BOP's !

Wiltshire - 16.1.22

A few weeks back I had the opportunity to spend some time photographing Common Buzzard which in the passed I've had mixed success with, so today it's just over an hours drive from the FOD to a farm owned by a fellow photographer I'd previously met on a trip up in Scotland a few years back.

I'm located on a side of a high ridge ideal for "bops' as they can use the up draft of the ridge to cruise efficiently across the landscape, to get some interest road kill has been put out initially attracting a single Buzzard, perched on a post it's very wary sitting for maybe ten minutes before it decides to move and take advantage of the free offering, plucked feathers are flying on the wind and it's not to long the activity seems to be a magnet to other circling bops.

Thirty minuets have passed and there are now maybe eight or more buzzards present both dark and a striking pale phase bird, they occupy several posts along the fence line some just sat on the grass, the inevitable squabbling starts over what's remaining of the road kill. A couple of Red Kite take an interest but where the Buzzards are just wary the Red Kites are wary of the Buzzards but they are more agile swooping down picking up the last of the scraps.

It's been quite an experience being able to photograph so many buzzards at such a close distance with the bonus of a couple of visiting Red Kite, although the weather hasn't been great being a rather grey day it's been another new experience and one which I might just repeat in a couple of months.

Common Buzzard

Portrait of the pale phase Buzzard against the dark threatening sky.

Red Kite

Also presenter were two Red Kite, very wary of the more aggressive Buzzard and never landing unless they moved away.