_RIP_

On my way to work most morning in the past week I have noticed three large birds of prey in a field. They are large birds much bigger than a Kestrel or Sparrow hawk, say about a foot and a half tall. They seem to be hunting on the ground as occasionally I've seen them running towards something, I thought perhaps moles as the grass is quite short. Any ideas as to what type of bird they might be and what they are doing?

ajm

The vultures are circling eh?

I can't think of any indigenous birds of prey that hunt on the ground, or hunt in groups for that matter!

Can you get pics?

Alas

Might be buzzards. They hunt anything.

_RIP_

Hi ajm

Well I decided to phone the country park in question and one of the rangers said (as did Alas) that they are Buzzards and very common, so your vulture comments were quite apt

Apparently they are eating worms, beetles, mice or even as I thought moles. He said it is very common for them to hunt on the ground. The smaller lighter birds are not chicks but immature birds. I'll try and get some photos if I see them tommorow.

Thought you were a country boy eh

Brendan Hughes

Ah, is that the full name? Most people here use the abbreviated version.

_RIP_

<cough> lol

ajm

the ajm fan show gathers!

Yes buzzards are common as muck but I didn't know they scavenged like that so fair do's!

I shall add the information into my vast repostitory (as soon as I get independent validation of course )

Brendan Hughes

You can call them "flies"

Chip Sengravy

modest is your middle name!

_RIP_

Just for you ajm

So unless invertebrates and bits of carion have started flying.


http://images.google.co.uk/imgres?im...3Doff%26sa%3DG

alcazar

iTrader: (2)

I've a good mate who's a "twitcher" and he told me recently, that buzzards now outnumber kestrels in many regions of the UK. Apparently red kite are also breeding in several areas too., and I have a sparrowhawk hunting my not huge garden regularly..........it kills pigeons and doves.

I regularly see buzzards over our house........we are close to a wood and a golf course and a parkland, but haven't seen any kite yet, although my mate has.

The other day there were a pair of buzzards with an immature one hunting over the local school field in a built up area of town where my dad lives.

Alcazar

ajm

Thank you for that, _RIP_, although it is the act of running after creatures on the ground that surprises me, not the fact that they eat invertibrates and carion!

It's still very generous spirited of you I must say... especially as I was unable to assist in the identification of your birds of prey in this instance and in addition have inadvertantly lead a mini entourage of undesireable 'hangers-on' into your thread.... sorry about that!

_RIP_

Thank you for your input sir

Leslie

Buzzards are very good looking birds, we have got one who sits on a telephone pole outside our house. He has got rid of the rats that we had in the garden too.

They also get mobbed by crows sometimes and get stuck on the ground unable to take off.

Les

alcazar

iTrader: (2)

Back in the 60's and 70's, the French went about killing these birds, and kite, various eagles, and vultures, as they thought they would kill livestock.

They then noticed an increase in the rodent population. Only owls and snakes were killing them you see.

Recently, the raptors have been protected and re-introduced, and the rodents are more under control again.

(Info from local French paper last time I was there).

Alcazar

Nick100

Red kites hunt in groups, although never heard or seen it with buzzards - buzzards becoming common down here - lovely to see them.

_RIP_

They were there again this morning, three of them, unfortunately it's now too dark when I leave for work to take any pictures

alcazar

iTrader: (2)

Someone needs to tell the birds that............every time I see Buzzards, here or in France, it's rarely one alone, usually two, circling, and often three or four.

There are about three different types of Buzzard over there, I think we only have the Common Buzzard here so far. They have also the Rough Legged Buzzard, and the Honey Buzzard.They also have a thing called a Short Toed Eagle that lives on snakes, I've seen one flying with a 5 foot snake in it's claws

Kite, however, I've rarely seen more than one at a time.

For a really AMAZING site, take the coast line from Marseille to Miramas on the train, past the huge refuse dumps, and see over 50 vultures circling........

Alcazar