Avocets! (1 Viewer)

3 Hi all.
Two well known breeding sites for Avocets had disaster
breeding results this year,compared to previous years.Two
examples:Firstly-Leighton Moss:Several counts of birds in the high
twenties,only managed to raise four young.Secondly-Reade's
island in Lincolnshire:Over a hundred pairs of breeding avocets
only managed to raise six young.Answers to this low breeding
rate.Well you could come up with a load off factors.But to me it
shows you have to take the rough with the smooth some years.

Regards
Jeff Taylor

I'd be interested to know if anyone has any stats for Blacktoft Sands.

On my couple of visits this year, there have been plenty of Avocets... and I understand it has been one of the best years, if not the best year for nesting pairs.

Of course, nesting pairs doesn't necessarily equal successful breeding!

Hadn't heard about this - but one possibility for Reade's Island failing would be an exceptional high tide.

Leighton Moss, something like a fox is perhaps more likely.

Avocets are long-lived birds, and can easily take a year or two (or more) of complete breeding failure. Several of the big East Anglian colonies regularly have near-complete failure years. There does seem to be a history of small new colonies having better success than large colonies.

Michael

jeff
there was one pair at R.S.P.B. marshside on saturday early a.m.
with 2 young of good condition. not as good as last year but at least its steady.
bert.