Reported Honey Buzzards: Totals by Month 2006 and Comments

Figures from Birdguides. http://www.birdguides.com/birdnews/daily.asp note that a small number of records come from the details provided and not from the main species cited; * two juveniles included from Scottish satellite tracking scheme, not further counted if reported by Highland Foundation on passage; ~ from Wightvogels (additional bird on 16^th September, not on Birdguides).

These totals are not directly comparable with the presumed migrant totals compiled by British Birds. The records above are unchecked and may include breeding sites, though each breeding site will only feature once per month. On the other hand not all records are submitted to the Birdguides and other reporting systems.

Notes:

April: Again a trickle of records, mainly from SE England, with the first in Hampshire and Berkshire on 14th.

May: Not as many reported as in the previous two years when 64 in this month each time. The weather in May was wet and this may have made it more difficult to spot migrating birds. On the other hand the birds can fly lower in poor weather and be more visible. The main arrival periods were 1st (4 birds), 12th (7 birds), 18th (5 birds) and 22nd (3 birds). No late surge, possibly of younger birds, was apparent this year with a total of only 8 birds from 23rd-31st. Regionally SE England and East Anglia dominated with over half the total of birds reported during the month (27). However, the passage was again widespread over a broad front with records from locations as far apart as Cornwall, the Isle of Man and Aberdeenshire.

June: The total of 19 recorded was well-scattered geographically, including even one from Wicklow, Eire. Four were recorded in north west England, including two at Leighton Moss on 10th . Passage virtually ceased after 11th when 14 of the month's birds had been recorded.

July: The total of 23 was well up on last year's exceptionally low total of 11. Regionally SE England and East Anglia dominated. Birds are largely sedentary at this time of year but occasional movements occur. This year one came in off the sea on 23rd at Capel le Ferne, Kent, and carried on to the north. Another flew out to sea to the north at North Ronaldsay, Orkney, on 24th. Both of these sightings were interestingly in the early morning at around 08:00. Concerning very late migrants, Garcia & Bensusan (2006) found at Gibraltar that Honey Buzzard passage to N continues in some numbers in the first ten days of June (total of about 1,200 noted over 43 years 1964-2006) and still takes place in very small numbers through to late July.

August: Real movement did not start this month with an even distribution over the period, perhaps because the breeding season is running late. Regionally SE England and East Anglia produced 19 out of the 30 sighted with NE England producing a further six, including four in Yorkshire. Four were at Swanton Novers in Norfolk on 7th.

September: Remarkable month with highest passage since 2000, indeed highest monthly count outside September/October 2000. Weather pattern was largely constant with anticyclone over eastern Scandinavia and low pressure to west of Britain giving persistent southerly airstream. Such winds inhibit Honey Buzzards from making a high altitude quick exit, forcing them to fly at lower altitude and at slower speed relative to the ground. Honey Buzzards are thus more obvious in such conditions. The total of 122 was largely accounted for by 36 in NE England and 32 in SE England, with 17 in East Anglia and 13 in Scotland. As a whole northern Britain featured relatively well in the total with the total of 57 in NE and NW England and Scotland accounting for 47% of the monthly total. Since some birds in southern Britain will originate from northern Britain, it is becoming clear that northern Britain is increasing in importance relative to southern Britain, a trend perhaps encouraged by climate change and pressure on available habitat. Of significance are the multiple bird records with four S on 16th and four S on 19th plus one into roost at Gibraltar Point (Lincs) and three S on 16th at Spurn (East Yorks) being particularly noteworthy. After a slow start nationally with only nine birds by 7th, passage was then steady at a high rate with for instance 25 birds from 8th-14th and 40 in each of the periods 15th-21st and 22nd-28th. Once again many birds were counted on weekends with 64 noted on the nine weekend days in the month. Maintaining weekend coverage throughout the month would have apparently given a monthly total of 213 birds. Obviously with the data collected from opportunistic sightings, there are limitations as to the conclusions that can be drawn. However, migration records since the late 1990s do indicate that the Honey Buzzard is establishing a strong basis as a breeding species in Britain.

The suggestion in Birdwatch, issue 173, November 2006 p.64-65, by John McLoughlin that “Honey Buzzards then grabbed the headlines as a number of Scandinavian migrants were displaced on 15th [September]” is bizarre. This statement is completely without foundation. The weather in southern Scandinavia was perfect during mid-September for uninterrupted normal passage with light southerly winds and blue skies without a cloud (I know because I was in Gothenburg, Sweden, from 11th-14th September). In addition the records for Sweden in this period are all of birds basically trekking S (see Dagens Fågel for period 12th-16th September). John's idea that birds on the coast are Scandinavian-bred and those inland are British-bred is very fanciful. Honey Buzzards prefer to migrate inland because there are stronger thermals. See for instance the counts for Honey Buzzard in Holland, Belgium and Luxembourg for 2006 on the map (fuller details visit http://www.trektellen.nl/). These show most birds moving inland. However, in poor weather birds will stray to the coast as happened in Yorkshire and Lincolnshire this September.

October: Another 'best' month for the time of year since 2000 with a total of 21 seen. Almost half (ten) were seen by 5th with the last on 20th on the Isles of Scilly where a total of three were recorded during the month. 14 of the 21 were recorded in the southern regions of England indicating that most northern British breeding areas are vacated by the end of September.

Overall: An excellent year with the second highest total (after 2000) to date of 275. Numbers in spring were unexceptional but 143 were reported in September and October, making it the second best autumn on record (after 2000). Regionally eastern areas saw the most with 76 in south east England, 62 in East Anglia and 51 in north east England. What is clear is that Honey Buzzard migration totals have in the last decade run way above what would be expected from reported breeding totals. So either migration patterns are changing or, as argued on these pages, the Honey Buzzard has almost unnoticed colonised large areas of northern Britain. This colonisation is a natural extension of recent movements by the Honey Buzzard into north western Europe, for instance that into Holland in the 1970s and 1980s as documented by Bijlsma et al (1993, p.65).

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