Irene Boston
Well-known member
Buzzards galore
A day spent in the Ken Hill area yesterday produced the expected Sparrowhawks flinging themselves about in display, plus the local Buzzards on territory doing a pale imitation of a Golden Eagle's 'giant bat' and 'golden ball' display. The Buzzards were also up in between displays almost constantly circling over their territories, the reason being just that bit higher - an almost continuous passage of thermalling or kettling Buzzards (where does the phrase 'kettle of Buzzards' originate I wonder?).
In a period of 5 hours, I had a minimum of 42 passing south, with one very impressive spiral of 11 birds stacked up. It was interesting to follow each group as it drifted slowly south - on average taking about 10/15 minutes to cross my airspace. Some appeared from the north, the Hunstanton direction, and others appeared to drift in from the north east - presumably if they'd followed the Choseley 'ridge', they'd have seen the coast approaching and been able to veer left much earlier, whereas others maybe followed the coast round?
Anyone else have anything similar yesterday?
Irene
A day spent in the Ken Hill area yesterday produced the expected Sparrowhawks flinging themselves about in display, plus the local Buzzards on territory doing a pale imitation of a Golden Eagle's 'giant bat' and 'golden ball' display. The Buzzards were also up in between displays almost constantly circling over their territories, the reason being just that bit higher - an almost continuous passage of thermalling or kettling Buzzards (where does the phrase 'kettle of Buzzards' originate I wonder?).
In a period of 5 hours, I had a minimum of 42 passing south, with one very impressive spiral of 11 birds stacked up. It was interesting to follow each group as it drifted slowly south - on average taking about 10/15 minutes to cross my airspace. Some appeared from the north, the Hunstanton direction, and others appeared to drift in from the north east - presumably if they'd followed the Choseley 'ridge', they'd have seen the coast approaching and been able to veer left much earlier, whereas others maybe followed the coast round?
Anyone else have anything similar yesterday?
Irene