Tracking of Honey Buzzard migration using satellite radio transmitters

Our first attempt at studying the migrations of honey buzzards from northern Scotland was started in 2001 and was very interesting. Disappointingly, we were unable to catch the adults which would probably have given us more reliable information on their wintering grounds in West Africa as well as the migration routes of the adult birds. The young birds gave us much important information especially on the fortunes of late hatching young. Both chicks stayed near their nests for about two weeks before migrating in a south-west direction. The older chick travelled slowly down through the western side of England and finally crossed into North Africa on 25th October, after which we received no further radio signals. The younger bird crossed to Ireland and spent a month there before heading out into the Atlantic Ocean on 29th October, again the radio stopped transmitting and we do not know whether it reached Spain or it died at sea. Our first autumn's data is already revealing the risks to late nesting honey buzzards, especially Northern Scottish birds, but it was good news that the first chick, from such a late brood, reached Africa.

Next year, we plan to catch two adults to check if they have a different direction of initial migration, and probably a faster and more direct route. If we are able to raise the funds, we also hope to satellite track two young from an early nest as well as two from a late nest, in order to understand more about the initial orientation of juveniles and its consequence on migration to Africa.

IRISH SIGHTING

mail received 9th October 2001from Paul Milne, Secretary of the Irish Rare Birds Committee

"The area that the bird was located is the Ards Peninsula in North Donegal. This peninsula is about 8 km long by about 3 km wide. There is a ridge of low hills about 500 ft high running along the spine. The western slope is thickly forested about 75% sitka spruce and pine , and about 25% deciduous oak, birch, beech and sycamore. The eastern slope has small livestock farms ( cattle and sheep) but also has fairly extensive deciduous woodland. There are two small mountain lakes. Quite a sandy soil and the trees grow right down to the tide line which is quite unusual in North Donegal but the bay is pretty sheltered from prevailing SW winds.

The bird was seen in flight at about 8 am on the eastern slope by John Coveney and Kieran Fahy. When we (Paul Milne, Jim Dowdall and Jim Fitzharris) arrived about 9.30 am , there was no sign and we were faced with a long and sweaty wait to see if it would show.) We were later joined by Dave Fox and Joe Doolin. After several fruitless forays onto different areas of high ground we returned to where John and Kieran had originally seen it and waited. At about 2 pm, we departed to check the next peninsula west ( where we had seen some Common Buzzards in the distance) leaving Dave and Joe behind. After about 20 mins we got a phone call from Dave to say that they had just seen the bird fly NW over their head. We dashed back and waited another half hour when I spotted it again going NW overhead. It arced around, hovered for a few secs. and continued on SE. It was obviously doing a circuit of the peninsula. We drove back up to the spine of the peninsula and after another 20 mins it came back round again mobbed by two Ravens. The views on each occasion were brief 30 secs to 1 min, but adequate and in very good light. We got a very good appreciation of the shape, structure and flight profile. Plumage-wise we noted a much greyer cast to the upperparts than C. Buzzard, dark underparts, less patchy underwing. barred undertail and pale rump. At no point did we see the aerial.

It was a tick for all of us. Honey Buzzard is extremely rare in Ireland which is surprising given it's abundance on the Continent, but hopefully with the increasing spread in Britain we may get to see more of them."

many thanks

Paul