Common Buzzard fly by

Common Buzzard

It's 'snow' use!

Two weeks into the New Year and I am making my first post. Outrageous! In simple terms I have not been out much over those weeks, except to try and get some sort of work, which is getting harder and harder and consequently other things have become more important. 

Today dawned with snow on the ground, no work today then! I dragged myself out of the house and tried to do some birding. I visited a local site where two 'white'winged gulls were seen at the weekend, but today there was no sign of the Glaucous or Iceland Gulls. I carried on regardless, travelling to a local gravel pit to see if I could catch up with an over-wintering Great White Egret that has been seen a few times, on the way seeing two Common Buzzards hunting close to a dyke, most unusual as they were on the ground. No joy there either. Great, this is turning out to be a complete waste of time, I thought! I ventured a bit further up the road, all the while the snow was falling heavier and heavier. I arrived at a little dyke, known locally as the Cross Drain. This is more like it, I thought. Two Green Sandpipers and four Redshank were feeding, accompanied by a couple of Little Egrets, a Kingfisher flew by, a dazzling blue in a world of grey and white, but the icing on the cake came by way of a Water Pipit, my first locally for a couple of years. I ventured out to Baston Fen, but only saw a few Common Snipe probing hopefully by a frozen pool, before the snow forced me back home where the garden was filled with Blackbirds and Reed Buntings.

Male Reed Bunting

Male Reed Bunting

Common Buzzard

Common Buzzard

Common Buzzard

It wasn't that long ago that these birds were confined to the wilder parts of the country. Now, they are the most common bird of prey in the British Isles. This has led to calls for their culling, most notably a few months ago by certain members of the Tory party, which in turn led to public outcry. Thankfully, this 'cull' was cancelled, but persecution still continues. Huge numbers of this bird are poisoned and killed each and every year, illegally and some people have been prosecuted for this, but the punishment is not severe enough, in my opinion.

Up until recently I have never been able to get a photo of a Buzzard, they are very wary creatures and fly and the slightest movement. Not surprising really! At the weekend success was had by staying in the van and getting lucky.

Below is an attempt at a shot of one soaring. Not great, but fairly pleasing.

We live in a supposed civilised country, surely it is time for the persecution of this and all other birds of prey to stop. I live in hope.

If you want to help click HERE, it is a link to the RSPB website and their campaign to end this killing.