bad buzzard!

[m.durston]

hi all, my mate at work is a keen birdwatcher and is always on the lookout for things while we are out and about checking the p&d machines.
We sometimes see a pair of red kites flying above the countryside between st albans and harpenden but now in the last fortnight we spotted a buzzard perched on the top of a telegraph pole.
everytime we stop the van to get a picture the little bugger always flies off! but not this time

its not the best picture but he managed to get a shot of the buzzard in the field about 25m away.
we WILL get a shot of those red kites!

 

[British Red]

They do eat worms and stuff on occasions which I find odd - always imagined them preferring larger prey - but at this time of the year he may be just after the wrigglies!

 

[Bushwhacker]

There's a field near me that, for the last few months, has (no kidding) 20 maybe 30+ buzzards all at the same time, it's quite a sight to behold.
I've regularly watched them grubbing around for worms and slugs.

 

[John Fenna]

You may find that the field is one which thaws first in cold weather - we have a couple of fields near us which often holds 30 - 40 buzzards all walking around, stamping their feet to bring worms etc to the surface. The field is locallly quite high and is south facing - and farmed organically, so there are lots of worms!
Our local village is called "Boncath", the Welshfor Buzzard being "Bwncath" so it would seem that there have always been lots around!
We also get a lot of native (not Spanish import) Red Kites these days.

 

[Klenchblaize]

Nowhere near as common in my neck of the woods but have still managed to bring them in close and with their mewing cry when fox calling. You might find this helps in bagging that close-up shot. Any cheap open or closed reed "predator" call, that sounds like a small critter in trouble, will do the trick.

Cheers

 

[myotis]

You may find that the field is one which thaws first in cold weather - we have a couple of fields near us which often holds 30 - 40 buzzards all walking around, stamping their feet to bring worms etc to the surface.

When I worked in Cardiff I used to drive past a village football pitch that 10 to 20 buzzards used to use regularly in the way you describe.

It always looked to me as if they were having a football match, and never failed to raise a smile every time I drove past.

Graham