unironedman

After the last post, where I mentioned my initial failure to take a picture of a Buzzard that I knew in my heart would be rubbish, and then getting the opportunity to prove my point a few days later… well, it’s as if old Buteo buteo is mocking me now. Or perhaps even stalking me.

It’s worth pointing out that Buzzards in this country really suffered badly at the hands of man. Farming practice didn’t help, and the big killer was pesticides. They are not like Kestrels or Peregrines: they are more opportunistic scavengers, just as likely to pick away at a carcass as hunt something live. So they suffered more into the bargain.

They also love thermals and can glide for ages in the sky; clearly far too high for any hunting purposes, so you have to assume it’s just good craic up there. Probably takes them out of range of Rooks and other crows, who frequently mob them.

You’ll hear one before you see one; especially on a hot day when they are up there, gliding away. The mewl is unlike any other sound, and it seems to carry for miles.

Well, the day after I posted that short piece about Buzzards, I went for a drive to pick up some art materials, and in the short spin over, I spotted three Buzzards in the space of a few miles, all perched quite low in the trees or on poles, like the one pictured above. In fairness, it was a rank old day, so gliding was out. Any hunting would have to be done close to the ground. But then the following day I spotted yet another in the park, perched only a few feet off the ground, in the middle of a field full of cattle.

The thing about paranoia is… sometimes they ARE out to get ya!

In other boring, non bird-related news, the run streak continues. 72.3k is the running total. Ha! Running total. I see what you did there! That equates to about 6.5k per run, so at least it’s not the bare minimum of 5k (which is just over the regulation 3 miles as mandated by Marco if you are partaking in the Marcothon). So we are still on course.

There are plenty of days to go, mind you. Christmas Day shouldn’t be a big problem, as, with many folks this year, it’s going to be low-key. It would have been nice to celebrate the occasion with a Goal Mile on the local track with friends, but I’ll think of something.

Tarrah for now.