Deciding on my High Ten Breckland birds ought to have been straightforward, however there was one essential choice to be made. Ought to my High Ten be birds that birders come to the Brecks to see, or my 10 favorite species? Ultimately I opted for a mix of the 2.
Nice Bustards had been misplaced from the Brecks 192 years in the past
Breckland, by the best way, is an space of dry, sandy soils on the borders of Suffolk and Norfolk, two counties within the East of England. The realm is notable for its low annual rainfall – it is among the driest areas in Britain. Two centuries in the past it was a barren space the place Britain’s final Nice Bustards had been nonetheless to be discovered on the intensive rabbit-cropped heaths. The final nest was recorded in 1832, and after that the birds disappeared. In accordance with Claud Ticehurst, writing in his Historical past of the Birds of Suffolk (1932), it was in 1812 that belts of fir timber had been first planted throughout the Brecks “so as to defend the crops of rye from the wind-blown sands, and it appears that evidently this breaking apart of the huge open areas was unsuited to the cautious habits of the Nice Bustard”. There’s presently a reintroduction undertaking for Nice Bustards on Salisbury Plain in Southern England, however there can be no level in releasing birds within the Brecks as we now not have the habitat.
What the Brecks does have, although, is the biggest lowland pine forest in Britain. Planting began after the First World Warfare, with the purpose of offering a strategic reserve of timber for the nation. In accordance with Wikipedia, “the creation of the forest destroyed a lot of the standard Breckland surroundings of gorse and sandy ridges, ending the frequent sand blows”. Native Scots pines had been planted initially, however as we speak the forest is dominated by Corsican Pines. The mature stands of Corsican Pines are unattractive to birds, however when timber are felled the cleared areas entice Nightjars and Woodlarks, two of the Breck’s particular birds.
No 1 Stone Curlew
Britain is on the very northern restrict of the Stone Curlew’s vary. With a breeding inhabitants of round 360 pairs, additionally it is one in all our rarest breeding birds. The Brecks is a very powerful space in England for these fascinating waders, with an estimated 270 pairs, of which 70% nest on arable farmland. The European Breeding Atlas 2 notes that “the Eurasian Thick-knee [not a name anyone in the UK uses] has tailored to open arable land so long as the vegetation stays low, permitting good all-round visibility”. That is actually true within the Brecks.
A Stone Curlew on the Norfolk Wildlife Belief’s Weeting Heath reserve ({photograph} by David Addy). Weeting Heath is the simplest place to see Stone Curlews in England
The Breckland inhabitants is wholesome as a result of appreciable efforts by each farmers and conservationists to assist the birds. Being cautious, cryptically colored and superb at preserving out of sight, seeing these birds is all the time a problem. Most visiting birders choose to go to the Norfolk Wildlife Belief’s reserve at Weeting Heath, the place the land is managed for the birds, and the place no less than two pairs nest within reach of the hides. I can often discover birds a lot nearer to dwelling, however seeing a Stone Curlew is all the time a thrill.
The nice majority of Stone Curlews within the Brecks nest on arable land
No 2 Goshawk
The huge ranks of conifers that make up Thetford Forest will not be nice chicken habitat (Goldcrests and Coal Tits are essentially the most quite a few birds you can see), however they do present protected nesting websites for Goshawks, and there are a number of pairs within the Brecks. Goshawks have an attention-grabbing historical past in England, for it is just in recent times that they’ve change into widespread breeding birds. Ticehurst famous that it “was by no means something however uncommon in Suffolk” and he failed to search out any data for the primary three a long time of the twentieth century. Right this moment, although Goshawks in all probability breed in each English county, these highly effective hawks are nonetheless a lot wanted by birders, lots of whom come to the Brecks to see them.
The very best time to search out one is on sunny days in early March once they show over their territories. There are a few well-known websites the place you might be nearly certain of seeing them, and in season these can entice crowds of 30 and even 40 folks. There are, in fact, different locations the place you possibly can look ahead to them undisturbed by different birders.
No 3 Woodlark
There are reckoned to be round 3,000 pairs of Woodlarks in Britain, however this nonetheless makes them a scarce and sought-after species. The heaths of the Brecks, together with the forest clearings, present good habitat for this chicken, which has probably the most enticing of Latin names: Lullula arborea. The primary a part of that identify refers back to the Woodlark’s great music, which many reckon to be one of many prettiest songs of any British chicken. I often hear my first Woodlark singing in early January, a cheering sound within the depths of winter, and one which holds promise for the yr forward. They proceed to carry out till June – they sing within the air, or from a favoured excessive music put up, akin to the highest of a lifeless tree. After they cease singing they’re much more durable to search out, and in summer time I can go weeks with out seeing one.
