The Nightingale in Suffolk - 1980 By B. J. Brown In 1980 the B.T.O. held a survey to ascertain the status of the Nightingale in Britain. The following is a brief record of the results for Suffolk. There also follows an attempt to compare these figures with historical and recent accounts of the species in the county. Results of the 1980 Survey No less than 367 singing males were reported in the county in 1980. This figure breaks down roughtly as follows: (1) Coastal Belt 144 = 39.24% of total. (2) Breckland & Fens 34 = 9.26% of total. (3) South & S. East (excluding 1) 162 = 44.14% of total. (4) Central 21 = 5.72% of total. (5) North & N. East (excluding 1) 6 = 1.64% of total. Allowing for birds overlooked and suitable areas not surveyed the actual total is probably well over 400. It can be seen from the above figures that by far the greater majority, over 80%, of birds were found to the south and east of the county. The biggest locai concentration was in the Walberswick, Dunwich, Minsmere, Westleton area with 76 (accounting for over a fifth of the total).
TGO
TL6 Map showing results, by lOKmsq., of the Nightingale Survey in Suffolk. lines show the areas used in 1 to 4 above.
The heavy 35