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The Population Biology of Common Sandpipers in Britain T Ben Green The population biology of Common Sandpipers in Britain T. W. Dougall, P. K. Holland and D. W.Yalden Abstract The population biology of Common Sandpipers Actitis hypoleucos has been studied, especially by colour-ringing breeding adults, at two sites, in the Peak District and in the Scottish Borders. Adults are usually site-faithful, males more so than females, contributing to a good apparent survival rate (72% and 67%, respectively). Some, at least, return to breed at one year old, but usually not to the site where they hatched. The population in Britain seems to be in slow decline, most obviously indicated by a contraction along the edges of its range, which results especially from poor recruitment of young birds. This does not seem to be due to poorer breeding success, but it is uncertain whether it is caused by a subtle effect of climate change, change in quality of stopover sites on migration, or changes in wintering habitat. Since we don’t know precisely where British birds spend the winter, the last possibility is especially hard to evaluate. Introduction or Wood Lark Lullula arborea, but not suffi- The Common Sandpiper Actitis hypoleucos is ciently abundant to benefit from mass one of those ‘in between’ birds – not rare studies, like the Blue Tit Cyanistes caeruleus enough to have attracted devoted individual or Robin Erithacus rubecula. Unlike many attention, like the Osprey Pandion haliaetus waders, it does not flock in large numbers to 100 © British Birds 103 • February 2010 • 100–114 Common Sandpipers in Britain fields, estuaries or the Banc d’Arguin, it is not censused by moorland bird counts, and when on migration does not Howden get ringed in any great Reservoir numbers. There is a little information from the Water- R. Alport Derwent ways Bird Survey on popula- Reservoir tion trends and the species A57 seems to have been targeted Ladybower Reservoir by only one PhD study (Mee R. Ashop (N arm) 2001). Our own, essentially spare-time, efforts have been an attempt to fill in some of 1234 km the gaps. In reviewing what we have learnt, we inevitably Ladybower also highlight how much Reservoir remains unknown. (W arm) Study sites and Fig. 1. Sketch map of the Ashop–Alport study site and the nearby methods reservoirs in the Upper Derwent Valley, Peak District (areas of woodland shown in green, water features in blue; also shown is the Our efforts started with a A57 between Manchester and Sheffield) (from Dougall et al. 2005). survey of numbers in the Peak District in 1977–79, combined with a colour-ringing study of birds along a 10-km stretch of Blackhope the Rivers Ashop (‘Snake Heriot Water Water Pass’) and Alport (Holland et al. 1982a,b). Of about 200 pairs then breeding in the Dewar Peak District, 20–22 pairs Burn occupied these valleys, with another 45–50 pairs nearby on B709 the Ladybower-Derwent- Lugate Water Howden (LDH) Reservoir chain. The Ashop flows into the western arm of Ladybower Glentress Reservoir, about 2 km down- Water stream of the study site; the whole forms part of the Upper Derwent catchment. Leithen The colour-ringing study con- Water tinues to the present day, giving 32 years of data (PKH, 1234 km then DWY), but has also been extended to the reservoir chain. Thinking that a com- parative study would be R. Tweed revealing, we started a parallel Innerleithen investigation on the rivers Fig. 2. Sketch map of the Borders study site (woodland in green, Leithen Water (8.5 km) and water features in blue; also shown is the B709 road from Heriot Water (6 km) in the Edinburgh to Innerleithen) (from Dougall et al. 2005). Moorfoot Hills, Borders, in British Birds 103 • February 2010 • 100–114 101 Dougall et al. 1993 (TWD), and this also continues returning migrants than the Peak District (Dougall et al. 2005; Pearce-Higgins et al. (hereafter referred to as Ashop) study area. 2009). This study site, and our knowledge of On the other hand, the LDH reservoir chain the species, benefited from an intensive PhD has a shoreline of 30 km. This must also study in 1998–99 (Mee 2001). The two provide a good target for returning sand- stretches of river are about 6 km apart, and pipers, but is too extensive to be studied as together perhaps provide a larger target for intensively as the rivers. The whole shoreline has been surveyed twice (once in May, once in June) each year since 1992, and one or two ex-Ashop birds are invariably present. Adults are usually caught on the rivers in short, single-panel mist-nets set within the territories, usually targeting particular individ- uals, and birds are ringed with 3–4 Darvic