The following is a personal survey by means of dawn visits to the Whippendell Wood area W of Watford, Herts, UK in May/June 2002
Dates and times
11 May 5.25 – 7.50am (145 minutes)
25 May 4.25 – 6.30am (125 minutes)
1 June 5.25 – 7.45am (140 minutes)
4 June 4.05 – 6.30am (145 minutes)
8 June 4.05 – 6.35am (150 minutes)
Area covered
Survey covered all wooded parts of Whippendell Wood and Jacotts Hill area (c. 1.5 miles x 1.5 miles, or 580 hectares) (map), i.e. the region bounded by:
* North: Redhall Lane, Fire Tree Lane and Grove Mill Lane (but including wooded area in Westwood Quarry as far as M25)
* West: Sarratt Road (but excluding the residential area around Redheath)
* South: Little Green Lane and Rousebarn Lane
* East: Grand Union Canal, but including wooded areas on east bank at the west end of Cassiobury Park
i.e. including Whippendell Wood, Lees Wood, Cartpath Wood, Birch Spring, Harrocks Wood, Merlin's Wood, Merlin's Spring, Newland's Spring, Round Newland's Spring, Dell Wood, Waterdell Spring, Thick Spring, Long Newland's Spring, unnamed isolated wood NW of junction of Rouse Barn and Little Green Lane and all of wood on West Herts Gold Course, and alongside Grand Union Canal (following terminology of Watford Street A-Z atlas by Geographers' A-Z Map Company Ltd.)
The true area covered was very close to one square mile, and comprised almost entirely woodland of one sort or another.
Coverage
There may have been some double-counting due to mobile birds moving (e.g. tit flocks and woodpeckers) but most records refer to territorial males in song and the overall counts will in most cases be underestimates due to birds not singing and areas missed. For example, noticeably fewer singing Blackbirds and Robins were recorded from 2 hours after sunrise on June visits.
KEY:
Bold - Numbers are totals of territorial (singing) males, family parties or discrete locations were birds making other calls were heard (i.e. approximate number of territories)*
Normal - Numbers are total individuals seen/heard*
Blue - less than "average"
Red - more than "average"
Green - much more than "average"
Shaded - noteworthy (others can be excluded in many cases due to small sample size)
* Normalisation in lower table is simply achieved by dividing totals by total number of territories/individuals in each region
| Regions | ||||||||
| Species | Canal | Jacotts | Golf course | Whippendell | Waterdell | Harrocks | Lees | |
| Total | 333 | 176 | 118 | 343 | 163 | 60 | 134 | |
| Wren | 188 | 50 | 19 | 11 | 50 | 29 | 8 | 21 |
| Robin | 155 | 23 | 22 | 13 | 47 | 27 | 11 | 12 |
| Blackbird | 141 | 21 | 23 | 12 | 43 | 19 | 5 | 18 |
| Wood Pigeon | 126 | 24 | 29 | 9 | 38 | 11 | 2 | 13 |
| Song Thrush | 96 | 24 | 16 | 4 | 33 | 9 | 2 | 8 |
| Chaffinch | 70 | 16 | 10 | 7 | 14 | 6 | 6 | 11 |
| Blackcap | 62 | 15 | 7 | 5 | 16 | 9 | 3 | 7 |
| Great Tit | 57 | 8 | 7 | 14 | 14 | 8 | 2 | 4 |
| Blue Tit | 56 | 16 | 5 | 11 | 10 | 4 | 2 | 8 |
| Carrion Crow | 47 | 13 | 5 | 3 | 5 | 16 | 2 | 3 |
| Goldcrest | 42 | 9 | 2 | 1 | 20 | 6 | 2 | 2 |
| Jackdaw | 41 | 25 | 2 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 2 |
| Great Spotted Woodpecker | 31 | 4 | 4 | 6 | 10 | 4 | 1 | 2 |
| Coal Tit | 30 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 12 | 1 | 3 | 10 |
| Mallard | 26 | 20 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Magpie | 19 | 3 | 6 | 5 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Starling | 18 | 16 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Chiffchaff | 13 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 3 |
| Stock Dove | 11 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Hedge Sparrow | 10 | 3 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Mistle Thrush | 6 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Long-tailed Tit | 7 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Treecreeper | 7 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Green Woodpecker | 6 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Tawny Owl | 8 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Jay | 9 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Skylark | 4 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| Common Whitethroat | 4 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Grey Heron | 4 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Swift | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Marsh Tit | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Pheasant | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Goldfinch | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Sparrowhawk | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Canada Goose | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Moorhen | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Greenfinch | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Nuthatch | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Collared Dove | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Cuckoo | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Cormorant | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Common Tern | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Garden Warbler | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Swallow | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Rook | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Barn Owl | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Totals | 1328 | 333 | 176 | 118 | 343 | 163 | 60 | 134 |
| Mammals | ||||||||
| Muntjac deer | 8 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 4 | 0 |
| Pipistrelle bat | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Red fox | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Normalised totals (in order to reveal trends in distribution across different parts of the wood).
