Birds on the wing

October days like today are wonderful. Great light, and blue skies, with just enough heat from the sun to keep out the chill of the breeze. Perfect for a spot of gardening and pond cleaning, but the real activity takes place overhead. Here's a selection.

Of course there were wood pigeons

And we get plenty of starlings flying in formation

I was delighted to see this sparrowhawk glide overhead

But this glorious buzzard was the highlight

The perspective is slightly deceptive, but compare the buzzard with the gull

I noticed the buzzard when the gulls started flocking, shortly after I'd taken the starling photos. Birds seem to have an innate instinct for taking to the wing a minute or so before an intruder appears. From a distance and with the naked eye it's difficult to see quite what is going on, so I always look to see if one of the 'gulls' has a rapid wing-beat. If it has, it isn't a gull. And I zoom in…

There are several more shots of the buzzard in the September and October Birds album, as well as two more shots of the starling sequence.

Camera note: all shots taken with the EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L USM IS lens

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This Post Has 6 Comments

  1. Dudley

    21 Oct 2007

    Interesting that it is called a "buzzard". I was a bit confused, since to me it looked like a hawk.

    I checked wikipedia and in Europe buzzard is used as a generic term for raptors whereas in North America "hawk" is more common.

    Oh, great captures. :up:

  2. Words

    21 Oct 2007

    Interesting on the naming. More accurately it's Buteo buteo or Common Buzzard over here (according to my RSPB guide).

    I just checked the wikipedia link and can see what you mean about 'buzzard/hawk' being used interchangeably for different types of buteo. I hadn't thought of this as an American/British English construction. 'Hawk' is the more common general term for 'bird of prey', or 'falcon' (as in 'falconry'). Might be a question for this blogger.

  3. SittingFox

    21 Oct 2007

    Now I want a local buzzard! Brilliant shots! 🙂

    I've seen several species of North American buteo, mostly in the prairies, all called hawks. Although the pictures aren't good you can see the resemblence between a buzzard and a red-tailed hawk here.

  4. Words

    21 Oct 2007

    I don't see them that often (nothing like as frequently as kestrels or sparrowhawks), but they seem fairly regular. Proably more so than the prergrines and/or hobbies (I suspect hobbies are id'd as prergrines rather more often than the other way round). I absolutely love the wing pattern on the buzzard. It looks so immensely powerful, as though the outer wing is something being held in place by the shorter fore-wing. I see a similar patterning on your hawk shot.

    Now to wait for one to come in to a reasonable altitude. Yesterday was pretty good, but they are still flying at a heck of height.

  5. SittingFox

    21 Oct 2007

    Yes, I suspect I've mistaken a hobby for a peregrine at some point, although I've never seen a hobby that I've recognised as a hobby! There are supposed to be some in the North Downs though. Apart from the usual raptors, we have had the odd sighting of a hen harrier, and that wandering red kite. I did see a buzzard circling dead over the Surrey / Kent border a few years back, which is just about okay to class as local I suppose! I will look out for more as there's no reason for them not to be here.

  6. Flying Red Fox Blog

    21 Oct 2007

    They are beautiful birds Buzzards are, i wish i could get more flying over my place:D

    Very nice shots.

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