Body Found in Churchyard

Who sez there’s no old buzzards at St John’s?

Old buzzards here?

Buzzards in our Yard?

This one was found in the grass under the Lady Chapel
East Window, it’s wingspan, over 600mm.

Was it brought by a fox? How ever would a fox catch a buzzard?
We discovered it had been dead for over a week! Lots of down
feathers were strewn about, but not the wing or tail feathers.
When foxes take chickens, they scatter feathers everywhere, immediately.

Along the Hogsmill, the high population of squirrels, rats and mice
probably tempts people to put down bait.
Would weakened prey attract a buzzard? Make the bird too weak to escape?
But would local foxes have learned to leave a tainted meal alone?

For identification, these  tail, wing, face and talon pictures were sent
to an RSPB contact.
He had no doubt it was a buzzard, not an owl, and not a red kite.

If you see buzzards, kites, kestrels, or hear or see owls locally,
please email us  at e.sealy@virginmedia.com

Picture Chris Beales.