What do Buzzards Eat?
By Harry Green
Interesting observations continue to come in and I shall be
pleased to receive more reports. Eventually I will draw them all
together. Buzzards do seem to be versatile hunters - no wonder
they are doing well!
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From Peter Weeks: Twice this year I have
watched buzzards catch and carry off collared doves on
our farm. The doves were feeding on the ground on both
occasions when the buzzards pounced on them. Like Michael
Southall I find being in a noisy tractor makes a good
bird hide! Most birds will come very close, acting
normally, but once I'm out of the cab they keep well away.
Last week our farm worker was chisel ploughing as
he saw a buzzard (which had been keeping him company)
land on a rook and carry it off, and found the rook to be
still alive but obviously injured. He thinks it was a
young rook. After he returned to his tractor the buzzard
was very soon back and finished his meal.
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From Shaun Micklewright
Whilst birding last June at Ashelworth Ham Nature Reserve,
Glos., I was lucky enough to observe a buzzard crash into the
roadside reed bed and emerge rather bedraggled clutching a young
moorhen. It flew to a nearby tree and began plucking, but
possibly distracted by the mêlée of waterfowl it had aroused,
it flew further away to another tree to resume feeding.
In March this year from my car I observed a buzzard on the
ground feeding on the remains of a female mallard at Wilden
Marsh, Kidderminster, but due to FMD restrictions I was unable to
establish whether it was a fresh kill or carrion.
From Ann Fells
Dead rabbit in the lane to Lower Smite Farm this morning 31st
May: was whole at 9 am. About 10 am a buzzard and a crow were
sitting next to it and eating from its belly - both flew off as I
drove closer!