News
Tuesday, 23 March 2010
Buzzard - RO
Nature Notes Spring 2010
The main reason for the visit was to find the first sand martins or perhaps a swallow, however that proved unsuccessful, but the mewing cries of the first buzzard seen soon banished the disappointment. More buzzards joined the first until six were airborne; this proved too much of a challenge for the ravens who joined in the festivities. Three ravens finally soared with the buzzards and gave them a flying lesson with dives and upside down rolls; soon deciding that there was better things to do, they returned to the quarry.
In their usual tree sat a male and female peregrine casually seeing what might be on offer, but it seemed that the buzzards were in need of being taught a better flying lesson than the ravens had provided and effortlessly the male dropped from the tree, gained height and stooped at the nearest one. The buzzard rolled away from the diving peregrine and without haste drifted away, the others decided that it may be better to be somewhere else also. The male peregrine returned to its tree, duties completed.
On the reservoir the goldeneye gathered in groups and looked if they ought to be returning to their breeding grounds, they did not seemed to be sure and probably decide to wait another few days or at least until the peregrines looked away! A group of twenty yellowhammers were on the plough land above the reservoir, looking like canaries in the spring sunshine, they also fidgeted between the hedgerows and the plough, as if it may be time to think about nesting. A few chiffchaffs were singing but no other migrants revealed themselves, either to me or the circulating sparrowhawk above.
On the return journey none of the raptors or ravens was seen, only a hovering kestrel was in the sky and the carrion crows had decided it was safe to fly above the trees. A tantalising faint drumming sound suggested a lesser spotted woodpecker, but it could not be seen, perhaps next time!
My first visits to the reservoir in the fifties were always interesting but it was unimaginable then that one day ravens, peregrines and buzzards would be regular there, how lucky we are.
RO