They were displaying all day: soaring on the updrafts above the fields across the valley. But now comes something quite different.
Against the rising half-moon hanging silver in a wide open, innocent sky, undersides aflamed by amber shards of setting sun, three buzzards are wheeling: carving lazy, majestic arcs which skim the treetops and the ridges and the gables on the roof.
So close. If I stretched out my arm, surely I would feel the whisper of those shining wings?
You must first realize the thing completely in your mind. Then grasp the brush, fix your attention so that you see clearly what you wish to paint; start quickly, move the brush, follow straight what you see before you, as the buzzard swoops down when the hare jumps out. If you hesitate one moment, it is gone.
Morris Graves
Credits:
Photo by Vincent van Zalinge on Unsplash
Drawings from RSPB
A Corner of Cornwall 
Wonderful. We have a pair of buzzards nesting not 200 yards from here. It amazes me how rarely we see them. But it completes the day when we do.
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I am watching a pair who seem to be contemplating a nesting site which would be perfect for us. Whether they will oblige remains to be seen.
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How brilliant! I do envy you (just a bit – they are wonderful, amazing, birds)
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They are beautiful birds. I agree, Kiki!
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Lovely Sandra- we’re privileged here, too. Buzzards are around but my close encounters are with Red Kites who swoop past at ear level, sometimes close enough to touch were I brave enough. They seem to have no fear of man…
xx
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Yes, I love those red kites too, Pat. They’ve not made their way here yet. I suspect it’s only a matter of time before they arrive in Cornwall.
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Now I can see that we really will have to compare names of birds in our different environs. Here those would be a kind of hawk, not a buzzard. Today I posted a picture of our nuthatch. Curious to see if it is the same in Cornwall.
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Elizabeth, I’ve just seen your nuthatch picture. I didn’t comment because it felt inappropriate given the message of the post, but I can tell you here that our nuthatch also walks up and down tree trunks, and eats upside down. The two birds look similar in shape but are quite different in colouring. Ours is blue and russet – almost orange. One of our most beautiful garden birds.
Hawks here would be much smaller than buzzards.
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Fascinating. Here buzzards are vultures. I love that they are named differently around the world. Have to stay alert when I read an English novel that mentions buzzards!
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Goodness yes! A vulture would be quite different to a buzzard in my eyes. (Not that we have vultures here of course)
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These different names will keep us on our toes.
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I feel like stretching my arm into the cool, blue sky. It is morning still.
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It’s cold and grey here, Uma. But not raining which is a bonus!
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I’m always amazed by buzzards.
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I love them, Sarah 🙂
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Isn’t it glorious to see such a sight. We regularly saw groups of buzzards from our holiday cottage on Skye last September – always such a joy.
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Glorious birds, as are the red kites, and we are very fortunate to have plenty of each species in the skies around here. Sometimes they are harrassed by crows but they seem to survive all attacks.
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Yes, I love both too. Red kites haven’t made it down here yet but I’m sure they will given how well they are breeding. I’ve seen the buzzards mobbed by crows here. Quite dramatic!
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Wonderful! I love most birds and it is always a privilege to see the more uncommon varieties.
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Yesterday we had a sparrowhawk sitting on the railings of the balcony – just a few feet (and a sheet of glass) away from us. We watched for aged; so beautiful. And now I’m tempted to pop the video on the blog….. 😉
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Please do! ♥
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Wonderful birds. They’re so majestic. 🙂
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Aren’t they just! (Looking forward to reading more of your blog when time allows 🙂 )
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