Ashridge - Buzzards Battle High in the Sky

Out at Ashridge again this morning to see if I could photograph any interesting rutting behaviour of the Fallow Deer in the bright sun.

 

Just as I stood on the edge of the tree forest, I heard Common Buzzards calling above, and looking up through a gap in the canopy, I spotted high up four Buzzards.  Two broke away, the adult pale Buzzard dropping down onto a darker bird....

...... with the darker bird defending itself, before....



 

.....the pale buzzard continued its attack.

This went on for just half a minute, with the dark bird being pursued by the pale before they disappeared behind the tree canopy.  I wondered if the this was a juvenile bird being driven away by its parent, or just an encounter at the edge of territories.

 

Photos not as sharp as I had hoped, but they were at some height, and even with a good telephoto lens they were not quite small in the original images.



NW Scotland - Buzzard and Herring Gull Skirmish

It seems that the Common Buzzard, despite its size does not have a quiet time, what with the earlier blogs of the Raven and Cuckoo.

 

Watching a circling buzzard from my chalet, a Herring Gull comes into view, and....

 

... flying close to the buzzard, calling loudly comes close to the resident bird of prey, before...

 

....flying off.  I wonder why the Herring Gull is so aggressive to the buzzard? Presumably the buzzard will take the young chicks of the gull, somewhat turning the tables the gull, which itself is a great opportunist, taking the young of many seabirds. 

 

Later I caught the buzzard making a dramatic dive as it dropped to the ground.

 

All taken at a distance in poor light, so quality not as good as I would had wished, but I found the skirmish interesting.

NW Scotland - Buzzard & Raven Skirmish

On a grey morning standing outside our chalet at the beginning of June this year I spotted a Common Buzzard chasing a Raven some distance off.  Focussing in on the birds with my telephoto, I captured these images. The quality is not too good due to the distance and dark silhouettes against a whitish grey sky, but I found the behaviour interesting and quite dramatic.

 

The Buzzard is chasing the Raven......

 

....which starts to quickly...

 

...rise above the Buzzard thereby slowing down before...

....dropping to attack the buzzard from above and behind (Sadly this key shot is out of focus, but I have kept it for the story sequence)....



...before resuming its position behind the Buzzard.

 

The birds circled together, before the Raven flew off....

...leaving the Buzzard to soar alone over the area.



 

The first of a number of posts of bird interactions that I will post over the next few weeks. 



Stormy Saturday from Steps Hill and Ivinghoe Beacon

Views from Steps Hill and Ivinghoe Beacon of rain, sunshine and birds last Saturday.

A heavy shower just missing us.

A Common Buzzard driving off a Raven that had been harassing it.

More rain heavy rain passing.

A pair of Common Buzzards, the larger female to the left.

Another rain cloud beyond Pitstone Windmill