Spaunton Moor: Birds of prey sightings soar on North Yorkshire country estate

They have risen from 711 in 2018 to 2,144 in 2022.

There were notable successes for many of our most loved birds of prey, including Merlin, Red Kite, Sparrowhawk and Kestrel, underlining a clear positive trend. Buzzard are the most numerous species, with 862 recorded last year.

Rarer birds such as Hen Harriers and Ospreys have also been spotted in the area say landowners who say it is a conservation success story.

George Winn Darley, owner of Spaunton Estate, said: “The significant increase in birds of prey at Spaunton mirrors the soaring numbers across

Yorkshire and indeed the north of England.

"Visitors love seeing them in the skies above and we are delighted that even exceptionally rare birds such as Hen Harrier and Osprey are now seen.

Indeed, the number of Hen Harriers is at its highest for a century in England.

“The efforts made by gamekeepers, landowners and partner organisations have worked wonders for many of these rare species, despite the increasing number of visitors who come to enjoy the moors. This is an absolute conservation success story.”

Kestrel numbers have continued their trend of recovery from around 150 sightings in 2018 to 567 sightings in 2022 (a 285 per cent increase).

Kestrel are breeding successfully in several locations on the estate each year.

Red Kite have shown a consistent increase from only two sightings five years ago; to 11 in 2019; to 50 in 2020; to 84 in 2021 and 179 in the last year.

They are now well established and breeding nearby.

The UK’s smallest bird of prey, the Merlin, remains nationally very rare but sightings have increased from 29 to 98 over the past five years at Spaunton (an increase of 237 per cent).

As a ground-nesting bird, the Merlin’s eggs and chicks are a food source for a number of other species, from foxes to stoats, weasels and crows.

The gamekeepers at Spaunton control predators such as foxes and stoats, to help ensure the Merlin chicks have a better chance of survival, as well as maintaining areas of heather on slopes which are favoured for nesting.

Mr Winn Darley, who took over the estate in 1986, added: “We have been working to support these amazing birds for many years now, so it is always incredibly satisfying to see birds that are pairing up and looking to nest. There is always some trepidation once nesting begins as to how many chicks will survive.

"But the protected habitats here offer them the best chance of fledging chicks successfully, with fewer predators than would be found in most areas of the country.”

Spaunton Estate records data on birds of prey and works with organisations such as the British Trust for Ornithology to collect further data on their territory and range.

Merlin and Golden Plover are the two species for which the North York Moors are designated as a Special Protection Area.

Special Protection areas are designated if they meet a number of requirements such as an area being used regularly by one per cent or more of the Great Britain population of a species, having a higher breeding success than other areas, being known to have a longer history of occupation or use by the relevant species and that it is a natural or semi-natural habitat.