[lord flynn]

we have horizontal snow atm viz is about 50 yards. I heard the chickens in my front pen going mad-and I mean insane, never heard anything like it, Gollum and Smeagol were doing these very long, drawn out, one note squawks and the hens were all going mental. I then saw a bird of prey flap off from the fallen fir tree behind that run-it landed in the field next door. I can't say for sure whether it was a buzzard, seemed more nimble and svelte but certainly bigger than a sparrow hawk. we get hen harriers up here allegedly but I've not seen one in RL and I didn't see its face. all birds present and correct, the girls were hidden right under a conifer and the boys were on full alert-then started a 10 min crow fest 


anyine have problems with hen harriers and is there anything I can do, other than provide cover?

[doganjo]

A buzzard flew off today when I let my ducks out for their first romp since I got them.  They tend to sit on fences and fence post watching for small prey - don't think they'd try my hens or ducks, and the quail are kept indoors in the kennel.  I've seen a lot more buzzards in the last couple of years than ever before. Only seen the occasional sparrow hawk.

[lord flynn]

we had sparrow hawks around a lot back in East Lothian-saw one take a wood pigeon once. They used to buzz my chicks and young growers but I always kept them in a run with the roof on.beautiful birds. I think it was a harrier after googling, it had a narrow tail, longish.

[doganjo]

I've seen a bird hovering near here - would that be a harrier?

[lord flynn]

don't know-we live on heather moorland-very close to some hills, there are red grouse up here and apparently they like grouse! I know there were harriers down near Roberton (I am near Tinto) which isn't that far away and the same sort of habitat.

[shygirl]

our buzzards are visible at the moment, calling and circling. they often sit on telegraph poles too.

[darkbrowneggs]

If its almost stationery as it hovers and generally not too high up in the air it is almost certainly a kestrel.  They generally take beetles and small vertebrates.


I have had buzzards take growing Marans, and once they get a taste for them they can be a nuisance

[SallyintNorth]

I really doubt a harrier would take full-grown chooks.  In fact I really doubt it would hunt so close to a steading - they like to hunt over open moorland. 

I've never known buzzards take healthy adult chickens.

I have known Goshawks take domestic poultry.  And sparrowhawks any smaller birds around the steading, up to the size of a pigeon.

Hovering with flapping wings is usually a kestrel.  They're watching the vole runs.  Hovering using the thermals is typical of buzzards.  The harriers tend to glide low-ish over the ground, rather in the manner of a barn owl.

[lord flynn]

this flew low over the ground away from the paddock. Apart from our tiny bit of land, we are surrounded by open moorland as well. possibly a goshawk, hard to tell in that light what colour it was. I know people have had trouble with buzzards in certain parts of the country but I've not and we had two nests on the other property that we rented.
will keep an eye out-exiting to see a new bird as long as it doesn't take my chickens!

[Rosiecrad]

Kestrels and buzzards are the only birds of prey ( not talking owls here) that hover, Kestrels are much smaller in size. Female and male birds of prey also differ quite significantly in colour across the different breeds.
The RSPB website is really good, they have a bird identifier and all the breeds of the British isles
Personally I've never had a problem with BOP, we have lots of buzzards, kestrels, sparrowhawks and peregrine falcons but have never attacked the chickens or ducks luckily!

[MelRice]

The Buzzards here are very common and yes they do take chooks (well the smaller varieties anyway) Lots of people net their runs esp. those that live next to the open fields.

[Marches Farmer]

Growers up to 12 weeks are the preferred lunch for Buzzards here.  Ours are housed until 16 weeks.  They were coming down to hunt in my neighbour's farmyard a couple of years ago, despite 6 Border Collies being in residence!