Garden Wildlife UK

What a lovely find Kevin

Not the sharpest photo which was a shame as I was quite close. One of two juvenile buzzards that were sat side by side on a fallen tree. The other one sussed me out and flew off which was a shame again as two would have been nice. This one is looking up to the top of the canopy where a parent was calling out. Difficult to tell them apart now but listening to the juveniles calling and the adult yesterday there was a marked difference.

Nice to see them perched Bob. I rarely do when I have the camera...

Nice one Bob.. don't think I've knowingly seen juvenile birds of prey in the wild... a family group of buzzards once, and a family group of red kites the previous year (presumably family groups as there were 5 or 6 of each flying together) but they were miles up high and not discernibly different in size

PimperneBloke wrote: Sat Jul 26, 2025 7:58 am Nice one Bob.. don't think I've knowingly seen juvenile birds of prey in the wild... a family group of buzzards once, and a family group of red kites the previous year (presumably family groups as there were 5 or 6 of each flying together) but they were miles up high and not discernibly different in size

I used to watch the kestrels nesting in the local valley for a few years that I posted on the RSPB forum. For three or four years that was my highlight of the year... the chicks were fantastic. Then in 2023 mandarins beat them to the hole in the tree and they haven't gone back since. Saying that a mate said he'd found a kestrel wing near the tree so one may have been preyed upon. There is, or was, a sparrowhawk nesting close by too and also a tawny owl. I know the former can take a kestrel and I'm sure I read somewhere tawnys can too.

Linda257 wrote: Fri Jul 25, 2025 10:53 pm What a lovely find Kevin

Thank you, Linda, nature always surprises

Lovely photo, Bob, it must have been lovely to hear the different calls

Kevin B wrote: Sat Jul 26, 2025 10:23 am Lovely photo, Bob, it must have been lovely to hear the different calls

Cheers Kevin. The sound drew me to the small circle of trees in the middle of the field. I thought they had been nesting there a while back but not seen them other than a parent taking off and flying across the field. Initially I thought they were all in the canopy so it took me a little by surprise.

Sharp enough Bob. Great capture. Not many birds of prey around here sadly at the moment.

Very nice Kevin and Bob, great photos and good to see these youngsters