Yellow Wagtail Motacilla flava flavissima
Annual to frequent passage migrant
The striking, bright lemon males usually appear from mid-Apr but sadly
most birds here are recorded as passing straight overhead. Of more concern is that the 50000 or so
territories in Britain have suffered a 39% decline over 25 years to 1996 and it
has contracted its range away from the SouthWest. The earliest to return from Afrotropical wintering grounds is one
29 Mar 1990 with the next three on 11 Apr 1977. Infrequently ones and twos pass overhead until early-May with
higher counts of 16 on 29 Apr 1989 and six 17 Apr 1983, 3 May 1980 & 28 Apr
1979; 20 bird-days on 11 dates 19 Apr to 15 May 1998 is the best passage to
date. Records abruptly cease from
early-May and the only later records are singles 15 May on 1986, ‘88 and
1998. An unusual occurrence were two
remaining on site 6 - 19 May 1991.
Unrecorded late-May to early-July the earliest to return in autumn are
singles 10 July 1993, 20 & 23 July 1989 and one 22 July 1995. Mid to late-Aug through to mid to late-Sept
sees the majority of the autumn passage with max counts of 9 on 2 Sept 1994, 8
on 28 Aug 1981 and 7 Sept 1985. 20
bird-days on 11 dates 12 Aug to 5 Oct 1994 was the best autumn passage in
recent years. Early-Oct records are
scarce but very late individuals include singles 26 Oct 1987, 2 Nov 1963, 7 Nov
1969 and 12 - 14 Nov 1967. Many years
ago the reedbeds of the reserve held an autumn roost, counts include 20 in Sept
1941, 27 on 11 Sept 1975 and 50 on 25 Aug 1980. The period 1981 - 1999 had 238 bird-days, 105 in spring and 133
in autumn, an average of 12.5 per annum.
Table
186: half-monthly total
individuals 1981 - 1999
Mnth
|
M
|
A |
M |
J |
J |
A |
S |
O
|
|||||||
|
Date |
29th |
-15 |
- 30 |
- 15 |
- 31 |
- 15 |
- 30 |
- 15 |
- 31 |
- 15 |
- 31 |
- 15 |
- 30 |
- 15 |
- 31 |
Indv.s
|
1 |
2 |
70 |
31 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
3 |
3 |
48 |
51 |
19 |
7 |
1 |
Table
187: seasonal and
annual total individuals 1980 - 1999
|
Year |
1980 |
1981 |
1982 |
1983 |
1984 |
1985 |
1986 |
1987 |
1988 |
1989 |
Spr
|
12 |
2 |
2 |
15 |
3 |
1 |
3 |
2 |
9 |
21 |
|
Aut |
58 |
9 |
3 |
6 |
2 |
24 |
2 |
10 |
4 |
9 |
|
TOTAL |
70 |
11 |
5 |
21 |
5 |
25 |
5 |
12 |
13 |
30 |
|
Year |
1990 |
1991 |
1992 |
1993 |
1994 |
1995 |
1996 |
1997 |
1998 |
1999 |
Spr
|
3 |
2 |
5 |
2 |
- |
5 |
1 |
8 |
20 |
1 |
|
Aut |
11 |
9 |
- |
1 |
20 |
5 |
2 |
9 |
1 |
6 |
|
TOTAL |
14 |
11 |
5 |
3 |
20 |
10 |
3 |
17 |
21 |
7 |