| Regions | ||||||||
| Species | Canal | Jacotts | Golf course | Whippendell | Waterdell | Harrocks | Lees | |
| Total | 333 | 176 | 118 | 343 | 163 | 60 | 134 | |
| Barn Owl | 1 | 0.0000 | 0.0000 | 0.0000 | 0.0000 | 0.0000 | 0.0000 | 0.0000 |
| Wren | 188 | 1.0575 | 0.7626 | 0.6585 | 1.0297 | 1.2568 | 0.9418 | 1.1070 |
| Robin | 155 | 0.5900 | 1.0710 | 0.9439 | 1.1740 | 1.4192 | 1.5708 | 0.7673 |
| Hedge Sparrow | 10 | 1.1928 | 3.0182 | 0.0000 | 0.0000 | 0.8147 | 2.2133 | 0.9910 |
| Treecreeper | 7 | 0.5680 | 1.0779 | 0.0000 | 1.6593 | 2.3278 | 0.0000 | 0.0000 |
| Blackbird | 141 | 0.5922 | 1.2308 | 0.9578 | 1.1807 | 1.0979 | 0.7849 | 1.2652 |
| Song Thrush | 96 | 0.9940 | 1.2576 | 0.4689 | 1.3309 | 0.7638 | 0.4611 | 0.8259 |
| Mistle Thrush | 6 | 1.3253 | 0.0000 | 0.0000 | 1.2906 | 0.0000 | 3.6889 | 1.6517 |
| Blackcap | 62 | 0.9619 | 0.8519 | 0.9076 | 0.9992 | 1.1827 | 1.0710 | 1.1189 |
| Garden Warbler | 1 | 3.9760 | 0.0000 | 0.0000 | 0.0000 | 0.0000 | 0.0000 | 0.0000 |
| Chiffchaff | 13 | 0.6117 | 0.5804 | 0.8657 | 1.1913 | 0.6267 | 1.7026 | 2.2870 |
| Goldcrest | 42 | 0.8520 | 0.3593 | 0.2680 | 1.8437 | 1.1639 | 1.0540 | 0.4719 |
| Common Whitethroat | 4 | 0.9940 | 0.0000 | 2.8136 | 0.0000 | 2.0368 | 0.0000 | 2.4776 |
| Great Tit | 57 | 0.5580 | 0.9266 | 2.7642 | 0.9509 | 1.1435 | 0.7766 | 0.6955 |
| Blue Tit | 56 | 1.1360 | 0.6737 | 2.2107 | 0.6914 | 0.5819 | 0.7905 | 1.4158 |
| Coal Tit | 30 | 0.1325 | 0.2515 | 0.7503 | 1.5487 | 0.2716 | 2.2133 | 3.3035 |
| Long-tailed Tit | 7 | 0.5680 | 1.0779 | 3.2155 | 1.1062 | 0.0000 | 3.1619 | 0.0000 |
| Marsh Tit | 3 | 1.3253 | 0.0000 | 0.0000 | 1.2906 | 0.0000 | 7.3778 | 0.0000 |
| Chaffinch | 70 | 0.9088 | 1.0779 | 1.1254 | 0.7743 | 0.6983 | 1.8971 | 1.5574 |
| Pheasant | 3 | 0.0000 | 0.0000 | 0.0000 | 1.2906 | 5.4315 | 0.0000 | 0.0000 |
| Grey Heron | 4 | 2.9820 | 0.0000 | 0.0000 | 0.0000 | 0.0000 | 0.0000 | 2.4776 |
| Cormorant | 1 | 0.0000 | 0.0000 | 0.0000 | 3.8717 | 0.0000 | 0.0000 | 0.0000 |
| Canada Goose | 2 | 3.9760 | 0.0000 | 0.0000 | 0.0000 | 0.0000 | 0.0000 | 0.0000 |
| Mallard | 26 | 3.0585 | 0.2902 | 0.4329 | 0.5956 | 0.0000 | 0.0000 | 0.0000 |
