Buzzards (General Discussion about....)

Kevin the sheep · 11-09-2014 12:16pm #1

Hi just looking at four" buzzards " over south carlow lovely to see these in the area what do they eat ?

OpenYourEyes · 11-09-2014 12:33pm

Crows, rabbits, rats/rodents, and any carrion (i.e dead stuff) they find lying around the place

Kevin the sheep · 11-09-2014 12:36pm

OpenYourEyes wrote: »

Crows, rabbits, rats/rodents, and any carrion (i.e dead stuff) they find lying around the place

Is there many of these birds in ireland ?
We're they always here or were the reintroduced ?

OpenYourEyes · 11-09-2014 12:39pm

Kevin the sheep wrote: »

Is there many of these birds in ireland ?
We're they always here or were the reintroduced ?

Good numbers in the south and east alright - fewer west of the Shannon. They were here but driven to extinction in the late 1800's, but they recolonised naturally from the UK - they weren't reintroduced.

Kevin the sheep · 11-09-2014 12:46pm

OpenYourEyes wrote: »

Good numbers in the south and east alright - fewer west of the Shannon. They were here but driven to extinction in the late 1800's, but they recolonised naturally from the UK - they weren't reintroduced.

Very good love looking at them can never get close anofe for a good pic will some time they hang out in the trees where I work but I'd want to get a good camera any suggestions don't want to spend a fortune on one

OpenYourEyes · 11-09-2014 4:46pm

Kevin the sheep wrote: »

Very good love looking at them can never get close anofe for a good pic will some time they hang out in the trees where I work but I'd want to get a good camera any suggestions don't want to spend a fortune on one

You'd want at least a 300mm lens if not bigger - plenty of good cameras on the market for decent prices, but for birds and wildlife you want to be spending your money and putting your research into getting the right lens.

Davaeo09 · 12-09-2014 2:33pm

90% sure I just seen a Buzzard in Kilkenny. Was driving towards Kilmanagh Village, at a slower than usual pace when I saw what looked like some thing just dropping from the sky. After seeing allot of pheasants I just thought it was a particularly clumsy one at first but 2-3 seconds later it flex up again, at this point I was almost 5 meters in-front of it, a swift turn and it was gone.

Awesome experience and my first one with a bird of prey this close in the wild. I almost wish I had been out walking instead! Might have missed it then though xD

OpenYourEyes · 12-09-2014 4:00pm

Mod Note: Okay - Buzzards - fantastic birds, and since they're only back in the relatively recent past, and still spreading into new areas, they cause both surprise and delight when people either see them for the first time or see them in a certain area for the first time. I'm certainly delighted whenever and wherever I see them west of the Shannon.

We've had two people add to Buzzard threads that are a few years old in the last two days - which you're not really supposed to do - so to stop that happening lets have a general thread where we can discuss buzzards, buzzard sightings, behaviours and persecution, though hopefully we won't have reason for that!

So yeah - this is the general Buzzard thread from now on - enjoy!

amtw · 12-09-2014 4:20pm

On the way home from Kilkenny last Saturday I came across a buzzard dead on the road somewhere between Kiltealy and Ferns, they are regularly hit by cars while feeding, they are not as fast to take off as crows or magpies.

Today at lunch time we counted 9 buzzards flying in circles over newly winnowed fields at the back of our house between Bray and Enniskerry. There were 5 at the start of the breeding season. Great to see the numbers increasing.

IrishDerbyfan · 13-09-2014 9:45am

OpenYourEyes wrote: »

Good numbers in the south and east alright - fewer west of the Shannon. They were here but driven to extinction in the late 1800's, but they recolonised naturally from the UK - they weren't reintroduced.

Not sure they ever became extinct totally. Hung on in Rathlin and Antrim I think, and then expanded.

OpenYourEyes · 13-09-2014 11:55am

IrishDerbyfan wrote: »

Not sure they ever became extinct totally. Hung on in Rathlin and Antrim I think, and then expanded.

