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
6 Comments
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:
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.
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.
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.
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.
They are beautiful birds Buzzards are, i wish i could get more flying over my place:D
Very nice shots.