- Magog Trust News
- Bird Reports 2019
- Bird Reports 2018
- Bird Reports 2017
- Bird Reports 2016
- Bird Reports 2015
- Earlier Bird Reports
See also...
If you are interested in birds, you may also like to read what's on our Birds on Magog Down page.
Bird Club - come and join us!
If you have never given birdwatching a try do come along on the first Saturday of the month (meeting in the car park at 8am from April to October; slightly later at 8.30 am from November to March).
Membership is very informal–– just turn up and enjoy the birding walk. It is a healthy way of getting fresh air and exercise, and de-stressing while learning about birds.
We welcome new members of any age from beginners to life-time bird watchers. Sorry, no dogs
Photo: Skylark (Alauda arvensis) © Garth Peacock 2015
Long-term Survey of Breeding Birds
In February 2012, Bryan Davies and Robin Cox of Cambridgeshire Bird Club proposed a long term breeding bird survey on Magog Down.
Full reports of the first six years of this survey can be found here:
Bird Club first Saturday meetings under review
The monthly meetings of the Stapleford Bird Club have not taken place since March 2020, because of the Covid-19 epidemic. The walk leader has continued to visit most months, and his reports can be read under our News section. He hopes to be able to take a group round again before too much longer.
Follow us on Twitter for the latest updates.
2017 Report of a long term survey of breeding birds on Magog Down Stapleford
Bryan Davies and Robin Cox, Cambridgeshire Bird club
Summary
Wood pigeons continue to be the most abundant species (numbers not recorded) due largely to the widespread growing on farms in the locality of oilseed rape its major food source. Other species well represented were: Robin (13), Blackbird (8), Chaffinch (7), Chiffchaff (7), Wren (7), Blackcap (6), Common Whitethroat (6), Blue Tit (6), Great Tit (6) and Skylark (6).
Of the agricultural birds in steep decline nationally, the Skylark continues to populate the large stretches of Downland grass, the Corn Bunting has returned after absence in 2016, the Song Thrush has recovered its numbers, but only one yellowhammer was recorded. Large numbers of the Corvid family were seen on the sheep pastures attracted by the insects in sheep dung. However most of these species breed elsewhere and it is only the Magpies, Jay and perhaps one or two Carrion Crows which nest in the Trust’s Woodland.
Of the three birds of prey recorded probably only the Kestrel breeds on site. The large expanses of pasture would appear to be suitable for Barn Owls but none have ever been recorded perhaps because of the large numbers of visitors. Tawny owls are unlikely to be recorded during daytime surveys but there is no evidence that these owls are currently resident in the Trust’s Woodlands.
With the likely exception of the Willow Warbler, Meadow Pipit and Bullfinch which probably no longer breed on the Down, all the other birds recorded as breeding appear to have reached an approximate ‘steady state’ both in number of species and numbers of birds of each species. Although lack of sufficient insects for raising chicks is an important limitation in the surrounding agricultural landscape this is probably not a problem on the Down where there is a wide range of plants and habitats for insects to thrive. It is likely that predation by grey squirrels, magpies, raptors, foxes and badgers is the major restriction on bird numbers and lack of suitable habitat the factor limiting the introduction of new species eg Starlings, House and Hedge Sparrows and Stonechats.
Field Visits
Two survey visits were made in 2017: the first on 10th April before summer migrants had arrived and the second on 18th May when the summer migrants had returned. The same survey route was taken as in previous years.
Results
See Tables 1 and 2.
Location |
No. of species* |
No. of birds |
Car Park and Picnic area | 8 | 12 |
Colin's Wood | 8 | 11 |
Feoffee's Fields | 8 | 21 |
Clunch Pits | 10 | 11 |
Shelter Belt | 9 | 16 |
Memorial Woods | 6 | 13 |
Vestey Wood | 8 | 13 |
Whitethroat Alley | 4 | 9 |
Villedomer Wood | 10 | 11 |
Sheep Paddocks | 5 | 26 |
Arable | 1 | 1 |
Family |
Total1 |
Sites2 | Bird Club3 |
UK Status4 |
Thrushes | ||||
Blackbird | 8 | 5 | ||
Song Thrush | 4 | 4 | red | |
Mistle Thrush | 3 | 2 | red | |
Robin | 13 | 6 | ||
Tits | ||||
Blue tit | 6 | 5 | ||
Great tit | 6 | 4 | ||
Long tailed tit | 2 | 1 | ||
Finches | ||||
Chaffinch | 7 | 5 | ||
Goldfinch | 3 | 3 | ||
Greenfinch | 0 | 1 | ||
Linnet | 3 | 1 | ||
Buntings |
||||
Corn bunting | 3 | 3 | red | |
Yellowhammer | 1 | 1 | red | |
Warblers | ||||
Blackcap | 6 | 4 | ||
Chiffchaff | 7 | 5 | ||
Common Whitethroat | 6 | 3 | ||
Lesser Whitethroat | 0 | 0 | ||
Garden Warbler | 1 | 1 | ||
Willow Warbler5 | 0 | 1 | ||
Larks | ||||
Skylark | 6 | 3 | red | |
Crows | ||||
Carrion Crow | 24 | 3 | ||
Jackdaw5 | 10 | 2 | ||
Jay | 1 | |||
Magpie | 3 | 3 | ||
Rook5 | 6 | 2 | ||
Crests and Wrens |
||||
Wren | 7 | 7 | ||
Accentors | ||||
Dunnocks | 1 | 1 | ||
Partridges | ||||
Grey Partridge | 2 | 1 | red | |
Red-legged Partridge | 1 | 1 | ||
Pheasant | 1 | 1 | ||
Pigeons and Doves | ||||
Woodpigeon | [large numbers but not recorded] | |||
Birds of Prey | ||||
Buzzard | ||||
Kestrel | 1 | |||
Sparrowhawk | 1 | 1 | ||
Pipits and Wagtails | ||||
Pied wagtail | 1 | |||
Woodpeckers | ||||
Great Spotted | 1 | 1 | ||
Green Woodpecker | 2 | 1 |
2 See Table 1
3 Species not recorded in this survey but recorded during Stapleford Bird Club visits March to May.
4 Species on the UK Red List, ie that have declined by >50% in the last 40 years.
5 Unlikely to be breeding on Magog Down.
December 2017
Birds on Magog Down
We publish the monthly reports of Stapleford Bird club here, plus other occasional bird-related articles; hot links in each report will take you to the RSPB information page for each bird spotted.
The gallery below shows a random six of the birds that have been seen on Magog Down.