Cheeky Buzzard!

[Zapp]

Hi all

 

Decided to do a bit of casual shooting on a nice little flightline on the edge of a field of wheat stubble I have access to today. I only had a couple of hours, due to family etc, so I packed 6 full body deeks and 50 cartriges and set off.

 

I had been shooting for aot 2 hrs (pretty slow stuff), when I noticed a pair of buzzards hovering over a small wood to the south. Now, this is a rarety around my way, the birds are only just re-established themselves, so I was pleased to watch them doing their thing.

 

After about 10 mins of steady wheeling in my direction, one of the buzzards made a beeline for my decoy pattern. I had an inkling that it was after one of the shot birds I had set out, and as far as I am concerned it was quite welcome to one.

 

The buzzard performed a couple of low swoops, really close, which pleased me no end as they are really impressive creatures, and then dropped onto my pattern. Rather than the thud I expected, there was a familiar, hollow clunk as it landed. It had dropped onto one of my plastic deeks!

 

This made me laugh out loud, and as I did, the buzzard looked straight at me for a second. Obviously stung by my laughter, the bird lifted off, but to my horror, clutched in its boney claw was my decoy!

 

With a screech that I can only assume translated to "screw you big ears", the bird beat its wings and soared away, the decoy waving about haplessly below it. Away it wheeled, ignoring my shouts of abuse, until it got back over the small wood. At this point I saw a small speck drop from its claws and plunge into the woods below (to which I dont have access!).

 

Lesson: Never, ever laugh at a buzzard if it is near your property!

 

Also, I shot a pigeon today, and when I was sorting it out for eating, I noticed a disgusting smell coming from its crop. When I opened it up, the crop was lined with a cheese like substance which smelled like putrid flesh. I came across this once before about 15 years ago, but assumed my dog had brought a previousy shot but uncollected bird. Not so this time, I shot it and it landed in the stubble within clear sight. Does anyone know what the cause of this was?

 

Sorry for the novel length post!

 

Pete

 

PS, I shot 11 today.

[scolopax]

The cheese like substance in the crop I would guess is pigeon milk. A pigeons crop lining can convert seeds etc into a nutricious milk, which is the secret to the success of the pigeon family. The bird in question would have been feeding young.

[ROB REYNOLDS UK]

i was shooting yesterday and i opened one up to find the same thing it is the milk it feeds it young with it smelt like cheese ,creamy white little bits of it very soft to the touch stuck to the inside of its crop ..we shot 29 crow and 20+ pigeon my mates haveing pigeon pie this week

[henry d]

Hi pete sounds like the bird was feeding young,but remember both parents do it so they stand a good chance of survival.I have however also seen pigeon with trichominiosis(?) and they have been found dead or in poor condition with a strong smelling "cheesey" substance in the throat and crop and I have to say I`ve only seen it during years of good beechmast and acorn drops.

[Zapp]

Hi all, thanks for the replies.

 

I have seen pigeon milk before, and it definately wasnt that! The bird smelled as though it was rotten, so maybe trichominiosis as suggested by henry d could have been the cause. I can still smell it now.. yeuchh!

 

Pete

[M ROBSON]

I've seen Buzzards take decoys, both plastic and dead birds, on numerous occasions. Mind you we do have a lot of tham around these parts. I was out stalking one morning last week and I watched one swoop and try and catch a fully grown cock Pheasant, it missed and the Pheasant flew off but it just shows you what these birds are capable of.

 

And some people think all they eat is worms!

 

Mark.

[Browning GTS]

Where i shoot the farmer asks me to leave some of the birds behind for the Buzzards and the Red Kites of which there are loads around this area. I find that is one of the great things about our sport, just sitting out in the country and watching nature at work. I was in my hide last Thurs when a female sparrowhawk landed on the next fence post about 8 foot away it just perched did not see me Great. :yp:

[arjimlad]

Nice tale of the buzzard ..similarly I shot a pigeon which landed in a field behind my hide, I could not see it from where I was sitting. After 20 minutes I turned around and saw a buzzard on the ground pulling feathers off the breast of my bird. I would have loved to watch it eat a leisurely meal, but it spotted me and took off, without the bird.

