Community Engagement Assistant, Oliver Davies, explores the ecology and behaviour of two raptors which anyone is – almost – guaranteed to see when visiting Coombe Bissett Down: the buzzard and the kestrel.
The end of winter denotes the start of the breeding season for many of Britain’s avian residents. At Coombe Bissett Down, the mixed landscape of woodland and species-rich chalk downland provides plenty of nesting sites for local grassland and farmland birds; however, the nature reserve is also the perfect hunting ground for birds of prey.
Having suffered centuries of persecution and ecological neglect, Britain’s most accomplished hunters are finally progressing towards healthy population sizes. Goshawks, ospreys, marsh harriers, honey buzzards and white-tailed eagles were once wiped out from the UK entirely, but they have all been brought back through a series of reintroduction programs – a process that also responsible for the recovery of red kites.
In this article, I will be detailing the ecology and behaviour of two raptors (order Falconiformes), which anyone is – almost – guaranteed to see when visiting Coombe Bissett Down. As many of Britain’s birds prepare for months of building nests, rearing chicks, and defending territories, the raptors take this to the extreme, exhibiting behaviours worth looking out for as they try to find a mate and settle down for spring.