Are there buzzards in London?

[loripo]

I was walking across Battersea Park in SW London yesterday and saw a buzzard circling overhead. I kept losing sight of it behind trees, but I checked out the call when I got home and it was definately buzzard. There are supposedly Peregrine Falcons nesting at the Power Station, but I havent heard buzzards mentioned - anyone else in SW London seen them? I've been looking at various websites but any reports of 'eagles' and such are some time ago. How big an area do they 'patrol' - am I likely to see it again?

[RoyW]

You can now find Common Buzzards all around the outskirts of London, with resident birds in many areas. As a rule they are not seen much over the more built up areas although they do pass over, particually during the spring and autumn (with more seen in the autumn).

Your bird was most likely to be one that was dispersing from a breeding area just outside London (perhaps one of this years young), although it could also have come from further afield, even somewhere on the continent.

Roy.

[loripo]

Thanks for that - will keep eyes/ears open. We are surrounded by parks and commons, so I suppose that provides a corridor of possible hunting grounds.

[aeshna5]

I see several a year now around London, particularly at the times Roy mentions. August/September is particularly worth looking at the skies- not just for Buzzards, but other raptors too such as Red Kites, some years like last many Scandinavian Honey Buzzards were seen across the capital, Ospreys returning, etc.

[Jason Green]

We certainly do! I saw my first local one high-up on thermals above my own back garden! Very exciting to see...

[loripo]

I went and had another look today and it is still around. Only a brief glimpse above the trees but could hear its calls. I used the video on my camera just so I could record the sound but its a bit lost amid the football game going on nearby! A lot of excitement among the other birds too.

[mandy_rudd]

Hi,

I work for Greenspace Information for Greater London (Greenspace Information for Greater London), and part of our remit is to collate information on London's wildlife and open spaces. The information we hold comes in from a range of sources, from GiGL partners such as the London Boroughs through to members of the public (see our website for an up to date list of our partners).

I've had a look at our information and we have over 400 records of common buzzard in Greater London, the most recent record having been sent in a couple of months ago. The main data contributors in this case are The Royal Parks, Greater London Authority and London Natural History Society.

We are always keen to receive more information to help us build up a better picture of London's wildlife, so if any of you would like to tell us about what you've seen please visit our website. Once you have registered as a user you can submit your sightings online and have a look at some of the data that we already hold via our WIMBY tool.

Kind regards

Mandy

[JMJH]

I have just seen three buzzards circling over Chelsea in the area of the Royal Hospital. they were most difinitely buzzards and not peregine falcons.

[Deb London]

What fantastic news, loripo! Well done for spotting it.

[loripo]

It seems that now is the time to watch out for them