Honey Buzzard watchpoints. (1 Viewer)

[PYRTLE]

'beware of the stringers' would be a more appropriate message to chalk up

still, my agent's pleased with the publicity

No, it definitely states "_ Partridge", though I didn't see any today whilst out birding. Is that a sugar beet agent you have Alan?8-P

 

[Tideliner]

Twice this week someone has chalked up " Beware of the partridge" on the Swanton Novers board. There a pair of english partridges with chicks close to the watch point so the comment probably referrs to them. As for honey buzzards , they have been reported several times this week , but I have not seen them , but with the poor weather over the past few weeks its catch up time with insect surveys so I have not been looking much.

Honey buzzard\ buzzards have been present this year but with no breeding sightings have been very few and far between. I can remember back in 1999 when we had a non breeding year a well known Norfolk birder had 17 visits , often staying for 4-5 hours before he saw a honey. Bearing in mind I am present most days I have only seen one individual a hand full of times ( 15 mins of sightings after 100s of hours watching ) this summer. Some years they can be very easy , others very, very hard to see.

To give an illistration of this. At Gt Rybrough there is a small bird watching club with a reserve overlooking the woods . Honey buzzards were breeding close by for three years before the news went public and they realised they were there. Without doubt there has been a lot of false sightings at Swanton Novers this summer , but there have been a few real sightings too.

As for todays sightings.

A honey buzzard reported by Pyrtle
2-3 hobby
6-7 common buzzards
1 Kestrel
50 lapwing

 

[The_Partridge]

Twice this week someone has chalked up " Beware of the partridge" on the Swanton Novers board.

:clap:

:-O

 

[Tideliner]

Unfortunately the Wensum Valley Watchpoint ( Gt Rybrough ) will be closing next Friday and Natural England will no longer have a presence on the site. The Swanton Novers Watchpoint will remain open , though in very wet winter weather the gates may be shut for short periods to avoid rutting the grass.

 

[curiousbirdwatcher]

Anyone thinking of visiting should bear in mind honey sightings are very infrequent this year , but at least one has been present for some time. Summering , non breeding birds can be very hard to see.

So presumably they aren't breeding this year with you?

 

[Daniel Martin]

Unfortunately the Wensum Valley Watchpoint ( Gt Rybrough ) will be closing next Friday and Natural England will no longer have a presence on the site. The Swanton Novers Watchpoint will remain open , though in very wet winter weather the gates may be shut for short periods to avoid rutting the grass.

Hi Tideliner, do we know why that is? I thought it was a success and had the desired effect of taking the "pressure" off Swanton Novers, especially as it was manned.

Maybe the landowner has had enough?

 

[PYRTLE]

Probably an initial straightforward financial cutback - one of many no doubt that we shall see.