July should present us with a better chance of seeing birds of prey now that the young have fledged and are out and about. Sparrowhawks are increasingly common these days and, in addition to their usual woodland habitat, are often seen in gardens. The bird pictured here flew rapidly through my back garden, snatching a starling from the bird table only a few yards from where I was standing. Distressing though it was to lose a songbird, it was a rare privilege to see this remarkable bird at close quarters.
Some species of falcon are seen more now than at any time in the last fifty years. Peregrine falcons have traditionally nested on sea cliffs and mountains, but in the absence of such sites the local birds do well on man-made equivalents such as quarry faces and church towers. Although they were absent from the county for many years, I have seen four peregrines so far this year, all within a few miles of my home. Much more common are kestrels. They are often seen hovering or perched above grassland, waiting to pounce on voles or other rodents. Although they used to be our commonest bird of prey, they have recently declined significantly in number, probably due to a reduction in prey numbers resulting from changes in farming practices.
Among the larger raptors, the buzzard is the most common in Leicestershire and it is frequently seen soaring in the skies around here. The only bird it might be confused with is the red kite, shown here. The kite, however, is readily distinguished by its long forked tail and reddish colouration. This bird was persecuted almost to extinction in Great Britain, with only a few pairs left in Wales by 1932. Protection of the remaining kites was followed by reintroduction of the species to the south of England over the last 25 years. This was so successful that they are now commonly seen in the south and east of Leicestershire and just occasionally within the Journal area.
The main reasons why so few raptors survived in this area during the middle of the last century were persecution (mainly by egg collectors and gamekeepers), reduction in the rabbit population (by the disease myxomatosis), and pollution by the pesticide DDT (which caused thinning of the eggshells). Following the legal protection of raptors and the banning of several pesticides in the 1960s, populations have recovered steadily to the healthy levels we see now. However, problems with pesticides persist. Our bee population is declining and this appears to be linked to the treatment of crops with novel insecticides. Up to 70% of the world’s crops and the vast majority of our ornamental flowers are pollinated by insects (mainly bees), so this is a problem that will affect not just your back garden, but also the success of food crops everywhere. We can all do our bit by avoiding the use of pesticides unless absolutely necessary and, in particular, not spraying when the plants are flowering. This will stop the bee getting a fatal dose when collecting nectar or pollen from the flowers.
July should present us with a better chance of seeing birds of prey now that the young have fledged and are out and about. Sparrowhawks are increasingly common these days and, in addition to their usual woodland habitat, are often seen in gardens. The bird pictured here flew rapidly through my back garden, snatching a starling from the bird table only a few yards from where I was standing. Distressing though it was to lose a songbird, it was a rare privilege to see this remarkable bird at close quarters.
Some species of falcon are seen more now than at any time in the last fifty years. Peregrine falcons have traditionally nested on sea cliffs and mountains, but in the absence of such sites the local birds do well on man-made equivalents such as quarry faces and church towers. Although they were absent from the county for many years, I have seen four peregrines so far this year, all within a few miles of my home. Much more common are kestrels. They are often seen hovering or perched above grassland, waiting to pounce on voles or other rodents. Although they used to be our commonest bird of prey, they have recently declined significantly in number, probably due to a reduction in prey numbers resulting from changes in farming practices.
Among the larger raptors, the buzzard is the most common in Leicestershire and it is frequently seen soaring in the skies around here. The only bird it might be confused with is the red kite, shown here. The kite, however, is readily distinguished by its long forked tail and reddish colouration. This bird was persecuted almost to extinction in Great Britain, with only a few pairs left in Wales by 1932. Protection of the remaining kites was followed by reintroduction of the species to the south of England over the last 25 years. This was so successful that they are now commonly seen in the south and east of Leicestershire and just occasionally within the Journal area.
The main reasons why so few raptors survived in this area during the middle of the last century were persecution (mainly by egg collectors and gamekeepers), reduction in the rabbit population (by the disease myxomatosis), and pollution by the pesticide DDT (which caused thinning of the eggshells). Following the legal protection of raptors and the banning of several pesticides in the 1960s, populations have recovered steadily to the healthy levels we see now. However, problems with pesticides persist. Our bee population is declining and this appears to be linked to the treatment of crops with novel insecticides. Up to 70% of the world’s crops and the vast majority of our ornamental flowers are pollinated by insects (mainly bees), so this is a problem that will affect not just your back garden, but also the success of food crops everywhere. We can all do our bit by avoiding the use of pesticides unless absolutely necessary and, in particular, not spraying when the plants are flowering. This will stop the bee getting a fatal dose when collecting nectar or pollen from the flowers.