Down South Posted July 27, 2022 Report Share Posted July 27, 2022 Yesterday I set off for a days pigeon shooting. Unfortunately others had beaten me to it and were in for a big day if they could hit them. Half expecting this I also took a chainsaw and axe and went down to the woods to carry on processing some fallen ash and beech. There is a large fallen black poplar where I’m working and a buzzard uses it as a plucking post, there is rabbit fur and pigeon feathers all over it. I’ve seen it there on various visits and yesterday it was not happy for me to be there. There was something different on there yesterday and I was surprised what I found. An eaten sparrow hawk by the look of it, juvenile probably. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
landowner Posted July 27, 2022 Report Share Posted July 27, 2022 Not something you see every day! Wildlife never ceases to amaze. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cash1 Posted July 29, 2022 Report Share Posted July 29, 2022 About ten years ago I witnessed a Falcon repeatedly stooping a Buzzard. The Buzzard looked totally spent, flying slowly only just managing to dodge each attempted strike at its head. I lost sight of them as they rounded a hill and don't know the outcome, but the local nesting pair of Buzzards disappeared. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
old'un Posted July 29, 2022 Report Share Posted July 29, 2022 I would not of thought a Buzzard was nimble enough to catch a Sparrowhawk, I have seen Goshawks catch and kill Sparrowhawks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mickeydredd Posted July 31, 2022 Report Share Posted July 31, 2022 Buzzards are very much opportunists, could easily just have been sat in a tree and the spar land below it not realising it was there and the buzzard just drops on it. I was once hawking ferreted rabbits with my goshawk and two kestrels were have a right scrap nearby. They both fell to the ground whilst grappling each other and a buzzard appeared from nowhere and slammed into them, but both kestrels got away. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GingerCat Posted July 31, 2022 Report Share Posted July 31, 2022 Yesterday whilst driving on the a46 I saw a buzzard swoop and try to catch a woodpigeon mid air. The wife and I were quite impressed given how lumbering the buzzards generally are and that it only, only just missed the pigeon that did a fantastic barrell roll type manoeuvre to get away. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Down South Posted August 1, 2022 Author Report Share Posted August 1, 2022 I’m not aware of Goshawks in our area, I don’t think there are enough large wooded areas for them,I am probably wrong. Buzzards are very adaptable, they clear up dead stuff, hover like kestrels and actively hunt. Some years ago pigeon shooting on laid wheat I watched buzzards hunting the pigeons. They flew in just above the standing wheat and then crashed into the flat patches where the pigeons were feeding. Seemed to work. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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