Worcestershire Record No. 6 April 1999 p. 18
I have been recording birds at Broadway Gravel Pit Nature Reserve since 1988 with a handful of records from 1987. Up to 31st January 1999 I have 1393 observations logged comprising 90 species. Long term recording on a single site such as this reveals patterns of migration and changes in population.
Come Spring, the arrival on site of certain species is so predictable that they can be expected during a particular week of the month.
Members of the warbler family are a good example and they always appear in a particular order. The order runs:
| CHIFFCHAFF | 2nd/3rd week of March |
| BLACKCAP | 1st/2nd or 3rd week of April with occasional March records. |
| WILLOW WARBLER | 2nd or 3rd week of April |
| GARDEN WARBLER | 1st/2nd or 3rd week of May, occasional April records. |
| WHITETHROAT | 2nd/3rd week of May, occasional April records. |
| LESSER WHITETHROAT | 2nd week of May, though some years may be absent altogether. |
| SPOTTED FLYCATCHER | 2nd/3rd week of May, annual occurrences can be sporadic. |
| TURTLE DOVE | 2nd/3rd week of May, has arrived on 19th May for three years and 21st/22nd May of four years. |
| COOTS | return to set up territory 2nd/3rd week of January. |
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