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.

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This is the sixth annual report of the long term breeding bird survey at Magog Down. Using the same transit as in previous years, records were taken during two visits, the first in April and the second in May (see Table 1). Twenty-nine species were probably breeding on the Down, a number very similar to the long term average of 28.

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.