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Newsletter of the Lancaster and District
Birdwatching Society |
Swift survey summary
Autumn 2004 |
Swifts are potentially at risk from inconsiderate building development and so we decided to try to get to grips with our Swifts. We have had a fair response so far so thanks to those who have sent us data. The following are counts of birds seen around breeding colonies or potential colonies.
Spring period | Summer period | |
Derwent Road | 14 | 54 |
Ullswater Road | 20 | 44 |
Leonardsgate | 8 | 17 |
Bowerham | 14 | 30 |
Dalton Sq | 10 | 21 |
Moor Hospital | 35 | 49 |
Castle | 6 | |
AldcliffeRd-Ripley | 30 | |
Scotforth Sq | 2 | |
Galgate | 9 | 14 |
Kirby Lonsdale Sq | 11 | 25 |
Slyne | 5 | |
Bolton-le Sands | 12 | |
Carnforth | 28 | 60 |
Over Kellet | 4 | |
Millhead | 12 | |
Warton | 10 | |
Silverdale | 2 | |
Wray | 2 | |
Glasson Dock | 10 |
The clear message from this is that to get good data you are best living or working in the vicinity so that when a good display is on you witness it. The separation that Eddy Bayton can make between Derwent Road and Ullswater Road is a good example of this. Thus next year we will be keen to get more people to look carefully at their own area.
Across the areas where separate counts for the two seasons were made the average ratio is twice as many birds by the end of the season which is reasonable as non-breeders and juveniles add to the numbers.
The next point from the above is that the counts at the end of the season provide another useful measure and also data on departure. Thus the Derwent Road group counts starting with the peak of 54 as quoted in the table above during August are
August dates | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 |
Morning displays | 54 | 40 | 9 | 14 | 21 | 11 | 6 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 0 |
Evening displays | 43 | 26 | 15 | 12 | 8 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
This year the departure was reckoned earlier than normal.
For next year we will be looking for
with the aim of getting good information to input to the planning/biodiversity/urban environment folks in local government to conserve this bird.