Goldcrest (Regulus regulus)
Uncommon passage migrant and winter visitor.
High counts:
5 on 21st November 2004 was the highest count.
Not recorded at all in winter 2009/2010.
Welcome records on 26th October and 6th November 2010 (latter Ray Gleason), then 2 on 31st December (Trevor Thorpe), 3 on 17th January 2011, 1 on 29th January (Trevor Thorpe) and 1 in February (several dates).
Autumn 2011: 1 on 14th October, 3 on 17th October, 1 heard on 31st October.
Autumn 2012: 1 ringed on 23rd October; 1 along Green Lane on 8th November.
2013: 1 on 1st January 2013 (DC), 1 on 19th April (Alan Pearce); 1 heard on 14th October.
2014: Several ringed during the autumn, the first on 11th September. 12 in the area on 29th November (DC).
2015 (all): 1 on 12th January, with 2 on 25th and 2 on 18th February; 1 on 7th August, then 2 on 7th October and 15 on 9th October.
2016 (all): 1 on 31st January (Darran Jones), 1 on 2nd February, 4 on 5th March (Martin Wood) and 1 on 20th April in Emily’s Wood.
Ringing:
2012: 3 ringed, 1 each in September, October and November.
2013: 1 ringed on 15th October.
2014: 17 ringed between September and November, with 12 in the latter month.
| Year | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 | 2 | |||||||||||
| 2003 | 5 | 8 | 12 | 8 | ||||||||
| 2004 | 2 | 2 | 5 | 9 | 15 | 46 | 11 | 41 | ||||
| 2005 | 20 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 19 | 28 | 54 | 2 | |||
| 2006 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 11 | 13 | 16 | 7 | 3 | |||
| 2007 | 23 | 29 | 30 | 8 | 10 | 19 | 15 | 17 | 5 | 18 | ||
| 2008 | 2 | 16 | 20 | 15 | 2 | 11 | 22 | 17 | 10 | |||
| 2009 | 7 | 45 | 50 | 33 | 17 | 23 | 10 | 15 | 1 | 12 | ||
| 2010 | 10 | 20 | 4 | 20 | 1 | 28 | 7 | 13 | 13 | 20 | ||
| 2011 | 30 | 47 | 30 | 23 | 7 | 26 | 36 | 43 | 64 | 52 | 17 | 19 |
| 2012 | 9 | 8 | 17 | 45 | 31 | 41 | 56 | 55 | 38 | 15 | 43 | 12 |
| 2013 | 20 | 34 | 48 | 17 | 35 | 20 | 24 | 23 | 65 | 51 | 62 | 71 |
| 2014 | 67 | 27 | 46 | 29 | 7 | 27 | 42 | 32 | 26 | 28 | 74 | 60 |
| 2015 | 69 | 26 | 26 | 60 | 6 | 10 | 18 | 30 | 27 | 21 | 28 | 38 |
| 2016 | 29 | 20 | 23 | 11 | 16 | 8 | ||||||
| 2017 |
Alan Pearce took a picture of a colour-ringed bird flying over the Lakes on 12th March 2011, and received the following history from David Stone: Many thanks for your report of the orange-ringed swan L8D flying into Longham Lakes, which I have received via WWT. The bird was ringed as a first year bird on 20 July 2008 in Christchurch as part of my long-term study of the swan population in the Avon valley. It was next seen in September 2009, also in Christchuch, then in February 2011 it was feeding in the meadows near Ibsley. Large numbers of young swans congregate in Christchurch in July for their annual moult when they become flightless and easily caught for ringing. Following the moult they disperse east or west along the coast, up the Avon or Stour valleys and occasionally across to France.
Birds of Longham Lakes
