Hamerton Zoo Park

The Grey Partridge is a game bird native to England. Changes in agricultural management, wetter springs and uncontrolled increase in predators has resulted in a dramatic 90% reduction in its numbers in just a few decades. It has disappeared from the area around the Park, where it used to be found. In conjunction with a number of conservation bodies, Hamerton Zoo Park is starting a feasibility study in spring 2019 with a view to breeding the Grey Partridge in captivity here at the zoo, and releasing the young birds in the local area. Five pairs of Partridges will be arriving at the Park this year; one pair moving into one of our on-show aviaries and the others housed in specially constructed breeding pens in various secluded location.

The Harvest Mouse is a tiny rodent native to England. Changes in agricultural management have resulted in a dramatic reduction in its numbers in recent years. It has disappeared from the area around the Park, where it used to be found. In conjunction with a number of conservation bodies, Hamerton Zoo Park is starting a feasibility study in spring 2019 with a view to breeding the Harvest Mouse in captivity here at the zoo, and releasing the young ones in the local area. Several pairs of Mice will be arriving at the Park this year; to be housed in a bespoke breeding unit part of which will be on-exhibit in the Park.

White Storks are being re-introduced into the UK, and our resident birds are now being joined by wild visitors. More info to follow.

We hope to be involved in an upcoming re-introduction project for the Corncrake. More info to follow.

We hope to soon be able to become involved in the well established project to re-introduce the Chough to England. More info to follow.

The Park covers a total of 75 acres of permanent grassland to the north of Hamerton village in the old county of Huntingdonshire. All of the following species have been seen on the Park grounds, and whilst none are rare or endangered like the exotic species we work with, many are very interesting. Their photos have been taken by friends who live in Hamerton village. This is a Southern Hawker Dragonfly.

Male Southern Damselfly

Ruddy Darter Dragonfly

Many butterflies have pretty much disappeared locally over the last 5 to 10 years. Familiar species which used to be regularly seen at the Park, like the Red Admiral, Peacock, Brimstone, Orange-tip and Cabbage Whites, Common Blues and Meadow Browns have effectively gone.

Seven Spot Ladybirds

Red-tailed Bumblebee. In many parts of England Bumblebee numbers have plummeted in recent years largely due to the uncontrolled rise is the number of Badgers which actively seek out and destroy their nests.

We hope to add more photographs of the local wildlife seen at the Park to this page, and will do so as soon as they become available.

Buff-tailed Bumblebees. In many parts of England Bumblebee numbers have plummeted in recent years largely due to the uncontrolled rise is the number of Badgers which actively seek out and destroy their nests.

Grass Snake

Common Frog

Common Frog

Common Toad

Common Toad

Ring-necked Pheasant, originally introduced by the Romans and now our most familiar game-bird. Their numbers are kept artificially high by releasing captive bred birds for shooting purposes.

Ring-necked Pheasant

Ring-necked Pheasant

Male Grey or 'English' Partridge, our native game-bird.

A scene from old England before the introduction of foreign species - a pair of Grey Partridges meets a Brown Hare

Male Red-legged or 'French' Partridge, an introduced species now commoner than the native Grey Partridge. It is easier to breed in captivity on game-farms, so has been released in large numbers.

Mallard drakes

Mallard duck with ducklings

Grey-lag Geese are native birds, but are much commoner today following introductions and release of captive-bred birds.

Grey-lag Goose

Rook

Rooks

Jackdaws

Jackdaw. Now that our part of Eastern England no longer has full time game-keepers protecting their pheasant stocks, the number of corvids has increased dramatically in recent years. Rooks, Carrion Crows, Magpies and Jackdaws are much more common. Along with a large increase in the numbers of other predatory birds, the result is a drastic reduction in the number of smaller farmland and hedgerow birds, plovers and smaller avian predators like the Little Owl.

Robin

Robin

According to some sources the common House Sparrow is declining. Not here at Hamerton!

