As a continuing part of our honey buzzard project, we satellite tracked two young honey buzzards this year from a nest in a Forestry Commission wood in the North of Scotland. This is a partnership funded by Forestry Commission and the Highland Foundation for Wildlife. It was a good breeding season and both chicks were very well fed when we ringed them on 18th August 2006. Brian Etheridge, Colin Leslie (Forestry Commission) and myself ringed, weighed and measured the two chicks and fitted 20g Microwave Telemetry satellite transmitters. The female chick received satellite radio no. 28661 and the male chick no. 21185. We were unable to catch either adult for comparison.
Chick 28661
Annual Movements
Chick 28661 left the nest area on 7th September 2006. It made a short crossing of the English Channel around the 20th September and then migrated in poor weather across the Pyrenees into Spain on the 6th October. She then headed on through the Algerian deserts and made speedy progress through Mauritania. She continued through Mali and Senegal and then rested for a while in southern Senegal at the end of October. She then headed through Guinea and on into Liberia, reaching Ghana by early December. She continued into Nigeria and then headed back towards the Niger River at the end of the year. In early 2007 she remained in swamp forest in the Niger Delta and wintered in that same area.
To read further details of chick 28661’s movements click here: Chick 28661 2006-2007
Reproductive History
Chick 28661 did not reach breeding age during our studies.
Chick 21185
Annual Movements
Chick 21185 left its nest area on 8th September 2006, a day after his sibling. He lingered in southern Scotland for a while and crossed the English Channel into France on 4th October. The chick then took an unusual route, heading through Germany and Switzerland, and on into France and Spain. He crossed over into Africa on 14th October and then headed through the Algerian deserts and changed direction to head into Mali. We last received signals from him at the beginning of November around the Niger River, close to Lac Garou, some 1060km east of his sister.
To read further details of chick 21185’s movements click here: Chick 21185 2006
Reproductive History
Chick 21185 did not reach breeding age during our studies.
