Neil Hagley
Well-known member
As a Staffordshire born birder now living in Leics I am always interested in the avifauna of my home county and was saddened to read this in the West Midland Bird Club newsletter no 482
The annual counts during 2005-14 document the arrival and ultimate loss of this species as a county breeding bird. First seen on Cannock Chase in 2004, the subsequent harsh winters of 2012 and 2013, particularly the snow cover in spring, spelt the end for this outlying population. Perhaps persistent egg theft had an impact on the population too. There have been no further sightings from 2015 onwards.
http://www.westmidlandbirdclub.org.uk/wmbc-newsletter/4591543985
The annual counts during 2005-14 document the arrival and ultimate loss of this species as a county breeding bird. First seen on Cannock Chase in 2004, the subsequent harsh winters of 2012 and 2013, particularly the snow cover in spring, spelt the end for this outlying population. Perhaps persistent egg theft had an impact on the population too. There have been no further sightings from 2015 onwards.
http://www.westmidlandbirdclub.org.uk/wmbc-newsletter/4591543985
