Buzzards

Acipiter · #1 (**permalink**) 23-09-2011, 12:57 PM

Buzzards are doing very well at the moment, so I decided to have a look through my collection of books on bop and found this one. The buzzard by Colin R Tubbs. I had forgotten quite how good this book is, with chapters on decline, recovery, social behaviour, breeding biology, and population ecology. Mine was from 1974, but I am sure its still available. Anyone interested in buzzards would be well pleased with it I am sure.

Dogghound · #2 (**permalink**) 23-09-2011, 01:02 PM

Buzzards are doing very well and are especially very numerous at this time of year. However has anybody noticed how good a year it has been for marsh harriers? numbers have been high all year since around May around here. There are loads at the moment, infact I see more than buzzards. They breed on arable land here.

I will have to check the book out cheers for the heads up. Do you think sprawk numbers are up or down?

Acipiter · #3 (**permalink**) 24-09-2011, 11:57 AM

Local breeding pairs have increased over the last few years, which is good news. Although there are many more hens then cocks here locally, I know there are always more hens, but for the last two years the males do seemed to have suffered quite badly. Particularly over the last two years. I am sure the weather did play some of the part, as there always seem to be a drop in population over the winter. As for the general population as a whole, its very good at this moment in time. But who can tell what the future holds.

billybirder · #4 (**permalink**) 24-09-2011, 07:03 PM

A buzzard question... today I saw a strange sight on hayling Island. A buzzard circling a ?remote controlled bird?? Not sure really.. watched by chaps with bins. Was it a decoy?? Why?? Was it coincidence?? Really confused (and wasn't able to stop as driving to an appointment) Would love to hear any hypotheses!

Dogghound · #5 (**permalink**) 25-09-2011, 05:08 PM

Can you expand on circling?

If it was horizontal then it was on an air thermal they use these to gain height, lots of raptors do this and it is very common to see buzzards doing it.

actionfinch · #6 (**permalink**) 25-09-2011, 08:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dogghound

Buzzards are doing very well and are especially very numerous at this time of year. However has anybody noticed how good a year it has been for marsh harriers? numbers have been high all year since around May around here. There are loads at the moment, infact I see more than buzzards. They breed on arable land here.

I will have to check the book out cheers for the heads up. Do you think sprawk numbers are up or down?

Just curious DH , not a trick question and i dont know the anwser, but what could be the reason for the Marsh harrier's good year?

Dogghound · #7 (**permalink**) 25-09-2011, 08:57 PM

Hard to say, possibly range expansion, as the population increases in other parts of the country they start to increase locally. Improved habitat, lack of persecution, less pesticide use, better climatic conditions are probably driving the national trend of increases.

actionfinch · #8 (**permalink**) 25-09-2011, 09:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dogghound

Hard to say, possibly range expansion, as the population increases in other parts of the country they start to increase locally. Improved habitat, lack of persecution, less pesticide use, better climatic conditions are probably driving the national trend of increases.

So a few factors ....thats good though.. cheers DH for that...

billybirder · #9 (**permalink**) 27-09-2011, 05:02 PM

Re the circling buzzard, Dogghound, yes I am used to seeing raptors circling in thermals (!) but it was the presence of the man made object.. remote controlled bird?, kite? , and the question of whether their simultaneious presence over a field was a coincidence - unlikely as two people appeared to be watching from a lay by with binoculars. I've posted locally with no real answer either, so iguess it's a mystery. I just wondered whether is was a birder behaviour I didn't know about!

RoyW · #10 (**permalink**) 27-09-2011, 05:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by actionfinch

Just curious DH , not a trick question and i dont know the anwser, but what could be the reason for the Marsh harrier's good year?

Pure speculation on my part, but could the good weather during the spring have helped numbers of voles and other small rodents build in number resulting in plenty of food for breeding Marsh Harriers?
Numbers have been increasing each year anyway, presumably as a result of various conservation measures.

With regard to billybirders original observation in this thread, is there any possibility that a falconers bird may have been involved?