Common Buzzards near Nottingham City (1 Viewer)

[Andy Adcock]

In the thirty odd years I've been birding in Notts, I've seen the amazing, recovery of Common Buzzard numbers to the extent that I now regularly see them over my home, just a mile from the City Centre.

At the bottom of my road, behind some small flats, is a small, very isolated, stand of mature trees and an old school friend who lives adjacent, has reported seeing a Buzzard, sitting in the trees, virtually outside her kitchen window on numerous occasions. As most birders do when dealing with non birders, I accepted her account with a little sceptism however, today, as I walked down the road, coming home, I heard the unmistakeble call of a Buzzard and it soon appeared over the roof tops, from very close to this stand of trees, pursued by a pair of crows.

The same afternoon, I watched from my bedroom window as this time two, Buzzards soared on thermals and was then surprised when a third appeared. Anyway, I will at some point, check out this small stand of tree for a possible nest, I can't see any other reason why such a wide ranging bird, would keep getting seen in such a place unless it were nesting?

 

[KenM]

Sometimes I get CB sitting in woodland trees Andy waiting for perhaps rats? to emerge from the river banks at home. Initially I thought they looked quite incongruous in that situation, however over time it becomes accepted that that is how they’re evolving.
To think in the 80’s they were a reportable species for London.
Several years ago I met up with a colleague to do some birding mid April in the City of London (central), and over the course of 4-5 hours we’d had at least 7-8 sightings of different Buzzards over St.Pauls, Holborn and the Tower of London to name just a few places.

Cheers

 

[Andy Adcock]

Sometimes I get CB sitting in woodland trees Andy waiting for perhaps rats? to emerge from the river banks at home. Initially I thought they looked quite incongruous in that situation, however over time it becomes accepted that that is how they’re evolving.
To think in the 80’s they were a reportable species for London.
Several years ago I met up with a colleague to do some birding mid April in the City of London (central), and over the course of 4-5 hours we’d had at least 7-8 sightings of different Buzzards over St.Pauls, Holborn and the Tower of London to name just a few places.

Cheers

It's been an incredible recovery.

 

[KenM]

It's been an incredible recovery.

Perhaps I should clarify! all the Buzzards seen on the day were very high up, clearly a big movement taking place at the time.
To be honest I suspect the sightings represented just a smaller percentage of what was passing over, because most of the time we were hunting passerine migrants in the parks and green spaces.👍

 

[Andy Adcock]

Perhaps I should clarify! all the Buzzards seen on the day were very high up, clearly a big movement taking place at the time.
To be honest I suspect the sightings represented just a smaller percentage of what was passing over, because most of the time we were hunting passerine migrants in the parks and green spaces.👍

My birds are definitely local, perhaps habitat is providing very limited opportunities for breeding hence their interest in this small stand of trees but I will check them out for a nest.

 

[Mike Crawley]

I started birding in '89.
At the time I worked rural Cheshire and the location of a possible site to see Common Buzzard nearby was passed on in hushed tones. There was even gossip about a nest site, but the actual location was suppressed.

Now, I can see them from my suburban Stockport garden (although I’m pretty close to the Mersey) and regularly see them along A roads and motorways.
I’m about to move across Stockport into a less built up area and I’m sure CB are nesting on the nearby golf course.
It's a remarkable recovery, indeed.

 

[Farnboro John]

In Hampshire it was New Forest or nothing when I started birding, now they transit across central Farnborough daily and even linger over the more open places. It is a great thing, but I sometimes wonder if their recovery is in any way implicated in declining Kestrels, even if only shared prey resources? It could be just a restoration of traditional numbers based on a healthy avian predator structure rather than a worrying change.

John

 

[Andy Adcock]

In Hampshire it was New Forest or nothing when I started birding, now they transit across central Farnborough daily and even linger over the more open places. It is a great thing, but I sometimes wonder if their recovery is in any way implicated in declining Kestrels, even if only shared prey resources? It could be just a restoration of traditional numbers based on a healthy avian predator structure rather than a worrying change.

John

In Notts it was the Dukeries, Clumber Park.

 

[Julie50]

I work in a school in Tipton, West Midlands. The area is dense residential and light industry - it is known as the Black Country! This year we have a resident pair of Common Buzzards in the trees at the back of our small field. I think the tram way at the back helps to provide them with enough food.

They do help to make some difficult days better as they are at constant war with the resident crows

 

[aeshna5]

In my part of the west London suburbs we have resident Buzzard, Red Kite (now the most frequently encountered raptor with up to 6 sometimes), Peregrine, Sparrowhawk, Kestrel & our first returning Hobbies have reappeared in the last couple of days. When I started out several decades ago it was only Kestrel to be seen, though that now seems less widespread, though still fairly common.

 

[Andy Adcock]

In my part of the west London suburbs we have resident Buzzard, Red Kite (now the most frequently encountered raptor with up to 6 sometimes), Peregrine, Sparrowhawk, Kestrel & our first returning Hobbies have reappeared in the last couple of days. When I started out several decades ago it was only Kestrel to be seen, though that now seems less widespread, though still fairly common.

I'm a bit disappointed and slightly baffled, that Red Kites haven't spread to this part of the Midlands as of yet.