Spotted Flycatchers

Freddy Johnson · **Posted:** Mon Oct 01, 2012 1:56 pm

Andy,

Many thanks for your message and also for putting the post on the web so quickly (page 6). Pleased to meet up with you again in Swanpool and learn that the bird was still around in the same area.....I'm glad Swanpool is only 15 minutes or so away from BBH.

I enjoyed great views of the Spotted Flycatcher from just after 12.00 for up to an hour as it put on a typical feeding performance " for my eyes only." Brilliant!!

Swanpool Cowfields have been in the background recently but now at the late date for an inland record of 1st October they deservedly take centre stage Spotted Flycatcher-wise.

Regards,

Freddy
PS. That's my 49th sighting in 2012.......will there be a 50th??

Freddy Johnson · **Posted:** Tue Oct 02, 2012 5:06 pm

Gibraltar Point - 2nd October

They say, "3rd time lucky.".....and so it proved after 2 previous visits to Gib Pt on Sun 23rd and Sun 30th September. ( Today was my 3rd visit from Lincoln to Gib Pt in 10 days.)

Kev Wilson telephoned me this morning with the news that a Spotted Flycatcher was in the Orchard area of Sykes Farm.

Arriving soon after 1.00pm, I was just starting to check the bushes and trees in the Orchard when Kev appeared. Within less than a minute, he had located the Spotted Flycatcher and had pointed it out to me.......telephone call - pointing out the target bird on my arrival.....all part of Kev's 5 star service at Gib Pt.

Initially, the bird didn't show too well, being mainly at the back of a low shrubby tree partly shielded by foliage but as time passed it ended up flycatching from the front branches, giving excellent views. Also around the site were 2 or 3 Chiffchaffs (also flycatching), Goldcrest, Goldfinches and Titmice.

So, sighting No. 50 arrived earlier than expected...due to Kev's thoughtful and friendly cooperation. Thanks again, Kev!

Freddy

Kev Wilson · **Posted:** Tue Oct 02, 2012 9:43 pm

Glad to be of assistance Freddy.

I heard the pied flycatcher calling on my way back to the office too.

Kev

Freddy Johnson · **Posted:** Mon Oct 15, 2012 12:03 pm

Consolidated Lincs Spotted Flycatcher Sightings 2012

For interest and also for easy data access, my 2012 Lincs Spotted Flycatcher sightings are listed below. They show the initials of the originator of the web report which I then followed up on the date shown. The key to the Lincs birders' initials is shown at the bottom of the list. Where no original observer is indicated, it was a sighting on my own initiative. All my sightings have previously been reported on the LBC web.

01. 27 May Doddington Farm Shop Gardens...adult flycatching
02. 10 Jun Fulbeck Craft Centre...DM...pair with young
03. 19 Jun Spridlington Churchyard...RH...adult flycatching
04. 19 Jun Fulletby Gardens/Churchyard...adult flycatching and at nest
05. 23 Jun Normanby le Wold...Garden/Churchyard...ES...pair feeding fledglings
06. 26 Jun Horncastle Trinity Churchyard...PE...pair with young
07. 26 Jun Woodhall Spa, Iddlesleigh Road...pair with young
08. 26 Jun Woodhall Spa, Dowager House Hotel...pair with young
09. 27 Jun Dunsby, Rose Trellis...HD...pair with young
10. 27 Jun Dunsby, Clematis Trellis...HD...pair with eggs

11. 04 Jul Southrey Wood...RH...pair with eggs
12. 06 Jul Potterhanworth... (House Owners)...pair feeding fledglings
13. 07 Jul Edlington Churchyard...RH...adult at nest
14. 12 Jul Burghley Park...SB...adult at nest
15. 12 Jul Burghley Park...SB...adult feeding fledglings
16. 12 Jul Edenham Churchyard...RH...pair at nest
17. 12 Jul Edenham Vicarage Garden...pair with young
18. 12 Jul Dunsby, Redwood Tree Creeper...HD...pair with young
19. 12 Jul Marston STW...DR...adult with fledgling
20. 15 Jul Tealby Village...adult flycatching

