<%@LANGUAGE="JAVASCRIPT" CODEPAGE="1252"%> Lancaster and District Birdwatching Society Newsletter
Newsletter of the Lancaster and District Birdwatching Society
Swift survey summary
Autumn 2004
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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.





Birdtours.co.uk
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