Cameras filming one of the UK’s rarest birds nesting on Ashdown Forest are now capturing superb and unprecented images of the pair’s chicks.
The nest, the first honey buzzard’s to be filmed and streamed live, featured in BBC’s Springwatch such was the significance of the filming.
The live filming of the undisclosed location is thanks to a partnership between Ashdown Forest, the Sussex Ornithological Society (SOS) and Wildlife Windows – a tech company that specialises in filming wildlife in remote areas.
The rare birds of prey, very different from the Common Buzzard, are protected under the Wildlife and Countryside Act, so the technical crew needed a special licence to install the equipment before the birds arrived in the UK to avoid any disturbance and maximise the chance of capturing their behaviour throughout the breeding cycle.
Ashdown Forest Head of Countryside Ash Walmsley said: “This is an incredible opportunity to find out more about the Honey-buzzard. The more information that we gather about these birds, the more it will help us understand and protect them in the future.
“While ensuring the safety of the birds, we also wanted to share this fascinating species with as many people as possible. You don’t have to be a keen bird watcher to appreciate them. The live cam on our website will give everyone the opportunity to reconnect with a part of nature and to learn more about their fascinating lives.”
The Honey-buzzards migrate to the UK from West Africa in May and return to their wintering grounds in September. Each pair normally lays two eggs and will only have one brood each summer. The eggs are incubated for 30-35 days with chicks leaving the nest after a further 40-44 days.
The Honey-buzzard livestream can be accessed via the Ashdown Forest and SOS websites www.ashdownforest.org and www.sos.org.uk