Pair of Greenfinches

Goldfinch

Male Chaffinch

Female Chaffinch. Garden bird species which nest close to houses are protected to some degree from nest predation by Crows, Magpies and Jackdaws. Those species which nest in field hedges, which are often closely trimmed nowadays, are more vulnerable. Species like Bullfinches, Yellowhammers, Corn and Reed Buntings have disappeared locally over the last generation. Agricultural practices remain largely unchanged, but the huge rise in corvid numbers, along with those of Sparrowhawks and the artificially high local population of Red Kites all serve to reduce the numbers of these once familiar native species.

Flocks of Long-tailed Tits can be seen in winter searching the hedgerows for hibernating insects

Blue Tit

Great Tit

Pied Wagtail

Male Blackbird

Female Blackbird

Large flocks of Fieldfares can be seen in winter

Mistle Thrush

Green Woodpeckers can sometimes be seen on the open mown lawns and car-parks at the Park searching for ants and other insects. There is no tree cover on any of the open farmland surrounding the Park, so they are always very nervous and shy. Any movement will scare them off.

In recent years, Wood Pigeons have moved from open farmland (where they used to be a major agricultural pest) into farms and gardens, having lost their fear of people in the process

The Collared Dove has spread its range steadily across Europe and is now very common in England. Locally it has displaced the shy and beautiful Turtle Dove, a summer migrant which is no longer seen in our area.

Locally known as the Lapwing, the Green Plover or Peewit used to be a familiar farmland species found in open fields. Along with the Skylark, it has disappeared as a breeding species over recent years due to nest predation by the huge numbers of corvids. Local populations of these birds are no longer controlled by gamekeepers, and species nesting in open fields or low hedges are especially vulnerable.

Flocks of wintering farmland waders can still often be seen on the open fields around the Park in the autumn and early winter. Lapwings, Golden Plover and Black-headed Gulls can be seen here in flight. The Lawping used to be a common and familiar breeding species, but has disappeared as the numbers of Red Kites have increased locally, largely out of proportion to the available habitat and as a direct result of artificial feeding.

Grey Heron

Grey Heron and Steeple Gidding church

Red Kites can sometimes be seen at Hamerton. These are wild birds not escapes, and are descended from birds artificially re-introduced into Rockingham Forest in Northamptonshire some years ago. They can be attracted to open areas of grassland, but we make no attempt to encourage them as there is evidence that their artificially high local population reduces the numbers of other bird species native to the area.

Red Kites require undisturbed areas of woodland to nest and open areas to feed, because they circle like Vultures scanning open ground for carcasses. As a result our area makes quite poor habitat for them, as there is crop cover for most of the year, which hides their food source. Local woodland is restricted to small patches where human activity and the large number of crows continually disturb the Kites, resulting in most local nesting attempts failing. However, the Kites have spread east to our area and occasionally they be seen in quite large numbers largely because some people feed them, resulting in a locally un-sustainably high population.

Red Fox

Red Fox

Red Fox cub

Brown Hares leaping in springtime. This inoffensive native mammal is threatened by illegal coursing with dogs. Our rural area is close to major transport routes allowing easy access, and policing today is poor to non-exisitent.

Brown Hare

European Rabbits are not native to Britain, but were introduced and carefully managed for human consumption by men called 'Warreners'. Today they are an important food source for the Park's carnivores, especially our Cheetahs.

European Rabbit

Grey Squirrel. Introduced from North America and now found widely across England, Grey Squirrels are rarely seen at the Park due to the lack of tree cover locally.

Brown Rat

European Hedgehog

European Hedgehog

Stoat hunting rabbits

Two native and two introduced species of deer can be found in our locality. Because they prefer the security of woodland they are not often seen near the Park site, which is surrounded on all sides by open agricultural fields with low hedges and no trees. We have no areas of woodland close by, and the few tiny copses are very disturbed by human leisure activity. These Red Deer hinds show how nervous and wary these animals are, and on the original picture were a very long way away from the photographer.

Roe Deer buck. A rare sight, and not one glimpsed at or near the Park because our immediate area is open agricultural fields.

Roe Deer doe

Male Reeve's Muntjac Deer. Introduced from China the little 'barking' deer is now common in our part of England.

The same animal, mid 'pronk'