| Moorhen | 2 | 3.9760 | 0.0000 | 0.0000 | 0.0000 | 0.0000 | 0.0000 | 0.0000 |
| Sparrowhawk | 3 | 0.0000 | 5.0303 | 0.0000 | 0.0000 | 0.0000 | 0.0000 | 3.3035 |
| Common Tern | 1 | 3.9760 | 0.0000 | 0.0000 | 0.0000 | 0.0000 | 0.0000 | 0.0000 |
| Tawny Owl | 8 | 0.5680 | 0.0000 | 0.0000 | 2.2124 | 1.1639 | 0.0000 | 1.4158 |
| Wood Pigeon | 126 | 0.7573 | 1.7367 | 0.8039 | 1.1677 | 0.7113 | 0.3513 | 1.0225 |
| Stock Dove | 11 | 3.2531 | 0.0000 | 0.0000 | 0.7039 | 0.0000 | 0.0000 | 0.0000 |
| Collared Dove | 1 | 3.9760 | 0.0000 | 0.0000 | 0.0000 | 0.0000 | 0.0000 | 0.0000 |
| Great Spotted Woodpecker | 31 | 0.5130 | 0.9736 | 2.1782 | 1.2489 | 1.0513 | 0.7140 | 0.6394 |
| Green Woodpecker | 6 | 0.6627 | 2.5152 | 0.0000 | 0.6453 | 0.0000 | 3.6889 | 1.6517 |
| Nuthatch | 2 | 0.0000 | 0.0000 | 5.6271 | 0.0000 | 0.0000 | 0.0000 | 4.9552 |
| Swift | 4 | 3.9760 | 0.0000 | 0.0000 | 0.0000 | 0.0000 | 0.0000 | 0.0000 |
| Swallow | 1 | 0.0000 | 0.0000 | 11.2542 | 0.0000 | 0.0000 | 0.0000 | 0.0000 |
| Cuckoo | 1 | 0.0000 | 7.5455 | 0.0000 | 0.0000 | 0.0000 | 0.0000 | 0.0000 |
| Skylark | 4 | 0.0000 | 0.0000 | 2.8136 | 0.0000 | 4.0736 | 5.5333 | 0.0000 |
| Carrion Crow | 47 | 1.0998 | 0.8027 | 0.7184 | 0.4119 | 2.7735 | 0.9418 | 0.6326 |
| Jackdaw | 41 | 2.4244 | 0.3681 | 1.3725 | 0.1889 | 0.1987 | 2.1593 | 0.4834 |
| Rook | 1 | 0.0000 | 0.0000 | 0.0000 | 3.8717 | 0.0000 | 0.0000 | 0.0000 |
| Magpie | 19 | 0.6278 | 2.3828 | 2.9616 | 0.4075 | 1.2864 | 0.0000 | 0.0000 |
| Jay | 9 | 1.7671 | 2.5152 | 0.0000 | 0.4302 | 0.0000 | 0.0000 | 1.1012 |
| Starling | 18 | 3.5343 | 0.0000 | 1.2505 | 0.0000 | 0.0000 | 0.0000 | 0.0000 |
| Goldfinch | 3 | 3.9760 | 0.0000 | 0.0000 | 0.0000 | 0.0000 | 0.0000 | 0.0000 |
| Greenfinch | 2 | 1.9880 | 0.0000 | 0.0000 | 0.0000 | 0.0000 | 0.0000 | 4.9552 |
| Totals | 1328 | 69.4127 | 38.3775 | 47.3628 | 35.1079 | 32.0757 | 43.0943 | 43.0143 |
| Mammals | ||||||||
| Muntjac | 1 | 0.4970 | 0.0000 | 0.0000 | 1.4519 | 0.0000 | 11.0667 | 0.0000 |
| Bat | 1 | 3.9760 | 0.0000 | 0.0000 | 0.0000 | 0.0000 | 0.0000 | 0.0000 |
| Fox | 1 | 0.0000 | 0.0000 | 0.0000 | 0.0000 | 0.0000 | 0.0000 | 9.9104 |
