Buzzards behaviour.

[Cranfield]

This morning I witnessed some strange buzzard behaviour.

I was passing the living room window when a large flash of brown caught my eye, when I looked a buzzard was in the field opposite, about 25 yards away, with its wings in the "cloak" position over something.

The "something" was obviously struggling as I could see the buzzard rocking and tilting to and fro, Eventually it fell backwards and I could see the "something" was another buzzard. The buzzards were pecking at each other and feathers were flying.

I decided to walk outside to get a better view and perhaps to break up the scrap. Sure enough I had hardly got into the drive and they broke apart and made off in opposite directions (very slowly). The first bird I saw appeared larger than the one that was underneath at the beginning.

After Googling, it looks as though it could have been an adult attacking a young bird passing through the area, or a female attacking a male.

I have seen them chasing each other before and the courting aerobatics , but never hands on aggression.

[Mice!]

certainly sounds like a territorial dispute, and you were in the right place to see it.

[Jaymo]

Just a rough neighbourhood perhaps ?

[39TDS]

I've seen them fall out of the sky with talons locked and continue the scrap on the ground.

They didn't take any notice of me either. I did video it on my phone but it came out pretty rubbish.

Edited September 2, 2018 by 39TDS

[Mice!]

Not buzzards but herons, had three fly over today making a right noise, I've never seen a pair with young before, they did a few circuits of the area along the river before landing in the trees at the back of the gardens.

straight away the magpies were on them making a proper racket, I'm now upstairs watching and telling my neighbour where to look when the youngster changes trees and flaps onto one of his butchered cherry trees, five or six magpies straight in all around it, it took the hassle for maybe a minute before one of the parents flew off and the youngster followed, very different.

had a pair of yellow wagtails in the garden which was a first for me this week, and spotted the kingfisher this morning while talking about squirrels so been a good bird week for me.

[Uilleachan]

Young fledgling looking for a territory that was already taken.

 

 

[Old Boggy]

On 2 September 2018 at 13:04, Cranfield said:

This morning I witnessed some strange buzzard behaviour.

I was passing the living room window when a large flash of brown caught my eye, when I looked a buzzard was in the field opposite, about 25 yards away, with its wings in the "cloak" position over something.

The "something" was obviously struggling as I could see the buzzard rocking and tilting to and fro, Eventually it fell backwards and I could see the "something" was another buzzard. The buzzards were pecking at each other and feathers were flying.

I decided to walk outside to get a better view and perhaps to break up the scrap. Sure enough I had hardly got into the drive and they broke apart and made off in opposite directions (very slowly). The first bird I saw appeared larger than the one that was underneath at the beginning.

After Googling, it looks as though it could have been an adult attacking a young bird passing through the area, or a female attacking a male.

I have seen them chasing each other before and the courting aerobatics , but never hands on aggression.

Ironically, ten years ago, I doubt whether in Kent you would have seen one buzzard let alone two. Now a very common sight, but not necessarily what you saw today though, that was obviously a rare and interesting sighting. They now rightly earn the name of Common Buzzard. I'm not sure whether they are that terrortorial, as has been suggested, as one sometimes  sees four or five up high circling on thermals, although maybe a family.

I've had one make off with a shot pigeon just as it hit the ground.

Also, my daughter has had one attack a collared dove in her garden in the middle of a very built up area in Rayleigh, Essex, so there appears to be no bounds to their opportunism.

OB