In this survey the number of registered participants was fifty-five. In the 2008 part of the survey records were received from fifty-two, with fifty-one received for the second session in 2009. The number of contributors remained substantially the same as in the last survey, with five new recorders joining and five previous contributors not continuing. Six survey members are not members of SECOS, one less than last year. Again the level of support is most encouraging and a big thank-you is extended to all contributors new and old.
Since the beginning of SECOS Garden Bird Surveys in 1985, seventy-six different species of birds have now been recorded. No additional species were recorded this year
As with the last survey, rankings within the table were little changed from the previous survey. Three species, blackbird, blue tit, and robin had a presence in every garden of the survey, with woodpigeon present in all but one garden.The same species occupied the top ten list with minor juxtapositions in order. Dunnocks progressed from tenth to sixth, with an increased record count approaching twenty per cent. Great tit records declined by about ten per cent. Since 2001, woodpigeons have leapt from eleventh in the ranking to second, although even in 2001 they had a presence in most gardens, but were far less common. Pied wagtails appeared in far more gardens than in the previous survey, thus increasing their count record.
Our current most common ten bird species in order are:-
1) Blackbird [1] 2) Wood Pigeon [4] 3) Blue Tit [3]
4) Robin [2] 5) House Sparrow [5] 6) Dunnock [10]
7) Collared Dove [8] 8) Starling [7] 9) Great Tit [6] 10) Chaffinch [9]
The number in square brackets following the name shows the corresponding position last year.
Records of lesser black-backed gull and common gull had a small presence in this survey, having been absent from the last. Marsh tits visited two gardens, producing seven records in total. None was present in the last survey. Lesser spotted woodpecker and little owl were recorded in the last survey, but not this time. Blackcap records multiplied by a factor of three from fifty per cent more gardens. Twice as many fieldfares were recorded in this survey when compared to the last survey, with redwings staying substantially the same. Siskins continued to have a good presence. More than twice as many goldcrests were recorded, with more gardens visited. Lesser redpolls were far more widespread, visiting three times more gardens resulting in three times more records than in the last survey Treecreeper records also increased threefold from more than twice as many gardens. Bramblings visited more gardens with five times more records Grey wagtails visited twice as many gardens. Once more, great spotted woodpecker records retained last year’s position of being the most common bird of the “Other Species” table.
For further details contact Trevor Clowes
email: “handt136@talktalk.net”
