Birds of Prey, sensitive indicators?

At first glance I thought it was a Buzzard. A crow was mobbing a large bird as I opened the gate to drive through and leave the farm; a closer look through binoculars showed it was a Red Kite. On the other side of the gate another large bird was sitting in the hedge, this time it was a Buzzard. A few minutes earlier I had been watching a Kestrel family including five young learning to catch worms and insects on a track.

Although these birds look strong and aggressive they are in reality vulnerable and they are among the first that fail to breed and to die when conditions turn against them. Last year (2013) Field vole numbers were very low, Barn owls were hunting in daylight and catching very little, they had few if any young, and I saw no young Kestrels at Halls or Little Haugh farms.

Barn Owl hovering hunt, early morning June, Suffolk. Tyto alba

This year has been much better. I have been watching Barn owls hunting very early in the morning to feed their young; they are catching voles about every 10 minutes. Fat young barn owls are starting to come out of their nest sites and to clamber about in tree branches. There are at least four pairs of Barn owls with young at Halls and Little Haugh Farm this year and all of them seem to be finding plenty of food. The Kestrels have done very well too, raising 5 young, and are now teaching them how to hunt for their own food.

Kestrel, eating a worm. Falco tinnunculus www.mikerae.com

A pair of Buzzards is also breeding at Little Haugh in the woods by the river; the adults are very active in looking for food. Estates and farms that run game bird shoots have a reputation for not tolerating raptors and other predators. These two farms show that running a profitable shoot is totally compatible with a high bird of prey population. The Gamekeeper at Little Haugh is relaxed about the Buzzards on the farms and there is little evidence of them taking game birds. In the breeding season he leaves the rats that are shot under the game bird feeders, this is easy food for a growing Buzzard family.

A couple of weeks ago at Halls Farm I saw a Sparrowhawk try to catch a Red-legged partridge sitting in an open field. The healthy partridge was too strong and chased the Sparrowhawk away. Like most predators, birds of prey prefer to hunt for weak or injured prey that are easier to catch.

The healthy Owl and bird of prey population at Halls and Little Haugh farms indicates that there is an equally healthy natural environment that provides plenty of food for them. It also shows that even on land with game bird shooting it is possible to manage possible conflict with young game bird predation by providing alternative food at critical times.

Barn Owl flying with vole in beak, early june morning Suffolk. Tyto alba

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