colour rings, as well as a BTO metal ring, so that T. W. Dougall W. T. individuals are sub- 29. An upper stretch of Glentress Water, near Blackhopebyres, in the sequently recognis- Borders study area. This shows the meandering river and the wide shingle banks that develop in the bends, producing favoured feeding sites for able in the field. In Common Sandpipers Actitis hypoleucos. the Ashop study area, potential terri- tories are checked weekly through May and June, sometimes into mid July, for the presence of colour- ringed birds. Nests are rarely located, and the adults are secretive during incubation, but once the chicks hatch, their parents become very vocal (‘alarm’), revealing roughly where their chicks are. By backing off, or using a car as a hide, it is sometimes T. W. Dougall W. T. possible to watch 30. A lower stretch of the Borders study site, on Glentress Water near Whitehope. This is good habitat for Common Sandpipers Actitis hypoleucos, adults returning to with wide shingle beds, cover for chicks in the boulders, and with the brood young chicks. advantage of the nearby road, allowing a car to be used as a hide; May 2009. Every effort is made 102 British Birds 103 • February 2010 • 100–114 Common Sandpipers in Britain to ring these, with a single (‘scheme’) colour ring and a BTO metal ring. Ashop birds receive a white ring on the right tibia as the scheme mark, while those around the reservoirs get a light blue ring on the left tibia. The hope was that recruits to the Ashop from the reservoirs would be quickly recognised. In the Borders, chicks as well as adults were formerly fitted with individually recognis- able combinations, but in W.Yalden D. more recent years both 31. ‘Walk-in’ traps set at the waterline of Ladybower Reservoir, chicks and adults have May 2009. Two traps are set, facing in opposite directions, and with scheme colours applied to boulders or other debris to mask the outline of the trap, and the right leg only: red on mealworms on the bait trays as an added attraction. tibia, orange over BTO on tarsus for adults; quickly (and noisily) pair up, usually in their orange on tibia, red over BTO on tarsus for old territories, and have eggs by mid May. It chicks. So far, neither Peak District nor Moor- seems as though they fly into their territories foot Hills birds have been seen in the recip- very quickly (rather than trickle slowly up rocal study area, but a juvenile ringed on through the country, although there are some autumn passage in Lancashire on 4th August sightings in south and southwest England, 2001 (by PKH) was retrapped as a breeding and in Wales, of colour-ringed Borders bird south of Peebles, just outside the Moor- birds). This impression is heightened by the foots study area, on 29th May 2003. The age fact that they get back to their territories in of the chicks (and hence their hatch date) can the Borders about a week earlier than those be estimated from their bill length, and in the Peak District. Young birds arrive back weight relative to age gives an estimate of 5–10 days later, on average, than the old condition (Holland & Yalden 1991b). Sexing hands. Territories are usually 150–200 m long Common Sandpipers is not easy, though when there are neighbours to constrain females are generally slightly larger (means them, and are generally along stretches of 54 g v. 49 g; Mee 2001). The greater weights of shingle shore with some cover for the chicks females during egg-laying are revealing (they (e.g. undercut shores, boulders, taller vegeta- can weigh up to 82 g), and with colour-ringed tion). Females typically lay a clutch of four birds courtship behaviour can be helpful in eggs (mean 3.65) in a nest on a grassy bank a determining the sex of individuals. However, few metres back from the water, but some- both adults incubate, brood chicks and times on shingle islands or at the top of stony defend their territory against neighbours reservoir shores; occasionally the nest may be (sometimes making the mistake of chal- over 100 m from the waterside. Incubation is lenging their own returning mates!). shared, but males sit mainly overnight and Although the male usually follows behind the females during daylight hours (Mee 2001). female while she is feeding up prior to egg- The eggs hatch from mid May (Borders) laying, and signals to her with ‘wings-up’, dis- or the last few days of May into early June, playing the strongly patterned underwing, the but new recruits are later and pairs will same display is used as a threat by both sexes. produce a replacement clutch if the first is lost, stretching the hatch dates to as late as Breeding biology 7th July.
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