A few months ago, a proposal to protect pheasant farming by removing buzzards was so rapidly abandoned that I never even saw it on the mainstream news. You may recall how I wrote about the pheasant (Phasianus colchicus) being reared for shooting.
The buzzard (Buteo buteo) is a success story in British conservation. It’s another of the species whose picture I drooled over as a child but which I never thought to see for real. In recent years it’s become quite common. Its distinctive shape in the sky never fails to thrill me.
Do buzzards need to be taken out of the way of pheasant farmers? No they do not! I’m glad that daft proposal came to nothing. Thanks to my fellow blogger petrel41 for telling us about this story.
Science on the Land 
Vultures are something special when they are gliding through the air. In flight, the most magnificent local bird is the turkey vulture. There are more than enough roadkill deer to keep them well fed. I know that I go on about how overrun with deer we are, but they seem to outnumber squirrels, rabbits and feral cats combined on my cities streets.
I didn’t know there were vultures near where you live!
Please feel free to write about the deer. When we were in Maryland I saw them quite often. Btw you mentioned wanting to hunt them. Fair enough that you can’t do that where there are lots of humans but I’m sure you’re not the only person who wants to do this safely. A gun club, perhaps?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turkey_Vulture#Distribution_and_habitat
Please put some words of your own alongside any url you choose to show on my blog. Otherwise, we could just have gone straight to Wikipedia.
Turkey vultures are quite widespread I’ve seen quite age in New York, New Jersey and now Md
How interesting. I thought vultures were only in tropical countries.
There are at least two buzzards round here. At least I’m pretty sure they’re buzzards – I’ve only seen them cirling quite high up, and last time being chased by crows. I hope to get a non-blurry photo one day.
Their shape in flight is distinctive, I find. Blunt wings and as you say, circling movement.
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