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MOOR GREEN LAKES GROUP

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Bird Migration Statistics

 

Birds are capable of travelling considerable distances. Many of the birds seen at Moor Green Lakes spend either just the winter, or summer with us. Others pass through in the spring and autumn as they migrate between their summer breeding locations in the north, and wintering locations south of us. The sight of arrivals and departures marks the passage of the seasons and adds to the fascination of a visit to the Reserve.

 

The following information summarise the annual arrival and departure dates recorded in the MGLG Annual Reports produced since 1993. This information is supplemented with informal data (in italics) from the Monthly Bird Summaries where Annual Reports are not yet available.  Information on the locations where birds spend the rest of their time is abstracted from "The Migration Atlas" produced by the British Trust for Ornithology. This collates the results of 100 years of information on birds which have been ringed and subsequently recovered. To provide meaningful statistical information, only birds that are relatively common at Moor Green are considered here.

Juvinile Green Sandpiper,

Green Sandpiper (4th August ©  Les Thorn)

Green Sandpipers breed in the boreal forest zone of north Scandinavia and Russia; nesting in old song-bird nests and squirrel dreys. They Winter in southern Britain, SW Europe and north Africa. Females often leave before the young are fledged, followed later by the juveniles and males. Small numbers spend the winter at Moor Green Lakes and larger numbers pass through; August sightings are usually the most numerous. Unlike many waders, they do not form flocks and individuals may be found scattered around the lake margins and scrapes.

Year

Max

Leave

Return

Max

1993 1 09-May 17-Jul 6

1994

2

06-May

16-Jul

2

1995

2

May

Jul

3

1996

1

21-Apr

18-Jun

3

1997

1

24-Apr

17-Jun

6

1998

1

26-Apr

18-Jul

8

1999

2

17-Apr

10-Jul

4

2000

3

27-Apr

13-Jul

4

2001

3

26-Apr

28-Jun

8

2002

5

26-Apr

26-Jun

3

2003

3

26-Apr

17-Jun

5

2004

2

19-Apr

20-Jun

6

2005

2

13-Apr

11-Jun

4

2006

2

21-Apr

09-Jun

15

2007

1

04-May

16-Jun

8

2008

3

24-Apr

17-Jun

13

2009

4

21-Apr

24-Jun

11

2010

7

19-Apr

26-Jun

7

Earliest/Min 1 13-Apr 09-Jun 2

Average

2.5

24-Apr

26-Jun

6.3

Latest/Max

7

09-May

18-Jul

15

 

Year

Arrive

Max

Leave

1993 20-Mar 9 29-Jul

1994

28 Mar

11

29-Aug

1995

26-Mar

7 27-Aug

1996

16 Mar

12

11-Aug

1997

08-Mar 12 02-Sep

1998

28-Mar 7 10-Sep

1999

13-Mar 8 16-Aug

2000

23-Mar 5 28-Aug

2001

- 5 30-Jul

2002

16-Mar 11 08-Jul

2003

03-Mar 9 01-Aug

2004

23- Mar 11 18-Aug

2005

24-Mar 10 16-Aug

2006

16-Mar 13 15-Aug
2007 16-Mar 11 05-Aug

2008

17-Mar 15 09-Aug

2009

13-Mar 19 31-Jul

2010

18-Mar

12

28-Aug

Earliest/Min 03-Mar 5 08-Jul

Average

18-Mar 10.5 13-Aug

Latest/Max

28-Mar 19 10-Sep

Adult Little Ringed Plover on Colebrook scrape

Little Ringed Plover (4th May 2009 - © Gary Randall)

This smart little plover first started to breed in Britain in 1938, and has yet to colonise Ireland. They spend the winter south of the Sahara. A few pairs have been breeding at Moor Green Lakes since 1990, preferring the exposed gravel which results from the extraction process.

Common Sandpiper on Colebrook scrape

Common Sandpiper (23 April 2009 - © David Lowther)

 

This small wader passes through Moor Green Lakes on its northerly migration from sub-Saharan west Africa and southern Europe where it spends the winter. It breeds in northern Britain and Scandinavia. Occasionally Common Sandpipers spend the winter in Berkshire and have also bred in the county.

Year Arrive Max Leave Return Max Leave
1993 10-Apr 5 19-May 02-Jul 4 14-Sep
1994 19-Apr 5 22 May 29-Jun 6 08-Oct
1995 02-Apr 4 18-May 01-Jul 5 30-Sep
1996 11-Apr 3 22-May 25-Jun 4 05-Oct
1997 14-Apr 6 02-Jun 16-Jul 4 17-Sep
1998 01-Apr 4 29-May 11-Jul 4 20-Sep
1999 11-Apr 2 19-May 04-Jul 3 28-Sep
2000 18-Apr 2 25-May 15-Jul 6 17-Oct
2001 16-Apr 3 28-May 30-Jun 6 08-Oct
2002 02-Apr 4 18-May 29-Jul 2 08-Sep
2003 19-Apr 9 21-May 05-Jul ? 19-Sep
2004 16-Apr 3 25-May 19-Jul 3 29-Sep
2005 13-Apr 2 22-May 15-Jul 2 08-Oct
2006 09-Apr 2 24-May 08-Jul 2 15-Oct
2007 17-Apr 3 21-May 04-Jul 5 08-Sep
2008 12-Apr 3 26-May 21-Jun 7 23-Sep
2009 11-Apr 5 15-May 18-Jun 5 09-Sep
2010 05-Apr 3 24-May 14-Jul 6 20-Sep
Earliest/Min 01-Apr 2 05-May 18-Jun 2 08-Sep
Average 11-Apr 3.8 22-May 06-Jul 4.4 25-Sep
Latest/Max 19-Apr 9 02-Jun 29-Jul 7 17-Oct

Common Tern

 

Common Terns have been breeding at Moor Green Lakes since 1991, not always successfully.

