We've been doing a bit of work in recent days on this spring's migrant totals which, overall, don't look too bad. As usual there are winners and losers that are perhaps easiest to identify from the ringing totals (almost exclusively this year Obs garden totals since Culverwell was hardly worked).
2013
|
2014
|
2015
|
2013-15 mean
|
2016
|
|
Redstart
|
22
|
30
|
48
|
33
|
43
|
Sedge Warbler
|
62
|
43
|
21
|
42
|
20
|
Reed Warbler
|
29
|
30
|
9
|
22
|
27
|
Lesser Whitethroat
|
7
|
6
|
8
|
7
|
5
|
Whitethroat
|
95
|
159
|
53
|
102
|
38
|
Garden Warbler
|
66
|
61
|
52
|
59
|
27
|
Blackcap
|
432
|
243
|
246
|
307
|
509
|
Chiffchaff
|
406
|
414
|
552
|
457
|
455
|
Willow Warbler
|
502
|
1196
|
888
|
862
|
1032
|
Goldcrest
|
67
|
6
|
28
|
33
|
60
|
Firecrest
|
23
|
6
|
19
|
16
|
13
|
Spotted Flycatcher
|
101
|
48
|
32
|
60
|
43
|
Pied Flycatcher
|
3
|
12
|
1
|
5
|
7
|
Of the 'big three' commonest migrants Blackcap and Willow Warbler were both well up on their recent averages, whilst Chiffchaff was on pretty well level par; not surprisingly after last autumn's glut, Goldcrest also fared well. The losers were all amongst the middle tier species, with Sedge Warbler, Garden Warbler and Spotted Flycatcher struggling at around half of their recent average totals and Whitethroat barely managing even a third of the recent average. More on this in the next few days when we'll also have a look at the spring's ringing recoveries.
