I hope that many of you have enjoyed watching Honey-buzzards in Sussex this year, perhaps for the first time, following the publication of a few watchpoints. I’ve been coordinating population monitoring work for several years and the effort in the field is considerable. Following the publication of sites, I wondered whether I could rely on the birdwatching community to cover at least some areas this year and this has indeed happened, with excellent coverage of two sites. As a result we have a good understanding of activity and numbers, without additional dedicated effort being needed.
We know of 13 territories so far, most with pairs, so it’s shaping up to be a good season. The adults are finding plenty of wasp comb and are taking frogs as well.
The published viewpoints were chosen to avoid overlooking nest sites and the Bird News Services have been exemplary in following the guidance from the Sussex Ornithological Society about not revealing evidence of breeding, beyond birds being present in an area. Posting photos on social media of birds carrying food should be avoided as a precautionary measure. Hitherto, such photos would have been fine if the location was not given (I have done this on several occasions), but there is still some risk in cases where the location can be deduced, and it is best that we all now err on the side of caution. However, do send such photos to me or the County Recorder recorder@sos.org.uk to help us monitor breeding activity. If you take a photo that shows a readable ring number (two black letters on a white background) that would be brilliant.
For the more adventurous, there are still several sites that were published in the recent “Where to Watch Birds in Surrey and Sussex” that have not been searched as far as I know, so why not try to find out something new about these splendid birds at one of those.
No illegal activity, e.g. nest disturbance, has been reported in Sussex but it could happen. Please let me know if you see any suspicious behaviour or illegal disturbance. Thank you.
Mark Mallalieu
mallalieum@gmail.com
23 July 2024