21. 21 Jul Dunsby, Cottage Creeper...HD...pair with eggs
22. 21 Jul Kirkby Underwood...adult flycatching
23. 22 Jul Willingham by Stow Churchyard...IS/DN...adult flycatching
24. 22 Jul Spridlington Village...RH...pair feeding fledglings
25. 24 Jul Brampton Village...DN...pair with young
26. 24 Jul Doddington Hall Main Gardens...adult flycatching
27. 29 Jul Baumber Churchyard...MH...adult flycatching
28. 01 Aug Grimsthorpe Castle Estate...adult with young
29. 05 Aug Harlaxton Manor...adult flycatching
30. 09 Aug Woodhall Spa, Manor Road...pair feeding juveniles

31. 09 Aug Woodhall Spa, Green Lane...pair feeding juveniles
32 15 Aug 'Baumber House' Garden...GR/RT...4 adults, 3 juveniles
33. 19 Aug Woodhall Spa, Coronation Hall area...RC...6 adults, 3 juveniles
34. 21 Aug Riseholme Campus, Lincoln...IB...adult with juvenile
35. 23 Aug Hubbard's Hills, Louth...GW...6 adults,1 juvenile
36. 24 Aug Swanpool Cowfields, Lincoln...AS...5 adults
37. 26 Aug Swanpool Cowfields, Lincoln...6 adults
38. 31 Aug Fillingham Cowfields...DN...6 adults, 1 juvenile
39. 02 Sep Fillingham Cowfields...3 adults, 1 juvenile
40. 02 Sep Linwood Warren, Market Rasen...7 adults, 1 juvenile

41. 02 Sep Hubbard's Hills...2 adults
42. 05 Sep Fillingham Cowfields...4 adults, 2 juveniles
43. 07 Sep Fillingham Cowfields...7 adults
44. 08 Sep Linwood Warren...8 adults, 2 juveniles
45. 18 Sep Hubbard's Hills...GW...2 adults, 1 juvenile
46. 22 Sep Hubbard's Hills...3 adults
47. 26 Sep Tetney Lock, Outfall Sluice...DE...2 adults
48. 26 Sep Tetney Lock, Orchard area...DE...adult flycatching
49. 01 Oct Swanpool Cowfields, Lincoln...AS...adult flycatching
50. 02 Oct Gibraltar Point...KW...adult flycatching.

KEY :

IB Ian Birch; SB Stuart Britton; RC Robert Carr; HD Hugh Dorrington; PE Phil Espin;

DE Derick Evans; MH Mike Harrison; RH Russell Hayes; DM David Morison; DN Dean Nicholson;

DR Dave Roberts; GR Greg Roberts; ES Eddie Shone; AS Andy Sims; IS Ian Smith;

RT Russ Telfer; GW Geoff Williams; KW Kev Wilson.

Freddy

Derick Evans · **Posted:** Mon Nov 26, 2012 12:22 pm

Hi Freddy.
Sorry for the late post on this thread and congratulations on recording so many Spot. Flys. in 2012. =D>

While continually being informed on TV and with almost every post and email received.
That bird populations are drastically falling. Reading that "Spotted Flycatcher is on the 'Red List' of birds of conservation concern and the population in the UK has fallen by 79%" is very alarming but I do sometimes wonder how accurate these and many other conservation figures really are. :?:

Reading your impressive list Freddy but with just 33 records of breeding birds in the county, one assumes there is a big problem in Lincolnshire, though it does beg one question.
How many sightings made by the other 250+ LBC members and indeed the thousands of other county birdwatchers regularly go unrecorded. :?:

I recalled reading in an earlier LBC news letter, a request to send in 'ALL' breeding records of Spotted Flycatcher in Lincolnshire, to build an accurate distribution map of this species.
I'm not decrying anyone's efforts or surveys done by LBC members.
If only there were many more Freddy Johnson's in the country. Just asking the question.

