A wake of buzzards

Glancing out of the window the other day I noticed a small flock of large birds drifting across the sky. My first thought was that they were gulls - I see small groups fairly often, drifting over the fields. But on a second look I realised that it was a group of buzzards - seven of them!

I've never seen so many all together; I'm assuming it was a family group, floating on the thermals up on high. As I watched, through my binoculars, two of the birds started some play-fighting on the wing, chasing, swooping, and throwing talons up at each other. I managed to grab a few very distant and fuzzy photos but mainly just enjoyed watching them for a few minutes, until they eventually all drifted out of sight.

Buzzards are the UK's most common and widespread bird of prey, although things haven't always been so rosy for them. They suffered greatly from persecution at the hands of gamekeepers, and also following the introduction of myxomatosis in the 1950s, which reduced the population of their rabbit prey. Organochlorine pesticides took their toll too. However, thanks to the withdrawal of the pesticides and a reduction in persecution, buzzards have increased greatly.

When I was growing up, in the 70s/80s in the Midlands, I only ever saw buzzards when we went on holiday to Wales or the West Country. I remember looking out for the occasional bird perched on a telegraph pole, and listening out for their mewing calls. And now I've seen seven all together, floating across the sky in Eastern England. Fabulous.