 

British breeding Common Terns winter on the west coast of Africa. Occasionally, birds from further north pass through on migration; these are separately noted where possible. 

Year Arrive Fledged Leave Passage
1993 12-Apr 10 23-Jul  
1994 22-Apr 13 21-Sep 22-Oct
1995 13-Apr 2 15-Aug  
1996 13-Apr 4 28-Aug  
1997 13-Apr 0 18-Aug  
1998 20-Apr 1 09-Aug 10-Sep
1999 19-Apr 2 09-Sep  
2000 19-Apr 14 15-Aug 20-Sep
2001 14-Apr 18 12-Aug 18-Sep
2002 14-Apr 16 27-Jul  
2003 26-Mar 30 11-Aug  
2004 02-Apr 23 21-Aug  
2005 24-Mar 25 19-Aug  
2006 30-Mar 0 08-Aug  
2007 11-Apr 0 20-Aug  
2008 14-Apr 3 29-Aug  
2009 10-Apr 2 07-Sep  
2010 21-Apr 2 28-Jul 13-Sep
Earliest/Min 24-Mar 0 23-Jul  
Average 11-Apr 9.2 17-Aug  
Latest/Max 22-Apr 30 21-Sep  
         

Common Tern

Common Tern, 26 April 2009 - © Gary Randall

Redshank mating, 16 April 2009 - © Jerry O'Brien

Redshank mating on the scrape in front of Colebrook Hide

 

Small numbers of Redshank arrive at Moor Green Lakes to breed, but they are never very successful. They nest on the ground, usually in a tuft of Soft Rush (Juncus sp.). The eggs or young are readily predated by Crows and Foxes. The birds breeding at Moor Green Lakes probably winter on the Channel coasts, and possibly as far as Spain.

Redshank on passage can drop in on Moor Green Lakes and have been recorded in all months. Winter birds most likely to be Redshanks of the Icelandic breeding race which winter around the British coasts in substantial numbers. 

Year Arrive Max Leave

Late

Passage

1993 07-Mar 8 26-Jun 30-Dec
1994 23-Feb 8 23-Jul 01-Dec
1995 26-Feb 6 23-Jul  
1996 28-Feb 6 10-Jul 07-Sep
1997 08-Mar 6 09-Aug  
1998 07-Mar 6 24-Jul 15-Aug
1999 17-Mar 4 26-Jun  
2000 11-Mar 4 19-May  
2001 24-Mar 4 23-Apr 27-Sep
2002 12-Mar 4 07-Jul  
2003 12-Mar 4 07-Jul 17-Sep
2004 13-Mar 6 26-Jul 05-Oct
2005 20-Mar 7 27-Jun 01-Aug
2006 21-Mar 6 08-Jul 21-Jul
2007 12-Mar 8 18-Jul 01-Oct
2008 07-Mar 8 25-Jul 25-Sep
2009 20-Feb 8 20-Jun 28-Aug
2010 01-Mar 6 29-Jun 07-Nov
Earliest/Min 20-Feb 4 23-Apr  
Average 08-Mar 6.1 04-Jul  
Latest/Max 24-Mar 8 09-Aug  

Goosander at roost, 29 January 2009 - © David Cary

 

Goosanders socialising before roostingEver since the late 1980's, Grove Lake has been a Goosander winter roosting site of regional importance. They feed mainly on fish, which are abundant in the local lakes and rivers, and gather to socialise before roosting.

 

Goosanders in the UK are at the west of their range which extends throughout Scandinavia and northern Russia to the Bering Sea. "Our" birds breed in northern England, Scotland and  Scandinavia. The males spend much of June to October in the fjords of northern Norway where they undergo their moult. The females remain on the breeding grounds with the young until they move south to the wintering sites such as Moor Green Lakes and are reunited with the males.

 

*Exceptionally, in 1996 2 females remained until 18th May and one until 20 June.

Winter Arrive Max Leave
1993/94 20-Nov 79 -
1994/95 - 49 -
1995/96 - 124 15-Apr*
1996/97 15-Nov 184 12-Apr
1997/98 17-Nov 87 28-Mar
1998/99 17-Nov 79 27-Mar
1999/00 16-Nov 72 07-Apr
2000/01 16-Nov 47 15-Apr
2001/02 17-Nov 55 24-Mar
2002/03 07-Nov 29 30-Mar
2003/04 12-Nov 31 29-Mar
2004/05 13-Nov 48 19-Mar
2005/06 19-Nov 37 09-Apr
2006/07 07-Nov 30 17-Apr
2007/08 29-Oct 46 04-Apr
2008/09 01-Nov 67 13-Apr
2010/11 16-Oct 118 21-Mar
       
Earliest/Min 16-Oct 29 19-Mar
Average 10-Nov 68.3 03-Apr
Latest/Max 20-Nov 184 17-Apr
       
       

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