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now i know they're not fish , and i was not walking or cycling but i could not see anywhere else to put this !

Our mooring is on the L & L and the opposite side is a wooded area along the canal as far as the eye can see .

Some times we see a pair of buzzards soaring with still wings , on thermals , going higher and higher until they either go far away or too high to see , they are magic to watch .

Anyway yesterday we were sitting at home in the garden and saw a buzzard doing the same but underneath was a seagull , eventually the seagull reached the buzzard and attacked it chasing the buzzard away . this was repeated with another buzzard and different seagull .

I would have thought the buzzard was much larger and meaner " talons and big beak " ! so why were they both chased off ?

when you get a boat it is much more ! ( I don't like gardening the mooring though )

 

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I would suspect the Buzzard did not want a confrontation and risk getting injured. A seagull is a tough bird. The Buzzard goes after "softer" targets

Rodents are top of the menu I think? I imagine they will go after birds if hungry enough, but as you say they will normally go for a softer target that won't fight back. They have certainly taken racing pigeons out though.

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Here at Horror House I have pair of buzzards that soar on the thermals..quite often they are mobbed by crows or magpies especially if they get to close to nesting sites.

For the second year running their single offspring they evict from the nest has sat crying on telegraph pole half way down the swampy field...so tempted to take it a red cross parcel..but having read above I don't fancy catching it a fresh rodent so maybe not.

The adult birds seem to check it out but I guess its there to be independent.

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Here at Horror House I have pair of buzzards that soar on the thermals..quite often they are mobbed by crows or magpies especially if they get to close to nesting sites.

For the second year running their single offspring they evict from the nest has sat crying on telegraph pole half way down the swampy field...so tempted to take it a red cross parcel..but having read above I don't fancy catching it a fresh rodent so maybe not.

The adult birds seem to check it out but I guess its there to be independent.

They are well 'ard them Buzzards. It'll soon be off the telegraph pole killing stuff.

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Buzzards are mainly "pounce from a perch" hunters. They catch most of the prey by stealth rather than aerial combat and so would probably not want to take any bird on in the air. I have seen them rollover and present a pair of talons if pestered enough.

 

I have also dealt with a Buzzard that had completely lost a wing and the damage healed. It must have lived entirely of carrion, worms beetles etc for quite a number of weeks. So they aren't averse to "lowley" food rather than hunting larger live prey.

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Buzzards & Kites are heavier and less agile than gulls or crows. It's a bit like bombers vs fighters. The bigger bird dodges and weaves but can't afford to take a hit from the smaller birds.

I would agree possibly with the Buzzards being less agile and crows being smaller but Kites are very agile, With regard to weight apart from the crow there isn't much in it.

 

Male Female

Buzzard 780g 1000g

Kite 1000g 1200g

Herring Gull 1200g 950g

CRow 500g 500g

 

I have used Herring Gull as a common middle of the road Gull. Average weight from British Trust for Ornithology.

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I would agree possibly with the Buzzards being less agile and crows being smaller but Kites are very agile, With regard to weight apart from the crow there isn't much in it.

 

Male Female

Buzzard 780g 1000g

Kite 1000g 1200g

Herring Gull 1200g 950g

CRow 500g 500g

 

I have used Herring Gull as a common middle of the road Gull. Average weight from British Trust for Ornithology.

Ah there you go then, pretty much as I thought.

Crows half the weight of kites & big buzzards. Crows can fly faster, climb faster and change direction faster.

Kites are definitely agile compared to buzzards.

Can't say I've ever seen Herring gulls mobbing buzzards or kites, black-headed gulls & common gulls perhaps, but again they're smaller. Herring gull is a large gull.

Down here in Bath, you don't see buzzards or kites, it's all gulls. As you head east over Wiltshire, you see more buzzards, then Kites as you near Berkshire.

Buzzards & kites seem to co-exist happily enough whenever I've seen them together. Even sharing the same thermal sometimes.

Can't imagine a buzzard taking a pigeon, pigeon is far too fast. Peregrine falcon is the bird for that.

I've seen Blue tits mobbing magpies. Fiesty little beggars, but no match for a sparrowhawk.

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Ah there you go then, pretty much as I thought.

