Habitat use and site fidelity of Green SandpipersTringa ochropuswintering in Southern England

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Abstract
Between 1982 and 1991 Green Sandpipers were studied in mid-Hertfordshire through regular counts and observations of colour-ringed birds. Birds were present in the study area in every month of the year but only in low numbers during May. Overall, throughout the year, 35.1 % of the birds were found at gravel pit complexes and 37.8 % at disused watercress beds. There was a marked shift from gravel pits in summer and autumn to disused watercress beds and stream sides in winter. Colour-ringing showed that the population consisted mainly of birds which regularly spent the winter in the area; the overall return rate from one winter to the next was 83.5%. Individual birds changed sites between autumn and winter in a similar way to the population as a whole and, in mid-winter, were extremely faithful to particular sites to which they returned each year. The return rates from one winter to the next are negatively correlated with the number of nights with air frost in the first winter.