Buzzards

[Doing it for the kids]

A couple of years back our local activity centre (Lochter Fisheries) caught a buzzard robbing an osprey chick from the nest on its live webcam. I thought the popular feeling might have turned away from buzzards but they are still untouchable.
Red kites cannot be thriving on pheasant/partridge shoots. We were reassured they were carrion eaters when they were reintroduced, though what they do feed on is a mystery to me since it is illegal to fly tip waste and to allow dead stock to remain in fields. Maybe they are feasting on roadkill badgers and roe deer.

Oh please, only eat carrion!?! Had a lively debate with a rspb gentleman at a game fair about this. My BIL's dog got swooped on in the middle of a big field when he was out of cab unblocking drill, kite tried to pick it up. I have seen them take rats running to hedge at harvest, young leverets, it goes on. Bloody things aren't endangered, just like badgers now.

Locals feed them in their garden causing massive OAP shouting matches over the garden hedge. 50+ appear and crap on the next door neighbours conservatory roof.

What I want to know is how do buzzards and kites suddenly know the plough has started work - seriously good comes - twitter maybe!?

 

[Pond digger]

Oh please, only eat carrion!?! Had a lively debate with a rspb gentleman at a game fair about this. My BIL's dog got swooped on in the middle of a big field when he was out of cab unblocking drill, kite tried to pick it up. I have seen them take rats running to hedge at harvest, young leverets, it goes on. Bloody things aren't endangered, just like badgers now.

Locals feed them in their garden causing massive OAP shouting matches over the garden hedge. 50+ appear and crap on the next door neighbours conservatory roof.

What I want to know is how do buzzards and kites suddenly know the plough has started work - seriously good comes - twitter maybe!?

I read the other day that a human eye contains about 200000 rods ( inner eye cells that define detail ) but a bird of prey might have 1 million.

I guess the bird sat in a tree a mile away sees what's going on, and a mate another mile away from him sees him head off, and another bird a mile away from the second, etc, etc. But yes, it's quite remarkable.

 

[Doing it for the kids]

Like all BOP their eye site is incredible, I still think they use twitter or similar to keep tabs on who is ploughing where.

Ditto for seagulls. We are the most central place in the UK and dont ever see them. Start moving ground, 10 minutes, 100's turn up!

 

[Philip Watkins]

Like all BOP their eye site is incredible, I still think they use twitter or similar to keep tabs on who is ploughing where.

Ditto for seagulls. We are the most central place in the UK and dont ever see them. Start moving ground, 10 minutes, 100's turn up!

We call them tip gulls round here. They live on the rubbish tips so they don't have to go far to find a ploughed field.

 

[JCMaloney]

Were a rare site when I was kid but ten a penny these days, same with kites as well.
Its all well and good encouraging and protecting a top predator to a degree but sooner or later things will have to level out, either they run out of territory, food or become a nuisance.
Flying badgers.... what next.....

 

[Longlowdog]

I was being sarcastic and dismissive of the deliberate lies told by the R.S.P.B when the whole red kite reintroduction thing took off. The same script writer is now employed by the proponents of Lynx reintroduction and I know he is talking bullocks again with the claim they will chase and hunt down vigorous 9 month old deer rather than eat newborn lambs.

 

[septimus]

When you see the beak and talons and size of a sea eagle close up I am sure they wouldn't have much problem taking down a weakly new born calf, kind of puts buzzards into perspective

 

[Longlowdog]

I holidayed on Mull a while back and the shepherds I spoke to there were not very complimentary about sea eagles or the folk with no vested interest in the island who reintroduced them.