Buzzard troubles

[Jeff]

Just read on the BBC news website a second jogger has been attacked by a buzzard in Cornwall. The first one needed stitches to 2" gashes on his scalp apparently. The specualtion is these birds are getting ready for their young's first flights and so are more aggressive than usual.

We have a couple of pairs here but they are very wary of us, good job too, they are huge birds.

[jane jackson]

Hadn't heard that about the joggers and the buzzard. We don't see that many around Penzance but we used to have them all the time when on Exmoor, they're such lovely birds. Don't fancy getting attacked by one though.

[Liz]

Buzzards are such beautiful birds, we've had a pair nesting in the wood at the bottom of the garden this year, it was such a joy seeing them circling around high above during the courtship season, calling to one another.

This year we were lucky enough to see them perform one of their particularly daring pieces of courtship behaviour, joining talons high in the air and then tumbling at high speed towards the ground, at the last minute releasing each other and soaring away again.

I'd read about the attacks to walkers and cyclists - fingers crossed that someone doesn't see it as an excuse to shoot them. The RSPB has revealed that over the last 10 years or so there have been more than 1000 confirmed persecution incidents against birds of prey in this country. Its anybody's guess how many more go undetected. The buzzards in this area are faced with the risk of poisoning or shooting because of the risk to pheasant breeding for game shoots - I wont even start on how I feel about that... :angry:

[gloria townsin]

This has just been reported on the news. It happened by Helford River the RSPB said they might have a nest nearby. I'm sure it was a buzzard that swooped into the garden late last year just where a few moments previously one of our dogs had been.

[Annette]

We have quite a few buzzards here, they are beautiful birds. I love to see and hear them. When the Barn Owl Trust were here I asked them about the risk to my hens and chicks from buzzards. they were firmly of the opinion that generally they will only take carrion.

There is a lot of shooting local too us especially at the fishery a mile or so away. Most of the shooting seems to be early morning, probably at herons as I haven't seen so many around this year :(.

The good thing about the local pheasant shoot is that when they put the young pheasants out next month quite a few come into our field which is a safe haven for them apart from foxes. Possibly only a few survive but we always have them around. They love to share the sheep food in winter.

[gloria townsin]

Pheasants are such lovely dozy birds..........they have no road sense at all, I've slowly followed one down the lanes many times going to do the horses......the pheasant just keeping ahead of the car and never even thinking of getting out of the way!! If word gets round Annette you will have more and more arrive when the shoot begins. :biggrin:

[gloria townsin]

I can add to the problem with hunting birds as this morning as Eddie was in the front garden he turned to see a Sparrowhawk downing one of the dear little doves......his movement towards them made them both fly off into the hedge where more tussling took place. This finished in the poor little dove either half flying or being dropped, not sure which , onto the road outside. Eddie stood guard while I came indoors to get a towel to drop over it to pick up as it was still alive, it's mate had flown down and sat beside it before we got out to it. Anyway just as I was about to bring out the towel Eddie shouted it had flown away. We watched it on the telephone wires, it sat there for a short while then flew off.......I can but hope it's injuries don't prove to be bad. As I came in for the towel my emergency animal contingencies came into play......put the dogs in the kitchen - put up one of the silver travel crates and set off for Mousehole Bird Sanctuary.....
I am going to be very careful when the dogs are in the garden now as I'm sure that's what dropped down last Autumn almost onto Bobbi I can imagine the damage that could happen to her.

[jane jackson]

How worrying for you with small dogs. I hope the dove will be ok. I'm just finishing "The Drake at the Door" with it's story of Boris the drake being set on by Shelagh's dog and the death of Charlie the chaffinch. We haven't seen any birds of prey landing in our garden but it's probably not as large as yours and our Rough Collies are quite large even if it is all hair.

When we first came here with the cats we put the cat food outside the kitchen door and a Herring Gull was rapidly down for it. Our neighbour said they would fight the cats for it so we didn't do that again!

[gloria townsin]

Our garden isn't really that big.......but we do back onto farmland and there are a lot of tall trees. I hope the dove is o.k. as they are so pretty and I love to see and hear them.......don't want them frightened away.

Have cleared the front garden pond of weed today.......quite a job and got really hot. Lots of animal life in there which I popped back every time I inadvertantly caught something. Think we need to get some good oxygenating plants to help keep it balanced, the marginals we put in last year are not doing anything to help, in fact they aren't doing anything......they look just the same as when we bought them home.