Worcestershire Record No. 28. April 2010

Buzzard News

Compiled by Harry Green

Following the reports in Worcestershire Record No 28 on aggressive buzzards attacking people Steve Davies sent me an interesting article in Welsh Birds by Julian Driver (2004).The author states that in 25 years he visited 438 buzzard nest sites for ringing and recording. The most common reaction of the buzzards was to protest loudly but remain some distance from the nest site. A few bolder individuals made shallow stoops at the observer. At two sites this behaviour progressed to extreme aggression with actual strikes contacting the observers head. One bird was particularly persistent lacerating the observers head and striking him quite hard.

At the time of writing (May 2010) this note it seems as if the aggressive buzzard living in the Kinnersley & High Green area near Croome Park has returned (see report in Worcestershire Record No. 28). An unsuspecting John Hodson has received attacks from a bird “flying out of the sun” and here below is one of his interesting photographs. So far he has not been hit. Hopefully we shall receive a fuller account for the next issue.

Picture: Buzzard attack! ©John Hodson

Reference

Driver, J. Exceptionally aggressive buzzard in North Wales. Welsh Birds, volume 4, No. 1, July 2004, pages 60-64.