This is my local patch i live in walking distance you are right no bird will never attract a mate with idiots bashing round the bushes it may not have read the same books as you and is not the only species not to have done so. You don't have to go far to find them either. 2 years ago i found Turtle Doves thought they would pass thru but no they stayed and bred 2 pair last year you are right i did not find this bird but saw some idiots searching for it on private land and told them exactly where to go and how to get there .Unfortunately when passing at other times and seeing empty cars i was working and unable to stop. So don't tell me whats likely or unlikely because you don't know.I was told DOS stood for daft or stupid now i know its true.
Don't take this the wrong way but don't level your anger at those on here.... level it at those who are doing wrong! Although I understand it, I think I can safely say not one of those I know who post on here would dream of trespassing etc! And that goes for most of those I know in the DOS too! I cannot vouch for everyone though!
There are a whole lot of very good, dedicated Birders in the DOS, how do you know those you report trespassing even come from Derbyshire, as I said before almost all the people there on the first day were DOS members and all perfectly behaved (I'm the first to acknowledge that there are "bad eggs" in Birding but don't lump us all into the same boat please).
As to the bird attracting a mate..... even if left to itself I still feel it would very, very unlikely (even if as you say we can never know for sure). Although you must retain hope that a passing female would hear him, sadly given the number of previous records and statistics it
is unlikely, unless there is to be a dramatic change in fortune for the species in the county. Nightingale is retracting/changing its range, the State of UK Birds (1999), published by the B.T.O., states that: “Increases in the eastern counties of England and declines in the west suggest that its range has contracted considerably, but that overall numbers have not changed greatly in the last 20 years - thus calming fears that it was declining steeply. There appears to have been a shift in habitat from coppiced woodlands to scrub in river valleys and other lowland areas” but round here it is now completely absent from areas that
were regular breeding sites when I started birding. But is strong in Linc's etc.... where you can walk paths at at least one place along with the tourists and the birds just sit and sing in the bushes next to the path despite the pushchairs etc.
This spring seems to have been an interesting one for overshooting migrants of a few species, it will be interesting to see what if anything resolves itself at the end of the breeding season. A second bird has been reported from the old Willington Power Station compound/reserve.... It is possible these birds are expanding but at the moment given the lack of birds to our immediate east and south I think its just a one off event, if indeed it is an event.... incidentally they are still on the move as a bird is singing up in Cleveland this am.
I can use though one illustration to indicate out of "normal area" birds even in excellent habitat within the core range (birds in woodland a few miles away) don't always attract mates, a bird sang next to a main road near a friends for a few weeks.... but moved on as there was no mate in the offing..... my friends work for the local trust etc so were keeping a very good eye on the site, sadly he didn't return again to the location. Maybe a young bird on its first go round perhaps?
As to the Turtle Doves, excellent records/news, please, please get over your prejudices and submit to the breeding bird recorder you could give brief detail or rough area and remain anonymous (4 figure grid ref perhaps?)... Its important scientific data, Turtle Doves are known in South Derbys and unlike Nightingale have been/are regular breeders throughout but again have vanished from many areas in the 30+ years I've been birding and now are
very rare here as Dan says, and as in all other areas are suffering from issues that appear to be beyond our control elsewhere.
ATB
Steph'
