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| Kefalonia 2019 |
If the Collins Fieldguide is of any help? Then this individual is from the population which inhabits Northern Germany & Southern Sweden. Certainly not a Common Buzzard from these parts!
Who am I?
- Dylan Wrathall
- An individual, of no great importance, who is unable to see the natural world as a place for competition. I catch fish, watch birds, derive immense pleasure from simply looking at butterflies, moths, bumble-bees, etc - without the need for rules! I am Dylan and this is my blog - if my opinions offend? Don't bother logging on again - simple!
Friday, 10 April 2020
#BWKm0 - Common (?) Buzzard
I'd been speaking with Sye, via the wonders of modern telecommunication gizmos (a mobile phone!), about the ridiculous events of yesterday, concluding the conversation by saying that I'd not seen a Buzzard since last Saturday. He'd really gripped me off with sightings of a Little Egret (twice) and said how much this "laid back" challenge was helping him through this unprecedented situation. Strange how this "lockdown" situation has made conversation so much more regular? Both Sye, my brother, and Benno, my son, are signed up to this garden bird watching caper and it is a superb focus for us all during this period of uncertainty. I couldn't have put the phone down(?) - do you do that any more? Clicked call over! when the first Common Buzzard of the day came drifting over the garden. I pointed the camera in a half-hearted sort of manner, but it was away to the north and didn't really matter. I've had plenty of opportunities to photograph this species.
I was sat at my laptop, in the study, backdoor wide open, when the gulls went up. Game on! Outside in an instant, there were two Buzzards spiralling over Newlands airspace. Hold on? Are they really Buzzards? Of course they're Buzzards you stupid fool - so why does one look like an Egyptian Vulture? Once I'd established the fact that they were, indeed, two Common Buzzards, I grabbed the camera to ensure I recorded the bird which had caused such uncertainty.
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What a striking bird. I had to look a few times at that one. Loving reading the challenges you are finding daily With the birds. Are you getting any Kites? I had 6 over the house today in Broomfield. Seems to be a few on the move. Take care.
ReplyDeleteMarc,
DeleteI've only seen two Kites, yet feel sure there have been many others that I've missed? The local gulls are an excellent early warning system whenever a large raptor passes through the Newlands airspace. Historically, the raptor movement above Thanet has always been to the west, hence the huge numbers reported from Margate Cemetery and the North Foreland areas. Under these current restrictions I feel sure that I'll add to these sightings, especially because the forecast is very favourable.
Take care & stay safe - Dyl
Hi Dyl
ReplyDeleteJust dropped by your Blog ... I saw that same white Boozard here over the garden (with two normal brown jobbies) on April 8th. I've seen a fair few pale buzzards before but that one was off the scale 'Persil white' ... just gotta be the same bird, it was so striking. I go now, Eddie Philpotts
Hi Phil,
DeleteIt was indeed a spectacular bird and quite the "whitest" one I've ever seen. I seem to recall some expert twat (from Sheppey?) telling us that we didn't see the numbers, nor the proportion of pale individuals, of Buzzards over Thanet - he'd never visited!
Over the past twenty years I too have seen and photographed many pale individuals, yet this one really did stand out from the crowd.
Stay safe mate - Dyl