Read on Twitter
What I've done in lockdown:
#4: Controversially, I've been shifting Turtle Dove baselines.
On one exercise walk saw local birder Trevor- who (at social distance) told me been discovered in last few years that TurDos like to nest near water.
When I stopped laughing...
1/10
#4: Controversially, I've been shifting Turtle Dove baselines.
On one exercise walk saw local birder Trevor- who (at social distance) told me been discovered in last few years that TurDos like to nest near water.
When I stopped laughing...
1/10
...I pointed out known for all the years I'd been birding. BWP (1985): habitat '...fairly dry, sunny, sheltered lowlands, with accessible water...
I then threw him a naughty curve ball. 'Besides, Turtle Dove should be a rare species in the UK.'
2/10
I then threw him a naughty curve ball. 'Besides, Turtle Dove should be a rare species in the UK.'
2/10
E.g. (i) Birds of Norfolk: '...early writers described the Turtle Dove as a rare bird, but by 1866 Stevenson was able to describe it as breeding very numerously...'
And e.g. (ii) not plentiful in late 18th century in Sussex:
3/10
And e.g. (ii) not plentiful in late 18th century in Sussex:
3/10
And was only ever a short peak-
e.g. Birds of Suffolk; '..Ticehurst reported that the species had "probably much increased" in the 50 years up to 1932 and this was paralleled nationally..'
4/10
e.g. Birds of Suffolk; '..Ticehurst reported that the species had "probably much increased" in the 50 years up to 1932 and this was paralleled nationally..'
4/10
and Birds in England: '(expanded) since mid-nineteenth century.. almost certainly in response to an increase in the area of land under arable cultivation...' 'reached maximum extent 1968-72'...
5/10
5/10
Birds of Essex: decline '...partly due to current farming practices...'
Which brings me to the US of A and Rappole: 'The Avian Migrant- The Biology of Bird Migration'- great examples of species' short-term ebbs/flows due to rapid changes in land use...
6/10
Which brings me to the US of A and Rappole: 'The Avian Migrant- The Biology of Bird Migration'- great examples of species' short-term ebbs/flows due to rapid changes in land use...
6/10
Shifting Baseline Syndrome.
Do we accept 'artificially' high nos, when us old generation birders started out, are a true baseline, rather than a peak?
Or might large scale rewilding just see Turtle Dove scrape up to a normal scarce species status here?
Food. For thought.
7/10
Do we accept 'artificially' high nos, when us old generation birders started out, are a true baseline, rather than a peak?
Or might large scale rewilding just see Turtle Dove scrape up to a normal scarce species status here?
Food. For thought.
7/10
An aside.
On same walk visiting birders told me coming here because of sightings publicised on KOS website. And asked where exactly nest. (Not saying).
This County has their own reasons for ignoring Rare Breeding Birds Panel guideline to not publicise...
8/10
On same walk visiting birders told me coming here because of sightings publicised on KOS website. And asked where exactly nest. (Not saying).
This County has their own reasons for ignoring Rare Breeding Birds Panel guideline to not publicise...
8/10
But will just point out if you send in Kent records, worth considering via Birdtrack- do eventually pass to KOS but do NOT publicise during breeding season.
In 2019 the S Medway publicised sites didn't do well.
2020? Watch this space..
9/10
In 2019 the S Medway publicised sites didn't do well.
2020? Watch this space..
9/10
Oh, and PS: I'm still perennially fed up having to explain why 'our' recent decline isn't because of Malta...
I'll just leave this here
https://app.bto.org/ring/countyrec/resultsall/rec6870all.htm
10/10
I'll just leave this here
https://app.bto.org/ring/countyrec/resultsall/rec6870all.htm
10/10
