Buzzards – what fantastic birds of prey they really are. I’ve been away from the Blog for a while, thanks to my holidays in Aveyron, south central France.

Buzzard

As it’s the harvesting season over there (and here, for that matter), I was afforded a really great chance to witness Buzzards in all their glory. To see these wonderful birds soaring over the fields where the grain is being harvested is a really impressive sight. Buzzards grow to ca. 55cm long, with a wingspan of around 120 cm when adult. They happily hang over the fields that are being cut, even as the machines below are still in full swing. Why ? Because they’re waiting for dinner to come rushing out from the long corn, as they make their escape from the machinery. Into the waiting talons of the birds.

On one day, I watched 11 Buzzards over a field, twisting and turning in search of food, uncovered fleeing from the machinery in the field. They are incredibly flexible and able to turn and dive quickly. Thanks to a friend’s 7x to 21x zoom binoculars, I got really good views. In the good French light, I could really appreciate the colouration of both the underside and back of the birds. Beautiful!

Interestingly, on another day, I saw one solitary Kestrel hovering over the same field at the same time as 7 or 8 Buzzards. The Kestrel caught something; the Buzzards did not.

After such magnificent sights, I’ve resolved to getting a proper camera and lens for wildlife photography. Any suggestions and recommendations gladly received.