Sunday 8 June 2014

A Buzzard or Red Kite?

Again, the Hawk came. To be fair I'm not sure if it is the same one but I suspect it was. I think I'm beginning to know a hawk from a crow or seagull because of the way they flap their wings and glide. Hawks, of all kinds, like to glide and circle. There is a definite signature to this. As I sit in the garden and look out over the fenland, all manner of birds fly over. Swifts, swallows, finches and sparrows. There are also larger blackbirds, crows, rooks and ravens. But then something catches your eye. The strange flap of the wings even if it is a long way off. It catches your eye and makes you stand to attention and lend more intense scrutiny. Sometimes it is a trick of the eye, but usually it is because there is something different. The same thing happened today. Carole and I were siting in the side garden for a couple of hours. We chatted away enjoying the summer afternoon. Then suddenly...
Upon down loading these photos, I'm now wandering if this bird belongs to a falconer. I'm sure there are bells and lace on its talons - or Jesse's as they are commonly known. If so then this is a tame one, but there are so many flying wild. The buzzard population in the Fens as increased by 500% plus since the 90s decade.

It may have something to do with the EU ruling concerning pesticides. Farmers used to lay certain types of poison for rats and mice. Hawk and owls often eat such creatures and become poisoned to. Since scrutiny was paid to this, the populations have began to dramatically increase.














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