Kestrels

[goosander]

Have beeb surprised by the lack of Kestrels hovering along the motorway embankments this year. Usualy see a fair number but not seen any for a long time. Loads of Buzzards/crows etc.

Bob

[TIGHTCHOKE]

Plenty round here!

[the pigeon man]

Mad with them around here

[Codeye]

Loads here too

[woody walloper]

saw a buzzard take a kestrel while it was hovering at the side of the m40 near banbury.

[ferret47]

Kestrels seem to be having a hard time of it. A few years ago they were the only bird of prey that most regularly saw, sadly now the rise of the Magpie means that they harry the young birds relentlessly. They can't hover in peace and a lot of areas are losing their Kestrels!

[Kes]

Now you mention it I see fewer up here. I have also noticed a decline in sparrow hawks (some good in that at the moment).

Maybe its connected to buzzard numbers - wouldnt that be interesting. Our owl population is growing though, exploiting the nightime.

Anyone any definitive evidence as it would be really interesting to get a fix on any relationship between buzzrad breeding suc cess and the falling number of other raptors?

 

Edit - Sp

Edited July 4, 2013 by Kes

[pimpkiller]

loads around here, they must move around the country alot year by year

[flynny]

Have beeb surprised by the lack of Kestrels hovering along the motorway embankments this year. Usualy see a fair number but not seen any for a long time. Loads of Buzzards/crows etc.

Bob

Me too mate, only ever see the odd one now , when I used to see loads a couple of years ago,

 

Regards

 

Kev.

[goosander]

Have seen a pergerine take one hovering. Most birds of prey are getting scarce except buzzards which are eveywere. The estate were i fish near Perth used to have loads of birds of prey but now other than buzzards you see very few. This is not down to the keepers as the head keeper is a keen twitcher. Even song birds are getting scarce. The dawn singing is now down to a few blackbirds and wrens.

Bob

[Go Go Gadget]

drove to derbyshire last week for two terrier pups and seen at least ten on the way, mainly on the A19 and A1

[karpman]

Seeing normal numbers around here. Loads and loads of yellow hammers as well there every were at the minute.

 

Bit concerned about the skylarks this year don't seem to be having it easy round here.

 

Karpman

[Brigsy]

Springwatch reported a dramatic deline in Kestrel numbers recently and a marked rise in the common buzzard. One of the reasons, they summised, was perhaps competition over similar prey species.

[karpman]

Springwatch reported a dramatic deline in Kestrel numbers recently and a marked rise in the common buzzard. One of the reasons, they summised, was perhaps competition over similar prey species.

Seems a strange theory to me. Always thought kestrels took small mammals and birds. Buzzards bigger birds mammals worms and carrion.

 

I would imagine it would more likely be the buzzards preying on the kestrels but being spring watch doubt they would want to say that to be honest.

 

Karpman

[Churchill]

Lots of them in Norfolk, I had one hit my pigeon decoy a while back..

[andrewluke]

if you are interested then you can enter your kestrel sitings here http://www.kestrelcount.org/ ,

 

 

andrew

[the pigeon man]

Buzzards have gone mad around here see them everywhere there's more buzzards than pigeon

[oscarsdad]

An awful lot of buzzards this way too - I have watched 7 circling the corner of the wood at one time.

[billywoodsman]

The were a couple hunting on the same field that i was pasture topping this week,was even lucky enough to see a couple of dives and a very unlucky field vole being flown of to the tree tops for lunch.I cant get over how fast these amazing birds hit the ground without injury .