Reported Honey Buzzards: Totals by Month 2009 and Comments

Data from:

Birdguides

Notes for additional data sources:

1: 10 birds from Trektellen; 2: 17 birds from Trektellen; 3: 3 birds from Notice Board; 4: one bird from Notice Board; 5: one bird from Trektellen; 6: 2 birds from Trektellen;

Trektellen  Notice Board (Northumberland) 

Figures from BirdTrack are not included in the monthly totals. As the exact locations are not known duplication might occur. These figures are compiled by the BTO for site visits only, so casual records are not included.

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: fewer records than recently in April but 4 arrivals in south-east England and the midlands from 17th-21st indicates that a few birds do arrive well ahead of the main influx in May. One reported from Cork in Eire on 10th is interesting as it is just possible that this bird had overwintered somewhere, looking at the long time the satellite-tagged juvenile from Inverness had spent in the same area before finally launching out into the Atlantic in late October.

May: yet another record total at 77, 2 more than in 2008, which held the previous record. Arrivals were noted throughout the month but there was a peak from 21st-29th when 32 were noted. Once again a disproportionately high number of birds was recorded on weekends and holidays with 40 seen on 11 such days indicating a monthly total of 124 with higher observer coverage throughout. South-east England had the highest total of 23, followed by East Anglia with 12 and the Midlands with 11. Scotland had an unusual number of records of birds overshooting in the northern isles and there was again a record from Eire, perhaps suggesting a new colonisation. There were no records from Wales, confirming perhaps its low proportion of the total population of the UK. In Northumberland a number of birds were on site just after the start of the month when national records had been few. The first birds to arrive are very experienced migrants and may be difficult to detect on passage.

June: equal record total with 2003. Migration continued obviously to 11th when 20 had been noted but occasional late birds were seen on migration until 23rd. East Anglia with 9, south-east England with 8 and north-east England with 6 were the most popular regions. Total count for April-June was 117 birds, 1 more than the record set in the previous year of 2008.

July: as usual very few records as most birds are breeding and keeping a low profile. Most records came from well known sites in Norfolk and North Yorkshire and adjacent areas. There were 2 obvious migrants: one S over the Hoy, Orkney, on 16th; the other drifting SE over Guernsey on 31st.

August: an unusually high number of individuals at 63 was recorded, breaking previous records for the month. South-East England with 20, the Channel Islands with 15 and East Anglia with 11 had the highest totals. Records were evenly distributed through the month perhaps suggesting a steady trickle of failed breeders/non-breeding birds in the first part of the month and of early successful breeders in the second part. The first juvenile was one at the breeding site at Great Ryburgh, Norfolk, on 16/8, 3 days before the first ones were seen in Northumberland at a site on the lower South Tyne. Obvious migrants were those at the Channel Islands, including 6 from 29/8-31/8, and a number of birds at Dungeness (Kent), Portland (Dorset), Strumble Head (Pembrokeshire) and Isle of Wight through the month. High August totals might suggest a poor breeding season but there is no indication of this in Northumberland and at well-watched breeding sites.

September: a very good month, particularly as passage had already been relatively strong in August. The total of 117 was the 4th best for any month after the Septembers in 2008, 2000 and 2006. The closest parallel was with 2006, when 122 seen, with good weather through most of the month not blocking the birds in any way and facilitating a smooth departure. As usual more passage was noted on weekends with a monthly total of 188 extrapolated from weekend counts alone. As in 2006 south-east England featured well with 37 birds during the month, but far fewer were reported from north-east England (15) this year. Other areas featuring well were East Anglia (12) and South West and Scotland (all 9). The Channel Islands produced a record-breaking total of 18 birds: they are well placed to receive migrants that have just crossed the Channel from the south coast of England between Sussex and Dorset and the Trektellen post at Noirmont Point, Jersey, is producing interesting results with a total of 17 in the month including 5 on 12/9 and 3 on 10/9 and 11/9. The Honey Buzzard was very scarce on the Channel Islands before the recolonisation of Britain and there are no records of the species on the coast to the east in France suggesting the birds are not following the coast. Records at the Channel Islands seem complementary to those on the English south coast, with the former occurring in morning watches held too early to record birds leaving the latter around midday. Peak period overall was from 8/9-16/9 with 69 birds of which 19 on 12/9 alone and 10 on 10/9; 9 on 20/9 was also noteworthy. Multiple counts in England came from Pagham Harbour, West Sussex, where 4 drifted S on 8/9 and 7 spiralled and drifted S on 12/9; 4 flew E at Salthouse Heath, Norfolk, on 10/9. This year is the 3rd best on record now after 2008 and 2000, showing consistently high counts through each part of the season, as would be expected for an expanding breeding population in the UK.

October: numbers at 16 were unexceptional though they were still comfortably into double figures for the fourth year in a row. Prior to this period double-figure counts were also noted in 2000 and 2001. As expected most moved at the start of the month with 9 from 1/10-10/10 but records continued to the end with 4 from 16/10-18/10, 2 on 23/10 and the last at Durlston, Dorset, on 29/10. Trektellen seems to be playing an increasing role in sightings with 4 of the individuals being primarily reported from this survey. The highest regional total was 5 in South East England.

November: a rare record for this month in Northumberland on 15/11 of a juvenile migrating S in the upper South Tyne where there is an existing November record for 8/11/1998 in almost the same location.

Overall: the third best year to date with 335 individuals recorded, confirming the rapid increase in numbers of Honey Buzzard on migration in the UK. Monthly totals for May and August broke previous records and that for June equalled the previous record. September usually gives the peak count for the year and this held this year with 117 noted, the fourth highest for this month. Regionally as is often the case (but not last year) SE England had the highest annual total of 99 followed by East Anglia (54) and NE England (41). Fourth place though was a new development with the Channel Islands recording 38 birds, mainly in August and September. The Honey Buzzard has increased dramatically in this area, presumably because of the increased frequency of birds crossing the Channel from Sussex/Hampshire/Isle of Wight to Normandy. In 2009 in Northumberland the breeding season was very productive, well synchronised and late, thus giving 3 of the 4 conditions necessary for a very visible exit. But the weather facilitated a clean exit of the birds, so visible migration was not as obvious as in 2008.

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