Hill_Walker
Neil
Hello All, i am new on here and have only recently started bird watching, mainly to give me a break from trudging up and down the same hills here in Cumbria (for example i have done Coniston Old Man 3 times !). Anyway i first started by hearing (and then watching) that fantastic bird of prey the Common Buzzard, most of the time i just see them majestically soaring through the sky going from one valley to the next with no really close views, however on this particular occasion i was in for a treat ..........
Its just an average day and i'm out walking along, after a while i spots a bird in a field on the ground, at first i'm thinking its just a Rook or Crow as i see so many, my bins are in my pack and i'm saying go on take off and i'll know ... it does and bingo its a Buzzard and its landed on the wall surrounding the field. The bins are out and the i'm thinking 'mmm what was it doin down there', so i walks down to the gate of the field at which point the Buzzard flys off, i scans the field and thought i saw something, i goes in to have a proper look, and there's the reason, the Buzzards made a kill, a rabbit. Okay lets wander off and hide and see if it comes back, 10 minutes later, nothing, then into the field lands a Crow, its thinking about it, its edging nearer to the rabbit, then whoosh out of nowhere comes the Buzzard heading straight for the Crow, the Crow flys off and the Buzzards back sittin on the wall. I am a fair distance away behind a wall with my head just sticking over the top, but i know it knows i'm there, every now and then i can see it lookin in my direction and it just will not go for its kill, after what seems an age i'm gettin a bit bored so decides to go for a quick wander (a *iss really
. I'm back and guess what, yep, the Buzzards now in the field and its going for the rabbit, then out of nowhere another Buzzard appears and lands on the wall. The one in the field is now trying to fly off with the rabbit and its struggling, it carries it to the next field and drops it, meanwhile i'm getting closer to try and see whats going on, this is where it gets interesting ... the Buzzard without the kill has taken off and is now soaring about 50 feet directly above me! It stays there for at least a minute following my every move and at the same time making them sounds that only a Buzzard does. This to me was amazing because they were obviously working as a pair with the one above me warning the other one of exactly where i was. While this was going on i had the bins on the one with the kill, and i will never forget seeing it with the rabbit in its talons sitting on the wall looking directly at me and then bang it took off and was gone, i looked up just to see his mate fly off as well.
Although i didnt mention it above i did get a memento from this story, because when the 1st Buzzard was sat on the wall i watched it through the bins preening itself and one of its feathers came off and landed in the field, which i went and picked up when i found the rabbit.
Funnily enough i got told a few weeks after this that not far from where i witnessed this someone got attacked by a Buzzard ! Although i dont know the full story i dont think it was serious ...... maybe the person was walking around and saying 'Whats Up Doc" ;-)
Cheers
Neil
Its just an average day and i'm out walking along, after a while i spots a bird in a field on the ground, at first i'm thinking its just a Rook or Crow as i see so many, my bins are in my pack and i'm saying go on take off and i'll know ... it does and bingo its a Buzzard and its landed on the wall surrounding the field. The bins are out and the i'm thinking 'mmm what was it doin down there', so i walks down to the gate of the field at which point the Buzzard flys off, i scans the field and thought i saw something, i goes in to have a proper look, and there's the reason, the Buzzards made a kill, a rabbit. Okay lets wander off and hide and see if it comes back, 10 minutes later, nothing, then into the field lands a Crow, its thinking about it, its edging nearer to the rabbit, then whoosh out of nowhere comes the Buzzard heading straight for the Crow, the Crow flys off and the Buzzards back sittin on the wall. I am a fair distance away behind a wall with my head just sticking over the top, but i know it knows i'm there, every now and then i can see it lookin in my direction and it just will not go for its kill, after what seems an age i'm gettin a bit bored so decides to go for a quick wander (a *iss really
. I'm back and guess what, yep, the Buzzards now in the field and its going for the rabbit, then out of nowhere another Buzzard appears and lands on the wall. The one in the field is now trying to fly off with the rabbit and its struggling, it carries it to the next field and drops it, meanwhile i'm getting closer to try and see whats going on, this is where it gets interesting ... the Buzzard without the kill has taken off and is now soaring about 50 feet directly above me! It stays there for at least a minute following my every move and at the same time making them sounds that only a Buzzard does. This to me was amazing because they were obviously working as a pair with the one above me warning the other one of exactly where i was. While this was going on i had the bins on the one with the kill, and i will never forget seeing it with the rabbit in its talons sitting on the wall looking directly at me and then bang it took off and was gone, i looked up just to see his mate fly off as well.Although i didnt mention it above i did get a memento from this story, because when the 1st Buzzard was sat on the wall i watched it through the bins preening itself and one of its feathers came off and landed in the field, which i went and picked up when i found the rabbit.
Funnily enough i got told a few weeks after this that not far from where i witnessed this someone got attacked by a Buzzard ! Although i dont know the full story i dont think it was serious ...... maybe the person was walking around and saying 'Whats Up Doc" ;-)
Cheers
Neil
