As anyone who regularly follows my blog will know, I have been trying for the last 3 weeks to photograph the Buzzards coming in to feed in front of my hide. It's been frustrating at times but I honestly knew that if I was patient and put the time in, I would be successful.  I have been working  almost full time to get success and today it happened.  And, what an exciting moment it was, well 3 exciting moments because thats how many day old chicks the bird came in to take, giving me three chances to get a photo.  I baited the fence post as normal, retreated back to the hide and focused the camera which I had  fitted wih a remote shutter release.  (This was important because I needed to watch for the Buzzards arival from a distance  through the peep hole in the hide). I  really learned about the Buzzards behaviour today and I will find it easier in the next few days now that I know what they are doing. I watched it fly-by in front of me, at that  point I thought it was coming in to feed, but it turned in the air and  then disappeared in to the woods behind me and to the right.  Then what happened next was really exciting because It appeared again above the field.  I wondered what was about to happen, then It  circled slowly, gaining height before turning from it's highest point  and then it  flew down towards the post  from 75 yards in a glide that took just seconds but seemed a lifetime.  It passed above the gate like a bomber on a raid, getting lower and lower and nearer and nearer as my heart pounded.  I was poised with the remote shutter release even though the camera was next to me,  I fired it off as the bird made a purposeful bee-line for the bait.  As it was about to alight, it's flight was stalled by massive wings and it extended its legs to land lightly on the log.  As usual the bird remained just for a second or two as it picked up the prey and then departed back in to the wood.  I have tried really hard to describe what happened and also tried to let you know what it was like to witness  something very magical……. a real wildlife spectacle.  These Buzzards are magestic creatures and because of their intelligence and suspicious nature, you will never get close to them without a bit of effort, apart, that is, from a moving vehicle which they seem to accept, ( as long as it keeps moving).   I count my encounters with these Devon Buzzards amongst my best wildlife moments and today was one of the best.

This is a composite image of the birds, a combination of 4 images together.