We get quite a few Common Buzzards around here, in fact there’s a large Nest in the Woods 50 meters away where I’m hoping some new ones will be born next Spring.
Today I did my normal walk around the Patch, two and half miles and nothing to either see or photograph really, mainly Blackbirds, Robins and Gulls. Not even a Lapwing to be seen for a change.
Just as I came back through the hedgerow by the Stream at the bottom of the Lane I noticed a Buzzard resting in the field behind my Garden.
“Perfect shot and position” I whispered to myself but knew I’d have to creep along the Hedge behind my now empty but overgrown Chicken Run. Normally this sort of creeping generates the Bird to fly away just as you’r about to click !
Obviously this was not the case today, the Buzzard seemed quite content on just sitting there nibbling at some invertebrate or other which had just been foraged from the growing crop.
Of the most common Predators, the Buzzard (and Kestrel) are the least worry to Farmers, they will feed on some of the Crop Thieves such as Crows and smaller Gulls tending to leave the smaller birds alone quite often. They’re more the Sparrowhawks domain.
It seemed I timed it well, there it stood for about 15 seconds before some short runway steps and up, up and away.
They always amaze me, they’re usually heard before they’re seen when flying, the cat like high pitched ‘meow’ often mistaken for a fighting Cat.
Then, when they do make the sound, they’re usually 3 or 4 hundred feet up.
This one made my day, just 40 or so meters away and posing well!