Buzzards...What was going on here?

[Dave McCormick]

I have a colony of buzzards not far from my house. I have observed them well for past 3 years but not really noticed this, maybe my observations were not good enough or forgot about it, in any case can ayone help me figure out what was happening?

I was there about 5am and this area has three trees in a row, a oak, a hose chestnut and a ash. One buzzard always rests on the oak (I think it might be a female). I heard a buzzard in distance, but this wasn't the one that rests on the oak. It was crying (making the sound buzzards usually do) but quite a lot, it kept doing so until another buzzard called in distance. The buzzad then kept calling and landed on the ash tree. After a few moments the second buzzard flew past, but kept at a distance. It called a few times (but not much) the other buzzard that was calling, kept doing so almost non stop. The second buzzard flew to a larch tree in the forest at the top of the hill not far away. I thought it was myself being a bit close, so I backed off.

The buzzard was still calling but the one that landed on the larch had stopped. Another was calling in distance, but only a few times then it stopped. The buzard that was on the larch tree moved onto the oak (I believe this could have been the female that I observe on this tree quite a few times) but it was calling a little but not much. The first buzzard was still calling, but then the second buzzards call changed. It now sounded like a "Screech screech, screech" (well you might know how buzzards sound) and it kept doing this instead of the usual whistling screech buzzards usually make. The first was still calling non stop almost, but the second did not move, but it kept making the screeches, sometimes getting a bit louder and sounded more agressive (might have been, not sure) another buzzard in distance started calling this way, but I left then and didn't see if that continued.

[Zonda]

Sounds like this years juveniles, they make all sorts of weird noises. Maybe food begging or something.

[Gruditch]

I was lucky enough to be present, when the 3 young from a family group near to me, took their maiden flights. There was a hell of a fuss, especially as one, for about two hours, flatly refused to leave the nest. It could be something along those lines that you witnessed Dave.

But as Zonda says, just food calling in buzzards can be really noisy.

Regards Gruditch

[Dave McCormick]

Thanks both, yep that seems like it, I had an incling it was a young one calling a lot, there was 2 other young ones in area/