[invector]

I`ve seen one or two posts where buzzards are being blamed for pigeons deserting the area or not coming in to decoys. In some areas it`s an unusual day when I don`t see one or more buzzards and it doesn`t seem to bother the pigeons at all. I`m sure some see my decoys, which are dead birds, but they don`t take any notice of them.

[henry d]

At several shoots I have been to the buzzards follow the guns picking off any birds that are pricked and we have had several instances of 3-4 or more buzzies on a runner.

[Browning]

In our area Buzzards are ten-a-penny.

 

We lose more poults to Buzzards every year than we do to foxes.

 

Kestrels are a rarity in our area, possibly due to the amount of Buzzards.

 

There are more rabbits (supposedly the Buzzards staple diet) than ever in our area, so the Buzzards must be feeding on other wildlife (songbirds ??).

 

I reckon they'll be on the open list before long. :yp:

[P03]

Buzzards do need controlling but I'd be surprised to see them on the open list more likely you'll have to apply for a specific licence like we do for Cormorants.

[Graham20g]

there are two breeding pair's on one of my farm's and load's of rabbit's,the one pair nested on the edge of a copse with a large warren right under the nest,I sit close by and shoot the rabbit's with the air rifle never saw them take the slightest interest in them, they were feeding their younge mostly on mice voles n roadkill.

I seem to remember someone telling me that their feet were too small to take fully grown rabbits how true this is I dont know As for controling them I dont think that will happen for a long time yet as far as im concerned they'r welcome to the odd deek feather or plastic.I still like to see them around after year's of not seeing them except on gamekeeper's fences

 

 

G :blink: :*)

[Paul in North Lincs.]

Its nice to see these lovely birds..... They do actively hunt their own prey, but prefer to scavage if at all possible.

[HAMMY]

Not so beautiful in D & G where we are absolutely overrun with them. Not so funny if you put a load of poults to the wood and for them to worry them for the next few weeks. I've seen Buzzards take Rabbits, Pheasants, on numerous occasions, and yes spend a lot of time on Carrion.

 

I also belive that it is getting close to the time in some areas for licnesed control to take place. In the last 20 years there has been a massive rise in Buzzard numbers, although I can only comment from personal observation, as with Peregrines which are thriving, a bird I do assist in the location of with the RSPB through the type of work I do.

 

Unfortunately as is seen in the press some people are having to take it in to their own hands as a matter of livelihood protection, if only some of the organisations would be more honest and pro active to work with the field sports people to understand that we can work together. The proof on Langholm is undeniable with the Hen Harriers but still the RSPB etc shall not accept shooting and conservation are one and the same.

 

 

Hammy

[ROB REYNOLDS UK]

Buzzards do need controlling but I'd be surprised to see them on the open list more likely you'll have to apply for a specific licence like we do for Cormorants.

why kill a Buzzard they are only just makeing a come back insted of killing one why not chuck a few pigeons down that you have shot to keep them off your birds ,its what we do ,iv had Buzzards comeing over my patten loads of times even had them takeing the shot birds that fell behind us i my self like to see them they pick up more dead stuff more than they kill ,had a sparrow hawk attack my flapper the other day only 15yrds out good to see ..

[P03]

I've got no problems with them taking the odd pigeon even if I've just shot it, it's all the other stuff they take, research has shown that where Buzzards have made a successful comeback ALL other bird species are on the decline but they seem to have little or no impact on small mammals. I'm not suggesting wholesale slaughter just control to maintain a natural balance, because an unnatural occurrence (man's halfwitted attempts at conservation!!!!) has ****** up the balance, nature will eventually put it right but not before some species are right on the edge of extinction. You can't just indiscriminately protect one species it's the ecosystem as a whole we need to protect. To do this we may have to make hard decisions which is why we need the 'Bleeding Heart Brigade' to **** off back to there nice cosy semi's in the middle of the city and leave people who live in and understand the country and nature to nurture it.

Sorry to go off on one but as you can probably tell this is a subject very close to my heart.

[jordan]

Ive had buzzards show an interest in my decoys but the best time was when i wa sout lamping with the shotgun. I was sqeauking in a fox i flicked the lamp on and a barn owl dive bombed me lol :blink: