Unwanted Buzzards

Can anyone tell me what I can do about this unwanted visitor to my garden. The dreaded Buzzard and Kestrals are using my blue tits as a mid afternoon snack,

 

Hello, TaffyThomas! What a dreadful problem you have and I can't answer it! :eek:

What I can do is welcome you to GC and tell you that you that I am Welsh also and that I was born on 29 April .... the date you registered with GC ... but not the year! :D

Welcome and enjoy the site, although you joined before me!

 

I know the feeling taffy. I have a visiting sparrow hawk, or did do when I was attracting large numbers of birds with sun flower hearts as well peanuts. The Bluetits seemed to be the favourite diet, perhaps because there were so many of them - they bred in the garden.

Oddly when I stopped feeding the sunflower hearts to disperse the birds on RSPB advise following evidence of a parasitic disease in the green finches - the tits continued to feed on the peanut feeders, but the hawk disappeared.

If you don't want the raptors visiting - then may I suggest you reduce your feeding just to the peanuts feeders. They seem to attracted to large gatherings of birds rather than smaller ones. Me I didn't mind my sparrowhawk - splendid bird - and blue tits are not scarce, though very cute. Better a hawk than a cat.

 

I'd welcome a buzzard or any other raptor. I'm green with envy Taff

 

Try moving to the city,I would love to have either visiting my garden,though we often see Buzzards flying overhead.In the eighties we used to have to drive to Wales to see Buzzards,now thankfully they have spraed over our way and People have got the sense not to poison them anymore,though some still do.Try joining the RSPB and learn something about these birds you are trying to discourage

 

Hi Taffy,
You could site your bird feeders closer to the house or under a tree. Buzzards and kestrels dive on their prey from on high so won't like to come too close to the house or trees. We have the occasional sparrowhawk and they do zoom under trees.

 

kestrals are indeed a menace they eat there prey alive,as dose the sparrow hawk, buzzards on the other hand are less of a nusience,i have seen them take a rat but have never seen them take any small birds,we do in fact have two living in our trees and have never seen them take any birds,and this is over 20 years that we have been here,magpies again is a menace as they take the eggs from nests,and youngsters,these raptors are protected by law and in fact the RSPB has programms to increase them,building nest sights etc,this in turn is upsetting the balance of nature,to conclude dont always believe what the RSPB says for example when we moved here i asked the RSPB what buzzards fed on ,there reply was worms,need i say more

 

So your logic is that raptors that eat live prey are menaces and ones that you haven't seen eating are not. So domestic cats are menaces too are they?

Not a lot of pet owners would agree with you.

 

no comment to that HB you have a somewhat restricted outlook on various topics so i dont really see any point of getting into an discussion with you,on this subject

 

We used to have a dozen or more Collared Doves cooing at all hours and messing over the cars, and worst of all, Mrs Pals washing!! :eek:
Enter a beautiful Buzzard..Exit the Doves..one by one :D He/she still appears now and again but the small birds take no notice. There is also a large number of Jackdaws in the neighbourhood and I wondered if Buzzards are partial to them?

 

I love Buzzards The effortless way they soar on sunny days I often watch them over the valley from the kitchen window. They are my favourite birds by far

 

the answer to that Nick is no,ive studied these birds for a number of years,we too have doves and i can say in all honesty they have never taken a dove, frightened them yes because all birds have their eye on the sky and buzzards are the bird that dose make them very warey,and so the tend to move elsewhere,if you see a buzzard close up flying he dose look quite menacing,but i like the buzzard,he cleans the country side up and as far as im concerned he is an asset to the ecoligly of the planet,i could go on for ever on this subject but that would be boreing

 

i just saw your comments WM thank you

 

I am way off the mark here..I was talking about a Peregrine Falcon NOT a Buzzard..What a muppet!
The first ever Buzzard I saw was near Whiddon Down on the A30,heading for Jacobstowe along the A3124 in 1998.Now they are here and soar along the Cotswold escarpment.

 

Buzzards are magnificent birds. There were a few nesting where we stayed on holiday at Hay-on-Wye. Also there were red kites which are also a sight to behold. On the way home we got swooped by a buzzard whilst in the car going up the long drive out to the main A roads. They are so much bigger than you expect fully stretched in flight amazing.

That said, sorry you are having problems with Buzzards and Kestrals TaffyThomas, to add insult to injury I have no advice for you either, sorry :(