Small Birds effected by cold winter.

[Dorts]

I am interested about the effects of the cold winter on some of our smaller bird poulations, Dartford Warblers, Goldcrests etc.

I have seen no sign of our Goldcrest's, and am keen to know what your observations have been.

I recently moved from a good Dartford Warbler area so news would be welcome.

[feathered-friend]

According to Springwatch, a comparison of the results of the RSPB Garden survey from January last year and January this year in the UK, showed there was a 75% reduction in goldcrests reported, so these have suffered badly during the harsh winter.

[thebeard]

all will be known when results of the bto's breeding bird survey are in, we'll be able to see how the cold winter has effected these birds by looking at how much breeding has either declined or not!

[RKB]

Originally Posted by feathered-friend

According to Springwatch, a comparison of the results of the RSPB Garden survey from January last year and January this year in the UK, showed there was a 75% reduction in goldcrests reported, so these have suffered badly during the harsh winter.

There's two problems with that survey. First is that it only tells you about birds coming to gardens. For instance, it might have looked like there had been a big increase in Redwings, but that was just because more were coming into gardens, not that more were in the country. Second problem is that many/most of the winter Goldcrests (and other birds) recorded in that survey are not our breeding birds, but Scandinavian, European or Russian. So it doesn't tell us much about breeding numbers or populations, just trends of garden usage.

As the beard says, the BTO's surveys (CES, BBS) will give a much better idea, as this actually records breeding numbers and productivity.

My own surveys in the south and east have shown a dip in Wrens and Robins (particularly in farmland, less so in prime woodland), but Goldcrests are ok.

[Dorts]

Thanks all for that. My own obs. with Goldcrest's is that they have completely disappeared from my garden here in Snowdonia. We regularly had two to three pairs nesting in the large spruces about, but nothing has been heard since last year. Robins too are noticable by there (almost) absence.

More info on this thread very welcome.

[SheffieldLass]

Plenty of goldcrests here near Scarborough, and when I visited a site in Sheffield this spring that I know well, had very good numbers there.

Treecreepers seem to have been badly hit though. Very few of them around. Wrens suffered quite badly in the Sheffield area in the winter 2008/9, their numbers were well down in the following breeding season. I don't know what effect this winter had on them there, whether it has reduced their numbers further.

[slimrbp]

I think we have been lucky down here.

Quite a few Wrens and Robins around in my local nature reserve.

Also in the garden we have had dunnocks, a couple of Robins quite a few tits (Blue, Great & Coal).

We were also treated to a pair of Goldcrests who passed through before visiting next door's mature Pear tree.

We did the Garden Birdwatch and of course that was the weekend we got the lowest number of visitors to the Garden!