buzzards

[percypineapple]

we have a pair of buzzards arrived nearby, and they are relatively unafraid of humans. the local sparrow hawk is not happy, and we watched him( or her) dive bombing one of the buzzards, it kept flying above the buzzard, then diving straight down on top of it, just veering off at the last minute. the buzzard almost totally ignored it, and the difference in size of these two birds made the
display of " this is my hunting ground" so amazing. I was informed by a local pigeon racer that the increase in hawks etc. was due to the farmers not using certain pesticides, which had been poisoning the smaller birds. so things are looking up for the avian population, i have certainly seen more sparrows this year than I ever did in the last 8 years I have lived here. and this wet weather is helping the birds to feed their young, there's a blackbird and a thrush in the garden all day, collecting worm after worm, mouthfuls, so big babies this year we hope.
Percy.

[douglas9401]

Almost the same story here in central Scotland apart from the dive bombing.
Our blackies, sparrows, starlings and tits are all in evidence this year. The main fly in the ointment alas is the number of magpies raiding the nests of the smaller birds.
Just waiting for the return of the swallows to let us know that the rain is going to get warmer. :)

[Nibble]

Still too early for the swallows this year, douglas, as they usually pass over Dover-ish about 15th May (give or take 1week). We live in anticipation of real summer rain shortly though. ;-))

[cupid04]

Mr cupid and I once watched an osprey being divebombed by crows. The
osprey at the time had a large fish in his beak. The osprey proceded to drop
the fish back in the reservoir. If the crows had more common sense they
shoulded have waited until the osprey was over land then they could have
squabbled over the fish.

[seadogg]

I have noticed this year that birds like the chiff chaff and willow warbler which, in our area' used to live in the deep woods are now easily audible from the garden.

[bigbadmarty]

Anyone heard a cuckoo yet ?

[shepherdess]

Cuckoo heard here in Argyll about a week ago, bigbadmarty, and my husband saw a swallow a couple of days ago, Nibble.
It is quite common for smaller birds of prey to mob larger ones as you have described, percypineapple. We are lucky enough to have Golden Eagles around here and it is not uncommon to see them being mobbed in the way you describe, by buzzards, ravens or hooded crows. The Eagles seem to ignore the whole performance and just fly on.

[bigbadmarty]

Cheers for that sheperdess ;) Eagles ... wow do they actually take lambs ?

[Prudie]

I posted earlier in the week that the swallows were back and others came on and had seen them in Ireland and Wales a week before. As a child I only saw buzzards on holiday in Snowdonia, now I see them every day here in Dorset.

[wiltsman]

Heard the first cuckoo here in Wiltshire on Sun 15th April, one day later than last year.

[hardyboy]

Cuckoo heard in Sussex on 23rd April.

[percypineapple]

buzzard now seen over back garden, being chased by a crow, although the buzzard totally ignored the crow. no swallows or swifts yet, but there has been thousands of small flying insects hovering over the curly kale in the field over the back garden fence, so swallows needed to gobble them up.. also there are no Bats yet, and i normally see them at dusk in the garden at this time of year. maybe the weather has altered the cycle, although they eat the insects..
Dead swan was on other bank of river this morning, don't quite know how it got there, could have been flood water washed it over. hope the crows see the buzzard off, because the thrush and blackbird are working really hard all day collecting worms and feeding their young, and last year the parents disappeared and the babies died in the nest ( ants finished them off)

[shepherdess]

Bigbadmarty - yes Golden Eagles can take a lamb but not very often, whereas Sea Eagles find them a very tasty meal and regularly lift lambs. Beautiful as the birds are, they are a menace to the poor sheep farmers on West Coast of Scotland.

[New2Quizzes]

Friend says swallows were back with her in Northern Ireland on Saturday 14th April - 3 of them that day, to be precise. I guess others will have made it back since.

[Answerprancer]

I saw a pair circling over Leith Hill recently, they have quite a haunting call don't they. I have driven down the M40 quite a lot recently and was surprised how many red kites I saw, sometimes 6 or 7 at once. Here's to raptors of the UK !

[ethandron]

Swallows arrive from late march, we've seen quite a few already in the marlow/Henley area.

[New2Quizzes]

Red kites very common, especially around the High Wycombe area of the M40 - and have been for some years. As for buzzards, their call reminds me a little of a cat "mewing". Remind me, please, someone, of the difference/distinction between "birds of prey" and "raptors". Something to do with use of talons is it?

[ethandron]

Raptor is a generic term for all birds of prey...apparently.