Robins, blackbirds and songthrushes showed smaller rises. The trust says many of the increases may be explained by the mild winter of 1997-98. The rise and rise of the successful migrants, blackcap and chiffchaff, may have been based on the winter weather further south in Europe and North Africa. Birds like the grey partridge, tree sparrow, linnet and bullfinch can ill afford further losses. And even relatively abundant birds suffered losses.
Some species are in a much worse state.
The woodcock is so rare that an annual index can no longer be calculated for it. The population in 1998 was barely a fifth of that recorded in 1980. The trust says some of its volunteers have been monitoring the same plot for 30 years or more. The changes they have seen in our farmland bird populations over that period have been devastating. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.