Buzzard bait

Mrbubl

Angry Buzzard Terrorizes English Country Road

Fri Jun 11, 7:26 AM ET Add Oddly Enough - Reuters
to My Yahoo!

LONDON (Reuters) - An angry buzzard is terrorizing a quiet
English country road by dive-bombing passing cyclists,
newspapers reported on Friday.

Paul Taylor, 71, said the bird of prey used its beak and
claws to rip a three-inch gash in his head as he cycled
along the stretch of road near Holsworthy, in Devon,
western England.

"I thought at first it was a lorry passing and the wing
mirror had somehow caught my head," he told the Daily Mail.

"Then I saw the buzzard swooping in front of me and suddenly
there was blood pouring down my head and face."

Last weekend 22 cyclists taking part in a long distance
competition along the road -- the A3072 -- suffered head
injuries or had gouges taken out of their helmets by the
same bird, according to the race coordinator.

The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds suggested
the bird was probably nesting nearby and was defending
its chicks.

"We would suggest that people avoid the road for a few
weeks, but if cyclists do want to use it we would advise
them to paint a pair of eyes on their helmets," a
spokeswoman told the Daily Express. "That will put the
buzzard off."

Roger Zoul

)

mrbubl wrote:
:: Angry Buzzard Terrorizes English Country Road
::
:: Fri Jun 11, 7:26 AM ET Add Oddly Enough - Reuters
:: to My Yahoo!
::
::
::
:: LONDON (Reuters) - An angry buzzard is terrorizing a
:: quiet English country road by dive-bombing passing
:: cyclists, newspapers reported on Friday.
::
::
::
:: Paul Taylor, 71, said the bird of prey used its beak and
:: claws to rip a three-inch gash in his head as he cycled
:: along the stretch of road near Holsworthy, in Devon,
:: western England.
::
::
:: "I thought at first it was a lorry passing and the
:: wing mirror had somehow caught my head," he told the
:: Daily Mail.
::
::
:: "Then I saw the buzzard swooping in front of me and
:: suddenly there was blood pouring down my head and face."
::
::
:: Last weekend 22 cyclists taking part in a long distance
:: competition along the road -- the A3072 -- suffered head
:: injuries or had gouges taken out of their helmets by the
:: same bird, according to the race coordinator.
::
::
:: The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds suggested
:: the bird was probably nesting nearby and was defending
:: its chicks.
::
::
:: "We would suggest that people avoid the road for a few
:: weeks, but if cyclists do want to use it we would advise
:: them to paint a pair of eyes on their helmets," a
:: spokeswoman told the Daily Express. "That will put the
:: buzzard off."

Jkinney2

Seems that a 12 gauge would be a better solution but that is
just my redneck AMERICAN way of thinking.

Jim

Tom Keats

In article <0oGyc.11254$uX2.993@newsread2.news.pas.earthlink.net>,
"mrbubl" <mrbubl@no-spam.earthlink.net> writes:

> The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds suggested
> the bird was probably nesting nearby and was defending
> its chicks.

The crows here have become aggressive like that, too. I've
been spotting dead ones on the roadside. I don't know if
they go after cars, or if they just get hit while going
after people who are on foot. At least they have the
courtesy to leave cyclists alone.

Yesterday while riding I had a couple of swallows escorting
me out of their territory. They were swooping mere inches
above the ground, just ahead of my front tire. They were
marvelous to watch.

> begin 666 my16.gif
[etc]
> end

If that's an attachment, please send those on UseNet.

cheers, Tom

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Tom Keats

In article <q72gac.5j.ln@bud.garden.local>,
tomk2003@hotmail.com (Tom Keats) writes:
>
> If that's an attachment, please send those on UseNet.

I mean, please /don't/ send those on UseNet.

cheers again, Tom

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Ben A Gozar

I do not know where you call home, but dead Crows and other
dead birds here in Southwestern United States is a sign of
West Nile Virus being present.

Tom Keats

In article <Xns9506AECA887EDsvenyahoocom@130.133.1.4>,
Ben A Gozar <azigni@yahoo.com> writes:
> I do not know where you call home, but dead Crows and
> other dead birds here in Southwestern United States is a
> sign of West Nile Virus being present.

Vancouver, BC, Canada. West Nile hasn't arrived here
yet. These hit-by-cars crows are a seasonal occurrence;
it happens every year when they've got new broods to
look after.

cheers, Tom

--
-- Powered by FreeBSD Above address is just a spam midden.
I'm really at: tkeats [curlicue] vcn [point] bc [point] ca

Ben A Gozar

Lucky you! Crows were the first afflicted birds here with
song birds soon after.

Garrison Hillia

"mrbubl" <mrbubl@no-spam.earthlink.net> wrote in message news:<0oGyc.11254$uX2.993@newsread2.news.pas.earthlink.net>...
> Angry Buzzard Terrorizes English Country Road
>
> Fri Jun 11, 7:26 AM ET Add Oddly Enough - Reuters to
> My Yahoo!
>
>
>
> LONDON (Reuters) - An angry buzzard is terrorizing a quiet
> English country road by dive-bombing passing cyclists,
> newspapers reported on Friday.
>
>
>
> Paul Taylor, 71, said the bird of prey used its beak and
> claws to rip a three-inch gash in his head as he cycled
> along the stretch of road near Holsworthy, in Devon,
> western England.Buzzard dies dive-bombing a van
>

An angry buzzard which was blamed for more than 20 attacks
on cyclists on a country road in Devon has died after dive-
bombing a van. The RSPB said the aggressive bird of prey was
accidentally killed on Wednesday when it swooped on the
vehicle near Holsworthy.

Experts believe the buzzard - which has a 1m wingspan -
could have been protecting a nest.

The bird had been swooping on cyclists, gouging holes in
their helmets.

Emma Parkin from the RSPB said the driver of the van that
hit the bird had reported the accident immediately.

She said it was unusual for buzzards to attack humans, which
suggested it had once been in captivity.

She said: "It was just being a good parent, although it was
probably rather too enthusiastic."

There is probably a single parent buzzard flying around
now Emma Parkin, RSPB She said it was likely the buzzard
was one of a pair and the surviving bird would now care
for the chicks.

"There is probably a single parent buzzard flying around
now, I hope that's the case.

"The chicks should be pretty robust by now anyway, but this
will definitely mean their chances of survival have
diminished."

Retired toolmaker Paul Dixon, 71, North Devon secretary of
the Cyclists Touring Club, was among those who fell victim
to the buzzard on the A3072 between Brandis Corner and
Anvil Corner.

He was not wearing a cycle helmet when the angry bird
swooped on him on one occasion - he was left with blood
pouring from three scratches on his head.

All 22 competitors in two long-distance cycle races were
also attacked at the same spot nearly a fortnight ago.

The attacks forced a time trial and another scheduled bike
ride to be re-routed last weekend.

Story from BBC NEWS: http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-
/1/hi/england/devon/3814991.stm

Published: 2004/06/17 10:13:30 GMT

© BBC MMIV