With only 33 records in 2012. How accurate can a distribution map of this species be :?:

Freddy Johnson · **Posted:** Mon Nov 26, 2012 1:52 pm

Derick,

It is almost a surreal experience to be reading again about Spotted Flycatchers when I'm up to my ears in overriding thoughts about Waxwing sightings......but thanks for your kind words re my SpotFly posts of 2012.

One valid point I would make concerning the number of breeding pairs of Spotted Flycatchers in Lincolnshire in 2012 is that a number of LBC members send their sighting/breeding records direct to Colin and Sheila Jennings to collate without adding them to this LBC Sightings website. In that way with an overall collation ( ie web + direct reports ), we get a more balanced view of a species' sighting/breeding record when the appropriate year's 'Lincolnshire Bird Report' is published.......admittedly some 18 months or so after the last breeding reports of any given year. Personally, I'm perfectly happy with that procedure.

Regards,

Freddy

Derick Evans · **Posted:** Mon Nov 26, 2012 6:14 pm

Freddy Johnson wrote:

Derick,

It is almost a surreal experience to be reading again about Spotted Flycatchers when I'm up to my ears in overriding thoughts about Waxwing sightings......but thanks for your kind words re my SpotFly posts of 2012.

One valid point I would make concerning the number of breeding pairs of Spotted Flycatchers in Lincolnshire in 2012 is that a number of LBC members send their sighting/breeding records direct to Colin and Sheila Jennings to collate without adding them to this LBC Sightings website. In that way with an overall collation ( ie web + direct reports ), we get a more balanced view of a species' sighting/breeding record when the appropriate year's 'Lincolnshire Bird Report' is published.......admittedly some 18 months or so after the last breeding reports of any given year. Personally, I'm perfectly happy with that procedure.
Regards, Freddy

Wasn't knocking the system, procedures or those that operate them Freddy but do wonder how many more Freddy Johnson's there are in the UK.

To be honest I wouldn't normally report Spot. Fly. sightings and Yes! I know it's important [-X

but only did this during 2012 as I knew from reading Freddy's posts that he was checking out all reports and really wanted the info.

If I'm a typical UK birdwatcher in that respect. No wise cracks please!
I wonder how representative 50-odd records from thousands of Linc's birdwatchers is :?:

When I read in the LBC April newsletter. "Between 1980-2005, the population of Spotted Flycatchers in the UK fell by 79%".

Any thoughts Folks :?:

Andrew Chick · **Posted:** Mon Nov 26, 2012 6:26 pm

The quote in the April 2012 Newsletter;

Quote:

"Between 1980-2005, the population of Spotted Flycatchers in the UK fell by 79%".

Was taken from the RSPB website at http://www.rspb.org.uk/ourwork/projects ... flycatcher

As for the final total for 2012 LBC spotted flycatchers recorded by LBC members, I will be in a position to give you this in approx Feb 2013. I am sure there will be more records than Freddy has listed... However, at the moment I am still recieving/following up data for the 2011 LBC report...

Derick Evans · **Posted:** Tue Nov 27, 2012 12:07 am

Thanks for that Andrew and the link. Look forward to seeing the totals.

Geoff Williams · **Posted:** Tue Jun 04, 2013 8:00 pm

I don't normally do the Hubbard's Hills for Spotted Flycatcher in the spring but was interested to see if there is any passage at this time. Sure enough there was at least 4 birds hunting insects from the tall trees along the valley. I presume some will stay to breed as there seem to be plenty of insects around.
Geoff

Peter Roworth · **Posted:** Fri Jun 07, 2013 9:09 am

Single bird hunting insects from edge of shelter belt near Saltfleetby-Theddlethorpe NNR base evening of June 6th.

Peter

Colin and Sheila Jennings · **Posted:** Fri Jun 07, 2013 9:35 am

Please start new thread for this year.

Thanks,

C&S

The Lincolnshire Bird Club

Spotted Flycatchers

Who is online