Red Letter Day for Raptors in the Ashdown Forest

Thursday 29th July 2021

Ashdown Forest

I set aside this week to look for Honey Buzzards in the Ashdown Forest   It's approaching prime time for seeing this species before they leave the country so I planned a series of visits to maximise my chances of finding one.  

• On Monday I saw a couple of Common Buzzards, a Kestrel and a couple of Red Kites but no Honey Buzzards.

Today, Martin and I agreed to meet up and we were joined by Ian.  Our very own maestro, Alastair G also asked to join us - what a coup!   Our chances of success thus went up massively!  The weather was almost perfect - dry and sunny with a mild breeze.

• The first significant raptor we came across was a juvenile Goshawk which Alastair spotted flying low over the field nearby.  It went into the wood just behind where we were standing but soon came out again and flew to its nest site down in the valley below.  Not long after it gave us spectacular views as it flew high in the sky above the nest.

courtesy of Martin Jeffree

• Red Kites were the most abundant of today's raptors with at least 4 seen flying in the valley to the SE of us.
• Hobbies were spotted at regular intervals too but they were all rather distant until one flew towards us and gave us spectacular views as it passed overhead.

courtesy of Martin Jeffree

• After over an hour of patient birding we found our target species - a cracking Honey Buzzard appeared behind us, heading away in an easterly direction.  Alastair and I enjoyed really good views of the bird but Ian and Martin weren't so lucky.  Thankfully they didn't have to wait long for a  second chance as another one - probably a different bird - popped up over the trees behind us and started "quivering" as part of its display, before flying away.
• Obviously there were plenty of Common Buzzards around and we also saw at least 2 Ravens flying close by.
• As well as the raptors we saw other bird species. including lots of Linnets, Goldfinches, a Whitethroat, a couple of Swallows and a House Martin.

When you get to see Goshawk, Hobby, Red Kite and Honey Buzzards in the space of two and a half hours you know your luck is in - and all on a site just 20 minutes from home!