No 4 Curlew
Curlews solely began to colonise the Brecks in 1947, so that they don’t have an extended historical past of breeding within the space. Right this moment there are in all probability between 30 and 40 pairs, most of which nest on farmland. The inhabitants is susceptible and isn’t rising, but it surely does look like holding its personal. This can be as a result of foxes – one of many younger Curlew’s most severe predators – are strictly managed all through a lot of the Brecks the place recreation taking pictures takes place. Because of this enough younger birds are fledged most years to maintain the inhabitants.
Curlews are breeding guests, with the primary birds returning to their territories in late February and early March. The haunting, melancholic music of the Curlew is among the nice sounds of spring.
No 5 Hawfinch
These good-looking finches with their spectacular, nutcracker payments are uncommon and extremely localised birds in southern Britain. The Brecks is the most effective place to see them in Jap England, as there’s a small breeding inhabitants, in all probability augmented by migrants within the winter. Essentially the most dependable website for them is Lynford Arboretum in Norfolk, the place there’s a common winter roost. This will quantity something from half a dozen birds to greater than 50, however huge flocks have change into uncommon in recent times.
A good friend is lucky sufficient to see them in his Breckland backyard yearly, and in 2022 two pairs nested. Sadly, they haven’t nested since; this yr there have been no spring sightings, although the occasional chicken was seen in the summertime.
This Hawfinch was photographed in a good friend’s Breckland backyard in Might 2022
No 6 Crossbill
It was a difficult choice whether or not to incorporate this finch. The Brecks was famend as probably the greatest locations to see nesting Crossbills, and within the Nineteen Thirties egg collectors had been drawn to the realm to raid their nests. One in all them was Desmond Nethersole-Thompson, who notes in his guide Pine Crossbills (1975) that “We additionally shortly found that, aside from the periodic invasions or irruptions from northern Europe the dimensions of the Breckland populations of crossbills significantly fluctuated from yr to yr”. The Breckland inhabitants is presently at a low, with just some pairs. It’s not a chicken I might be assured of discovering, so any sightings are all the time a bonus. This yr I’ve solely seen them twice.
No 7 Firecrest
Sharing with the Goldcrest the title of Europe’s smallest chicken, Firecrests are simply ignored. Ticehurst regard it as “amongst the rarest in Suffolk”, and it was solely in 1975 that they had been first discovered breeding within the Brecks for the primary time. Right this moment there’s a small however rising inhabitants within the space, however discovering one is all the time a problem. The easiest way to take action is listening for the male’s music, which is barely decrease pitched than that of the Goldcrest, and which lacks the rhythm of the latter. Whenever you do lastly see your Firecrest you uncover somewhat gem of a chicken, its broad white supercilium (eye-stripe) making it immediately recognisable. There are a selection of websites in Thetford Forest the place these chicken breed, however Lynford Arboretum might be essentially the most dependable.
No 8 Woodcock
Woodcock winter within the space in good numbers. In January this yr I watched beaters flush 14 from a single small wooden on a Pheasant-shooting day. Although Woodcock are a preferred quarry species, many individuals select to not shoot them, and on at the present time no person raised a gun to 1. Most birdwatchers regard Woodcock as uncommon birds. They’re not, however they’re troublesome to see until flushed by canines.
The Brecks has a small however declining breeding inhabitants – regardless of analysis, no person is aware of why the variety of nesting birds is falling. They nonetheless breed on my native heath, simply a few miles from dwelling, so in early spring by to mid summer time I usually go to look at for roding males. Roding is the identify given to the curious show flight of the Woodcock, when the males patrol their territory at nightfall and daybreak, flying low over the tops of the timber. I not often fail to get pleasure from good sightings, although I’ve but to rise to the problem of getting good pictures.
No 9 Lengthy-eared Owl
Probably essentially the most irritating chicken in my High Ten, for these owls are shy and secretive, in addition to being scarce and very troublesome to see. Often the simplest technique to find a breeding pair is to hear for the begging name of the younger, a name that carries for appreciable distances, and which might be listened for in late Might and early June.
Although I’ve seen these owls looking in broad daylight in Northern France, I’ve by no means seen a British chicken do the identical. This yr I failed to search out any breeding pairs, and my solely sighting on my native heath was a chicken that flew previous me after I was searching for Woodcock in Might. Was it breeding close by? I by no means discovered.
No 10 Cuckoo
Although the Cuckoo is a widespread breeding chicken all through the British Isles, numbers have fallen dramatically in recent times, and its music is now not the acquainted sound it as soon as was. Thankfully we nonetheless have an excellent inhabitants right here within the Brecks, helped domestically, little question, by a wholesome breeding inhabitants of Reed Warblers in our valley fens. Reed Warblers are the Cuckoo’s favorite species to parasitise right here.
The primary native Cuckoo is usually to be heard across the twenty first April, and I can then count on to listen to one each day till the top of June, when the males head again to tropical Africa. Easy although the Cuckoo’s music is, for me it’s the sound of spring, and one which by no means fails to make me smile and really feel glad to be alive.
