tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2462975995418404460.post5202245448499050087..comments2024-01-30T02:50:16.432-08:00Comments on Plovers Blog: Where have all the migrants gone?Paul Troddhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03532050770282573211noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2462975995418404460.post-33810898446562470752017-04-21T12:59:23.149-07:002017-04-21T12:59:23.149-07:00Thanks for your comments gents. I think both Dunge...Thanks for your comments gents. I think both Dungeness and Portland will remain migrant hotspots simply due to their geography, even if numbers are on the slide compared to 50 years ago, as confirmed by constant effort ringing statistics. Farmland birds on the Romney Marsh are in an even worse state, and I really cannot seen any improvement in the near future. As for the `drought`, Derek, the last proper dousing of rain we had down here was the 16th January! Paul Troddhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03532050770282573211noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2462975995418404460.post-15027150450123966452017-04-21T05:17:02.626-07:002017-04-21T05:17:02.626-07:00On the reduction in migrants ... on the one hand t...On the reduction in migrants ... on the one hand the number of birds, particularly farmland birds, has gone down massively in the last 50 years or so due to agricultural changes. On the other hand, Portland still see's lots of certain birds, e.g. todays totals 240 WWarb, 9 Gropper, Firecrest, 6 Redstart, SE Owl, Whinchat, 5 Garden W, 25 Wh'throat, 15 YWag, 4 Tripit. So how much of our recollections of past times are compressing exceptional days into a continuum of mass migration?DorsetDipperhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11612884207485991011noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2462975995418404460.post-73335468291621933342017-04-20T23:27:36.345-07:002017-04-20T23:27:36.345-07:00You may have a point Paul, about the number of mig...You may have a point Paul, about the number of migrants, but over the last few weeks the lists of birds that you are seeing has been far, far better than those of the rest of us, almost enviable. Moving away from your neck of the woods, it is really depressing with just odd single birds being seen. Couple that with bone hard, bone dry conditions on the marshes which so far, is seeing much reduced breeding numbers of typical birds and it feels even worse. Derek Faulknerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05140363868104172311noreply@blogger.com