Decline in linnet numbers. (1 Viewer)

Hello, I live on a small island ,just off the west coast of Scotland, separated from the mainland by a very narrow sound - less than thirty metres in places.Normally the gorse patches on the rough grazing are home to several pairs of breeding linnets; this year there are none. Has anyone else experienced this sharpe decline ?
The BTO status report on the linnet stresses a serious fall in numbers during the 1970s and 80s, however this seemed to be levelling out in more recent years.

John Warlow.

jwarlow said:

Hello, I live on a small island ,just off the west coast of Scotland, separated from the mainland by a very narrow sound - less than thirty metres in places.Normally the gorse patches on the rough grazing are home to several pairs of breeding linnets; this year there are none. Has anyone else experienced this sharpe decline ?
The BTO status report on the linnet stresses a serious fall in numbers during the 1970s and 80s, however this seemed to be levelling out in more recent years.

John Warlow.

Click to expand...

Linnets have certainly declined over the past 30 years, but here in North West England, we still see them in good numbers, and I wouldn't say they have declined much recently.

I don't think you can jump to any conclusions regarding your Linnets, because it's such a small sample. It may be that they've just moved to a better site across the sound. Perhaps the gorse on the other side of the sound has only just become suitable for them, but now it's better than on your island (more sheltered perhaps). Perhaps there's been some local disaster which has effected the population, or maybe a predator species has dramitcally increased locally. Could be any number of reasons, and they might be back next year.

Can't say i've noticed any decline on my local patch in south wales, linnet numbers are much as they've been in recent years.

dan

it is strange, as here in the NE of England, i too have noticed a decline in Linnets, yet have also noticed a large increase in Skylark and Grey Partridge numbers. Wheatear are here in what would appear normal numbers, Swallow and Swift seem less, Sand Martins showed up at a usual colony site, then all were gone a week later!!! Just the usual ups and downs of numbers i guess.

Bobby, many thanks for your thoughts. We have actually considered everything you mention and more besides - eg:very large numbers of chaffinches seem to be breeding in the gorse this year - possibility of competition.Predation is down because of sudden absence of sparrowhawks; they were the main predators. Gorse bushes remain the same as last year, and there are very few on the mainland, over the water, and certainly no linnets. We are also noticing a drop in breeding skylark numbers; as far as we can see only one pair on the entire island - aprox. six by two miles...John