Rare birds no strangers to Hatfield

Experts from the RSPB have asked for help in tracking 103 species of increasingly rare birds which either regularly or occasionally nest in the UK, as reported by the BBC.

Woodland birds, such as the willow tit, have declined by 90% over the past 35 years and so have 75% of lesser spotted woodpeckers over the same period. A lack of suitable woodland management which allows new growth and dead or decaying timber is partly to blame.

Wooded areas drying out are a cause too. However, two of the at-risk rare birds are regularly seen in and around the old de Havilland airfield in Hatfield (now called Ellenbrook Fields); the short eared owl and long eared owl. These birds tend to over-winter on the site, arriving around December. The is the more frequent visitor with upto three being seen.

These birds are diurnal, and can be seen hunting for mice and voles as they glide low over the vast wild fields during the day.

The Rare Breeding Birds Panel are calling on birdwatchers to submit any awareness of possible nest sites. Their web address is: www.rbbp.org.uk