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Post by Tringa on Jan 6, 2021 13:48:29 GMT
I think this might have been mentioned here before but has anyone else seen a decrease in the numbers of blackbirds and song thrushes this winter?
At this time of the year when I take the dog for his morning walk I, in other years, have heard song thrushes starting to get to grips with their song for spring. In the last month or so I have heard only one.
Blackbirds are not that common in the garden but we used to see them and nearby pyracantha bushes would be stripped of their berries. I haven't seen a blackbird in the garden(or even when out and about) for ages and there are still plenty of berries on the bushes.
Dave
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Post by aeshna5 on Jan 6, 2021 17:26:12 GMT
I've mentioned a lack or decline of Blackbirds in at least parts of London & also mentioned by numerous contacts. The BTO also said reporting levels in gardens a while back.
I've found it patchy. On Saturday I ventured across town to the Lea Valley & found the sort of numbers I'd expect. In my garden we went ages with none seen though I saw a female on a couple of days a couple of weeks back & my partner saw a male briefly yesterday. In our local park I'd expect to see maybe 10 quite easily but numbers have varied from 0-2 when walking through. In the country park with more wild habitat I've seen more with up to 10. There do seem to be more now than a couple of months back but still less than I'd expect.
A couple of weeks ago when it was milder I had good numbers of singing Song Thrush along the local River Brent, though now it's colder they've stopped so are less detectable. It's a bird that seems common here in damp, wilder areas but rarely seen as a garden bird.
I did mention a while back that the usutu virus had been detected in the UK for the first time last summer to which Blackbirds seem particularly susceptible & caused a decline in the species a couple of years back in the Netherlands. The virus, transmitted by mosquitoes, was first discovered in South Africa in 1959.
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Post by rowanberry on Jan 6, 2021 22:35:01 GMT
We've had hardly any blackbirds for over a year. There was a male for a little while this morning, but usually there would be one in almost permanent residence.
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Post by Tringa on Jan 7, 2021 14:06:08 GMT
Thanks Aeshna and Rowanberry.
Dave
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