Some very heavily cropped photos of the juvenile Rough-legged Buzzard that has been present at Holme Fen, close to Peterborough since the beginning of November, but the news of this bird has only just become public knowledge, for one reason or another. The bird was re-found this Saturday (29th) by Mike Weedon and was enjoyed by a few birders, happily adding it to their Cambridgeshire lists, or even, as Mike did, to their Peterborough Bird Club (PBC) lists. The Rough-legged Buzzard was on neither of mine and so on Sunday (30th) I made the trip to Holme Fen and there found Mike and Richard Astle enjoying distant views of the bird. When I say distant, I mean distant, the bird was at least 1/2 a mile away and was refusing to come any nearer! It did, however show extremely well, hunting and hovering (which the pictures above show) for the hour that I was at the site, but the wind was blowing in the wrong direction and so the bird continuously faced away from us when hovering. That afternoon the bird came closer, but, alas, I was no longer there, but hopefully the bird will continue its visit long enough for me to return and get some slightly better images! I am not holding my breath though!
At least you got to see it hovering and plenty of white on the tail. I "saw" one at Holkham recently but the wretched thing refused to do anything but sit in a tree in such a position, with the afternoon sun directly behind it, that all that could be seen was a brownish silhouette. We were told that's what it was by those who'd seen it earlier.
ReplyDeleteWhen I first arrived the bird was sat in a tree, but facing away from me. Even at that distance the white on the tail 'shone' out and then of course, it was seen in flight numerous times and so the I.D. was a cinch!
DeleteJ
A tick is a tick. And there is still beauty in those pictures!
ReplyDeleteCLICK HERE for Bazza’s fabulous Blog ‘To Discover Ice’
You are, of course right Bazza and Thank you for seeing some beauty in the photos.
DeleteJ
Thanks for sharing John... I've never seen one.
ReplyDeleteThanks Andrew!
DeleteThis is the year to see one, there are quite a few about.
J