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I was quite limited in the riding I could do today, so just popped out for a mince around my local area.
I stopped at the bottom of one track and saw a bird of prey circling down, it did a mini hover about three metres off of the ground then dropped into a field of wheat. It then popped back up with said unfortunate rodent in its talons.
It was definitely a buzzard, though, quite impressive agility and prey locating for a bird that rides thermals a lot of the time and is often regarded as a mere scavenger.
The sunlight caught its bright yellow legs as it lowered them ready for the final pounce, really quite stunning.
It then adopted classic buzzard circling to find updrafts and was on its way.
Sure it wasn't a chicken?
I saw a Magpie mobbing a Buzzard sitting on top of a hedge the other day, the Buzzard was just sitting there probably thinking 'you'll be my dinner if you don't sod off'
MoseyMTB - Member
Sure it wasn't a chicken?
No, I think a chicken would be too heavy for a buzzard to fly away with.
I've also seen a group of smaller birds mobbing a tawny owl at dusk. It was only the unusual amount of calls and fluttering about that made me look closer and see the owl. It was sat there, I suspect quietly fuming and thinking "I'm gonna ****ing have you lot when it gets dark!"
No, I think a chicken would be too heavy for a buzzard to fly away with.
That properly made me chuckle!!
Nice. The only bird action I saw today was when my speed dropped on a climb to the Ridgway and Red Kites started circling and trying to decide if I was track kill.
I recently saw a kite chasing a pigeon when another pigeon dive bombed it from a great height almost vertically, spiralling the whole time.
He just missed the kite who in turn then decided to chase him instead. He almost got him when the pigeon suddenly suddenly pulled up and started climbing and the kite carried on then flew off.
Saw some big birds at the beach today.. in fact some of them could actually have been whales
Hahahahaha!
Living and working full time in the countryside I am fortunate enough to see all manner of bird/wildlife related incidents. Probably the most impressive one I remember was while out fencing I watched a Peregrine falcon take a pigeon on the wing and then struggle to maintain flight as it was obviously a big old fat bird. Anyhow, as he struggled to get lift to take his prize back to to the crags high above where he lives he got mobbed by a pair of buzzards. Eventually one buzzard strafed him so badly he dropped the pigeon and as it fell the 2nd buzzard zipped down and caught it in freefall and quickly flew off into a large tree, where I am sure it proceeded to stick 2 fingers up at the poor peregrine who returned home hungry.