....extinct in the Republic though :P

Bonedigger · 14-09-2014 11:12am

A Buzzard seen by the Liffey yesterday:

D29D252A8FBC4DDAAF84E9D1639C44A4-0000372749-0003664430-00800L-DC6094DDA9B74CD3AC814758A156E425.jpg

A cropped image of the Buzzard:

B732288B42264ABA83222041D6D98204-0000372749-0003664431-00640L-40893C04A9D643CF9B28B758EBF9D469.jpg

Unfortunately,I couldn't get any closer with the number of trees obscuring my view,but it's always thrilling to see these beautiful birds.Thankfully,I've been seeing more and more Buzzards in my local area in recent years.:)

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1 · 14-09-2014 11:42am

Had one on the TV aerial (of a bungalow!) this morning. They have become a common sight around here and have bred successfully at several sites within a 2 miles radius very year for over 20 years now. It is always a joy to have one, or more, swoop low over the garden.

whereto now · 17-09-2014 12:40pm

I spent ages watching 6 buzzards flying overhead one day last week, it looked like 4 chicks and their parents. The chicks seemed to be playing, diving and generally messing around but the other 2 were flying around as if they were keeping an eye on them so thats why I think they were chicks, I hope so its great to see them doing so well.....:)

scunner1 · 19-09-2014 6:46pm

Kevin the sheep wrote: »

Very good love looking at them can never get close anofe for a good pic will some time they hang out in the trees where I work but I'd want to get a good camera any suggestions don't want to spend a fortune on one

I reckon the Canon EOS1200 could be a good one for your needs. You can get them in Currys at the moment for I think about €480. You get two lenses with that one of which is a 300mm zoom lens. I got the previous Canon model a few years back with this lens and have got some really nice bird shots with it including plenty of Buzzards!

magicbastarder · 15-06-2015 9:48pm

this was posted to the cycling forum:

http://www.stickybottle.com/latest-news/check-out-the-damage-a-bird-of-preys-claws-did-to-a-national-champs-helmet/

Birdnuts · 15-06-2015 11:56pm

magicbastarder wrote: »

this was posted to the cycling forum:

http://www.stickybottle.com/latest-news/check-out-the-damage-a-bird-of-preys-claws-did-to-a-national-champs-helmet/

Rather odd behaviour for a buzzard but many bird species can be aggressive around their nesting site when their chicks are near fledging. Particularly gulls, terns and large owls.

OldRio · 17-06-2015 11:50am

We really have been blessed with wildlife this year (far to many horrid magpies though) I spotted a buzzard a few times last year near our farm but this year three together. 2 adults and a young un. You could hear the adults/s calling. Sounding a little like a seagull.
Hopefully we might see more.

Sorry.. South Leitrim is the location

fleabag · 18-06-2015 8:03pm

Delighted to see this thread as I too have had the delight of seeing my first buzzard ever this year. I'm in West Waterford and perfect buzzard territory with farmland/forestry mix. I've seen a couple so far very high up just circling around. Love the call, didn't even know there was one about today until I heard it. Would love to see one a bit closer up but the forestry is fairly inaccessible. Even at long distance, they look to be magnificent birds. The rooks around here sometimes give them a hard time but doesn't seem to bother the buzzard too much.

endplate · 20-06-2015 11:04pm

I live outside Athboy in Co. Meath. There is a pair of buzzards living in the trees behind my house. It's a pleasure to watch them catching thermals and drifting about. I saw a jackdaw diving and attacking one of them midair too but the buzzard didn't appear too bothered.

magicbastarder · 20-06-2015 11:09pm

i've seen buzzards soaring over the eastern end of the main runway at dublin airport on several occasions. a rough neighbourhood for birds, you'd have thought.

homerhop · 23-06-2015 10:10pm

looking at two today during my lunch, there are a good few about in south kildare

gillad · 24-06-2015 6:00pm

I saw my first Buzzard last year and it was a wonderful first sight.I was out walking in the fields when a bird took off in front of me with a rabbit in its claws.I didnt know we had birds in ireland that could do that and after some research I found out it was a Buzzard.A pair of them had chicks last year and I spotted them up high circling,there was 5 or 6 of them so 3 or 4 must have been fledgings.
I see the two adults most days now and I hear them everyday(they are quiet noisy).They make a lot of noise too when they are circling looking for food which is odd as this is a signal for their prey to hide.I havent seen any fledgings this year but its probably too early yet.

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1 · 24-06-2015 6:24pm

Not too early at all. Fledged buzzards here for the past few weeks.

Bonedigger · 24-06-2015 7:09pm

Brennan Melted Mop wrote: »

Not too early at all. Fledged buzzards here for the past few weeks.

The same here in my part of the world too.

vistafinder · 25-06-2015 1:51pm

I counted 5 soaring fairly close to where I live last week. What a beautiful sound they make.

I will try to find out when they were recorded here last. I have not seen or heard them in my 35 years here.

Brilliant to see them.

Nightforce 65X55 · 26-06-2015 7:39pm

Saw this buzzard today around Dublin Airport ....

Buzzards (General Discussion about....)

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