The passage of waders at an inland reservoir in Leicestershire

Abstract

An analysis of data for 15 species of waders collected between July and October at Eye Brook Reservoir, Leicestershire, over 23 years, 1957–1979, is presented. Migration times were similar to those recorded in other studies. Evidence is presented to support the idea that changes in the annual numbers of waders recorded at the reservoir were partly due to changes in the size of the migrating population. The between‐year variation in counts of the various species at the reservoir increased with increasing latitude of their breeding ranges. Ringed Plover, Little Ringed Plover, Dunlin, Green Sandpiper and Ruff all showed a marked increase in numbers in the early 1970s, followed by a subsequent decline, which was most marked in the Ruff. Numbers of Ringed Plover, Little Stint, Curlew Sandpiper, Dunlin and Bar‐tailed Godwit appeared to vary in a cyclical fashion. © 1984 Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.