secretagentmole 1,701 Posted October 1, 2011 Report Share Posted October 1, 2011 (edited) Down at the permission yesterday evening and no rabbits is sight, it was early afternoon, I set up, got ready to stalk and I saw the reason, orbiting at treetop height was that blasted Buzzard! I scrambled to get the camera out of the bag, but by the time it was powered up and ready, birdy had bogged off. All the rabbits were down, so I practised stalking up on the pheasants, ready for action today, tomorrow and in the rest of the season, spotting them can be hard, hearing them is easy! Night fell, and I had the lamp on, got ready on the top of nettly knoll, scoped in on the glistening eyes 40 metres away, when whammo, off like Usain Bolt. I looked up, a bird of prey, wingspan over 6 feet, owl faced with tufts on top of the head was chasing it. Large bodied too, so now I can confirm that not only have I got Buzzards, but a European Eagle Owl. Oh joy! Some days it pays just to polish the guns rather than go shooting lol! Edited October 1, 2011 by secretagentmole Quote Link to post
deano26 16 Posted October 1, 2011 Report Share Posted October 1, 2011 my permission is bordered with woodland and i am having the same problem, i keep finding half eaten rabbits everywhere Beautiful things to watch, but not much fun returning with an empty bag because all the quarry has gone to ground. I keep seeing two herrings on there as well, but can never get close enough for a picture. ATB mate Regards Dean Quote Link to post
Daz 7 563 Posted October 1, 2011 Report Share Posted October 1, 2011 Love watching Birds of Prey in Action Mike, Even if you don't get anything, It's not often you get to see two types of Birds of Prey in One Day I'd be chuffed just to watch them in action. regards Daz Quote Link to post
paulus 26 Posted October 1, 2011 Report Share Posted October 1, 2011 Love watching Birds of Prey in Action Mike, Even if you don't get anything, It's not often you get to see two types of Birds of Prey in One Day I'd be chuffed just to watch them in action. regards Daz two types between the buzzards,kestrels,sparrowhaks,little owls,barn owls,tawny owls and the odd peragrine and not forgetting the resident eagle owl i do manage to see the odd rabbit :laugh: 1 Quote Link to post
paulus 26 Posted October 1, 2011 Report Share Posted October 1, 2011 Love watching Birds of Prey in Action Mike, Even if you don't get anything, It's not often you get to see two types of Birds of Prey in One Day I'd be chuffed just to watch them in action. regards Daz two types between the buzzards,kestrels,sparrowhaks,little owls,barn owls,tawny owls and the odd peragrine and not forgetting the resident eagle owl and a short eared owl now and again i do manage to see the odd rabbit :laugh: Quote Link to post
secretagentmole 1,701 Posted October 1, 2011 Author Report Share Posted October 1, 2011 It is nice to see them admittedly, just annoyed I did not have the ruddy camera to hand and ready to go, would have gone in the monthly photo comp, no sweat! Quote Link to post
paulus 26 Posted October 1, 2011 Report Share Posted October 1, 2011 It is nice to see them admittedly, just annoyed I did not have the ruddy camera to hand and ready to go, would have gone in the monthly photo comp, no sweat! i get up to half a dozzen sometimes more circling a 13 acre wood most days Quote Link to post
secretagentmole 1,701 Posted October 1, 2011 Author Report Share Posted October 1, 2011 This is Norfolk, Buzzards are usually found amongs hills and dales, the thing was circling on a small thermal at treetop height, literally 30-40 feet straight up, I was praying it would not have a crap, it was bigger than the seagulls we get round here! Quote Link to post
hw97k 36 Posted October 1, 2011 Report Share Posted October 1, 2011 if it was an european owl mate itll shift your buzzards,very very rare over here mate ,in fact my brother says they where virtually extinct in this country,he went to kazakstan a few years ago hunting foxes with them ,ive been told theyll take a dog no problem. Quote Link to post
paulus 26 Posted October 1, 2011 Report Share Posted October 1, 2011 theres a few about mate not very often you see them as they tend to hunt in dense woodland. Quote Link to post
secretagentmole 1,701 Posted October 1, 2011 Author Report Share Posted October 1, 2011 There are a few dense copses on the permission, and good patches of trees all over the county. I am unsure if it is the same one we saw sitting on the shed a few months back! I do not know what their hunting ranges are like! It was too damned dark to be a barn owl and too big to be a long eared. I do not know why it would scare off the Buzzards, they hunt at different times! Quote Link to post
paulus 26 Posted October 1, 2011 Report Share Posted October 1, 2011 not much scares buzzards off their own territory with the exception of other buzzards Quote Link to post
danw 1,748 Posted October 1, 2011 Report Share Posted October 1, 2011 (edited) not much scares buzzards off their own territory with the exception of other buzzards Not so EEO are quite happy to eat raptors I,m pretty sure that would scare off buzzards, my understanding is that they are also very territorial and have no tolerance for any other raptor in it's territory. quote It mainly feeds on small mammals in the 200-2,000 gram (0.44-4.4 lb)[7] weight range, such asvoles, rats, mice and hares. However, prey can be killed up to the size of foxes, marmots and young deer (up to 17 kg/37 lb), if taken by surprise.[8] The other significant group of prey is other birds and almost any type of bird is potential prey. Common avian prey include corvids,grouse, woodpeckers, other raptors and, especially near coastal areas, ducks, seabirds and geese.[9] Larger prey (over 3 kg/7 lb) is consumed on the ground which leaves the bird vulnerable (for example to foxes). Edited October 1, 2011 by danw Quote Link to post
secretagentmole 1,701 Posted October 1, 2011 Author Report Share Posted October 1, 2011 Could be some interesting aerobatics then, have to keep the camera ready! Quote Link to post
danw 1,748 Posted October 1, 2011 Report Share Posted October 1, 2011 Could be some interesting aerobatics then, have to keep the camera ready! I've watched red kites mobbing buzzards and its something else would have loved to have filmed it Quote Link to post
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