarkson wrote:
There were 3-400 on the roofs around the Brown Cow, Newmarket last Sunday

John


They must be after the Adnams bitter!

Geoff
Author:  Katherine Birkett [ Sun Feb 17, 2013 8:18 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Where are the starlings?
15 in my garden this afternoon....
Author:  Phil Espin [ Thu Feb 28, 2013 6:53 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Where are the starlings?
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.
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