Yes, I so agree! It’s easy to get into the trap of ‘Oh it’s just a…’ and not notice these animals for what they do. In Oxford that’s now the case for red kites - nobody living around here pays them the slightest bit of attention (except me 😆) but when we have visitors from other parts of the UK they get really excited to see one overhead.
It still seems wild to me that people can overlook the kites! We were sitting in our car at Oxford Services recently watching the kites while we had some lunch on the way up north and I just couldn't believe no one was paying them any attention. I wanted to get out and point and shout and say "Don't you know how lucky you are?!" to everyone...
I'm one of those people who gets excited at kites! For some reason we never see them here in Ribble Valley. But then when I go and see family in North Yorkshire I do. And then visiting friends down South...what a treat!
Lovely letter, Zabby. Thank you! We see buzzards all the time now but I still find it quite thrilling. They are quite magnificent birds. I recognise their call now and think it's a privilege to be underneath their wingspan whilst they're circling above. Thank you for all these news facts!
Definitely guilty of the 'it's just a XXXX' and want to stop doing that and be attentive to all nature.
I didn't know about this plastic campaign either so I'll take a look.
Thanks Janelle. A total privilege - as we were driving to the station on Saturday to go to the protest a buzzard soared low over us for a long time. KP said "It's thanking you for your post!"
I completely agree we need to have more respect for our more-than-human neighbours. I find it helps me if I greet the beings I notice. Buzzards were the first I regularly said "hi" to. When I hear one I always say "hello Brother Buzzard". When the Rooks and Jackdaws take off en masse from their roost at the end of the road I always call out "hello boys and girls". I now speak a greeting out loud to just about anything I see in the natural worlds: it might seem a bit mad, and it probably is unnoticed by the other life, but it is increasing my care and respect for the other beings around me.
As for your Buzzard feather, I have an almost identical one on my mantlepiece that I am pretty sure is from Brother or Sister Buzzard!
Love this! My mum's seen buzzards over her back garden in the last couple of years, never used to have them in the area. They're such a thrill. Will you do a write up about your golden eagle watching??
Oh yes, is that in Essex? I'm not sure if I ever saw any in south London (except in places further into Kent that were technically still within the M25) but I know you can find them sometimes... Sadly there's not much to say about our golden eagle watching! We met a woman who gave us a tip-off and we went off to try and see some with no success. We saw one, very high up, when we were staying on Ulva a couple of years ago. I really wanted to see a White Tail but we didn't manage it! I'll keep island hopping when I can and hope for more success next time...
Yes! Aahh never mind, next time. There was a white tailed eagle flying over Walthamstow a couple of years ago, I didn't see it but the local birders went mad for it! I seem to remember it was from the Isle of Wight where they've been reintroducing them
Buzzards in California are vultures . A step below condors a rare bird. Your buzzard is a hawk. Big difference. Avoid confusion and use a Latin name of the bird you mean.
Hey Richard, good point! I did have the latin name in an earlier draft but it got lost in the edit somehow. I've added it back in to avoid any confusion, though in the UK I think most people will know what I'm referring to. We do get honey buzzards and rough legged buzzards in the UK at certain times of year but I've personally never seen one (though I am new to this!). I tend to write for my UK audience, as it's what I know and where most of my readers are based, but it's really useful to get the perspective of a US reader with a totally different landscape! Thank you.
Just seen one taking off from my veg patch...probably with a mouse! Wasn't it Andrew Painting of 'Regeneration' who started the 'just-a-buzzard' debate? I loved that book and recommend it to all readers of NNB.
Oooh I've not read it but I do have it on my shelf. I was browsing my books while writing this looking for info on buzzards and found hardly anything. Not sure I checked Regeneration though... will have to read it this summer now!
Yes, I so agree! It’s easy to get into the trap of ‘Oh it’s just a…’ and not notice these animals for what they do. In Oxford that’s now the case for red kites - nobody living around here pays them the slightest bit of attention (except me 😆) but when we have visitors from other parts of the UK they get really excited to see one overhead.
It still seems wild to me that people can overlook the kites! We were sitting in our car at Oxford Services recently watching the kites while we had some lunch on the way up north and I just couldn't believe no one was paying them any attention. I wanted to get out and point and shout and say "Don't you know how lucky you are?!" to everyone...
I'm one of those people who gets excited at kites! For some reason we never see them here in Ribble Valley. But then when I go and see family in North Yorkshire I do. And then visiting friends down South...what a treat!
Lovely letter, Zabby. Thank you! We see buzzards all the time now but I still find it quite thrilling. They are quite magnificent birds. I recognise their call now and think it's a privilege to be underneath their wingspan whilst they're circling above. Thank you for all these news facts!
Definitely guilty of the 'it's just a XXXX' and want to stop doing that and be attentive to all nature.
I didn't know about this plastic campaign either so I'll take a look.
Hope you had a great holiday x
Thanks Janelle. A total privilege - as we were driving to the station on Saturday to go to the protest a buzzard soared low over us for a long time. KP said "It's thanking you for your post!"
I completely agree we need to have more respect for our more-than-human neighbours. I find it helps me if I greet the beings I notice. Buzzards were the first I regularly said "hi" to. When I hear one I always say "hello Brother Buzzard". When the Rooks and Jackdaws take off en masse from their roost at the end of the road I always call out "hello boys and girls". I now speak a greeting out loud to just about anything I see in the natural worlds: it might seem a bit mad, and it probably is unnoticed by the other life, but it is increasing my care and respect for the other beings around me.
As for your Buzzard feather, I have an almost identical one on my mantlepiece that I am pretty sure is from Brother or Sister Buzzard!
Love that David and I can totally relate to saying hello to birds and the like when out and about. Thank you for the feather validation too.
Love this! My mum's seen buzzards over her back garden in the last couple of years, never used to have them in the area. They're such a thrill. Will you do a write up about your golden eagle watching??
Oh yes, is that in Essex? I'm not sure if I ever saw any in south London (except in places further into Kent that were technically still within the M25) but I know you can find them sometimes... Sadly there's not much to say about our golden eagle watching! We met a woman who gave us a tip-off and we went off to try and see some with no success. We saw one, very high up, when we were staying on Ulva a couple of years ago. I really wanted to see a White Tail but we didn't manage it! I'll keep island hopping when I can and hope for more success next time...
Yes! Aahh never mind, next time. There was a white tailed eagle flying over Walthamstow a couple of years ago, I didn't see it but the local birders went mad for it! I seem to remember it was from the Isle of Wight where they've been reintroducing them
No way! I'll have to have a Google...
Buzzards in California are vultures . A step below condors a rare bird. Your buzzard is a hawk. Big difference. Avoid confusion and use a Latin name of the bird you mean.
Hey Richard, good point! I did have the latin name in an earlier draft but it got lost in the edit somehow. I've added it back in to avoid any confusion, though in the UK I think most people will know what I'm referring to. We do get honey buzzards and rough legged buzzards in the UK at certain times of year but I've personally never seen one (though I am new to this!). I tend to write for my UK audience, as it's what I know and where most of my readers are based, but it's really useful to get the perspective of a US reader with a totally different landscape! Thank you.
Buzzards/vultures smell death. Wait patiently. Consume, clean up the reeking stench of past life and make life livable again.
Just seen one taking off from my veg patch...probably with a mouse! Wasn't it Andrew Painting of 'Regeneration' who started the 'just-a-buzzard' debate? I loved that book and recommend it to all readers of NNB.
Oooh I've not read it but I do have it on my shelf. I was browsing my books while writing this looking for info on buzzards and found hardly anything. Not sure I checked Regeneration though... will have to read it this summer now!