Over the last 10yrs or so, common buzzard has become, well, common! This species was such a rare bird in West Yorkshire that it would have been highly twitchable in the old days but the common buzzard is an avian success story and has spread across much of the country, let alone our county. The big increase in numbers means I am seeing buzzards most days and they’ve certainly become an established breeding bird locally. Like all birds of prey, buzzards like a good freshwater bath to keep the feathers in good condition. Here, an adult bird keeps a wary eye out as it stands in a flooded field to bathe.
.jpg "Common buzzard (Buteo buteo) bathing")