Crows half the weight of kites & big buzzards. Crows can fly faster, climb faster and change direction faster.

Kites are definitely agile compared to buzzards.

Can't say I've ever seen Herring gulls mobbing buzzards or kites, black-headed gulls & common gulls perhaps, but again they're smaller. Herring gull is a large gull.

Down here in Bath, you don't see buzzards or kites, it's all gulls. As you head east over Wiltshire, you see more buzzards, then Kites as you near Berkshire.

Buzzards & kites seem to co-exist happily enough whenever I've seen them together. Even sharing the same thermal sometimes.

Can't imagine a buzzard taking a pigeon, pigeon is far too fast. Peregrine falcon is the bird for that.

I've seen Blue tits mobbing magpies. Fiesty little beggars, but no match for a sparrowhawk.

Common Gulls. I assume you are talking about during winter, in summer there are very few south of the scottish border, while Herring are commoner breeding all round the coasts and now many inland towns as well.

 

Yes When Common Gulls are around they are just under the weight of the Crow and B H Gulls a little lighter. Wing span of the Common is only 20cm less than the Herring.

 

Buzzards and Kites generally don't cause one another a problem Kites are mainly carrion feeders while Buzzards eat just about anything. The reference to Buzzards being too slow for pigeons, they are unlikely to try for any flying bird being mainly pounce from perch hunters with a diet from worms up through most mammals and they do take birds. Prey up to 500g can be handled with Rabbits being the most common prey in many areas.

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  • 2 months later...

Buzzards look impressive but they are not fighters at all. More scavengers. Hawks use talons for weapons (Beak for tearing/eating). Buzzard talons are pretty undeveloped and mostly good for just holding a small food item while eating. They mostly eat stuff that is still, or very small. They are easily beaten off by aggressive fast moving crows or gulls.

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I'm surprised no-one has identified the bird in CW's photo in post 9.

 

I'm curious. Looks like a crow to me but the beak is wrong.

Clearly not a crow it has yellow legs and a hooked beak.

 

My best attempt without being able to see the markings on the front would be a dark phase Honey Buzzard. A number do come to the UK each year.

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Was moored at Dundas aquaduct recently, filling my water tank. Happened to glance up just as a large(ish) raptor flew by, legs out, wings tucked back in a very fast glide. It piled into a tree and a couple of pigeons scattered out. I thought it could be a Peregrine. Any thoughts Jerra, is that Peregrine country? I've only seen them in towns before.

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Was moored at Dundas aquaduct recently, filling my water tank. Happened to glance up just as a large(ish) raptor flew by, legs out, wings tucked back in a very fast glide. It piled into a tree and a couple of pigeons scattered out. I thought it could be a Peregrine. Any thoughts Jerra, is that Peregrine country? I've only seen them in towns before.

I would suggest it is very likely a Peregrine for the following reasons.

 

1. The "Modus Operandi" sounds very Peregrine ish as does the potential prey.

2. While it is difficult to place the aqueduct on the maps of the scale of the Atlas Peregrines wander (hence the name peregrine from the same root as peregrination: a journey, especially a long or meandering one) in winter and were recorded during the 4 years of the survey virtually all over England and Wales, apart of course for the areas they had left due to bad weather e.g. Dartmoor.

3. If I am placing the Aqueduct correctly they breed in the vicinity as well. Have a look at the map here it may help you to be certain.

 

Hope this helps.

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Had a shock this week while up the Northeast driving along. I spotted one ahead of me and it was near the same height as the van, it just stayed hovering and did not move, i had to move over a little as i was not wanting to hit it, i have hit a few pigeons but they are suicidal the way they cross the road. I looked in the wing mirror to see it was till there the stubborn sod. Must of been close and it must of been fixated on its prey.

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Had a shock this week while up the Northeast driving along. I spotted one ahead of me and it was near the same height as the van,

Presumably you mean a Kestrel when you say "spotted one" as the only other raptor I know which is commonly bseen hovering is a Buzzard and they are generally a lot higher.

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Presumably you mean a Kestrel when you say "spotted one" as the only other raptor I know which is commonly bseen hovering is a Buzzard and they are generally a lot higher.

 

Not sure, as said `i spotted one ahead` my eyes are not that good to see the colour of a bird never mind its markings lol.

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